Waka Sakura Gardena

The Automat redefined! Franchises like Kura have made conveyor belt sushi more mainstream than ever. But Waka Sakura elevates that experience. In contrast to Kura, Waka Sakura is more slowed down and relaxed. Evident by the calm and simple design of the space, you don’t hear people hustling about like a local diner. This is meant for you to take your time and step out of the bustling world so you can enjoy a few good plates of sushi before returning to it (and your grocery shopping). Much like the space, the experience is minimal. Nothing to get in the way of your meal. Plenty of fish choices to choose from as well as a few more prepared dishes litter the digital menu. Seasonal ingredients are a big focus here and so you’ll always find something new to try when you come in. Of the times I’ve been the fish has been fairly consistent and very good. And at the very least on par with places like Kura. The standouts for me is always a Tuna tasting platter and some poke. But other unique items like the salmon collar are a nice and delicious surprise. Pricing is perfectly reasonable and still more affordable than those so called upscale franchise spots. But you’ll get the same amount of wait time as those if you come during a rush period. Luckily if you go early and during the week, you’ll be able to walk in and sit down right away. Which is how I like to do my shopping. No fuss. Highly recommend even if you don’t live in the area (speaking as someone who will regularly drive down to the area from Hollywood).

Got there and it said 1.5hr wait time. It ended up being a 45 min wait for a 40 min meal for 2. Saw this place being mentioned on social media. It was not that good. The food came fast. The quality of the sashimi isn't anything to brag about, similar to what you can get from the market deli. They have a unique vinegar blend for the sushi rice. There are other places that have better sushi with less wait time. No alcohol yet, probably at the end of the month. Not going back.

Such a hidden gem! Absolutely loved the fresh fish - salmon party, tuna trio, etc. Fun concept where you basically order on a tablet and pick up your food from a conveyor belt. Highly recommend, worth the wait!

Yeah, this place is good. Tastes better than kaitenzushi's even in Japan, albeit the cost is not really comparable. Pleasantly surprised with the quality of the sushi and staff. It's more of a "sushi train" than a conveyor belt sushi place. Unfortunately since the opening of this restaurant the weekend parking situation is out of control in this lot - you are probably better off parking across the street and walking. Weekend wait time is easily 2 hours upon opening - get there early or be prepared to do a lot of shopping downstairs!

An amazing "conveyor" belt sushi restaurant with high quality fish and great vibes. I use quotes because the belt is only used to deliver the food to your table as opposed to the rotating dishes. It's located inside of Tokyo central and there's gunna be a long wait for dinner but honestly.... it's such a great market to wander that you'll find the long wait to be fun. Almost everything we ordered was delicious, mouth watering, and satisfying quality fish. The salmon quality is so butter smooth and I actually recommend the salmon party if that's your favorite type of fish. Most items are decently priced and you can totally get full off of 30 bucks if you order the lower tier stuff. Service was quick and friendly. Tip: You don't need to order on the tablet lol it'll get your arm tired from swiping the fixed screen. Just scan the QR code and order through your phone. Food: 8/10 Atmosphere: 8/10 Value: 9/10 Service: 8/10

While shopping in the Tokyo Central store, a family member and myself decided to grab a bite to eat at this sushi place. Getting there, we signed up for a waitlist through an iPad kiosk, which estimates a wait of ~25 minutes. It ended up being over an hour, and the website that kept me updated counted the ETA into negative minutes, and flooded my messages with “You’ve joined the waitlist” at least 10 times/minute, which forced me to block the number. Seating at the table, we were a bit disappointed to find it was a order via conveyor system instead of the traditional roundabout system 回転寿司, which is a fault on our part (nothing on Waka, just a lack of research) Both the person I was eating with and myself typically enjoy salmon skin hand rolls, so we decided to try it. We were very disappointed with what we received— minced salmon skin bits deep fried to the point of tastelessness and burnt texture crammed with carrot in a seaweed wrap. We decided to give a few other things a try, but things didn’t look too great: Ordering the California roll, it was the price of real crab California rolls, but it was imitation and 75% mayo.. Ordering seared Wagyu nigiri, the prices were about 3x what it was in Japan, with lower quality and size meat with a funky gas taste (definitely not grilled on a teppan) Ordering Inari, it wasn’t great but not horrible, but can you really go wrong with Inari? At this point, we decided to just cut our losses and get something from the food market in Tokyo Central. It didn’t help that all of the rice was soaked in red vinegar, which did absolutely nothing to help the taste, and seemed more like a gimmick more than anything. Definitely would not repeat..

Went for lunch on Sunday…arrived at 11:10 to avoid the wait since they opened at 11:00….still had a 20min wait. Once seated the food comes out fast. I would recommend ordering in phases. We ordered at one time and everything came out at once on the conveyor. We were very happy with the quality and taste. Definitely will come back!

