Waka Sakura Irvine

I visited during a Tuesday lunch with my partner, not knowing quite what to expect, and we were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the fish for the price. We spent about $25 per person and left completely satisfied. Overall, this place exceeded expectations, and I highly recommend checking it out. Seating: ⭐ 5/5 The ambiance was comfortable and inviting, with light background chatter that made it easy to have a conversation across the table. The booths were comfortable, and we were seated promptly upon arrival. Ordering: ⭐ 5/5 From placing our order on the iPad to receiving the food, it took approximately five minutes. Orders are placed through an iPad located at the end of the table, which was easy and efficient to use. Note that extras-such as spicy mayo are charged separately. Food Quality: ⭐ 5/5 The sushi quality was the standout. Each piece was well-prepared, with clean cuts and generous, thick portions of fish. The seared salmon was especially delicious and highly recommended. The portion-to-price ratio made this an excellent value. Service: ⭐ 5/5 The staff was attentive and efficient. Their friendliness and professionalism added to the overall positive experience. ** I highly recommend this revolving sushi restaurant over the newly opened Sushi Rev.

This place is truly amazing. What really stood out to me is how smart and efficient the whole setup is. You order everything through an iPad, and each dish is made to order and delivered right to your table on a conveyor belt. It lets you eat at your own pace and order exactly what you want, without ever feeling rushed. That system is clearly why the value is so good. The quality, affordability, and speed all line up, and service is there when you need it but never overbearing. The menu is simple and straightforward, focused on doing the basics really well rather than going over the top. It’s a fun experience, but more than that, it just works.

I was really excited that a Waka Sakura opened in OC. It's a solid spot, but I was disappointed that it didn't live up to the high standards that the Gardena location placed. Parking is relatively easy, but it's a bit difficult to get inside the plaza Food/Drink- 4 stars The food quality was decent and fresh, but a level below the Gardena location. We noticed the menu is also smaller than the Gardena location. It's still a great spot to grab my favorites, like the salmon bellies and yellowtail collars. Service- 5 stars Food came out quickly and servers were attentive Bottom Line Pretty solid conveyor belt sushi spot that offers good food and pricing. However, it falls short of the high expectations created by the Gardena location

We had a great time here trying different dishes and all the servers were kind and attentive, even for a sushi place where you place your own order on the iPad. It was clean and we enjoyed everything we ate. We were very hungry as it was almost 4pm and the first chance we could eat today and everything came a few minutes after ordering.

I recently visited this sushi restaurant and was really impressed by the quality of their dishes. The scallop nigiri I tried was fresh, tender, and had that natural sweetness you look for in premium scallops. Each piece was carefully prepared – some topped with a touch of sauce or a light sear, adding just the right amount of flavor without overpowering the scallop itself. The plating was simple but elegant, letting the freshness of the seafood shine. The rice was seasoned well, with the right balance of vinegar, and it held together perfectly without being too dense. Service was attentive and quick, and the overall atmosphere was relaxed and inviting – the kind of place you can enjoy both a casual dinner or a special night out.

Came on a Thursday in the late afternoon around 3:45 and the wait was about 20 minutes long. Not terrible as you can walk around Tokyo Central as you wait for a text letting you know your table is ready. Restaurant is clean but smaller than I had expected. The servers were attentive, provided instructions and showed us where the call button is in case we needed help. Directions are self explanatory on the pad and you can also order on your phone if you need. You’re allowed to order 6 at a time and the food came out quite fast. The fish tasted pretty fresh. Wouldn’t say it’s the best fish I’ve ever had but definitely above average. The rice was a solid for the most part. One or two of the nigiri I had was a bit hard in terms of rice but I still ate it. All in all, everything was pretty good. I’m not sure I would ever wait more than 20 minutes for this place but recommend everyone to come check it out when there isn’t a crazy wait.

Finally made it out to the new high-end revolving sushi spot in Irvine, and it absolutely lived up to the hype—well, mostly. The quality of the fish was top notch—everything was fresh, beautifully plated, and melted in your mouth. You can definitely taste the difference in quality compared to other conveyor belt spots in the area. The service was also excellent—attentive, friendly, and surprisingly efficient given how packed the place was. That said, be prepared to wait. We had a 2-hour wait during opening week, which was a bit brutal. And the parking situation doesn’t help—tight, chaotic, and definitely a headache during peak hours. Still, once you’re inside, it’s a great experience. A fantastic addition to Irvine’s sushi scene, just plan ahead and bring your patience!

