Sakana Sushi

Average at best. Not horrible, but there are a lot if other places.

Please introduce yourself to Andy, the owner and tell him Lee, Rod and Michael sent you in. He’s so delightful and takes his job seriously, as in the freshest Sushi in Walnut Creek!
You won’t be disappointed

Definitely enjoyed eating here. Nice décor, friendly staff, and most importantly, quality sushi.
I ordered the Combination Sushi, which came with soup and salad. The fish was as fresh it gets, and there was an impressive variety available. The chef, Andy, was especially friendly, and gave me a complimentary serving of tuna. He seemed to have relationships with a couple of others at the sushi bar. Definitely enjoyed chatting with him.
The place had a nice casual vibe to it, defintely enjoyed the atmosphere and I’ll be returning!

This was my 1^st and LAST time to this very filthy restraunt. My mom treated us for fathers day and since my husband is part Japanese and grew up with grandma from Okinawa, he has an experienced knowledge of the food and cultures.
Upon sitting down our table was very sticky and felt like it was not washed with cleaner. I wanted to leave but everyone was hungry and my mom had been told food was good. Water glasses came and were also filthy… had to ask for water 3 times before getting clean glass. We started w edemame which was old and shrivelled and way over boiled. She claimed they changed vendors and I sent back order. Sushi was ok. Gyoza and tempura were cold and mushy as was kids teriyaki need and chicken both being tough. She also NEVER came to clear dirty dishes… when we left our entire table was full of dirty dishes from 5 people that WE HAD TO STACK to make room to even pay bill. I will NEVER GO BACK and have contacted health dept due to filthy conditions. Last straw was bathroom which looked like it had poop smeared on wall and sink area nasty. We had horrible service and were only one of two families in entire place. I rarely complain if service is bad but won’t tolerate a dirty place that im paying over 100 for meal. Overall I recommend running as far away from this dump. It was unacceptable especially in Walnut Creek whose standards are higher.

Please. If you like sushi, try Miraku or Nama or just anywhere else…
I love sushi, and this place was so disappointing that I feel sorry for anyone who thinks this is a 5-​star sushi restaurant !!
1. As we sat down, the green tea came out and they were *lukewarm*. When we brought this issue up to the waitress, she quickly took them away and said to another waitress ‘the tea is cold! it’s cold!’ The new cups of tea came out hot but were fairly flavorless, and tasted like hot tap water more than anything else. When the waitress came around to ask if we needed refills (which wasn’t often) I wanted to say no in fear of more nasty tea.
2. We ordered an appetizer of fried oysters. At a price of $ 7 for 3 oysters, you’d expect something impressive, but what came out fell flat. Three oysters, one was an impressive 2-​in long or so, but the other two were the size of quarters. The fried batter was uneven and heavy/​oily like the kind you’d find on a KFC chicken. I guess I was expecting a light crunchy tempura like batter… expensive and disappointing.
3. The combination sashimi for $ 20 was shared between two people. The good news is that the sashimi was fresh, and there was a good variety. The bad news is that the cuts were small and left us wishing we hadn’t stepped foot into this restaurant.
4. Service slow and inattentive. Everyone was nice, but sometimes you just need more than that.
If you don’t believe me, take your chances. Don’t say I didn’t try to warn you!

I always order to go and must say they are my favorite in the Walnut Creek area. Fresh fish, consistent, and nice staff.

Sakana is convenient to my house, but parking is a bit of a bear, depending on what time of day it is. I think the place could use some interior updating, and according to the owner, it has been in this location a while.
As for the food, it was mostly good and mostly fresh, but an average experience. They (along with most sushi places in WC) could really use some more creative bento boxes for lunch… Service was friendly, if a bit slow.

The one disclaimer I have is that I have mediocre sushi/​sashimi knowledge and I don’t eat raw seafood. That said, I still love everything else cooked about Japanese food.
The Sashimi in this place might be fresh and good (I wouldn’t know), but my ratings are for a ‘one’ time visit when I picked up some standard chicken appetizer and rolls as take-​out for dinner. I usually stick to the safe zone when I am trying a completely new place.
I had an errand to run in that strip-​mall, saw this place close-​by and went in. The place was completely empty for dinner, and the first thing that hit me in the face was the terrible stench — almost smelled like cat litter, and I was chocking — oh gross! That actually killed my appetite.
I usually give a place a second chance before rating it, but this must be one of the worst maintained restaurants that I have ever been to.
Never going back.