Conveyor sushi at the upper level inside Tokyo central market. Food can be ordered thru ur Smart phone or provided tablet. Good quality sushi at a decent price. Enjoy...

The portions are generous and fish is extremely fresh! Go during off peak hours to avoid the wait. Highly recommend this place!

Sushi was fresh and delicious. Love that they have a salmon combo and a wagyu beef trip plate. Love that they offer miso soup with clam and steamed egg. Love their options here, too. Service was minimal but helpful. Ambiance was nice and clean, pretty decor. Being inside Tokyo Central, it was nice to walk around. Going to bookmark this sushi spot for a revisit.

This sushi restaurant is tucked away on the 2nd floor of the Tokyo Central Gardena Store, making it a bit hidden. We visited on a Friday around 4 PM, and the wait time was only about 10 minutes. Once seated, we had the option to order via an iPad at the table or by scanning a QR code to order from our phones. The setup allows you to order continuously as you eat, but we chose to place a big order upfront. The service was impressively fast, with sushi arriving on the conveyor belt. From the very first bite, it was clear this wasn't your typical conveyor belt sushi. The flavors were incredible--fresh, rich, and not fishy at all. This is truly restaurant-quality sushi at its best. The bluefin fatty tuna was exceptional, melting in your mouth like butter. The scallop lover plate was a burst of deliciousness in every bite. Both the salmon and tuna platters were equally impressive, with everything tasting incredibly fresh. This spot feels like a hidden gem, and I doubt many people know about it. The prices are very reasonable, which makes the quality even more remarkable. I'm thrilled to have found my new favorite sushi place, and I'll definitely be back soon!

I had an absolutely amazing experience at Waka Sakura. They offer a wide variety of rolls, nigiri, appetizers, sashimi, and more. Located on the second floor of Tokyo Central, they also have ample seating; we were able to get a table without a wait on a Monday evening, but I can imagine it gets busier on the weekends. Prices are decent, a bit on the more expensive side but they are worth the quality of the food. Some of my favorites included the fatty tuna, which literally melted in your mouth, seared scallop with spicy mayo, and the seared salmon with either spicy mayo or teriyaki sauce. If you compare Waka Sakura to other conveyer belt sushi restaurants like Kura, Waka blows it out of the comparison. I will only be going to Waka from now on, the quality, taste, and overall experience are one of the best for a sushi restaurant here in the South Bay!

This restaurant is located in the 2nd floor of Tokyo Central in Gardena off of Artesia Blvd and Western Ave. Parking may be harder depending on when you visit since is same parking for Tokyo Central Market. I visited the restaurant on Tuesday on New Year's Eve and got there roughly 15/20 mins or so early. There was already 4 parties before us, we put our name on the list and waited for the restaurant to open. There is about 4 benches for the waiting area. We did get seated with the first seating so that worked out since we had a party of 8. We were seated at 2 booths across from each other. You can other order on the tablet or from your phone with the QR code provided for the table. They do have a kids set which was cute but overall wish they had a few more options. I was very excited to try the food because I saw it on social media and looked delicious. I did think the fish was fresh but I don't personally think it's worth the price point. I am glad I tried it but not sure if I would be back. The conveyer belt is always fun but personally wouldn't wait the 2+ hours problem are writing about.

Found this place from friends recommendation. Location at top floor of the Tokyo central here. The stairs are all the way to the back of the store Overall positive experience. This is an upgraded version of Kura. Sashimi is higher end and definitely tasty. You do get what you pay for. So expect to pay about $30 per person on average I find that the ordering system electronic pad is a bit slow. And lagged a bit. But for the taste and location, I would recommend any revolving sushi lovers to visit.

Sushi is great for the price! The toro really was a standout piece for sure. We've been here twice now and liked it both times. The service is fast and friendly and the wait wasn't as bad as I've been reading. Everything is also clean and spacious. Although, there isn't that great of a drink selection just soda and tea we still would come back for the food.

Love Waka Sakura! The sushi is fresh and absolutely delicious. You have the option to place your order directly on the iPad at your table or by scanning a QR code with your phone. Your selections are then delivered right to you on a conveyor belt. I arrived about 15 minutes before they opened on a weekend, and there were already people ahead of us. Fortunately, you can simply add your name to the waiting list and take some time to shop around the supermarket while you wait!

Toddler friendly with fast service. The wait time was around 30minutes at 5pm. I like getting the salmon and tuna lovers to try once of each kind. I also appreciate that they hamachi kama and chawanmushi on their menu too.