Revolving/Kaiten Sushi. This is probably the best spot in SoCal. We are here on the opening day. All the fish are fresh. Scallops lover has four pieces of scallops sushi with original, seared, shoyu, and mayo flavors, highly recommended. Another item surprisingly good is Takoyaki, very authentic just like what we had in Japan. The miso soup is also good, not too salty and the tofu is so tender. Wagyu sushi is the only one I wouldn't recommend otherwise, everything else is good. Expected to line up 1 hour during dining hours but definitely worth the wait. A must try.

This place is a perfect spot for lunch! Conveyor sushi belt style, where sushi gets sent to your table ASAP.I appreciate how service here is very quick and attentive, their service system is super efficient here! Although a bit pricey, this place is 100% better than Kura. Their quality on the cuts of the fish are great and melts in your mouth. Rice to fish portion is pretty even as it fills you up quickly. I like their combos they have included throughout the menu, super delicious!! So nice to have a new sushi spot to go to :)

This place was a solid choice for a mid afternoon meal. The place was empty and we were in and out in under an hour for a party of 6. You order from a tablet and the food comes out in the belt pretty quickly. The tablet can be confusing on what you can get such as getting refills on your drinks so you may have to just call the server. The service however was very friendly. I would suggest a general menu page whether electronic or printed because it was a little confusing to go through all the tabs and see what all the choices were. Also, it's slower and harder to order as a big group because only one person can really see the menu at a time. Highly suggest getting the scallops. Comes as a set of 4. Variety. The raw one was delicious! The seared one was my next favorite. And the sauced ones were good too but this was definitely the best dish. The others were good but normal good. 4-5 stars for each dish. Parking here is horrible in the evenings. Better coming here for lunch

We came here for dinner after hearing all the rave reviews from friends. This place is located in the new Tokyo Central Area in Irvine so parking can be a challenge during peak hours. Yes the spots are small but you'll eventually find something or worst case walk over from the Mitsuwa side. This places ambiance feels very Japanese with bamboo wood everywhere with the large conveyor delivery train along the edges of the table. Everything here you order via the tablet on the table and everything is delivered to order. There are no old plates rotating around like other similar style places. The pricing also depends but they have a excellent variety of raw sushi, sashimi, ramen noodles, fried dishes and meat items. Note if you want to order from the alcohol menu they need to check your ID to enable that menu on the tablet. The best deals are the combo sushi/sashimi sets. The fish is very fresh and high quality with very small amounts of rice. The fish is served at the proper chilled temperature so its quality vs quantity with every bite. The service was perfect as the waiter was very attentive to all our needs and they clean your plates promptly when you leave it at the end of the long booths. Highly recommended and will absolutely be back again. Yes you pay higher premium here but you also get better quality so you can decide yourself.

This was my first time here and it definitely won't be my last! I'm usually a little bit hesitant about all of the conveyer belt sushi but honestly this has been the best one so far. I know everyone has had Kura and all of that but the fish is very fresh. I like that it is made order where as at Kura you don't know how long the fish has been sitting there. Parking: It gets a little bit crazy in this plaza especially with Tokyo Central now next door but if you can find a spot it is worth it. Service is very quick and everyone is super attentive. It makes you really feel like you're in Japan with all of the music and wood decor. Food: - Salmon/Tuna/Wagyu/Scallop Combo - 5/5 - I love the idea of these since you are able to get variety of different things. They were all very delicious I would recommend for big parties and for individuals. - Tuna Crunch - 5/5 - Similar to above I like that you are getting 4 pieces rather than an entire 8 so you are able to try more things on the menu - Salmon Collar - 5/5 - I love the DEEP FRY AND CRISP. Usually most places broil it but this made the outside extra cronchy and inside succulent. I've never had it like that before. - Yellowtail Nigiri 3/5 - It was okay. Standard but nothing crazy - Garlic Albacore 4/5 - Solid! Overall, everything about this place was wonderful. All of the staff was very nice. Everything was very efficient. Fish was all very fresh. Can't complain one bit!

This is a brand-new spot in Irvine that I'd had my eye on, so I was excited to try it. The restaurant itself is very clean, bright, and modern, and the staff was kind and attentive. You place your order on an iPad, and the sushi is delivered to your table via a conveyor belt. There isn't sushi continuously rotating around--it's simply the method they use to deliver your food, which is a fun and efficient concept. We ordered the Salmon Lovers set, the Scallop Lovers set, an eel roll, and miso soup. While I loved the idea of the set menus, the sushi itself was fairly mediocre. The salmon had a noticeably strong fishy smell, which stood out to me--especially since I eat sushi often and this didn't feel typical. On the positive side, the scallops tasted fresh and were the highlight of the meal. The miso soup came in a large bowl and was priced at $3.99, which felt a bit overpriced considering the flavor was just okay. Overall, the concept is cool and this is a decent option if you're looking for a quick lunch with minimal interaction.

