Waka Sakura Gardena — Restaurant in Gardena

Was it worth the almost hour long wait? I would say no but I can't figure out a way to give partial stars. The long wait is because of its popularity and for good reason- the food is great. Since we have a small multigenerational family, waiting is just a big deal for us so we never really think it's worth it.

Luckily the Tokyo Central market has lots of things to look at/shop for that can keep you busy if you need to get some grocery shopping done or have never been before, otherwise, with a 5 minute weekend grace period which I understand they're strict about, the waiting time is the biggest obstacle for a return trip for us because we just don't have the time/patience for this long of a wait.

The service was great: they apologized for the wait (beyond their control) and while initially I was disappointed we were seated so close to the waitstand/register, I realized it was a benefit because the wait staff was very attentive, clearing our dishes very quickly.

We did really enjoy the food. The wagyu teriyaki was perfectly seared and the ratio of sauce to the other elements well balanced. Our group was impressed that the soy sauce was smoother shoyu, and the wasabi didn't look/taste like it was from a paste.

We read the reviews about the brown rice haters; we were very happy to have the brown rice and thought it worked especially well with the cut rolls like the crunchy california roll. The fried calamari was delicious, served nice and hot - the chicken karaage was average. The miso soup was a hit for those who tried it. The edamame was okay. We ordered the seaweed salad which came out in nori with rice because we didn't order it from the salad section.

In general, the seafood was very fresh, the seared food was done well and they even found a roe fan in the kiddo which was likely the most impressive feat of the meal: "it's nice and salty". Her biggest complaint was not getting enough warning that the conveyer built was sending the food so she could capture it IRT on video.

We ordered the matcha mont blanc for dessert and while it was good, the dessert was shared between 4 people and we still didn't quite finish. It was our Goldilocks moment: it was too sweet for the adults, not sweet enough for the child but just right for the senior.

Tip: you can only order 4 things at a time so we started off with water. You also want to check your 'history' to make sure you got all your items so you can reconcile with the bill when it comes. TLDR: All in all, if there was less than 20 minute wait time and we were in the area, we'd jump at the chance...

Waku Sakura hits the spot every time we visit. The fish quality here is exceptional. The chef cut everything thick and generous. The tuna and salmon have that clean, buttery taste that tells you it’s fresh. I like that the chef seasons the rice with red vinegar. It really makes every bite super flavorful. The Scallops from Japan are sweet, tender, and not fishy at all. When you order the seared pieces, they come with just the right amount of char that adds depth without masking the delicate fish underneath. Even their rolls are solid. Every texture, crunchy tempura, fresh vegetables, and perfectly balanced sauces don’t overpower the ingredients. Service is consistently friendly and efficient though not as fast as I’d like. Water land on the table fast once you’re seated, but the staff do need a little prompting to take away the empty plates. It’s more of our problem since we had a party of 6 for a table that’s really meant more for 4, so the trash and tray piled up fast. With that said, tables comfortably fit 4 to 5 people, though bigger groups will likely get split up. They don’t have high chairs, but booster seats work perfectly fine for little ones. Our 3 and 6 years old absolutely demolish the salmon nigiri and always ask for seconds. Watching them grab sushi and eating so scrumptiously is honestly half the entertainment. Definitely expect a wait and join the Yelp Waitlist as soon as you park. Tokyo Central market is perfect for browsing while you wait, and it makes the time pass much quicker because believe me, it gets busy at lunch and dinner hours. We tend to show up during off hours like 3-4pm. We always leave satiated and already planning our next visit. The kids do too, which says everything about this place. Highly recommend for anyone who wants quality sushi. What a hidden gem on the second floor of a...

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...