We love coming here and always come right when they open at 5pm because this place gets crowded.
We ordered:
-Chicken karaage - juicy thigh meat
-Sukiyaki udon- when I crave for udon, I come here. The broth is so beefy and lots of tender fatty thin meats. It’s so rich in flavors.
-Takoyaki - I like that this is on the smaller side because it’s less wheat flour and more octopus.
-Fried meatloaf curry entree - It comes with miso soup and salad. The miso soup is so good. We got spice level 8 for the curry which had a tiny kick.
The parking lot is super tight and small that people park on the street. Another reason why we come early is to get a parking spot.
Amazing find and likely my new favorite spot for Japanese food. I was craving both sashimi and curry, and found this spot to try.
What surprised me was the quaint homely vibe of the place. The opening and closing of the restaurant door honestly transported me to family run Japanese places from when i visited Japan.
The second thing that surprised me was each dinner entree came with multiple small plates that were different depending on the entree but seemed to match exactly (fried tofu with salmon bowl and lighter salad for the chicken katsu curry). The sides weren’t mentioned on the menu so it was a pleasant surprise.
The food more than satisfied my sashimi and japanese curry craving. I will certainly be back.
Izakaya Sakura was real authentic Japanese, and very delicious. If Japanese food your craving please give this restaurant a try. You will not be disappointed. The price it's worth it, the selection of variety of different Japanese food was very impressive but the customer service was the impeccable, awesome to intact with the waiters and chiefs very down to earth. Also very child friendly has well so bring the whole family. Highly recommended and will be going back again.
Service is a little slow- not a lot of staff, place is busy. Parking-get there early or else good luck. Food is delicious.
Sakura is definitely a go to spot for some fresh sushi and or hot plates! Sake list is on point with quite a few choices to choose from. What sells me is the welcoming atmosphere from all the workers! Nothing beats a nice welcome with great food and drinks. Quick tip, it is quite hard to find parking at times, but where in kearny mesa has great parking 🤷
Been here a couple of times with an old Japanese co worker. The food is pretty basic, standard Japanese food. Nothing fancy. My coworker says it reminds him of home. Interior is very tired, but the prices are competitive and the service is fast and the people are nice. This is a workweek lunch spot, not a place to take a date.
Edit
The waitresses in the restaurant were very attentive. They servers the real Japanese izakaya food.
Everything we ordered was so tasty but they mixed up the order:( the service could have been better. It’s a bummer cuz their food is so good.
First time here, and I'm a huge a sushi fanatic. I DON'T KNOW HOW I never tried this place, being from San Diego. This spot is LEGIT. Real Japanese vibes, and the food is great. Not to mention, the service is top knotch. It's a lot easier to enjoy your meal when people are super nice to you.... Isn't it??? I got the mixed sushi to try and gauge the sushi quality and I'm pretty impressed, in the top class and within SD for sure. And I HIGHLY recommend the smelt tempura. Filled with eggs! Two thumbs up from me. I'm sick of spending 60-90$ every time at kura to feel empty hearted. This hit the spot
My sister and I sat at the sushi bar for omakase. It was truly one of the best experience. The sushi chefs were very friendly, prepared tons of wonderful and delicious sushi. Every piece was different. The price was great.
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My 93 yr old Aunt took me here for lunch on my quick trip to San Diego. She chose Izakaya Sakura because my dad had hosted a family gathering here a few years back. She remembered it was good and thought it would be fun to eat at the sushi bar. It was indeed very fun!
The restaurant isn't very big but it does have a few tables inside, a sushi bar, and a few outdoor seats. My aunt had made reservations ahead of time for the sushi bar and it was probably a good idea as the place during lunch rush on a Saturday was pretty steady.
We sat at the sushi bar and asked the sushi chef, Kazu, to do a sushi lunch style Omakase. He was more than happy to do that. Kazu then proceeded to make us sushi nigiri after sushi nigiri.
I've been to many sushi restaurants and what made this special was not only the sushi but Kazu himself. We learned that Kazu was the owner and has had that location for 21 years. He also had lived/worked in Portland Oregon where I am from. As we talked and ate each of his wonderful creations, Kazu started to really tailor the sushi in his omakase for us. He started sharing special fish flown in from Japan that were generally reserved for the high end menu/dishes (like a fish cousin to Fubu and fresh raw Tako). It was like I was at a whisky bar and the owner just opened up his private collection for us to try.
The menu here is extremely reasonably priced for those looking for the standard Japanese fare. However, I would highly recommend going here to experience the chef's choice off menu omakase. Make sure to ask Kazu to start with the special ("Japanese") sushi cased on the left... That was pure taste bud heaven.
Overall this isn't the fanciest of Japanese locales. However, it is more homey and what I remember what it was like back in Japan at a sushi bar. On my upcoming return trip to San Diego my Aunt and I have already made reservations to come back to hang out with Kazu and order his off menu omakase again. You should too if you want a little sushi adventure.
Its Ok. Some of them just Average Good. Unstable Employee's Attitude.
Space good. Quite Atmosphere.
Some food so creative. So Interesting place .
Skewers are good choices.
Only You know yourself best. Should come for know exactly.
Plus point for Huge parking, nice Sushi Bar.
Curry is really nice. There are many items wanted to try next time.
True izakaya with really nice people, like you're back in Japan. The only thing I wish they serve is the cucumber appetizer that I love. It was still a really happy experience.
Great atmosphere and immediate welcoming experience. All the waitresses were very patient and understanding. Orders did take a little long but we ordered sets so it was understandable. Would go for their variety of good Japanese sets.
I’ve been here regularly for six or seven years now. Sakura has the widest variety of Japanese food options. My favorite dishes here are the katsu curry, curry udon, uni pasta, yaki udon, miso marinated cod, fish clay pot (I like both red grouper and cod), etc. Nothing I tried here has every disappointed me. It’s my perfect go-to place whenever I need a relaxing night with Japense food. Another perk is it opens later than most other Japanese restaurants!
Great place for Japanese food. I come to this place regularly, and have tried a large number of dishes. Some of my favorites are the Chirashi bowl, Okonomiyaki and their Sukiyaki. These dishes take me back to my time traveling through Japan.
Awesome Authentic Japanese Restaurant! Their cuisine reminds us like being in Japan. We found a go-to Japanese restaurant my family will frequent and most strongly recommend. Worth the wait every time.
The sushi was some of the best I have ever consumed. The cold noodles blew my concept of snacking. The miso soup is pleasurable. High regards to the staff that was informative and seemed knowledgeable. Friendly place not cheap but quality food and service
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