I had really high expectations for this place because there was a huge line when it first opened, so I was excited to finally try it. I came on a Saturday night around 8:30 PM and was surprised to see it completely empty -- I honestly expected a wait, but there was no line at all. Ordering is done through a tablet at your table. You can select up to six items at a time, and everything comes to you on a small conveyor belt. Since the restaurant was so quiet, service was quick and efficient. As for the food, the quality was just okay. The fish was decent, but nothing stood out as amazing, and the rolls lacked flavor overall. I was pretty underwhelmed. One highlight was the fried pork belly -- that was actually very good! The wagyu, however, didn't really live up to the hype either. Overall, I probably wouldn't return. It wasn't terrible, but it didn't live up to my expectations. Sorry, guys.

Delicious and fresh. Love the quality and options that Waka Sakura brings to the table. Everything is ordered on the ipad and comes on the conveyor belt. The ambiance is modern and clean. Service is quick. Come on a weekday when it's less busy since they use the yelp checklist in person. I would stick to the raw stuff and highly recommend their tuna!

Waka Sakura is a clean kaiten sushi restaurant located next to Tokyo Central grocery store. Seating is well thought out with the conveyor belt next to each table. There is a variety of sushi, but my favorite recommendation is the seared spicy tuna roll. It comes topped with a slice of warm cheese. Highly recommended lunch spot!

Let me tell you guys, they hype has died! There are no lines! Came in during prime lunch hour and was seated IMMEDIATELY with plenty of tables available. Tables are mainly booths style with you sitting right next to the conveyor belt to see your food zoom on next to you. Easy peasy the iPad was there for you to pick and choose what to order. The sushi gets delivered through the revolving belt. It was pretty quick too! Watch out because you wanna try everything and it really adds up. The pieces we got were pretty good no complaints. The standouts were the party trays cuz you got to try all the different preparations of the fish.

So worth for the price! I always get the salmon plates and I get so full off of this alone. Such a great way to modernize the revolving sushi idea. Services can be a bit slow, they took a really long time to bring out our water but restaurant was very clean!

Out of the revolving sushi options in Irvine, this would be my favorite. Although it is more expensive than Kura or Sushi Rev the quality feels better. I like how you can order without the waiter , and the food came out fairly quickly. We came around 5:30 PM on a Saturday for a party of two and there was no wait. I actually enjoyed their tuna dishes, and it's hard to find good tuna around here these days. my favorite type of fish here was anything that was seared, including seared salmon and seared tuna. NOTE: For some reason, the seared fish on the dishes were still hot and taste better in the combo than the seared fish when ordered à la carte. I would also recommend NOT getting the salt sauce and stick with just the original seared Nigiri. It didn't add too much additional flavor that you couldn't get with soy sauce in my opinion, and it made the seared dish a little less hot and not feel as fresh.

It's probably the best carousel sushi in the area in terms of quality and freshness of the ingredients. Kura in no way can compete with this. AYCE sushi places like Tomikawa (which I still like) may give you a lot more food but the quality is not the same either. Came here as soon as it opened for lunch and there was no wait. The staff was friendly and helpful. Ordering on tablet was easy and there was an option to do it on your own phone too. Enjoyed the fresh wasabi. I appreciate a restaurant that takes sushi rice seriously, and Waka Sakura does. The standouts we had were tuna nigiri, salmon skin hand roll, eel nigiri, and scallop nigiri. We were satisfied with the food we received and will be back when we want a high quality carousel sushi in the future.

YUMMMMM! Waka Sakura is not your average conveyor belt sushi spot. First of all, it's not realllyyy conveyor belt sushi in the way Kura is; they don't have a constantly rotating selection on the belt that you can just grab from. Rather, you make all your orders from the iPad and whatever you order gets sent down to your table from the belt. Since everything is made to order, the fish here is FRESH!! All of the cuts were high quality and generously sized. Highlights of the meal were the medium fatty tuna and the seared salmon with mayo. Both were incredibly buttery and melted in your mouth! But honestly, you can't go wrong with any of the nigiri options, all of them were tasty and satisfying! The service was also great. We accidentally spilled some water, but the staff was quick to come over and help us out. Definitely a bit pricier than Kura, but the difference in quality is well worth it. Highly recommend this place to satisfy your sushi cravings!

