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Top Japanese restaurants in Santa Cruz, United States
Top Rated Japanese restaurants in Santa Cruz
Top Reviewed Japanese restaurants in Santa Cruz
Reviews
Loved the food here! We had a Baby Yoda and the Drunken Monkey roll which I highly recommend both. The pork gyoza was perfectly fried and delicious, and they have happy hour everyday! I think Will was our server, he was very kind, patient and attentive but everyone working in there seems nice. I don’t live in the area but I definitely want to come back and try a few other rolls. There was so many to choose from. Also go to try my friend’s bento lunch, the steak was really tasty & juicy so I would give that a try too.
I love this place! The fish is definitely solid quality and unlike many sushi places in the world they do not skimp on the amount of sashimi they give you. I recommend the bento because while the price is high it's a TON of food. It should easily be enough for 2 to share.
I also tried yam sushi and I was surprised by how good the vegetarian option was! Akira is definitely my favorite sushi place in Santa Cruz!
I also tried yam sushi and I was surprised by how good the vegetarian option was! Akira is definitely my favorite sushi place in Santa Cruz!
The food was out of world!! We got the teriyaki beef bento boz with the fried tempura flavor was amazing beef was tender. Definitely one of my new and favorite spots in Santa cruz. Josh our server was amazing we will definitely be back!!
We tried for the first time, and was amazed how grewt the food and service was. Nice size portions, friendly staff and delicious! 1 dtsr down because there is no reason for the bathroom to not feel clean and safe. Graffiti and locks not working are signs of not caring. A bit more effort here, and would have been 5 star!
Probably the best sushi experience of my life!! 🍣 Fresh fish combined with bold flavors for sure! Highly recommend, even the vegan and vegetarian options. 🌿👌
Ordered sushi (orange blossom and crunch rolls) and the Tonkotsu ramen, along with a side of edamame.
Service staff was friendly but the restaurant was understaffed and it took a long time for food to be served.
Presentation was lacking in general, but the food was overall good.
For the ramen, the noodles and chashu were good but the broth wasn't as rich as I hoped (but still it was good).
Service staff was friendly but the restaurant was understaffed and it took a long time for food to be served.
Presentation was lacking in general, but the food was overall good.
For the ramen, the noodles and chashu were good but the broth wasn't as rich as I hoped (but still it was good).
This place was amazing! The sushi rolls were fire!!
Very good. I had my very first sushi burrito here. Super exciting.
Food: excellent selection of sushi and sushi bowls if you wanted too. The sushi is plated nicely and the portions are big enough for sharing.
Service: great service fast and friendly. You order at the counter, they give you a buzzer and then you retrieve it. If you haven’t been here they do provide recommendations of what to order depending on your tastebuds.
Ambiance: the inside is small. It is shared with another business. Can’t eat inside, but they have plenty of seats and tables surrounding the building. It’s very nice to sit outside, of course when the weather is lovely.
Service: great service fast and friendly. You order at the counter, they give you a buzzer and then you retrieve it. If you haven’t been here they do provide recommendations of what to order depending on your tastebuds.
Ambiance: the inside is small. It is shared with another business. Can’t eat inside, but they have plenty of seats and tables surrounding the building. It’s very nice to sit outside, of course when the weather is lovely.
Good sushi for a great price. The owner's are friendly and very thoughtful! This spot has become a regular dinner spot for me.
I had doubts about sushi in Santa Cruz but this place proved me wrong! I got the unagi roll and it was delicious; the price was also super worth the amount of sushi I got (unlike all the overpriced sushi nowadays!) Recommend!
Amazing place! Had no wait for a large group. Fantastic waiter. Outstanding food and service.
I guess it was okay, but I wouldn’t go back. As you can see in the image the sushi was not cut very neatly. The person making my sushi was chewing or eating something while doing so which really threw me off too. Tastes very slightly better than grocery store sushi.
My friends and I had a wonderful dinner on Sunday night. Jessica, our server, was very friendly and attentive. 5 stars for Jessica!!! She took great care of all guests even though she appeared to be the only server. All of our food was excellent. Bathroom was nice & clean. I would be happy to return on my visit to SC. Thank you Jessica!!!
Wow!!! The rolls were amazing! Had the Life Aquatic and Natural Bridges rolls with the largest salad I’ve ever seen which was also super yummy! The reviews are as they say! It’s a bit of a wait but well worth it! Service once you’re seated is pretty fast even though they were crazy busy!
got takeout from here with some friends and everything we had was delicious! the folks at the counter were friendly, helpful and easy to communicate with. great price and well made, I'll definitely be coming back!!
Amazing veggie sushi with a large variety to choose from. Definitely recommend whether or not you're a vegetarian.
Nice to have sushi available here. Typical over the top, made for American taste rolls with toppings and dripping in sauces. Certainly not an authentic Japanese sushi experience here but it gets the job done when you want something other than burgers, chicken sandwiches or pizza.
Great local spot that gets busy. They have an interesting sushi roll menu. I personally come here for the skirt steak teriyaki donburi or bento box.
This food is terrible. I ordered a simple California roll and I don’t know what that was, but compared to more superior sushi restaurants in town it was trash. There was more rice than anything else in the roll and the taste was off. At first, I thought it was just me, but the person I was with hated it too and they had something completely different. I just ended up throwing it away. I couldn’t push through and eat it anymore. What a waste of money. I knew I should have just purchased a burger from next door. Never again!
Had a relaxing evening with friends and enjoyed the sushi for the first time and it was good . They mark the sushi which contains Raw or uncooked fish . Thoroughly enjoyed the experience
Refined and unique yet inexpensive authentic Japanese cuisine I would most certainly recommend. I had the Teriyaki steak/ vegetable tempura Bento, and my girlfriend ordered the Teriyaki chicken dinner, both complete with a salad and miso soup. We also decided on a Soft-shell crab appetizer, not to mention a small sake. The steak flavor alone was enough to write home. The texture of the appetizer was incredible, and the crab was very tasty. All in all, a nicely presented meal with a lot of value! Shogun is a favorite spot, and my go-to for traditional Japanese fare.
I love sushi. A client suggested to eat at Shogun. I tried the shrimp tempura roll. Also ordered the Gyoza. Yumm. 2rolls and appetizer were $31. Great deal. Didnt get a chance to take pics of the menu, next time!
Best Sushi in the world. Very generous portions. Today all the cooked food was old. No adjustments made. They blamed us for letting it sit too long. Never again