Sakura Teppanyaki And Sushi

This place is very similar to Benihana and slightly less expensive. Great place to take the kids and the chefs are entertaining. They have some good rolls, not much of a wine list, but I wasn’t there for the wine.
The second location is much bigger and not as crowded– so if you need a table for a large group… head to Sakura 2 on Veteran’s Blvd.

nice place for a quiet sunday date night! hubby had been traveling for work quite a bit over the past month, so we hadn’t had very much time to ourselves. the solution? get out of the house for a quiet date night with no distractions… no tv, no laptop, no cell phones! lol!
this restaurant is located in the very quiet creekside village shopping center, off veterans blvd, not far from downtown rwc. aside from carl’s jr, everything else was closed, so parking wasn’t a problem, and noise was most definitely not a problem.
we were seated at a table large enough for 4, spacious, with lots of room for food! after perusing the menu, we ordered the following dishes to share:
+edamame ($ 3) — sprinkled with a bit of sea salt, this was a great way to start our meal together.
+california roll ($ 5) — unsure whether this was real or imitation crab meat, but it was tender, soft, and delicious! one of the better cali rolls i’d had in recent memory!
+vegetable roll ($ 6.50) — all veggie roll with carrots, avocado, daikon, and cucumber. very fresh, yet very tasty, with lots of vitamins!
+hibachi chicken and shrimp combo plate ($ 17.95) — tender chicken and shrimp with a decent amount of sauce… a bit salty for my taste, but just right for my hubby who is a salt lover! they added a generous helping of zucchini, onions, and mushrooms, which were all tenderly sauteed.
service was fairly quick and attentive, as we never had to ask for anything, including water glass refills.
i’d definitely recommend this for a quiet date night or even a quiet dinner amongst a small group of friends. conveniently located near 101 & woodside road/​highway 84.

Great food fun show if you sit at the grill. Entertaining and fun are always a plus. I usually order the chicken & shrimp with chicken fried rice always delicious. They also have a table section if you just want to eat and go. Usually busy on the weekends plenty of parking they do take reservations

What a fun lunch! This teppanyaki place is way better than Benihana. The service was excellent, the place was clean, food was delicious, and our cook was awesome! He did a lot of cool tricks with our food and some pretty funny ones too. I won’t give too much away. I also thought the lunch prices (~$ 14 – 16) were reasonable considering you get entertainment along with your food. We all ordered lunch combinations, which come with two choices of protein, veggies, fried rice, and salad. The salad was meh, but the fried rice, veggies, shrimp and steak I ordered were pretty good! Would definitely come again for a group lunch.
Almost forgot to mention, there is also a Sakura on Broadway probably less than a mile away, but this one has a huge parking lot so you won’t have to worry about horrific downtown parking.

This place is okay for hibachi food. You can sit at the table where the chef will make the food for you, or you can sit in another area and they’ll just bring the food to you.
I happened to go here when there was a very large kids’ birthday party. The kids acted like they’ve never seen fire or anyone cook before. It was extremely loud when you have 27 kids screaming «AHHHHH» everytime the flames went up. It didn’t make for a good dining experience but I’m sure this doesn’t happen everyday.
The food itself was mediocre. The chicken was not flavorful and definitely needed help with the sauces provided. I didn’t think the fried rice was that good either — they should have used soy sauce or at the very least salt it. The filet mignon was quite chewy which was nice. I also liked the zucchini that was cooked as well.
The onions could have been a bit more cooked. Also, I think something must not have been cooked well because we were having some stomach issues later that day.
It was $ 74 for dinner for two + 1 side order of shrimp. I thought it wasn’t a good deal.

Very very good.
Chef, food and place. Recommend to everyone. No waiting for seat down. Benihana you have to wait one hour to seat.
Big parking lot.

$ 13.95 for scallop lunch! Hate to say it’s so cheap! And I have Armando as my private chef who worded @ Benihana for 4 years!