Waka Sakura, Part of Tokyo Central, owned by Pan Pacific International. I've heard great things from my husband about the Gardena location, so I was excited when the Irvine location opened since it's much more convenient for us on weekends. Unfortunately, our experience this past weekend fell short. Ambiance (4/5) Spacious with plenty of booths, but it's hard to flag down your server since they're spread out across different rows. Service (3/5) Mostly self-service. Our server came by to refill water only a couple of times. Food (3/5) The spicy scallops and scallop nigiri were the highlights. The chawanmushi was okay, as were the other appetizers like karaage and takoyaki. However, the tuna was a major letdown. From the Tuna Lover plate to the bluefin and chu-toro, everything tasted less than fresh that day, which was quite disappointing. We're not sure when we'll return to the Irvine location. Hopefully they keep the freshness as part of consistency.

I've seen so many reels about this place, I had to take a chance while I was in the area. Overall, I'm still confused if I like it or not. The restaurant is located on the top floor of Tokyo Central (take the stairs in the back) and they have an ipad in the front so you can get yourself on the waiting list. (highly recommend if you go during peak hours, put your name first and then shop) The store was clean, staff was attentive but I couldn't tell if I liked the food overall. The place is def better quality than Kura I would say, but I felt like the fish all lacked flavor. The brown looking rice also didn't feel very authentic. For the overall price we paid, I felt like going to a different sushi spot would have been more worth it.

This place has become one of my top spots for sushi in Irvine. Our friends recommended this place for dinner so we went on a Saturday night and there was no wait. We got so lucky since typically there would be a 1-2 hr wait. High quality authentic sushi! The rice is also so good! It's different from other spots. It feels like they use high quality ingredients. I like the set up of the restaurant! At first I thought it was revolving sushi where you pick your plates but I understand why it's by order. It is on the pricier side but you get what you pay for. The fatty blue fin tuna was memorable. I didn't get to take a picture because it was the first thing I ordered and I was very excited to try. I'm a salmon girl and I was so impressed with the seared salmon plate. I don't normally get seared but this place seared it so well. I would come back again.

Wake Sakura is a newish Kaiten style restaurant located next to Tokyo Central. Parking can be tricky here, depending on the time. We came on a Saturday around 11:30am and there was no wait. To order, you can use either the QR code or the tablet on the table. The ordering processing is pretty self explanatory. Even though it is a Kaiten Sushi place, everything is made to order, and no dishes were sitting on the conveyer belt, rotating around the restaurant. Personally I prefer this way, for sanitary and freshness reasons. Price is pretty fair IMO. Most nigiris are between $4-7 dollars. Quality is decent and fresh, much much better than another known revolving sushi place (*ahem K**a). This is a list of what we had: Chawanmushi ($5.49) - would get again, but it has corn and peas which is untraditional. It doesn't have the fish cake or gingo nuts. Tobiko ($4.29) Seaweed salad ($3.99) Philly roll ($6.49) Sweet shrimp ($4.49)- I was surprised by how inexpensive this was. Instead of the normal one piece sweet shrimp, you get 3 tiny shrimps. It doesn't tase like the normal Amaebi. I would not get again. Scallops ($5.99) Salmon topped with onion mayo ($4.49) Spicy Tuna roll with seared bluefin tuna ($7.49)- the chili oil drizzle on top is too overpowering. It makes this dish taste like Chinese food, instead of Japanese sushi. Yuzu cheesecake with ice cream ($4.99)- would not get again. Yuzu flavor was minimal, so was the cheese flavor. The cheese cake texture was not smooth or creamy. Diet Coke ($3.99)- free refills Another thing to note is that they use brown rice for all their sushi, which is unusual. I couldn't taste vinegar in the rice. This might be a deal breaker for some, but it didn't bother me too much. Service was very friendly and attentive. They offered to refill the Diet Coke 3 times, we did not have to ask. The restaurant itself is clean. I plan on going back to try other dishes.

This is the greatest conveyor belt sushi in the world. This location of Waka Sakura is much bigger than the Gardena location and less crowded. So for those of you who don't want to wait in line at the Gardena location come here.

The restaurant is very beautiful inside and clean. It definitely reminds me of an upscale version of revolving sushi. It's pretty cool to have your plate's delivered by conveyor belt, however it can have technical difficulties like stopping before it actually arrives etc. the service was really good with the waiters consistently checking on us to make sure our plates were cleared and we had our drinks topped off. THE FOOD! The fish was so fresh and good! It's not some thin sliced fished on rice it's good quality with thick pieces. The rice was amazing and definitely sets them apart from other sushi places. It is definitely not a cheap sushi place but the quality is there. I will definitely be coming back to try more.

Husband and I came here yesterday for lunch at 11:00am when they opened, so there was no wait. We also avoided the crazy grand opening period. We ordered the usual 1) wagyu trio - this was good but meat slices are thinner than what we had at the Gardena location 2) salmon platter with 6 pieces - this is good if you like salmon 3) scallop platter - always enjoy this one 4) miso soup - husband likes this 5) Japanese tofu side dish - husband enjoys this 6) fatty tuna sushi - husband was not impressed 7) red shrimp grilled - should have gotten the regular raw kind instead of the grilled versions Overall fast service and efficient. No wait. Food was good but we think Gardena has larger portion food.

