Address: | 1321 S University Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48104, USA |
Phone: | +1 734-913-0057 |
Site: | sadakojapaneserestaurant.com |
Rating: | 4.2 |
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Luci Moore
I decided to try Sadako because my friends recommended it to me. I asked my friend to come with me because we had both wanted to try it out. The restaurant was very crowded when we walked in, but we expected it since it was a weekend. As soon as we set foot inside, we became aware of an extremely disgusting odor. Basically, the place reeked of vomit. At that point I almost turned around and left, but after talking to my friend, we decided wed attempt to put up with it for the sake of sushi. The hostess seated us by the door, which I didnt like, but there were no other seats open. We ordered some rolls to share (about 3, I think). We expected them to come in rolls of 8, but I guess Sadako is pretty generous and we got more than we bargained for. However, I wish theyd considered quality before quantity. The rolls were not great. One of them I didnt like at all because it had weird sweet pickles in it, which ruined the taste and the texture of the roll. Some of the other rolls were positively swimming in sauce, and fell apart when I tried to eat them. Very sloppy. The prices were so-so. Not overly expensive, but not cheap either. Ive had much better tasting rolls for less around Ann Arbor. Im assuming the place doesnt always smell like vomit (or maybe only people with no sense of smell eat there?), but I will forever associate that awful smell with Sadako. I want to go back to try a bento box lunch, but I still have not gotten over that odor after months and I dont think I can return there until I do. So, I had a memorable experience, but not in a good way.
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A Private User
I sat at the sushi bar. The sushi was very, very good, and the staff was very friendly and attentive. Ive been to a couple of sushi restaurants in Ann Arbor and so far this one is much better than the others. I have had a lot of sushi in California and in Japan and this restaurant serves very good sushi with surprisingly fresh fish. I also had some Yakitori but it was mediocre, not excellent like Yakitori in Shibuya. Also, the miso soup was mediocre. There was not a very good selection of Sake and there didnt appear to be any sake from Japan. In addition, they dont serve hot sake. The cold Ginjo sake from the US was pretty good though. The service was excellent even though they were very busy, they took good care of me. They even gave me a free hand-roll with crab meat and avocado that was excellent. The seaweed wrap was very tender, not tough and hard to bite off like some seaweed. Id give this restaurant 4.5 stars if it was an option but I cant give it 5 stars, so I had to select 4 stars.
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A Private User
For someone whos too lazy to review anything, I felt compelled to write this one. I decided to give Sadako another try (I went there years ago as an undergrad) after reading all the glowing reviews. I have to say that I was sorely disappointed. To be fair, Sadako is a reasonable option for people who lives on campus and dont own a car. The prices were decent and the fish was okay. However, if you have a car, there are much better options out there. I would highly recommend Saica or Mikis over Sadako. Yes they are more expensive, but youll get much better value for your money. Sadako is able to offer their nigiri sushi so cheap because they slice their fish very very thin. Our dinner for 2 cost $41. We just dont think that it was worth it. For those who dont mind driving a bit for good food, I highly recommend One World Market in Novi over any sushi place in Ann Arbor. Its a Japanese supermarket with a sushi bar and seating. Prices are very reasonable and the fish is always fresh!
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A R
I came in with an older relative and family friend today. The waiter was really patient and helpful; they were unfamiliar with sushi and Japanese food and he was able to quickly suggest various dishes that were available based on their preferences. Food was great and the atmosphere was fine. I had sushi and my aunts shrimp tempura donburi was good too. We just missed their Sunday lunch deal (ends at 2:30), but they had a long list of specials. When we walked in, the cashiers stand was really crowded and hectic with people trying to hand over checks that had not been collected and place take-out orders and it took a while (10-15 minutes) to be seated even though there was a table available. The excellent service after that pushed what would have been a four-star review to a five.
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Erika Glenn
So, Ive only been here once, but I really enjoyed it. I got some salmon rolls and a katsu donburi bowl. The sushi was super fresh and good. Ive noticed in some places in Ann Arbor their sushi rice is dried out, or the fish itself does not seem as fresh. These were super fresh and very enjoyable. Though, to be fair sushi is super easy, and I dont understand why so many places in Ann Arbor have problems with it. The donburi was very authentic (according to my husband who lived in Japan two years). The katsu (breaded fried pork) was a little overdone, but I still enjoyed it. Overall, it probably just depends on what you get. I thought the prices were also reasonable for this kind of place.
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A Private User
This is your best bet for Sushi in Ann Arbor if youre a student or watching your budget. It is definitely the best bang for your buck, but if price is no concern, you might check out Yamato in Kerrytown, Miki near the Main Street downtown, or Ichiban on Washtenaw towards Ypsilanti. The sushi at Sadako is always fresh, well-prepared, and consistent in quality. Additionally, at least among the on-campus places, Sadako has by far the best non-sushi menu items as well. The donburi bowls, udon noodle dishes, and bento lunches are all very good. Overall, I highly recommend Sadako if youre craving sushi or Japanese while on Central campus.
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Toe Cutter
Phenomenal sushi! Ive been dining at Sadako for a few years now without a single meal below 4 stars and finally decided they deserve a good review for providing a consistently excellent dining experience. Ive tried almost the entire menu, with exception to the more exotic nigiri that I know I dont like. The traditional Japanese dishes are also very well prepared and Ive not been disappointed once since I first visited Sadako several years ago. Ive also read some of the poor reviews and they simply dont deserve them. ("I was allergic to their dressing"?!? How is this Sadakos fault?!?! Incessant whiners!)
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A Private User
BS customer service at this joint. I ordered a seaweed salad. It tasted like crap, and my friend agreed. Tried to send it back, and the waitress argued with us about the freshness of the seaweed, telling us how it was the same seaweed everyone else ordered and ate all day. We asked for the manager, and she fought with us some more about it, then went back to taste it herself, came back, and refused to take it off the check. By this point they had taken the salad (which I took one bite of) away, and still charged me for it. I wont be going back.
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Chris Yoo
Pros: Cute place; nice food presentation; great Sunday lunch sushi deals; popular with the college crowd; takes reservations. Cons: Slow service; overcrowded eating area, rude staff. Overall, not a bad place to stop in, but be aware that lunch and dinner crowds will slow you down and that service isnt fast. If you need to be somewhere quickly afterwards, set a reservation ahead of time. The rude staff remark was to a specific individual who gave off a lot of attitude. For the most part, other staff were ok.