Hmm. Idk about this place. Not that I was brought to try this spot by their Unilocal check-​in offer (discovered it as I waited for my to go order)…I saw the coupon had expired as of ¹²⁄₂₀₁₀. I asked the waitress if she would still honor it since it is actively posted on Unilocal and she got all kinds of panicky. I told her that I was just checking to see if she could apply the –20% savings, and pointed out the error suggesting they fix that to save them future headaches.
Something that insignificant shouldn’t have ruined the whole experience for me – but, IT SO DID! When businesses aren’t on top of their game about extending courtesies –it gets on my nerves. What if I had been brought into their place by that check-​in offer?
I am still rating this place with 2 stars because the hamachi was of a decent grade. Their super hamachi roll (a California roll with hamachi overlaying it) was stuffed with imitation crab meat, not real crab meat. I wasn’t wowed but wasn’t disappointed. I wont be returning.

My friend and I were in the area and we were extremely hungry so we decided to try Sakana’s. The place was really empty but the waitress was nice and friendly. I ordered the chicken teriyaki and it took a while for us to get our food. My chicken teriyaki was really gross and burnt. My friend told the waitress and she kindly gave me a new order free of charge. I thought the second time would be better but it was still burnt and it had no teriyaki sauce.
One reason why I gave this place two stars is because of the waitress and how nice she was but the food was not good at all and it was way overpriced. Maybe their rolls are better but I doubt I’ll come back again to try.

I go to this place ALL the time. I’m definitely a regular here.
The sashimi is ALWAYS fresh and I definitely recommend it. Many of the reviewers say that the tables are sticky, however, that has not happened to me before. If it were to happen, I would just get the server to wipe it down for me, not a problem.
The service here is great, always friendly, especially chef Andy. He is always honest to you and will tell you what kind of fish is fresh for that day.
My favorites here include Ama ebi shrimp, Spider roll, and toro.
I definitely recommend this place. It’s got the freshest sashimi I have ever tasted. Chef Andy knows how to make it right! I will be coming back here again shortly.

I probably stop in here every 2 — 3 weeks. The quality of the sashimi is usually excellent, with outstanding Blue Fin at times. Friends I work with typically will get various rolls offered, and are usually quite happy.
This is a casual place and at times can be a bit slow, so don’t stop in for a quick bite! That being said, everyone is always friendly and helpful.

This is the best sushi restaurant I have been to in Walnut Creeek (and I have been to a few). The same goes for the sashimi.
The sushi is always fresh. They have natto, one of my favorites.
I know what good sushi is, and have gone to the best places in San Francisco and Los Angeles. This place holds it own.
I really like the chef. He goes out of the way for you.
It is in a strip mall and the décor is simple. So what?

I had an errand to run in Walnut Creek and picked Kabob House (
) as my pre-​errand lunch spot. Of course, I never looked at the hours and stared forlornly at the dark interior when I arrived.
Looking around the strip mall I saw Quiznos, Caspers Hot Dogs, Taco Bell, Chef Jon’s Asian Confusion Cuisine, and Sakana Sushi. I should have Unilocal’d and gone to Confusion, but instead I walked across the parking lot to Sakana.
It was dead in there with one diner and it looked like no employees when a guy got out of a booth and motioned me to sit. It was the sushi chef watching the US Open on TV! As I sat he said I should switch booth sides so I could watch the tennis better. How considerate of him.
I got a bento with chicken katsu (breaded fried cutlet) and sashimi with an order of gyoza on the side.
Complimentary miso soup came with the water and tea and then the gyoza came out on a leaf of lettuce. I made some dipping sauce in my soup bowl with shoyu and the Japanese chili powder since none was provided. They were pan-​fried, which I like, but the wrappers were gummy which I don’t.
The bento came with 5 slices of maguro, the chicken katsu, some rice and a small salad. (see pic)
The katsu was very thin. I don’t know if it was pounded or just cut that way, but the end result was that the thinnest parts were hard and dry. The maguro, while tasting OK had a weird textural thing happening on only one side. It’s like that side of the fish had gotten stretched on all of the slices (see pics) while the other side was nice and firm. IMO, this was the part of the tuna that should have been harvested for some spicy tuna rolls not served for sushi or sashimi.
Every time he finished something, the sushi chef came out from behind the sushi bar and sat in a booth to get a better view of the TV and I think I saw the waitress napping by the cash register.