My favorites were the salmon and tuna nigiri's! Definitely recommend! The service is very fast. You order on the kiosk at the table and your plates will get sent out from the kitchen to your table through the conveyor belt. Will be coming here again:)

Came here on a Friday night and there was no wait. I thought the quality here was so good. I loved the welk and sea bream!! Its so easy order a lot of food and I think it comes out reasonably fast. I think the stand out thing is the rice they use is unique in the way they season, I believe they use a darker vinegar?? but its very good! Overall pretty affordable too.

I really dig the concept of this restaurant! You order off the screen and the conveyor belt full sends the dishes. all the Nigiri was delicious. Fried oyster particularly slaps. Would definitely want to come back to this spot.

pretty good conveyor belt style sushi! its pricier but the quality does show. i really enjoyed the salmon dishes and the pieces of salmon were decently sized! def had to take big bites the spicy garlic edamame (not pictured) was really spicy for me. i think they used chili oil. I would not get that next time and just get regular edamame service was great! they really only interact with you in the beginning and end of the meal but they explain things very well. i like that you can order on the tablet and the qr code, for those who are not sitting so close to the tablet! ambiance was clean cut and a bit modernized! we didnt have to wait at all. there were a lot of families and friends eating nearby but unless they were really rowdy, we could talk easily amongst ourselves

Waka Sakura's second location opened in Irvine along with Tokyo Central. The other location can be found inside Tokyo Central in Gardena. Waits on a weekend are crazy, but I was able to walk in without a wait on a weeknight. When you get seated, you can do all of your ordering on the tablet at your table. Your orders get delivered to your table via a conveyor belt. Their sushi is not cheap (with orders of nigiri running from $5-$10), depending on the fish; however, they do put good sized portions of fish on each piece of sushi. I'm generally satisfied with the quality of their tuna, salmon, hokkaido scallops, and wagyu sushi. The best way to sample the menu is by ordering their tuna, salmon, wagyu, scallop, or seafood combos, which range from $8-$13 for 3-5 pieces of sushi. Preparations are simple and the majority of the options are nigiri. If you are looking for sushi rolls with tons of toppings and flavors, then this place is probably not what you're looking for. Overall, I do enjoy Waka Sakura and I love being able to shop for tons of things at Tokyo Central afterward!

I saw a Yelp friend post a photo from Waka Sakura in Irvine, the food looked beautiful and delicious, so I decided to check it out myself. The restaurant was clean The servers were attentive, explained the process, and pointed out the call button in case we needed help. Ordering was easy and self explanatory using the tablet , and you can also order on your phone. You're allowed to order six items at a time, and the food came out pretty quickly. The fish tasted fresh, not the best I've ever had, but definitely above average. That said, the portion sizes were really small. Honestly, I felt like I'd need to eat the whole menu just to feel full. For the price, it felt a bit expensive for what you get. The only dish I felt was worth the money was the Assorted Sashimi $15.99 good value . We ended up waiting around 90 minutes to be seated, which set high expectations. Unfortunately, the experience didn't quite live up to the wait. The conveyor belt service felt impersonal, and there wasn't much interaction from the staff, which made the overall experience feel underwhelming. There were plenty of parking spaces available when I visited!

didn't take picture of everything but i was impressed with this place! sushi super fresh and big piecesss! loved the sushi rice also! perfect blend of vinegars and kelp stock in the rice too! at first i was worried the rice was gonna be too sour! i also love how they use real wasabi! we also had the chawanmushi and it was pretty freaking good too! glad i got to come here this trip down to irvine :))) def would return again!

Decent quality sushi with a fun revolving sushi experience. I've come here two times and their sushi is unexpectedly good for a one next to Tokyo central. Their ordering system is unique, you order whatever you want from the touch screen which is available at each booth. My favorites are the torched sushi and the Makeral. They also have fried stuff and side dishes but variety could be better. Their alcohol selection is limited with few sake wine and beer. Overall solid experience a bit pricy but definitely check out for a sushi craving.