Friends and I stopped by for a Saturday dinner, and we were completely shocked to walk right in with no wait. Perhaps we got lucky with a holiday lull week. You can tell everything is a tier above "the typical" although personally, I don't understand people's fascination with conveyer belt sushi. The tablet at each table is pretty annoying, and it's probably better just to order off your phone. All of our items came out pretty quickly, and the conveyer belt is pretty quiet if you're not paying attention, so a worker had to remind us lol. The fish was great. The chawanmushi was amazing. Service was also great. Unfortunately, no alcohol or BYOB. The market is pretty fun to explore too.

Food was fresh and so delicious! Price is good (Especially the salmon party) Service is fast and place was well ventilated so no fishy (sushi) smell. Servers are also all friendly and very accommodating.

Anytime I miss Tokyo, Japan, I plan to come here. The sushi was sooooo good and the service is superb like Japan. I suggest to go on weekdays when there is little to no wait at lunch. If they have specials, it is so worth it as you get a variety of fish. Everything tastes so fresh. Also, most dishes are delivered via the machine, which is so fun to order. You can order as you eat and not worry about over or under ordering. Perfect for a date. Can't wait to go back.

*super late* A brand new sushi restaurant at the upstairs level of Tokyo Central, and and amazing one! Upon entering the market, go straight to the back and you'll find the stairs to go up to the restaurant. Fair warning though, this place is known to have quite a wait! Well worth it though. After signing in, you can roam around the market and kill time while waiting. My friend and I ordered a variety of sushi from hand rolls, nigiri, and rolls. It was a lot, and involved a lot of tuna! Upon receiving some of the dishes, I thought the rolls were made with brown rice, but it's some sort of seasoning that's light and brings out the flavor of the sushi. Staff is super nice and the restaurant itself is clean, spacious, and welcoming. Can't wait to come back!

Food: I was slightly doubtful when I first came here since it was located inside a grocery store, but the hyper is REAL yo. Great quality fresh sushi served right to your nose on a conveyor belt when you order on the overhanging ipad. Forget the other stuff cuz the rolls aren't that special, just order from the assorted combos, and keep ordering until you're full! I especially loved the scallop and shrimp lovers, but my boyfriend could not stop talking about the tuna lovers and wagyu trio, we both equally liked the salmon party. Price: another reason why I like this place is because each assorted combo ranges about $5-11 which are super reasonable prices for high quality fish like this! I can stuff myself without having to burn too much hole in my wallet. I think about 3 dishes per person was enough to make us full Ambiance: clean modern interior, like I said before, located inside Tokyo Central market, keep walking straight, go up the big stairway, and that's the restaurant. There is decent number of booths inside, each spot has access to the conveyor belt and feels rather private, great for holding conversation with whoever you're with. One caveat is that, the line gets very long, I highly recommend you just come super early 11AM when the restaurant opens so you can put your name down immediately Service: great service, ipad and belt does its thing quiet nicely, never had issues getting my water refilled. When you're done, the waiter comes and give you the check in person. Parking: the Tokyo Central free associated parking is pretty big and envelops around the market, sometimes may need to circle around once or twice when it gets real busy, but there is a high turnover, and I never had issues findings an available spot.

Wagyu Beef Nigiri Combo!! Literally the best thing I have ever had!!! This was my fifth/fourth time coming to this sushi place in Tokyo Central and it always hits the spot! If you want good quality fish and fast service come here! This place reminds me of the converyer belt sushi in Japan! All orders are done on the tablet above your table and everything comes to your table at a fast speed! This conveyer belt is by order so there aren't sushi plates revolving consistently- limiting those old plates that you may get at those other places! This place is fresh, fast and sooo tasty! The wait can get long so expect maybe an hour of waiting but you can put your name in a virtual queue (that texts you) & while you walk around the super market (:

I saw this conveyor belt sushi restaurant going viral on social media, and from the pictures, the quality of the sushi seemed to be quite good. I decided to come here with my wife for her birthday. We recently went on a trip overseas and we wanted something simple but tasty for her birthday. Many reviews said there would be 2 hour waits on the weekends, so we arrived early, at 5 PM. Surprisingly, the wait on a Saturday at 5 PM was only 15 minutes. The staff are super nice and attentive. The restaurant is usual kaitenzushi affair, casual but spacious. We were seated quickly. We were given a small packet of real wasabi and also complimentary ginger was on the table. We ended up ordering the salmon party (six varieties of salmon nigiri), anago (conger eel), chuutoro nigiri, scallion yellowtail maki roll, and yuzu cheesecake for dessert. I loved the salmon party, especially the seared salmon. My wife loved the raw salmon with ikura. The anago was also amazing, slightly cooked. The chuutoro was not omakase level but still quite good. The yellowtail maki was ok but I loved the rice. The yuzu cheesecake was great and it came with ice cream. It's not the best sushi in the world, but definitely a step above Kura Sushi. I LOVED that real wasabi was provided. I would definitely come again.