Casual atmosphere. Very friendly. Their sashimi was extremely fresh, firm, and delicious. We tried the hamachi (yellowtail), saba (mackerel), tai (snapper), maguro (tuna), albacore, hotate (scallops), and oysters on the half shells. The baked green mussels were surprisingly spicy! I loved them but some peoples would find them a little too spicy. Their chicken wings excellent but very lightly seasoned. (Food *****)
Downsides: over priced! I’m a big sashimi person and the price was over the top. (Price **)

Dammit… another Japanese place run by Chinese people… will we ever stop. Annoyed that the lady kept pointing at the most expensive things on the menu when we asked for her recommendation. ARGH… hate that.
However, the sashimi made up for it. Fresh enough and delightfully yummy… I was STUFFED. Rolls were a-ok…though…not anything special.

My husband and I ended up here on a whim. On a busy Friday afternoon while on our way back from picking up our son’s cleats (left on the charter bus after his away football game), we had to pull off the road. There had been multiple accidents both ways. We decided food was on the agenda and starting looking for decent rated sushi in Walnut Creek. A few other places came up, but we weren’t really feeling the crowded downtown scene so Sakana it was. We finally found this place nestled in a small shopping center not too far from downtown. Front parking Yay!
After the hectic stunt that we had just pulled off, we were so ready for a cold beer and some great sushi. The décor was pretty typical for a sushi place. It was clean and had good lighting. The wait staff quickly greeted us with smiles. We sat at a booth, nicely done with shiny black high backs and fabric covered cushions on the seat. Anxious to order, we skimmed through the menu for any standout dishes. Ordering drinks first, we asked the waitress if we could order as we finished each course. First up were two cold beers, which we toasted «What we do for our kids». Next came the sashimi appetizers and sauteed spinach w/​garlic. The earlier feelings of frustration quickly turned into gratitude as we tried the first bite of sashimi. We were hoping for fresh, well proportioned plates and that’s just what we got. My favorite of the night was the Tuna. The spinach not so much. Since we weren’t willing to completely splurge, we decided to only order two rolls. One being the Lion King and the other Kani Special roll (i think that’s the name). They were both perfectly balanced with the right amount of ingredients. Both outstanding, full of flavor, and yet very light. The Chef even came over to check on how we liked the food.
By the time we left, the place was full. There were even people waiting to be seated. Now that’s how you can tell if a restaurant is good. A great find for us. First fate brought an unplanned trip to Pacheco, then traffic, then more traffic, then delightfulness. We will definitely be back. All I can say is fresh and satisfying!

I went back just recently and the fish was still very fresh, but I was startled at the prices… i think i paid about 20% or 30% more than that last time i was in walnut creek and ate there (maybe about a year ago).
Like another person mentioned, we also had oysters pushed on us, but i thought they were pretty good.
In the end, me and my former co-​worker ate:
1 combination sashimi meal
1 nigiri sushi meal
2 beers (kirin draught)
3 oysters (1 serving size)
including tax and tip: ~$ 70
far too much to pay to just grab a quick early dinner after work…

The sushi was pretty good — average. The miso soup was a little salty for my taste, but I enjoyed the tea. The Five Star Roll was good, but not great. I didn’t walk away excited, which normally happens after I eat sushi…
The prices were a little high for the rolls. Since my cleaners are right next door, I will probably go here again sometime.
They did have a poster up talking about Happy Hour specials from 4:30pm-6:30pm Sunday through Thursday. I was intrigued by the lower prices.

I went here awhile ago as a «lets try someplace new» thing. I was not impressed and wouldn’t finish my meal. I didn’t like that way the sushi tasted or they way they made it.
Nope nope, never again.