This is the second Waka Sushi chain that just opened in June/July. The original is in Torrance. The restaurant is neighbors to Tokyo Central, but does not connect to the market. If there is a wait, they will have a tablet out front for you to check in. The text messages are quick and accurate so when we checked in, the wait was 20 mins and I got 3 text total. First to confirm the wait-list, second to let me know I'm now 3rd in line (to start making your way over), and 3rd when your table is ready. We were shopping around the market to kill some time before hand so having an accurate texting system for the wait-list is perfect! Like the Torrance location, the menu is identical. We absolutely LOVE the salmon Trio plate!! Our favorite item is hands down their salmon nigiri with mayo onion! So good!!! Food comes out very quickly! Service was also quick! Compared to Torrance location, we felt the fish quality was amazingly fresh and delicious tonight! I couldn't think of anything bad or anything that needed improvement with the food. Rice wasn't hot nor cold, it was room temp but not hard, to just perfect! All the fish we had, salmon, tuna, and yellowtail were all so buttery and fresh!!! I really hope the quality stays the same always!! They are by far my favorite sushi restaurant now! Actually, improvement wise, I would like to see more options on the menu, maybe some carpacio, but I guess it's not really necessary. I can see the benefits of a smaller menu.

Came here because I've been eyeing this place every time I do grocery at Tokyo Central in Gardena. For this weekend, I was around Irvine area and got to try this place. I saw their ads on TikTok that they have better quality than Kura, but I don't think the quality differences are too distinguished. Note that they're not revolving sushi bar restaurant. I got the usual stuff like the nigiris, seared salmon, scallops, unagi. they are good, but they're not like amazingly good. It's just a standard good. Their weight was not too bad. We only waited for like 10 to 15 minutes..

We came on a Sunday evening around 6:15pm and waited 20 min only! Service was good, food came out at a decent speed, and everything tasted fresh. The wasabi they use melts into the soy sauce when mixed, its kinda similar to actual Japanese wasabi. My favorite fish is usually salmon but here I think the tuna tastes better. My bf really enjoyed the wagyu beef sushi too. Their hand rolls are also nicely sized and they give a good amount of fish! Overall we loved eating here and will definitely come back! Side note: I tried their Gardena location first and really liked it so I was so excited when this Irvine location opened!! I still think the Gardena location is a bit better tho!

We've been wanting to come here for some time. We've tried to put our name down and wait at least 3-4x and finally we got in. Unfortunately, the air was out and it was HOT eating conditions. The receptionist always seems kinda unhappy or not welcoming, but we still kept trying to get in. Unfortunately, I would not recommend this place. The sushi was pretty good, but wasn't anything that wow'd me.

Fresh sushi at a reasonable price! Yes, Waka Sakura is conveyor belt sushi, but your food is made to order and delivered to your table by that conveyor belt. Hot food stays hot, instead of slowly cooling down to warm while revolving around the restaurant. We arrived before noon on a weekday and were immediately seated. The restaurant is aesthetically pleasing and clean. Ordering is done via touchscreen. My faves were the scallop lovers (had to get a second order) and salmon party. The food is nothing fancy, so don't expect to be getting any innovative creations. (I heard that there were two-hour long waits to eat here. It's not worth that long of a wait.)

Not a true conveyor belt sushi restaurant because no dishes are actually rotating ("kaiten" sushi). Ordering is done via tablet and majority of dishes are delivered on the conveyor belt. Still fun for kids to watch food arrival. Price is a bit high for the quality but acceptable. For a family of 4 (2 adults and 2 kids), our bill before tip came out to be around $110...and we did NOT stuff ourselves. Not a place that I would come regularly but okay once in awhile. Our favorites were the avocado roll and fried salmon belly. Kids enjoyed the Wagyu beef trio. Other sushi dishes were decent, nothing was bad. Having lived in Tokyo, kaiten was considered affordable eats...we could easily enjoy it for lunch for around $40-$60 for a family with young kids. Unfortunately, the conveyor belt sushi places in OC like Kura and Waka Sakura charge almost the same price as a standard sushi restaurant...minus the service. Again, Waka Sakura is not a bad choice for families but for that price, I would rather eat at a regular sushi restaurant.

Came here since it was one of the only places open on Thanksgiving day - though it did close at 7 with last call at 6:30pm. First thing's first: this place is an insanely good value, and the food is delivered crazy fast! As in, I actually wonder what their kitchen looks like - there must be some robots helping prepare this stuff. You order it from your smartphone (use a QR code) and it shows up at your booth via these express conveyor belt thingies like two minutes later. I didn't take the most detailed notes but some memorable things: - Winners: The scallops were BOSS. I don't usually wind up loving scallops from sushi restaurants but here they were great. Uni was also great! Somehow I didn't expect a place with this kind of "fun" vibe to have it but they did and it was a great value. In fact, it's worth coming here if you just need an uni fix. Oh, and the Ikura but that's great at lots of places. - Losers: There were a few items that offered a "salt" sauce but I think it was actually an onion sauce we got on those items, and it wasn't the best. Skip that one. The seared items were barely seared... like maybe they ran out of time searing things while trying to hit a 100 second long delivery window or something. Chutoro and "wagyu" were not the highest quality but they were very affordably priced. - Decent: everything else! salmon, hamachi, you know the drill. And they had a non-alcoholic beer (I think Sapporo) that was great. We ordered a ton of food, and got out of there for only about $30 per person though that included two kids.