Food is very fresh and delicious. You order via QR code, but service is quick. Setting is modern. One of the best sushi places in town.

This is a conveyor belt sushi restaurant located in the 2nd floor of Tokyo Central in Gardena. It got a lot of hype on social media, so the drawback to this place is that wait times on the weekends can be very long. The good news is that on weekdays, it's quite reasonable. On Friday night for dinner, we waited a total of 5 minutes before we were able to get a table. When you order, you could either order on your phone through their QR code or you could order on their tablet. I feel the best deals are with their "grand opening specials" (refer to my picture). Their tuna lovers special (4 pc, $9.49), their salmon party (6pc, $10.99) and their wagyu trio (3 pc, $11.99) are all delicious. For conveyor belt sushi, this place is not cheap by any means. I do think prices are fair and quality is high, though. This is definitely not Kura (of which, I am definitely not a fan). If you want simple, good sushi (meaning fresh fish over vinegared rice), then I think that this place is a great option. If you are looking for a bunch of specialty, Americanized sushi rolls with mango, cream cheese, and hot cheeto dust (which I do sometimes like), then this may not be for you. I definitely recommend coming here on a weekday if you're in the area! Walking around the grocery afterward is also a lot of fun!

An amazing "conveyor" belt sushi restaurant with high quality fish and great vibes. I use quotes because the belt is only used to deliver the food to your table as opposed to the rotating dishes. It's located inside of Tokyo central and there's gunna be a long wait for dinner but honestly.... it's such a great market to wander that you'll find the long wait to be fun. Almost everything we ordered was delicious, mouth watering, and satisfying quality fish. The salmon quality is so butter smooth and I actually recommend the salmon party if that's your favorite type of fish. Most items are decently priced and you can totally get full off of 30 bucks if you order the lower tier stuff. Service was quick and friendly. Tip: You don't need to order on the tablet lol it'll get your arm tired from swiping the fixed screen. Just scan the QR code and order through your phone. Food: 8/10 Atmosphere: 8/10 Value: 9/10 Service: 8/10

The food was good and conveyer belt was cool. But it wasnt really special esp for the price point. May visit again but foodcourt downstairs seemed to offer more choices

This is currently my favorite sushi/sashimi restaurant in the greater Los Angeles area. This restaurant is very-very good! To find this restaurant you walk in into Tokyo Central and head towards the back. You go up the stairs, and to the left, that's where the restaurant is located. You then go inside and they will seat you. From there, you can either scan the QR code and order your dishes from your phone or, the way I like to do it is, they have a touchscreen that you can order the various dishes on the wall next to your table. Then what happens is that they quickly arrive by a conveyor belt type of apparatus. It is really fun! A couple of things to think about when you come here... First of all, everybody complains about how long the lines are on Saturday and things like that. If you don't want to wait for two hours, don't come here midday on Saturday, because all you will experience is a very long wait. My suggestion is you come here on off-hours during the week. Then, you can walk straight into the restaurant and you'll be seated immediately. The next thing you need to think about this restaurant is that they don't serve alcohol. Which, kind of surprises me??? But, that is just the way they do it. They also don't bring water to your table as is commonly the case with many restaurants. You will actually have to order your water off of their touchscreen menu. This is no problem, this is just something to think about. The other drinks they have are soft drinks and green tea. So, they do have other options for you to drink if you don't want to just drink water. One of the main things to keep in mind is that they will not allow you to bring your own drink into this restaurant. So, don't try it. I've seen them actually make people leave and get rid of their drink before they could actually dine in this restaurant. In other words, don't walk in with your commuter mug or anything like that, as you will be turned away. In terms of what they offer in food, it's all great! They have great sashimi, sushi, wraps, rolls, salad, you name it, they've got it. And, it's all really good and very well prepare prepared. Plus, they only use brown rice. No white rice. That's great! This restaurant is very reasonably priced. For example, when I go here with my wife, we generally spend just a bit under a hundred dollars to have a great meal. That's including the tip. So, compared to many of the other sashimi and sushi restaurants around the area, this one is a great bargain. Overall, if you want some truly great sashimi and/or sushi, and you wanna have some fun eating it, this is your place to go.

What can I say, but love it! This restaurant is on the second floor of Tokyo Central market. Walk through the store to the back staircase and turn left at the top of the stairs. I came during a weekday, before 4pm and was seated right away. Clean. It's a real sit down restaurant. You can either order from the iPad or your phone. I ordered from the iPad. You can order up to 4 dishes at a time. Once you place the order, the dishes are placed on the conveyor belt, stop at your table where you take the dishes and place them on your table. Really fresh, tasty sushi and sashimi, served with brown rice. Enjoyable experience. When you're done, you check out on the iPad or phone and the wait staff deliver the bill. You pay at the table. Free parking.

