Waka Sakura Irvine — Restaurant in Irvine

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...

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...

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...