New place for us and we always love sushi so we gave it a shot. The good: We had 3 rolls, all of which were great. The fire roll was the most appropriately named, but still flavorful. We sat at the sushi bar and didn't have to wait too long on the food. While we were eating, one of the chefs surprised us with a salmon sample dish. Even the waitress had not seen it. We had so much food! Lots to select from the menu and we had a hard time picking. One of those places worth going back to try different items. The bad: When we sat at the sushi bar, it kinda felt like we were left alone. We found the sheet of paper where you select your items but also looked at the menu (Thanks to Emily's Yelp review for that tip). Nobody really said anything about the menu or how to order. Finally the chef asked us if we had any questions. Also, where I was sitting was really close to where the waitresses picked up the food to take to the tables. It was a little too close for my liking and I wanted to move. Didn't say excuse me and I felt like they were reaching over me the entire time. Overall, a good place and I would easily go back. Pricing was fair and the service (once we knew what to do) was quick and friendly.
(4)
Sarah C.
I've always passed Sakura Blue but have never really given it much thought. It's tucked away in Shelbyville Plaza and have never heard much talk about it until my friend mentioned they do penny Sake nights on Tuesday and that the fried rice is the best in Louisville. The verdict? Fried rice isn't the best, but it's a good portion for the price. $2.95 for a good plain fried rice and $5 for beef fried rice. We got the beef fried rice and while the beef was a bit well done, it was a lot more than the usual portion we get at sushi restaurants. I got the crispy roll, which is deep fried, and my boyfriend got the tuna roll. While both were good, I've had better. The service here was quite good! Our server was new and was being trained by another server. Both ladies were attentive and extremely sweet. Every employee we encountered at Sakura Blue were incredibly kind! The people alone make me want to come back. So-so food, but really great service.
(3)
Lung T.
Sushi is your typical average amateur rolls with various sweet sauce decoration. Service is not so great. One time we sat at the bar and server came by a total of 3 times. I was so annoyed that I mentioned to the manager, and I got no response other than "oh, ok..." There are better sushi joints out there. Just not this one.
(2)
Stephanie H.
If you are in the mood for the best salad and mediocre sushi then this is your spot. Nearly every time I have been here the service is extremely slow and it's not very crowded. They are kind and it seems to be clean...I will say it kind of made me want to get up and leave when the waitress brought our water and said "I will take this water back, I think I saw something in it"
(3)
Kevin O.
So, I went here with some friends who wanted to get some sushi. We ordered a few rolls each. I got. the fried shrimp one and one of the dynamite rolls. The dynamite definitely lacks some spark. Overall, the service was decent but the sushi was pretty mediocre. I've had better and I've had worse here in town. If this place is convenient for you, by all means give it a shot. I won't necessarily go out of my way for it though. Oh well, itadakimasu!
(3)
Jim G.
This is decent sushi. I go here mainly for lunch on occasion. This place is a lot cheaper than Sapporo (which doesn't do lunch at all) and not as high up the chain of pretensions (or quality in my opinion). But still, this is competent sushi when you've got to have sushi at lunchtime.
(4)
Heather D.
I hate when I have to write these reviews, but it's times like these I feel I must. I used to go to this place when it was still Saki Blue. It still has hibachi. Even then it was crowed and noisy. However, Back then (maybe 3 years ago) the sushi was excellent and fresh. It was made with quality ingredients, fresh fish, and a chef who seasoned rice well. Ownership changed and their food changed drastically. We went one day and the sushi tasted vinegary -- have you ever had sushi with too much rice vinegar? If you have then you'll know exactly what I mean: it tasted super bitter. It was inedible. We complained (this was a first for us anywhere) and they told us they just "changed the vinegar type". We paid $60 for sushi we couldn't eat. Needless to say, we left intending to never return. We didn't come back for a while. Their name changed shortly after to Sakura blue. I was craving sushi again recently so I tried again and ordered a small sushi roll to go. YECH. Same issues under a new name. This place I seriously believe has some of the worst sushi in Louisville-- and their service isn't much better! Skip it for fresher (and less vinegary) fare! Try Hiko-a-mon on Herr lane, or even to-go sushi on Lyndon lane is much much better on quality, taste and especially price. This place costs above average for sushi in Louisville and the taste is not good.
(1)
Samantha F.
Expect to sit super close to other tables, an unfortunately common trend in sushi restaurants. The sushi was good, my only complaint was that the rolls were too large which isn't really an issue. I also ordered the fried rice with chicken which came as a massive bowl! It was very tasty. At first I thought it was off that there were complimentary oranges with everything but I ate them anyway and they were delicious!
(4)
Amy R.
Awesome!!!!!! Some people complain it's not the best in town, but we are regulars and are never disappointed. Both my kids love it, the sushi is fresh and made to order and the people are nice. My very picky teenage son loves hibachi chicken and my sweet girl loves the Cali rolls, mushroom soup and salad. It's our pleasure!
(5)
Brent H.