Had dinner here with a friend. This is not quite a traditional kaiten sushi or conveyor belt sushi but the plates of sushi do get conveyed to your table via a one-way delivery belt system. So you order via the app or tablet and the plates get delivered directly to the table. The price point is definitely on the lower end considering the quality of the fish. The value is so good that wait times for dinner typically run more than an hour. Try to come for lunch instead if you don't want to wait.

Love the sushi rice here! it's unique , refreshing & at the right amount! The scallop was to die for and the salmon combo was delightful!

My new favorite sushi place! Located on the second floor inside Tokyo central, this place has grown so quickly in popularity. I am not sure how they manage to offer such quality fish at such a fair price point, but the instant frenzy of people willing to line up for hours is a testament to the food. I have been able to walk in immediately on weekdays, but have needed to wait 1-2hrs on the weekends. I didn't mind, as I can walk around Tokyo Central and get some grocery shopping done while waiting. Once inside, you order food off a tablet, and dishes arrive by conveyor belt directly to your table. The food arrives quickly and each plate has always been meticulously plated and prepared. Every dish has been delicious, and I appreciate that they don't put too much rice with the nigiri. Aside from the nigiri/sashimi options, some standouts were the chawanmushi and yellow tail collar! Inside is clean and modern, and staff are very friendly and attentive to quickly help with refilling drinks and clearing plates. Can't say enough good things about this place!

Waka Sakura is a conveyer belt sushi restaurant located on the second floor of Tokyo Central market. There are two flights of stairs to reach the restaurant, and I spotted an elevator for people who need assistance. Reading the restaurant can get very busy, we arrived during the weekday lunch hours, and had almost no wait time. We were cordially greeted and were immediately seated upon arrival. The restaurant's layout is similar to a large office with individual cubicles with comfortable seating. The industrial atmosphere is bright and yet calming. The white surfaces show everything is very clean and attended to. Everything is ordered on the built-in tablet or on one's personal cellphone after scanning a given QR code. Special requests are available. Wait staff delivers the utensils and drinks, but all foods come directly from the kitchen via a conveyor belt directly to the customer's table. We chose a couple of roll items (4 pieces), gyoza (3 dumplings), ikura (1) and tobiko sushi (2 count), hamachi kama, and chicken karaage (3 pieces). The portions are small compared to many sushi restaurants, but the cost per plate cost is appropriate. Everything was well prepared and delicious and the service from the staff was good.

Waka Sakura, located on the second floor of Tokyo Central, offers a unique dining experience. To access it, you'll need to walk to the back and go up a set of stairs. I visited on a Sunday lunchtime and was pleasantly surprised to find no wait, allowing for a quick and enjoyable dining experience. Once you arrive, you'll be greeted by a beautiful interior featuring elegant woodwork, evoking a sense of Japan's refined style. The atmosphere is clean, sleek, and sophisticated. This self-serving sushi restaurant offers a modern take on traditional dining. Using a tablet to place your order, your selections are then delivered via a fast-moving conveyor belt, adding a fun and efficient touch to the meal. The menu includes a variety of sushi options such as nigiri, sashimi, and hand rolls, along with drinks and desserts. Although the prices aren't the cheapest, the quality of the food is impressive, making it well worth the cost. I highly recommend the salmon nirigi set. Overall, Waka Sakura offers a delightful blend of convenience, quality, and ambiance, making it a standout in Tokyo Central's food court.

This might be my favorite conveyor belt sushi! I've been meaning to head to Waka Sakura located on the 2nd Floor of Tokyo Central in Gardena, CA to try their conveyor belt sushi! We went on a Thursday night around 7pm, and had around a 30-45 minute wait since I heard the weekend wait can get up to two hours! You order off a QR code or the iPad and get your sushi delivered on a conveyor belt. I was really shocked with the freshness of the sushi and how affordable this place, and my favorites were the wagyu nigiri and scallop nigiri, along with their tempura octopus legs. They do not have a alcohol license yet, but their do have other soft drinks to pair with your meal. I highly recommend checking this out if you're in Southbay Los Angeles area! Tokyo Central is my favorite Japanese store to go to, and this location is HUGE! I loved shopping around the store while waiting for my table to be ready. It's definitely a great spot to check out if you're craving great quality and affordable sushi in the area!

This place is amazing! Originally super busy when they opened but now it's a bit more manageable. Really enjoy just about everything they make. Seems to always be fresh and super tasty. So many options and even for kids (toddlers). I would recommend this place! It's little hidden inside of Tokyo Central but just walk back and go upstairs. Staff is also always very nice and attentive!