I was surprisingly really pleased with this place! We ordered on the iPad for our sushi and drinks. Each plate of nigiri was about $4-6 and the most expensive being $10 for one uni nigiri. The salmon was my favorite, it was so creamy and had that umami flavor that was noted on their tablet. I read a lot of reviews of the rice being really unique so I was excited to taste it, and I was not disappointed! It was seasoned perfectly and was not dry at all. It's not a revolving bar with premade sushi, so it's sad to see the plates flying by on the conveyor belt to the tables behind you when you're hungry. The ginger was on the sweet side and they use real wasabi here. For 2 of us, it ended up being $90 ish.

Revolving sushi except it's more like on demand delivery. Prices are on the higher side compared to other revolving sushi places, but you also pay per plate. Everything feels super clean and service is pretty quick (but not as quick as revolving sushi). Cool gamified concept where you order on the ipad and it automatically gets delivered to your table. Everything tasted very fresh and the rice grains were cooked super well. Very kind service as well. For the price point I think I would rather go to a traditional sushi spot though!

First time here and the whole experience was great! They have a tablet in store to put yourself on the waitlist and for us it was a 40 minute wait on a Friday evening so not too bad. The wait time is also pretty accurate as well as we got seated exactly 40 minutes later. Once we were seated we ordered completely off the iPad tablets which was pretty nice and all our food came out in less than 5 minutes through the conveyor belt they have. I love how their rice is seasoned perfectly - definitely don't see that at most places. We ordered the Salmon Sampler, Tuna Sampler, Scallop Sampler, Squid Nigiri, Yellowtail Scallion Roll, Spicy Tuna Handroll, and Salmon Avocado Handroll. This was the perfect amount for two people and all the fish was pretty fresh. Overall definitely will be coming back due to how clean the restaurant is and the good price point for the quality of fish you get!

Great new place with great quality fish! I thought it was pretty affordable too! The salmon party was around $12 I think, which is honestly the price of grocery store sushi nowadays and this is sooo much better quality. The seared salmon and tuna ones were my favorite. Literally melt in your mouth quality. Conveyor belt concept is also super neat and food came out fast! We also ordered the yellowtail and scallion roll, which we did not enjoy bc the yellowtail pieces were soo small and it just tasted like scallions and rice. Their rice is very unique and good. Not sure what the brown color comes from but it's super good and perfect texture.

Definitely the best conveyer belt sushi i've found. Im usually not a big fan of it but this place is cute, quick, I love the little booths and the setup. Warm and relatively cozy interior. The sushi was quite good! Not too expensive and small portions allowing to try more. Very convenient overall

WAKA Sakura exceeded my expectations. I just came back from Japan and wanted to treat my partner to some of the Japanese experience I had. I was expecting the same quality of fish as Kura and other conveyer/revolving sushi restaurant but it was much higher quality. I think it's probably the best conveyer sushi I've had in the US. The rice is unique - I've never had red vinegar sushi rice. It was very tasty and it made me actually want to eat/have the rice in my nigiri and rolls. I don't normally like the lower quality of tuna here in the US, but the medium fatty tuna here was great! Definitely wanted to keep ordering. They have real wasabi here. They have some unique sauces as well for the seared fish. As for side dishes, the miso soup was quite large, making it pretty worth the price. The karaage was okay. Unfortunately, they were out of the steamed egg so we'll have to come back. The yuzu cheesecake was delicious and I should've gotten more. The service was quick. Only took around 15 minutes to get seated and you get to use the tablet or your phone to order. They were extremely quick to take away the empty plates as well. They played soft music the whole time and it was an overall pleasant experience. No one was too loud. 10/10 - will be back soon!

The restaurant is next to the new Tokyo Central location in Irvine. Everything we tried was fresh and delicious with great rice-to-fish ratio. Place your order on a tablet, and watch your order delivered to your table on a conveyor belt. Wagyu Beef Trio Scallop Lovers - 4 kinds Salmon Party -6 kinds Tuna Lovers-4 kinds Miso Soup with Clams Steamed Egg Yuzu Cheesecake w/ ice cream Matcha Mont Blanc Since they can have long wait times on weekends, the best time to visit is during the week.

