Sakura Restaurant & Bar

Reviews 4

EM

Emi Monson

I have been coming to this restaurant for at least 13 years and today was the first day that I feel I actually have something bad to say about this restaurant. It was my girlfriends birthday today and I wanted to take her to my favorite sushi/Japanese cuisine restaurant. We arrived about 1 hour before the lunch hour ended and the restaurant closed. Our server barely paid any attention to us even though we were literally the only customers in the restaurant. On two separate occasions another gentleman tried to take our silverware assuming we were finished (one of the times was before we had even ordered any meals). The entire time it felt as though we were a nuisance to have to serve at all. Our sever forgot my tea three times as she was apparently supposed to be eating her lunch with the rest of the crew (that was closing down the restaurant before it was time). Then they proceeded to ensure that we ordered our dessert before we were finished eating as they were closing. Our server rarely checked on us and other workers were continuously staring at us with the "why arent you finished and out of here" look on their face. Had our server been more apt to check on us we could have easily ordered and finished our meals well before the 2:30 pm restaurant closing time. We were then given our check and as I looked over to the table kiddy corner to us, our server (along with the rest of the staff) was eating a meal rather than coming to collect our bill. I sat there silently and waited patiently for about 10 minutes (it was now 2:39 pm) and finally as each of them had turned around to stare at us one of them got up to collect our money and bring me change. I have never in my life felt so unwelcome and I must say I am extremely disappointed as I have always recommended this restaurant to my friends and my family and I frequent this restaurant at least a few times a year. While I plan to go back again my greatest sadness is that I know full and well that the owner of the restaurant was sitting at a table in clear view of us the entire time we were there. I guess that is why I decided to write a review rather than contacting the restaurant to speak with management as I know it would probably not be heard. I hope that the staff understands that if they had just served us as they would have had it not been so close to their closing time, we would have actually been finished with our meal and left happily well before 2:30 pm.. the time the restaurant was scheduled to close. I will always give this restaurant my business as I have been coming for a long time and have never in my life been treated so poorly. I just hope that this never happens to anyone else. My server definitely did not earn the 20% tip I left for her.. considering she couldnt not even leave her lunch to collect payment for our meal after making direct eye contact with me.

SU

SuZ T

Definitely some of the best service Ive ever encountered. My visit was in December, and as soon as I was seated I was brought a hot cloth to warm up my hands, which was awesome. I was seated by a window, but it wasnt cold at all due to the heaters along the windows. Theyre decorated for Christmas, and had Christmas music playing, but considering the amount of Christmas events going on downtown St. Paul this weekend, I dont know if they play Christmas songs all December. Ive not yet reached my limit this year, so that was okay. My server was very polite, friendly, and helpful. As a strict vegetarian (not vegan, just no animal by-products that harm the animal) I sometimes have difficulty figuring out what I can eat at restaurants- at many asian restaurants, the concern is fish sauce or oyster sauce in sauces, or fish ingredients to flavor miso broth. When I asked the server about some of the veggie-based appetizers, he told me the sauces contained fish sauce, so I was able to avoid them. I ordered the vegetable tempura, but forgot that it came with miso soup, and so I didnt ask about it. The server came back to tell me that the miso does have fish flavoring, so I was able to just skip it- the opposite of my usual experience at Japanese restaurants of getting miso I didnt realize was included- not a problem for most people, I know- and either not having a chance to ask about it or getting a confusing response. Got the green salad with ginger dressing, which was good. The tempura batter wasnt as bready as I was used to, but it was delicious. The herb on top (parsley?) was also tempura fried, which was amusing and was like the extra fried batter bits at the bottom of orders of batter fried foods. The server told me that the sauce usually contained fish ingredients, but that hed had them mix up some sauce without it for me, which is another of the most helpful things a server has done for me ever. Finished up with some ginger ice cream, which was bright and spicy like strong ginger snaps with bits of candied ginger in it. Overall it was a great experience with prompt and fantastic service and delicious, me-safe food. Would recommend to anyone who has cold hands or likes Japanese food.

A

A Private User

I recently ate at Sakura with my boyfriend before going to see a show at Park Square Theatre. We were promptly seated and in no time a very nice server came and gave us refreshing hot towels to wipe our hands with. The menu selection is large and has a nice diversity of dishes- hot/cold appetizers, dinner combinations, bento boxes, fancy things like shabu shabu and sukiyaki, and of course some of the best rolls and nigiri selections Ive seen in the Twin Cities. They have MIRUGAI!! Mirugai is such a delicacy that hardly any of the sushi restaurants in MSP carry it or are always out. (I think Origami might have been the only place ive seen carry mirugai.) Not only do they have rare selections but at truly affordable prices. Mirugai at $6.75 or Uni at $6.50 for two nigiri sushi. Also, the vegetarian options at Sakura are the best of any Japanese restaurant Ive been at. They have a beautiful vegetarian sushi dinner that my boyfriend ordered and he was surprised at how filling it was (usually he never gets full at Japanese restaurants because there is not much for him to eat). The atmosphere is also nice because the restaurant is large, clean, and has high ceilings. Most of the staff from what I could tell were Japanese from Japan and the service was cordial without being intrusive and prompt. We were there at happy hour to take advantage of the low deals and also ate from the regular dinner menu. Our bill was only $60 for the both of us!! We had sake, few appetizers, and I of course got many fancy pieces of nigiri, so we were very delighted at the affordable cost of our sushi dinner. I LOVE SAKURA!!

IA

Ia Vue

First time here for their happy hour with my boyfriend and it took ten minutes to get seated because staff members were chatting in the corner behind the bar and they were not even busy. They only decided to seat me after I gave them the eye contact for a good 30 seconds and the chef finally pointed out that I was waiting. The server that seated me was rude and slammed the menu on the table as she seated me and my boyfriend. I had to ask for a happy hour menu during happy hour and the server made it seem like we were a nuisance. We ordered a few appetizers and rolls. I watched the server seat other customers and she was also storming all over the restaurant with no smiles or kind gestures to seating anyone. Food was very mediocre and bland. Worst "Japanese" chicken wings ever with no taste. Rolls were boring and also bland. Will never waste my time here ever again. For a higher end sushi restaurant Id expect service to be great but this restaurant is one of the worst in the Twin Cities.