I LOVE Waka Sakura! It's so clean and sleek inside, service is great, and the food is amazing. It just tastes so fresh and of good quality, but with reasonable prices. The salmon especially just seems like it melts in your mouth. It's easy to get carried away and over order. You may have to wait, but it's always fun walking around the store to see what goodies they have.

So yummy such value This is located in the back of the supermarket and up the stairs -steamed egg was so silky and came with two little mushrooms and a whole shrimp -wagyu was really tender but otherwise kind of bland without the sauce on top, was very smoky -salmon combo was sooo worth it, but tbh I just realized I don't like seared salmon lol. The raw salmon was def better Ebi and scallop was nice and fresh but I was a bit disappointed the scallop wasn't sweet like fresh scallops usually are. Sugar fish is still my go to for scallop Self serve ginger and soy sauce but the soy sauce was overpowering on the delicate flavors. The wasabi is really wasabi and not from a powder.

Plenty of parking because it's on the second floor of the Tokyo Centeal market We went on a weekend around when it opened and the wait was about half an hour but they text you so you can just walk around the store Each dish came out super fast and the fish and meat were so good, way better than Kura sushi LOL would definitely come back

Looking for an affordable yet delectable sushi option? Here are our 5 Star FAPS: Food (F): Loved all the sushi! It was one of the best affordable sushi places that we had in California. The miso soup is huge, so you could potentially share it with two people. Also, the shrimp lovers were a pass (still good). Would definitely recommend the salmon lovers though! This is all just preference of what we like. Ambience (A): Intimate/ family booths for all the enjoy! Parking (P): lots of free parking! Service (S): Friendly staff and fast conveyor belt! Bonus: We had no wait when we arrived at 4:00 PM on a Saturday. Overall, we are definitely returning to Waka Sakura!

Everything here is very fresh and delicious! Didn't capture everything that was order which speaks volume haha. Salmon Party, Rainbow Roll, and Wagyu Trio are in the photo below Just a heads up make sure you get on the waitlist otherwise it will be a 15-20 min wait before you're seated. This place is more popular than you'd expect!

Super decent conveyor belt sushi spot! I've already been here like 4+ times and every time the quality is the same and very decent. Food comes out fast and their fried stuff is especially good like the salmon collar and the calamari. The sushi is decent quality and fresh for conveyor belt and would recommend here any day over Kura. This place is inside a japanese grocery store and the wait can get long during dinner time so I recommend coming earlier to not wait as they do not take reservations. Overall a solid spot!

The wait was about 45 minutes around dinner time. We wandered around the market to kill time. Once we were finally seated, wow, high quality fish! The bluefin toro and Hokkaido scallops were my favorite ! The handrolls were great, nothing too out of the ordinary. The tuna sampler was amazing. I have been thinking about this place since we went. I need to go back!

Pretty good place for sushi! I'm impressed for a conveyer belt sushi style! It's located in Tokyo Central in Gardena on the 2nd floor in the back. You walk up the stairs and put your name on the waitlist. It was about an hour wait since it was the weekend. Wanted to try it out because of all the rave reviews. Quite a bit of tables and booths for a small restaurant. Staff was nice and helpful and told us how to order. I thought using the QR code was faster than using their touch screens. Sushi came out pretty fast and fish was fresh. We ordered multiple combo dishes like their salmon, wagyu and toro lovers. I also ordered 4 tuna nigiri , sashimi, and uni. Prices weren't too bad either. Ended up paying $150 for 3 adults and 2 little kids. Will come back again...on a weekday. Didn't take pics of everything we ordered, we were too hungry.

I really enjoyed dining at Waka Sakura. The restaurant is located upstairs of the Tokyo Central Market in Gardena. I heard there were long lines but we went before they opened and put our name on the list. We didn't wait long before our table was ready. The sushi and appetizers are ordered either by the screen next to your table or by QR code. There's very little interaction with staff except for taking drink orders and removing plates from the table. Food is served by conveyer belt which stops at your table after ordering. The sushi came in small portions, which gave an opportunity to try more dishes. Prices were fair, not outrageous. My favorite dish was the grilled salmon belly, which was nicely prepared and not overcooked. Also enjoyed the kid's assorted non-raw sushi. The wagyu beef torio was very good too. We had to split our group into 2 adjacent booths because there are no large tables. Each booth can seat 4 adults comfortably. I'd go back again. When we left, there was a line waiting.

