Sakura Japanese Restaurant

When you walk into a Japanese restaurant that serves raw fish, and you are immediately hit with a big bold fishy smell, that is a really bad sign.

Lesson: If there is a big fishy smell, do not eat the raw fish. Good fresh fish don’t have a smell.

I got a bowl of tempura udon, it was not good. There were a couple of shrimp tempura, a few string beans tempura, some cheap udon noodles, and an ok broth. That’s it. No carrots, no mushrooms, not even scallions.

The service was great, though. Too bad about the food and fishy smell.

workin’ man’s sushi. family-run business, fills up fast. dependable nabyeki udon and soba tenzaru.

This is another great find in LA! Considering the long wait (averaging 30 minutes), it is no longer a secret. The portion is good, fish is fresh, and the price is reasonable, so worth the wait. Besides, the Chefs are actually Japanese (not so easy to find nowadays)! Friendly staff will help you choose the food, whether you’re a sushi expert or novice. You’ll have to find parking on the street.

We had toro (fatty tuna), Spanish Mackerel, Shrimp Tempura, Spicy Tuna roll (got a nice kick to it), and we finished it off with unagi (Fresh Water Eel), which the Chef recommended eating last since it is sweet like dessert. We sat at the counter to enjoy watching the sushi preparation and talking with the Chef.

All the sushi was very fresh and full of flavors. We also had the Oyster shooters, and I have to tell you that I never have them like these before. There must have been 3-4 oysters served with a raw quail egg, wasabi, soy sauce, sake, and other unidentified ingredients. This was all served in a hefty glass, and it took a while to shuck it down.