We come here for work lunches often but I have to say, yesterday’s experience was probably if not THE best, then damn close to it! Our server, Pavel is TOP NOTCH! Not only does he pretty much know all 10 of our orders by heart, he also knows our appetizers and drinks! He never fails to impress! Then to kick it up a notch, we had two chefs manning the grills back to back! It was like a top chef challenge right in front of our eyes! Our guy (whom we’ve never had before) dueled our regular chef, Armando. Hate to say it, but this new kid gave Armando a run for his money and had we of had to chose a winner, new guy would of taken home the gold! The food was amazing! Cooked to perfection and everyone went home with boxes of left overs! We were stuffed! Just wish I knew our chefs name! We will be back. Like next week.

It’s okay. A bit flavorless and to me not worth the price. My kids do enjoy it since it’s a show to them. I prefer Bennis any day.

Here’s the usual ordeal that’s not going to change: I’m a high raw food vegan. I rarely eat. I’m OCD which means I’m picky in all my glittery glory. I have a very specific diet and needs. I’m dominant in the sense that I know how I want my food made and if I’m not the one making it then please make it how I ask or there will be problems *courtesy* This must be pointed out so you know what kind of crazy foodie any restaurant I order from has to deal with.
The guy who took my order was extremely polite and vegan knowledgeable. I indulged in ordering 4 sushi rolls to my picky heart’s extent: plain clean steamed brown rice with cucumber and extra avocado. No seeds, sauce, sushi vinegar, sugar, salt or what not. I like my food clean :) They did end up throwing in packaged soy sauce, ginger and wasabi — bless their hearts. The pickled ginger is pink so I know it’s the kind with dye. I don’t swing that way but thank you for the offer!
6 rolls an order x 4 orders = 24 scrumptious sushi rolls. They jam packed my container which made it even more of a delight to look at on the way home. I know I’m not the only one who gets their sneak and peek on at every stop light, ha! Each roll was around $ 4.35 a piece, NOT BAD.
The brown rice was good, a tad dry but still had flavor. I like mine a bit stickier/​mushier but that requires longer cooking time if you aren’t using binding/​seasoning ingredients. Most people hate mushy rice. I guess I like to get my mush on. Anyhow, the cucumber to avocado ratio was on point and they did grant me my «extra avocado» wish. It was not skimpy. Medium/​regular sized rolls. I’m petite but I can eat so 4 was perfect + a side simple spinach and ginger raw salad I made at home.
They are sweet, do not cross contaminate, know what the word «vegan» means, put up with bossy boys like me (I’m super sweet just picky with food), have great prices, are easy to locate and no problems with parking. I’m going to give them 5 stars because this is my new back up sushi place when my primary is not open or I want a switch.
Thank you :)

An very good sushi place. I have been to the original Sakura location and this one several times. It’s about time Sakura 2 receives a positive review from me.
This location is clean, with and good food. The staff is nice and timely with seating and ordering. It does not matter whether for lunch or dinner. I have found the experience to be excellent any time of the day. The menu is a touch on the high side But I have always left satisfied. I feel the price is justified.
The food itself is straight standard sushi and hibachi. If you are looking for Uni, see snail, quail eggs or some of the more exotic menu items then Sakura is not for you. But If you want to have a solid place with a little entertainment at an easy to reach location you have come to the right place. You can also bring friends who may not like sushi since there are plenty of menu items to satisfy people with more mundane palates.
Think i like here:
Tofu Appetizer
Jalapeño Bomb
California Roll
Redwood City Roll
Unagi Roll, Unagi Roll, Unagi Roll (Yup I love Unagi !)
Rainbow Roll
Yellow Radish Roll
Kampyo Roll
Maguro Sushi
Unagi Sushi
Hokkigai
Hibachi Beef Teriyak
Hibachi Scallops
The mix dinners such as the Hibachi Sakura Special
and of course the Miso Soup.
I’ll definitely be back again.

This place is pretty comparable to Benihana’s && I really loved that they had a lot to choose from on their menu including meals for two. They prepare the food slightly different than Benihana’s but the tricks are the same.
The soup was a little salty for me but the salad was delicious !! The mustard sauce however, was absolutely disgusting… It was way too thick !!
The waiter was really rough and pretty rude. She actually forgot our drinks =(
Overall just an ok experience

Great place! Very clean, nice staff, and good food. We’ve come here for lunch and dinner and both experiences have been great. Our kids love the show they put on. If you don’t want to sit at the teppanakyi tables they also have a sushi bar and casual dining room.

