Gordon Shaw
Found this gem via a web search. Lucky we booked as it was chokka on a Friday night. What an amazing experience. Great authentic Japanese dishes. The tempura is outstanding. Great staff. Amazing food and great range of Japanese beers and sake.
Highly recommend a visit and make sure you book as the dining room is compact.
Will return.
Raf K
Sakura is a real “cherry” treasure well hidden inside Asian Mall. When we first found it, we couldn’t believe our luck. Small , family run Japanese restaurant with amazing options of both vegan and not vegan food. Our favourites are Agedashi Tofu, veggie tempura and seaweed salad which is must try ! There are some choices of sushi including vegetarian but if you ask they make it vegan. Plenty of choice of Sake as well for connoisseur of that drink. Staff is always nice and friendly and very polite. Since tables are limited booking is recommended especially on weekends as place is always packed. Sakura is No. 1 Japanese restaurant in town without doubt!
Amy Lee
Everything was so tasty. Great service, too!
Micah
Totemo oishi desu!
Really yummy food, a great variety of dishes. Excellent service. I took my mum along for lunch on mothers day and we really enjoyed it. The teriyaki salmon was particularly well cooked and a nice portion. Will definitely be back soon :) thanks team.
Tim Baird
Lovely authentic Japanese food. Very friendly and efficient staff. Did I mention the food was very good? Also, delicious food.
Haibei Song (Carol)
Great food, great service and a great hangout with friends
Jacy Edwards
We came here with a friend who likes Japanese food and ordered a bunch of "izakaya" style dishes.
Everything is beautifully done, but the most striking are the takoyaki, salmon sashimi and fried Karachi chicken.
Service is very good and highly recommended
Jesse Henriksen
Sakura is one of my favourite lunch spots. Despite being a bit out of the way, it is well worth it.
Please take the time to get past some iffy first impressions before cementing your opinion on this place. Yes, it can be a rough process to find a car park during the day. Yes, it is a small restaurant in a pretty plain looking arcade mall. Yes, the menus leave a bit to be desired in their presentation with their sticky plastic sleeves. However, the service you get is great and the food is even better.
The staff are very attentive and pleasant. Your meals and drinks are brought to you quickly after ordering. The food itself is fresh, impeccably prepared, plentiful, and great value.
I would recommend the spicy chicken teriyaki (pictured), the pork belly, and the grouper sashimi if is is available. The Lunch Box du jour (also pictured) is a fantastic deal for someone with a big appetite or who wants to try a variety of delicious bites.
This restaurant really is one of Christchurch's hidden treasures.
Booking ahead is recommended due to the popularity of this restaurant and it's limited seating.
Amy Okamura-Kho
Authentic Japanese food for a very reasonable price particularly their lunch menu. Pleasant decor and friendly and fast service. Recommend you make a booking for weekend lunches for groups of more than four. Japanese sake, plum wine and beer also at a reasonable price.
Chris Wong
Went there twice for our trip to Christchurch. We love the food. Sashimi is fresh and ramen taste food. Nice and clean restaurant.
Kailash parag
Had an amazing experience here. Tucked away in church corner this place offers a very cheap price and great serving sizes. It is a small place so it might be good to book on a Friday or Saturday night.
Harry B
One of Christchurch best hidden gems!! Incredible food, super fresh and flavourful!
Michael
Really great little Japanese restaurant. Small and cosy atmosphere. Surprisingly good quality food. I had the missed sashimi plate and chicken yakitori plus a miso soup. Am totally full (which can always be an issue with Japanese food!). Highly recommended. PS this place can be a challenge to find; it is in the middle of a bit of a sad arcade in Church Corner, but persist in hunting it down! It’s worth it!
The deep fried chicken is amazing!
Sionie Varua
Nice restaurant ambiance. Wish they have at least 2 Ramen dish in their menu.
Ac Vargis
My family and I eat here once a week - food is delicious and reasonably priced. Staff are very friendly and the food comes out quickly. Ambience is great - very cosy and intimate. My favourite dishes are the deep fried chicken, the pork belly, the teriyaki salmon, any of the tofu dishes, the tempura sushi roll... I am getting hungry writing this.
Angela Liu
Very nice little place. Delicious food and great service. Love the eel is my fave. Will come back again soon.
Hossein N. Zadeh
Very good food and good service. Make sure your book your table in advance
Haibei Song (Carol)
Lovely Japanese restaurant hidden away in church corner. Will visit again!
Jaimee Cooper
Nice service, but could’ve been slightly more attentive. Had to go to counter to order more food and drink. Overall good food and fabulous sushi and dumplings!! Will always go back.
Lauren McLellan
Lovely little restaurant in Upper Riccarton. The decor is quaint and welcoming. Full house when we dined but the service is very efficient and the staff are just lovely. The food was interesting and varied. We had a variety of entrees and couldn't fault any of it. Cooked perfectly and in particular the tempura mixed platter was delicious. The sashimi was fresh and beautiful. Definately worth visiting, and will be back.
Lachlan Kitchen
Sakura's well-thought menu and great daily combo meals keep making me want to go back. I've been there three times and have had great meals. I had a regular chicken and avo sushi roll with mayo, which had great presentation and was served steaming hot. It was much larger than normal sushi rolls and would easily have it again with the decent price. The second time I chose the spicy teriyaki and karaage chicken bento. I was highly disappointed as it was drenched in sauce and didn't resemble the name at all. The third time I ordered the daily combo which included a plethora of variety, including pork with pickled veggies, sashimi platter, tempura and karaage chicken served with rice and miso for a wonderful $16. All I could ask for in a combo and is very annoying that it is on the menu. This cute little place with an amazing price and menu is a high-quality place for Japanese food.
Caitlyn Inthavong
Made a reservation for two during the week for dinner and ordered the Pork Udon which was originally fried noodles but I asked if I could have it as a soup, staff were happy to do so. Very very yummy food, happy service and great atmosphere. I would recommend booking as it can be quite packed due to its amazing food and service. 😊
Holly Munt
fantastic food. super yummy and only $5 per bottle for corkage. definitley worth going again . would highly recommend. :) you would probably need to book in advance
Norman
I always manage to get a table here without reservation, which I consider quite lucky because this place is tiny, but that also means it needs to be more known because the food is delicious, including the dessert choices. Due to the small size, there's a very homely feel to it, which is great.
Jess Tisch
Have dined at Sakura a number of times, and every time has been fabulous! Definitely recommend their white fish of the day (with salt seasoning) and the salmon fillet too. The miso soup is amazing, and the sashimi melt-in-your-mouth. I spent four years living in Japan, so really appreciate authentic Japanese cuisine and Sakura does a great job of it. Their desserts are delicately presented and lovely flavours too! Overall a great little restaurant that Christchurch is lucky to have.
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