This casual sushi spot is located next door to the new Tokyo Central. There's nothing wrong with the sushi at Tokyo Central but if you want a step up above store bought sushi, you can come here. They're still new so expect a wait, but it won't be as bad as the estimated time the waitlist gives you. On a Sunday at lunch time it said it would be an hour and 40 minutes but we got a text after about an hour. The restaurant is clean and simplistic. All the tables are booths with a tablet for ordering. A conveyor belt delivers the dishes to your table and everything is made-to-order. I'm usually more of a roll person but I preferred the nigiri here. The Salmon Party ($12.99) included 6 pieces of salmon nigiri with 3 seared and they were all tasty. The Wagyu Beef Trio ($12.99) was unique and worth trying. The Assorted Sashimi ($15.99) is also a good choice and very fresh. The rolls we tried (Shrimp Tempura Crunch, Rainbow & Spicy Tuna w/ Bluefin Tuna) were okay but not the best in presentation or taste. They also have some hot food options. The Chicken Karaage ($5.49) was good but pricey for the portion size. If you like greasy fried food, the Fried Salmon Belly ($5.99) was super crispy and delicious. If you have some shopping to do at Tokyo Central, I recommend putting your name down on the waitlist here and then going to shop so that by the time you're done you can enjoy some sushi.

I enjoyed my meal so much that I came back again! The hype must have died down a little, I went at 6:30 on a Wednesday and there was no wait. As usual, I had to get the salmon party, which comes with six delicious salmon nigiris, with the seared ones being my favorite. This time I tried the Wagyu trio, and while it was good, I don't think I could justify the price for only three nigiris. I also tried the steamed egg, and though the portion was small, it was surprisingly flavorful and smokey. The spicy tuna roll and chicken karaage were also pretty standard. All the dishes feel very upscale, but the restaurant itself is still casual that I would come back for a quick bite.

Haven't had such good sushi in a while. A friend recommended this place and I had to admit, every platter was a hit! Food came out in a conveyer belt and was prompt after a table iPad order. Very little interaction to staff so I can't say much about service but place was clean overall and I would easily come back!

I'm not sure what the hype about this place was. Upon arrival, the restaurant had a fish stench when walking in - which was off putting. We waited 30 mins to be seated on a Friday evening around 5:45pm. I personally thought the sushi was just like any other sushi and nothing was too special. All of the dishes here were a bit pricey for what it was. We got the wagyu trio platter twice, the first time around it was really good. The second time we had it, it was not as good, and there parts of the meat that was hard to chew.

food: honestly really good quality sushi! everything was delicious and flavorful. it was a bit pricey though, but as expected from irvine service: our server was super sweet and accommodating! he gave great recommendations and was super attentive ambiance: sooo clean! i love the atmosphere as it's like your party has it's own space

I finally went to try the new revolving sushi place in Irvine, next to the new market. We had to wait for two weeks for the wait time to go down. It is a very clean and stylish restaurant. Inside it is spacious and beautiful. The staff is helpful and friendly. You sit at booths and order from a touch screen tablet at the end of your table. The food comes to you a conveyer shelf similar to Kura. On the positive side, we loves how clean it is and how fresh the food was. All their sushi comes with brown rice, healthier and tasty. The best items were the crab hand rolls and the rainbow roll sushi. Some items not so great: We had to wait a long time for the food to arrive. Some items took ten minutes to arrive. The prices are not all the same for each item. Each item is priced. Be prepared to spend $20 to $30 a person. The selection is limited. They do not have a crunchy hand roll. It is limited. Overall, it is clean and tasty, but is it worth the price?

Wish Yelp could give half star ratings, I would probably lean more towards 3.5 stars but rounding up for really good service. I absolutely love the grocery store chain Tokyo Central and have always wanted to try Waka Sakura in Gardena, so when I heard about this Irvine location opening up I was so excited to give it a try. This concept is very common in Japan, it's an express conveyer belt sushi restaurant. So the conveyer belt isn't rotating constantly, you order from a table kiosk (or QR code on phone), and your items will be delivered to you on the belt when they're ready. I went right as they opened and didn't have to wait. Everything was really simple and the staff was always ready to help and readily available. The fish quality is pretty good and their hot / cooked dishes were surprisingly impressive. The price point is interesting because it's certainly way more affordable than going to a sit down traditional sushi restaurant, but also more expensive than you may want for a revolving sushi / AYCE sushi spot. Overall a solid experience and worth going to if you've never been to an express conveyer belt sushi restaurant, but I wouldn't say it's a "must go" spot especially if you had to wait 10+ minutes for it. If the quality was a little better, like leaning more towards the quality of say Sugar fish in CM, it would be a lot more compelling. Still a great place for a quick bite, especially if you have a sushi craving.