Sakura Restaurant

This was by FAR the worst place I've been to in Minnesota! We had a large party and reserved the private dining area on the upper level. The reservation was for 7:30 pm and we were told that the entire area would be clear; however, when we arrived (at 7:40 pm) the entire area was still filled with customers. When we approached one of the owners who we had worked with initially, he first 1) avoided us, 2) lied and said that they cleared the area at 5 pm (but somehow people still managed to be sitting there???), and. 3) walked away when we were expressing our frustrations with the situation. It didn't end there, the gentleman's wife and owner of the restaurant (Mioko) decided to ""assist"" with the problem. We explained the issues to her: the area was not ready at the time agreed upon, we were charged per head and this was supposed to include beverages but later they lied and said they knew nothing about that, and food was not even ready at 7:30 pm. Instead of accomodating us and apologizing for the inconvenience, the business owner started CRYING!!!!! Yes, in front of our entire group she broke down into tears because she CLEARLY recognized she was in the wrong. Long story short, the owners are incredibly unprofessional and do not know how to deal with customers. THIS IS NOT THE PLACE FOR YOUR NEXT MEALl!!!!! Pros: None. Cons: Food is not good enough to make up for the bad service. more

Not recommened for sushi lovers. The Yaki Tori, Gyoza, and Shrimp tempura were great. The sushi was possibly the worst I've ever had. The fish was not cut properly and too large. Great sushi melts in your mouth and dose not get stuck in your teeth. The service would have to be the worst part of the meal. We never got a spoon for our soup, and could not find our server before our soup was cold. Not to mention the long wait, there was not enough servers for the size of the resturaunt. Pros: Appetizers Cons: sushi and service more

The sushi was definetly the star! I've been to some places where the sushi pieces are tiny and you can't even taste the fish, but not here - the sushi was big and beautiful. Very fresh. I had uni here for the first time and loved it! We also ordered some hot food, and my favorite was the tempura scallops that came with this amazing sauce! (plum sauce?) Service was a little slow, but not bad. Pros: sushi, atmosphere, food Cons: tiny tables, service more

Cannot call this Sushi place. It was downright bad and the waitress didn't have the decency to bring chopsticks. Wasabi was old; didn't have any kick to it. Don't know what kind of japanese sushi this is. Coming from LA, this place is a sorry representation of a sushi place and should be shut down. Pros: Close to Hotel St. Paul and nice part of the town ;-) Cons: Sushi ;-) more

After trying a number of different sushi restaurants around the cities I would have to say that this is the best. The sushi was extremely fresh and they have a huge variety of rolls. I recommend this place to all sushi lovers! Pros: Value and Fast Service Cons: Ambience more

This was our second sushi resturaunt after trying one in Las Vegas & the waitress was very helpful with making our selections. We went on valentines day & they also had horse drawn carriage rides outside. Very romantic. Pros: Helpful Staff more

I went there for a birthday luncheon for a friend. We ordered a huge variety of rolls... very good, a bit pricey. I think we spent 40 dollars a person but didn't need to eat dinner. They have wonderful NO.9 rolls. Pros: Good sushi! Cons: Location is a pain in the neck! more

sakura sushi is good and the size of the sushi is decent compare to other sushi places. I also think they have good kitchen food (for example: tempura, miso soup, fried soft-shell crab, etc..) more

I have had Sushi at a few places in the Twin cities, and no restaurant compares to the quality of Sakura. My wife and I enjoyed two bowls of Nameko soup (mushroom and tofo) which was fantastic followed by the california roll appetizer. We then shared the aspen and ""ecolab"" rolls which were both excellent...large rolls and the freshest sushi I've ever had. It was my wife's birthday and they treated her to a FREE tempura fried ice cream. This place has class, but doesn't come across as snobbish at all. If you like great japanese food (specifically the sushi) try Sakura. Pros: Food quality, Service, Value Cons: Parking can be difficult more

service is slow but best value by far. most extensive selection of rolls i've found in the cities. fish is very fresh. more