Having just moved to the area, one of our top priorities was finding a date-​night restaurant. We love hibachi and this is right near the movie theater, so we decided to try it out.
At first I wasn’t impressed. The salad was definitely packaged, though fresh, and the soup wasn’t as good as our old favorite down in Orange County. We settled in, expecting not to be wowed.
And then the fried rice came. Holy cow. It was delicious and flavorful.
We ordered the steak and scallops and the tuna. Not only did Armando put on a great show, he cooked our food perfectly. Which is rare, since usually when I order a medium-​rare I get a medium. My steak was perfect. The sauces are great but almost unnecessary with the delicious food and delicate seasoning.
Come here. It’s great. Seriously. Great hibachi.

I’m not sure why this restuarant has so many stars, possibly because of the family style show dinner. But the food itself, is not that great.
We had some sushi rolls, yakisoba noodles and everything that came with the noodles.
The sushi was mediocre, at best.
The Noodles were not good. They were chewy and hard in some places, dry, and sloppy. The «shrimp appetizer» that came with it were two piece of tiny shrimp. The veggie side, mostly onions and a few pieces ofI think zucchini and I think broccoli. The Fried rice wasn’t bad, just very very dry.
I would be okay with the food if our dinner didn’t cost a total of $ 45. We only got one small sushi roll and one plate or noodles and two beers (total $ 10).
The major downfall was the bathroom. I think it’s shared with other businesses in the building but its disgusting. ¾ toilets were clogged. ²⁄₄ toilets were out of TP. and The sinks had brown stuff all over the counters. Things were falling off the walls, and I felt like I had to hold my breath in there.
I don’t think I need to continue.

I don’t mean to dance on Koto’s grave, but it’s wonderful that a quality Japanese restaurant now exists on this site. It’s in such a prime location, and Sakura has the chops to pull it off well.
This second Sakura location in Redwood City is lovely. The hibachi area is the same as when it was Koto, but the sushi chef station is no longer in the first dining area, making it a space for more tables. The bar is also in the same place. I mention these things because the new layout works well, improving upon what was best about Koto, and what is nice about the original Sakura. The original Sakura, on Broadway, has little separating the hibachi and regular dining areas, which can feel loud and overwhelming if you’re just there for some sushi and tea, rather than an onion volcano. Sakura 2.0 has a subtle separation of space that feels more intimate and I like that. Even though we were there for a meal on New Year’s Eve, it didn’t feel like pandemonium.
The sushi is up to Sakura’s standards: thick cuts of quality fish are a Sakura hallmark at both locations. I think there may be very slightly different rolls on offer here, but I may be mistaken; certainly, the Lion King Roll and the 49er Roll appear at both restaurants. It is easy to order a lot of sushi here because everything sounds good. Happily, it all tastes good, too! I could eat Sakura’s nigiri all day long. The benefits of this location also include a large parking lot, which you definitely don’t get downtown at the Broadway location.
They lost a star for mixing up our order (we ordered five orders of something but only received one), but they fixed it eventually. I think there may be too many servers taking care of the same tables, and that perhaps gets confusing.

So happy a second location opened up! We LOVE this place! We unexpectedly had an opportunity to go out, but was not sure if we would be able to get in on a Saturday evening. We did!!!
The staff is always very cordial and attentive. The owner is AMAZING and the food is fabulous. We usually get the hibachi chicken. Last night it was incredibly tender and juicy. The fried rice here is hands-​down the best!

I went here for lunch and ordered a simple Sakura Roll. The tuna wasn’t fresh at all, flaking and even breaking apart like it thawed incorrectly. The roll itself tasted funny, so I could only eat about half before I called it quits.
I was with a bunch of coworkers, so I didn’t want to waste anyone’s time complaining. I fully expect a stomach ache in a couple of hours… Never again.