My husband and I have tried this place twice! We first went on a weekday lunch time thinking the wait time wouldn't be as long. It was still 3 hours on Thursday afternoon haha. The second time we went was 3 hour wait right at opening on a Saturday. So crazy! Definitely your name in the list as soon as you get there. The menu can be quite overstimulating at first! Your order on the tablet then the belt brings it over. Our favorites were: the salmon lovers & the wagyu trio! We love how each salmon piece tasted different and so flavorful. The wagyu literally melts in your mouth! We also noticed they use brown rice for the sushi! The environment reminded me a lot of Japan! Small booths. The servers were very nice and attentive. I asked for a couple of requests (soda and more ginger), and they told me to put it in the tablet- which was a little odd. We really liked the food, but I don't think I would wait 3 hours again.

Pro Tip: come here on a weekday lunch and there is little to no wait! I have come here a couple times during normal weekday lunch hours and there is no wait! You can just stroll right in and be greeted with a seat. Scan the QR code for the menu and order away! There is a photo for every menu item which gives you a really good idea of what you are ordering. Here is the best part: after you place your order, the food comes in what feels like minutes! If you want to be in and out because you have somewhere to be, this is the place to go. I can easily have my whole lunch in under 15 minutes. (Lol again, this experience is for weekday lunch!) The seating is nice and clean. The venue looks new and is new.

This restaurant is upstairs of the Tokyo Central and the way to reach is either through the stairs at the back of the grocery store near the Vegetables or an elevator at the home goods/make up section. There is an incredible long wait time of at least an hour. The pricing is a bit lower than other sushi restaurants like the roll but in reality it costs just as much if not more because most sushi rolls are about 6-8 pieces and here you only get 3. The food itself is a bit off, the sashimi is really thinly sliced - Even thinner than an AYCE place. The avocado they used is either bruised or old because the avocado is brown on the edges for my rainbow roll. The inside is nice and well designed. The convey belt system is pretty quick at getting the food to you. It's not like a typical rotating sushi belt where you just grab something you want off the belt. They just use it to send the food to you instead a waitstaff. There is essentially no service since your food comes through the belt and everything else is on the table. The only thing you can really ask for is a drink refill or more napkins. Overall, it's a place with a really long wait, a cool belt feature, and not much service. Portion sizing is a bit weird since the fish are really thinly sliced. It's a decent place but I wouldn't put it really high on my must try list.

Long wait time, but I did grocery shopping in the store below and had an appetizer from one of the food places downstairs to whet my appetite. The quality of items is better than day Kura Revolving Sushi. There aren't too many items though and I would say the combo plates are the best deal. My favorite was the clam combo. I really enjoy finding items like the wagyu, whelk and fin meat. Quality over quantity with this restaurant but service is not as attentive as you need to use your touchscreen to get staff attention to get refills on drinks.

Food 10/10 Service 10/10 Wait Time: OUCH! 1 hour Sunday at 1pm. Ambiance: 10/10 The place is so very clean. Everything seems to have an order. The servers were on point and very friendly. Food was fresh and quality seafood. I absolutely loved the gyozas. They had the perfect crunch and great taste. I try gyozas wherever I go and this is the first place that I can say I am in love with their Gyozas. I can't eat rice but I did eat it here on the Shrimp Tempura Crunch. I feel that this can use some imitation or real crab meat on here. This did not beat Sushi Sumos flaming joy roll. The tuna and salmon were so fresh. You can taste the great quality and the difference between a good restaurant (Waka Sakura) and a bad one. They had a variety of sushi and nigiri. The wasabi and ginger were fresh and delicious. The belt was clean and fast. Everyone was on point. The pricing was very reasonable. I am definitely coming back. There is so much more to try

Wow this place has amazing sushi. The quality is top notch (and I am very picky about sushi quality) for the price. We came on a Friday evening and waited about 20 minutes, which isn't bad considering we had heard the wait can be crazy. What I liked about this place is that even though it's a "conveyor belt" spot, everything is made to order. I appreciated that they were VERY generous with the fish and everything we ordered was delicious. I don't think they have their alcohol license yet, so we didn't order any alcohol, but our bill came out to just over $100 for two people. Considering the quality, it's a pretty decent deal. The one complaint I have is that the iPad was absolutely trash and pretty unresponsive. Not enough to dock a star since they have a QR code that you can scan and order on your phone.