Delicious, fresh food (hard to find good fish in the Twin Cities!). Servers are willing to help make food less intimidating for those with less sushi experience. Costs can be add up, but not compared to other places for fresh seafood and/or sushi. more

I'm not a fan of sushi, so I'll leave that to the professionals. But the beef teriyaki and vegetable and shrimp tempura was very good. I went on a Friday night and we were seated right away. The clean lines and subdued lighting create a great atmosphere for dates, friends, and family alike. On the down side, the service was average - the water glasses are small and didn't get filled very often. Pros: tempura, atmosphere, prompt seating Fri pm Cons: average service more

Went to Sakura with the Mrs. and had the tonkatsu and chirashi sushi for lunch. The tonkatsu was good, they use a fattier pork which is essential for good pork cutlet, and the chirashi (sashimi over a bowl of sushi rice) was very good for the price. But the rice that came with the tonkatsu???? Let's just say I've had better rice at some food court in a strip mall in Montana. If rice is no big deal for you, then you probably won't have ANY problems with Sakura...but being Japanese and growing up on a diet of rice, I'd have to say it may have been one of the worst rice I've had in my 35 year existence. Pros: food Cons: rice, rice, rice more

We lived in Rochester for a few years, and Sakura was by far my favorite place to eat in Minnesota. I'm so glad that some friends took us along to this restaurant. It was my first Japanese food, and it made a great first impression. Since then, Japanese has become my favorite food and I have sampled it at several restaurants both in various Midwestern cities and also on the East Coast and the Northwest. Sakura's food was just as good as it was in any other place where I've eaten since. The atmosphere is great, the staff is wonderfully helpful whether you're a sushi novice or experienced Japanese food fan. It's definitely one of the best restaurants in the Cities. Pros: Excellent food, Helpful staff, Great atmosphere Cons: Pricey more

The nigiri style sushi is the best quality in St. Paul. I wasn't a huge fan of their roles, but they were decent. more

When I went to Sakura with my boyfriend we sat at the bar, where our sushi was prepared right in front of us. The waitress and the cook were both SO NICE, and made excellent recommendations for us! I don't eat sushi very often, but I thought it was EXCELLENT. The cook also recommended sake for us! We had to try a cold and hot sake, so by the end of the evening, we had a $70 bill!! It was expensive, but to be fair, we had $30 worth of sake and three big plates of sushi! I would recommend this place for a special night out. And I just have to say one more time how incredibly nice all the employees are. The entire time they made us feel at home, and I felt like we were the only couple in the whole resturant! Pros: Sushi, Sake, Service more

This is by far my favorite Sushi resauraunt of all time. So many of the sushi places now are to hip and too loud or else you are paying WAY too much for a couple tiny pieces of fish. Don't get me wrong, it is easy to spend upwards of $40 per person with drinks but the portions are great. Miyoko (owner) will always be glad to sit and chat with you for a few minuts. But the real action is at the sushi bar. Try a Sushi delux (my personal favorite) It is 11 Pieces of Cheffs choice sushi. If that is a little too much try the Sakura Sushi. I have been to all the local sushi places in the citeis and many in other states and Sakura is by far my Favorite. more

Every time I've been here the service has been exceptionally prompt and courteous. The atmosphere is very light, airy and open. Great value. I've never been disappointed. more

In response to Joy, who reported Sakura having only 6 basic rolls ... did you turn the sushi list over?! They have just as many rolls to choose from as any other sushi place -- your basic maki as well as larger specialty varieties. And, you can also choose from a list of custom-made rolls that the chef specially prepared and named after players on the Wild hockey team. They're delicious (the rolls, not the players). Sakura is my favorite Twin Cities sushi spot east/north of the Mississippi. :) Pros: Friendly service, delicious sushi, not too crowded Cons: Ramp parking more

Sakura is St. Paul's place to go for sushi. Sit at the bar where they will make your order before your eyes. Not only the freshest, but an artwork to behold! Serive is tasteful and prompt, and Sakura makes you feel that you are an important customer. Sakura has validated parking for Lawson ramp. Pros: Free parking, Great ambience more