Purchased the last showing of «Kill the Messenger» at Redwood City’s large theater at 7:45pm, had about 2 hours to kill, I decided to grab dinner and wait. My first stop was actually at another Sushi joint, but it turns out that they were closed for remodeling. Luckily, there is about 3 Sushi spots in the area (that I know of). I decided to go with the one spot that I always walked/​drove by.
LOCATION
What a wonderful place to be located, right next to the theater and the heart of downtown Redwood City. Across you will find the large movie Century 20 Movie Theater, the library and a sweet shops for sweet tooths. It is usually the most busiest road and foot traffic you see.
PARKING
Like many other downtown in other cities, the parking is a little hard to find. During lunch and dinner, do hold on to false hope that you will find a parking spot near your dinner spot (tip: for dinner time, park at the bank parking lots). I arrived at 5pm and was lucky enough to find a parking spot right in front of the movie theater (awesome!). Otherwise, I would’ve have to drive around looking for street parking.
EXTERIOR
This entire restaurant is surrounded by glass windows. Everytime you look inside, the Teppanyaki section is always slammed, thus making it look busy all the time (I’m not big on busy spots as I do not like to wait to be seated). It looks large and grandeur and almost intimidating. In other words– you can’t miss it.
INTERIOR
Once you walk through the door, you will find the Teppanyaki section on your left (near the windows) and tables on your right. Follow the divider straight through the restaurant and there you will find the sushi bar. I was a solo diner (to not take up any tables for larger groups) so I asked to be seated at the bar (besides, I like watching people make the sushi). The sushi was well maintained, cleaned and décor was modern. Enough wall hanging displays and statues to make you feel that you’re in a sushi join, but enough modern tables and deep brown and cream color interior to make you feel classy dining at a spot like this.
FOOD
Once I sat down, they automatically gave me tea (I had to ask for water for some reason– a little backwards?). They had a very short list of rolls and didn’t see anything that interest me. The chef finally ask what I wanted. I asked him if he can make me a roll that was spicy and tempura fried (there, gave him something different to make instead of the same ol’ California roll that people always seems to order when they’re scared of trying something different and new). Most restaurants would use sriracha for spice-​ness, this place uses sliced small green peppers on top (and orange Mexican spicy sauce? Interesting. Well, apparently 90% of the restaurant is ran by Mexicans– that’s different). It was good, but not excellent. I, then, ordered a side of vegetable tempura. No mind you, I am use to large squash, string bean, carrots, broccoli for vegetable tempura dishes. I was surprise how regular sizes I was served with. Small broccoli, a lot of onion rings– at least the display was nice. Sat there for about 10 minutes and decided to order one (1) more roll before heading out. Again, I asked for another concoction from the Chef. Another spicy roll. Beautifully served, different layers and once again with the sliced green pepper placed on top (I’m beginning to think he never made his own fabulous sushi roll before– I guess I was expecting something entirely different looking).
SERVICE
was excellent. (Maybe it was my cute and single demeanor that causes all the men working there give me more attention than other customers– j/​k) Everyone was very polite and socialable. They all greeted me with a smile, spoke to me with a smile and took my plates away with a smile. I even for a roll on the house (and probably a second one if I didn’t have to catch a movie). It did took the chef to remind the busboys to refill my water and tea. They weren’t great at picking up the dirty plates though.
VERDICT
Sure, I would return here– if someone else suggested this spot, if other sushi spots weren’t open, and if I was near the area. I guess you can say, this spot wouldn’t be my first choice. Maybe I’ll try Teppanyaki next time– maybe that experience will make me update my review.

LOVE the first location in downtown Redwood city but it’s always so packed! So it was very exciting to see a new BIGGER location.
The food and the show were amazing as always. Had the filet mignon with fried rice. Which was cooked perfectly. However, the hibachi tables were very tall! Even for the averaged height person.
Minus one star for the weird service. They seated my family of 4 (with 2 kids) right away and made us wait 25 minutes until someone came along to fill the hibachi table. (Like they didn’t want to waste any spots at the table! And the place was empty!)
Tip: Come for lunch. The place is empty and it’s half the price for pretty much the same amount of food.