A sushi restaurant atop a grocery store?!? I mean... why not, right?!? Hubbers and I (+2 others) came through maybe a couple of months ago, but the wait was so long, our hAngerism wasn't having it! (Yeah, we ended up somewhere else.) However! Hubbers and I vowed to return. Some few weeks later, we finally got the chance to come through, and like the last time, there was a wait - 50 minutes, to be exact. We expected this, so we didn't mind it at all. Although I shop at Tokyo Central downstairs often, I got to walk around and found products I would someday like to try. We were delighted to get the text way less than the 50 minutes projected. So there's the option of ordering through the pad or from your phone (via QR code.) We opted for our phones which we ended up wasting a lot of time on because no one told us we can only order 4 items at a time. Once we settled that, through, it was easy street from there. We felt like we ordered too much food (we have that tendency) but it really wasn't if shared with two. We started with the salmon skin salad which was surprising: more salmon skin than greens! Never had we experience this kind of generosity on this salad. Good starter. The calamari was nothing to call home about, but we really liked it. Good crisp and thinly battered delicious. The steamed egg came out hot-off-the-steamer. It's not something I normally have at home but something about it reminds you of such. There's something really hearty and homely about it. The miso soup was full of depth and also a good starter. We were curious about the grilled salmon belly and it looked like it was fried because it felt oily - our bad, the oil is from that delicious salmon belly fat! And the skin was crispy! Seasoning was perfect and adding a splash of lemon added a bit of umph. We shared a lot of plates: albacore sashimi, salmon sashimi and bluefin tuna sashimi all tasted incredibly fresh. The seared plates (bluefin, yellowtail and both wagyus) all seared perfectly and had their individual flavor profiles. The anago and hiramasa (specials for the day, maybe the week) was a good experience as well. FOOD: 5. There was nothing we didn't like. SERVICE: 3.5. Very little interaction but above average. VALUE: 5. It's almost bargain pricing for the quality. PARKING: Private lot shared with Tokyo Central. It's gotten busy since this place opened up. Looks like they're working on opening up more spots. It gets busy - allocate a bit of time. OVERALL: 4.5. TIP: Sign in providing your celfone number immediately at arrival. Assume about an hour wait. Might be worse on the weekends. ANOTHER TIP: You can only order 4 items at a time. Most likely so the kitchen doesn't get inundated... and possibly avoid overstuffing yourself. It's not that big of a place and we noticed they had a whole section empty. We attributed it to lack of staff. They are very popular, so expect a wait when you come through. (They don't do reservations.) But all good: the experience was worth the wait! Looking forward to that next run!

Hands down one of the best sushi restaurants in all of the OC/LA area!! Super convenient and reminiscent of Japan as they utilize the bullet train sushi concept and you order on the tablet at your table. The sushi is so high quality and they have so many different varieties of fish and even wagyu! Also, do not miss out on the shishito peppers!! Service is super quick! Wait times can be a bit longer on the weekends as this spot is pretty popular, but it is inside the Tokyo Central in Gardena so you can pass time quickly walking around the huge store!

Quality is better than kura. I guess there's usually a wait but maybe LA people are still on vacay (still winter break for kids) cause we walked right in. Expect to pay approx $25 pp. Staff so nice and attentive.

Spent the day with a friend and they suggested we check out Waka Sakura for dinner. Waka Sakura is on the 2nd floor of Tokyo Central so there's ample parking around the building. You'll need to head straight to the back from the entrance and go up the stairs on the left -- there are plenty of signs along the way! We came in on Sunday evening around 5pm and put our names on the waitlist -- we had an estimated wait of 45 minutes. While waiting we walked around Tokyo Central to see what goodies we'd pick up after dinner. Check-in was easy and we were seated quickly. Everything is electronic, either via the tablet at each table or by QR code. Make your orders -- 4 items at a time -- and items come out via the conveyor belt or by a helpful staff. If you don't get all your items in one order, don't worry! You can send another order right after. The sushi was so tasty! The tuna practically melted, but the salmon was my favorite. My friend ordered a hot tea and the staff were so helpful with refills! We spent around $65 total, which was perfect for two of us without getting overly full.

Finally got to try out this popular new sushi restaurant located in Tokyo Central! I came on a Saturday afternoon around 4pm and the wait was about an hour which wasn't too bad cuz we ended up just walking to Sunright for a drink and coming back. The estimated wait time was pretty accurate and we were seated around 5. There were many empty tables around us but I'm assuming there aren't enough chefs to meet the high demand. The two of us love salmon so we each started with the salmon party which is 6 kinds of salmon nigiris, 3 raw, 3 seared. The salmon was fresh and tasted great with the different flavors. We also tried the salmon sashimi which was very fresh and tender. The salmon California roll was pretty interesting with a crunchy chili oil topping but I liked the kick of it. We also tried the bluefin tuna nigiri and the wagyu beef trio which were my favorite! The bluefin tuna was so tender and the wagyu was so fatty and melted in my mouth. I didn't really enjoy the texture of the rice they used since it wasn't the traditional white sushi rice, but was instead a more firm brown rice. But I did like the light vinegar seasoning of it which gave it a nice flavor. Overall the fish here is fresh and the nigiri combos are a pretty good value, but I don't think it was anything spectacular that I would wait an hour for. I definitely enjoyed it and was glad I got to try it though. I would recommend trying their salmon party, bluefin tuna, and wagyu trio.