Sakai Japanese Bistro
| Address: | 2303 W Main St, Troy, OH 45373, USA |
| Phone: | +1 937-440-1302 |
| Rating: | 4.4 |
| Working: | 11:30AM–2PM 11:30AM–2PM 11:30AM–2PM 11:30AM–2PM 11:30AM–2PM 11:30AM–3PM 5–9PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 7
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Drew S
As mentioned by other reviewers, Sakai has new ownership as of April 2017. Sakai was truly a fantastic authentic Japanese restaurant under the previous ownership and was known far and wide as the go to for excellent sushi and Japanese cuisine. The new owners do deserve a grace period as they have very big shoes to fill. As recent reviews indicate, there seems to be some hiccups in the transition; however, our experience seems to indicate that things are heading in the right direction for Sakai. We ordered sushi as an appetizer (Rock n Roll- salmon, tempura, and caviar with rice paper wrap and a philadelphia roll). Both rolls tasted fresh and were delicious. Our only criticism was that it was rolled a little sloppy for sushi. My rock n roll was at least 3 in. across making it difficult to eat without it falling apart, but the taste more than made up for the awkward presentation. The other roll was more on par with normal sushi. The sushi was very good, not the best ever, but it seemed to use quality ingredients. Dinner included miso soup and a salad with house ginger dressing. The soup was superb, with a decent amount of tofu and a full flavor thick broth. The whole table emptied their bowl. Best miso Ive had. The salad was standard fare but the dressing was very good. We ordered steak and scallops for the our entrees including a shrimp appetizer, spouts and mushrooms, mixed veggies, and fried rice. Previous reviews stated that portion was small, I disagree. We certainly had plenty on our plates (I couldnt finish it all) and the steak and scallops was similar in size to the many other hibachis Ive been to. No one at our table ordered fish, so I cannot speak to that portion size. Our chef was nice but did not interact with the diners beyond taking order details. Certainly not a show off type chef, no flipping of spatulas :). This was fine as hibachi is about the food. The shrimp was cooked perfectly, tasted fresh and included a butter cream sauce. I wish there was more because it was stunningly good. The mixed grilled veggies were excellent and each diner got a healthy portion. The spouts and mushrooms were okay, our chef got a little sauce happy and, while good, the saltiness of the soy sauce overpowered the spouts. The rice was good, but again, our chef overseasoned them with tons of sauce and salt. It still tasted good, but required a drink of water. The highlight of the meal was the scallops. These had just a tad of butter/salt/pepper and were grilled perfectly. They were fresh and melt in your mouth, no overcooked rubbery disk that many hibachi grills serve. These were on par with some of the best scallops Ive ever eaten. Kudos to the chef. Finally the steak. I ordered medium rare but the chef left it on a bit long after slicing and it made it to medium pretty quickly. No harm. What did harm the steak is that he absolutely obliterated it with a sweet type sauce. I could tell there was a halfway decent steak underneath, but the sauce was overpowering. Im okay with a bit of flavor added to my steak but most people prefer that the steak be the main flavor. This is something that I think the chef can easily remedy, someone just needs to tell him not to be so sauce happy with the meat. Overall, my wife and I had a pleasant and enjoyable meal. The food was very good. It would have been nice to include a simple dessert (ie. scoop green tea ice cream) with such an expensive meal, but thats not a deal breaker. We think the quality, amount, and flavor of the meal was worth the price. I truly think the transition to new management can account for some of the issues mentioned by other reviews. Lets hope the new owners continue on that path, as I know good quality Asian options are few in the Troy area. We were concerned as some recent reviews were not so positive, but we will eat at Sakai again.
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Benjamin Lynch
I am sure everyones experience varies, but mine could have been a little better. I asked for a mixed drink and was told I would have to wait until the bartender, who was cooking at another table, was done. Eventually someone else poured my vodka and club soda drink for me. When it was our turn, my table was luck enough to get the bartender to cook. The rice was burnt, the shrimp was over cooked, but somehow the scallops turned out just right. I asked the waitress for a fillet and when it came time to cook, the bartender asked me how i wanted my sirloin cooked. I told him to cook my sirloin medium rare and to change my bill to the cheaper steak. He had my bill adjusted and my sirloin came out medium well. I just ordered a bottle of Sakai and ate my steak.
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420Fire Ministry Ohio
All I can say is those who leave a bad review must be employees or owners of other restaurants. I have been going to sakai for about 8 years and NEVER had an issue. I have traveled all over the United States and ate sushi at many Japanese restaurants and I was shocked when I found the best sushi place to be 20 miles from my home. Sakai is by far the best sushi I have found yet. The sushi chef is directly from Japan and trained in Japan. And the Habatchi food is awesome, cooked right in front of you. Very relaxing atmosphere and the people take great care to see that you are happy. It is worth every penny.
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Vern Whitt II
The best sushi in Dayton, in my humble opinion. If you appreciate good sushi, then Sakai is for you. Their fish is always fresh, which is difficult for inland Ohio! Another subtle thing, I enjoy is that they continually cook fresh rice for their nigiri pieces and rolls. Therefore the rice is around room temperature or just slightly-chilled, unlike a lot of restaurants that refrigerate their rice which dries it out. Its the little things, that set this place apart. I have yet to try their hibachi, but Im looking forward to it and may update my review after that!
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Jennifer Humphries
We stopped here randomly on our travels from Florida to Michigan and we were very disappointed. Service was horrible (waitress walked away several times WHILE we were talking to her), waitress had a difficult time discussing menu options due to not understanding English well, and when we specifically asked what vegetables came with a dish beforehand, she served it to us and it was completely different from what she said. Would not return... my kids did not like it except to laugh in disbelief when the waitress walked away on us as we were talking to her!
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A Private User
My Favorite Japanese restaurant in the area. I cant think of a better Japanese restaurant in the area than Sakai. I have been to Akashi, I-Zu, and Kai Sushi Cafe. All of those may have something better than Sakai but overall, I think Sakai is the better. The price, selection, service, friendliness, and atmosphere are all excellent. Sure, they might not have the largest menu but the quality and taste of their food is just great. I have been a regular for over a year and I dont see that changing anytime soon.
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A Private User
1St I am visiting from the west coast where we have a 1000 sushi restuarants. The fresh fish was great, better then I expected and the value for serving size was good. A dinner box offering slightly smaller and cheaper would be nice. My only complaint was that the tempura batter had an oily taste , but in fairness that could be a regional thing. We are use to a lighter batter with less oil after taste. But it is well worth going here, service was great and speedie