Ate here for lunch, sat at the sushi bar and service was great. The tuna tataki was wonderful, the soup was tasty and half the sashimi platter we had was very good. The other half of it was inedible and couldn't bare to finish. The tuna sashimi was very veiny and chewy and two other items were too fishy to attempt finishing. Won't be returning.
(2)
Amber M.
Amazing sushi! We go every Thursday night and enjoy their $3.95 rolls. Best fried rice that I have ever had. We are moving this summer and will definitely miss this place.
(5)
lauren m.
if I could I would give no stars. the sushi was disgusting, not fresh tasting and there was WAY too much sauce on everything. not only that, but there was an unidentified substance in one of my rolls that looked like beef. this was horrifying to find as I do not eat meat, only seafood. they assured me it was fish liver, but I have never heard of that being an ingredient in sushi. this is beside the point, because the food was so disgusting that both I and one of the people I dined with both threw up our meals. they still charged us full price. do yourself a favor and stay far away from their sushi.
(1)
Mookie M.
Good sushi. We have brought company to sit at the grill and they seem to enjoy the show/food. We prefer the sushi.
(4)
Bill D.
Good sushi! Friendly staff, nice family atmosphere! located in shopping center so don't expect glitzy decor just down to earth comfort with tasty food, large portions. Can't vouch for grill I always fill up on the sushi! Sit at the bar and enjoy watching the masters at work. They will take good care of you.
(4)
Emily H.
Big first of all: Make sure you get to take a peak at the full sushi menu before ordering. During my visit tonight, we only realized that there was a special sushi menu when we were handing our regular menus back to the server. The sushi form that everyone fills out doesn't have the special rolls on it -- the special rolls that I kept eyeing at the other tables as the night went on. But even with the more basic rolls, they were just OK, as the three stars denote. I got the Crunch Crab roll (deep fried crab and cucumber), Dynamite Shrimp roll (fried, shrimp, spicy crab, avocado and cucumber) and the Fried Shrimp roll, which was $3.95 due to some sushi rolls being marked down on Thursdays. (I really like shrimp and crab.) The first two were my favorites of the three. Loved the crunch of the Crunch Crab, and the Dynamite Shrimp was very flavorful. The Fried Shrimp, though, was bland. I also tried my boyfriend's Spicy Tuna roll, which was also marked down. It definitely had a bite to it but didn't really have much flavor besides that. In general, the rolls were good, but the seaweed was very tough to bite through. And considering many of the rolls I received were too large for one bite -- and this was especially true with the end pieces -- they fell apart when I tried to bite through them. And when a person is stuck with half of a giant sushi roll in his/her mouth and seaweed that won't budge, your only options are to somehow find a way to stuff it all in your mouth quickly or let the roll's center fall apart down your chin, back on to the plate -- neither of which are good or graceful. We also ordered edamame that never came. When we asked our waitress to take it off the bill since we never got it, she was apologetic. Some pluses, though: * Our group of nine easily got a table after waiting just a few minutes. The staff was very accommodating. * Sakura Blue also has hibachi. * Other weekly specials include $1 house wine on Mondays, penny sake night on Tuesdays and half price beer on Wednesdays. Even though Sakura Blue only warranted three stars this time around, I hope to go back, try some of its specialty rolls and raise this rating in the future.
(3)
Bernadette A.
I love this place! They are always friendly, quick, and the food is delicious (during lunch hours). It's best to come here for lunch rather than dinner. However, on Thursdays they have an amazingly cheap dinner sushi special. You can opt for their hibachi during lunch and its a large portion for under $8.
(5)
The N.
So... I go to this place with a friend. She warned me they are "pushy" as in, come in, eat, pay and get out. The good --- the food was amazing. Cheap drinks also. The bad --- everything else. My friend and I couldn't even have a few drinks without being asked 4-5 times were we ready to order. They took my friend's food and beer after I told them what we were still working on (I went to restroom; she was outside). Horrible customer service.
We stopped in Sakura Blue for a quick lunch yesterday and had a predictable experience. FIrst of all, when you see a sushi and hibachi combo, never expect traditional Japanese food. Benihana style Japanese restaurants are an American creation and can only be found in tourist areas in Japan. They can be fun for big parties and they always have some large menu of janky Americanized sushi treats. However traditional Japanese food and sushi is very different and more diverse than what is reflected here. We started with the ginger salad that had the same standard ginger salad dressing at all these sushi bars. The salad dressing ratio was about equal. It was of course iceberg lettuce which while crunchy and fresh but what I would give for some legitimate greens! We then ordered a the wasabi roll, a veggie roll, two orders of salmon nigiri, agedashi tofu, and a avocado roll. Our order was so simple I remember it 24 hours later. Regardless, they forgot one order of salmon nigiri and the veggie roll. We brought it to their attention because we didn't want it reflected on the bill but advised we didn't need the missed pieces because we were satiated. They ended up bringing us the 2nd salmon nigiri anyway, even after they brought us the complimentary oranges to end our meal. They didn't bring us the missing veggie roll. We went ahead and ate it and it was reflected on our bill, naturally. This wasn't a big deal but it was clear the service was very disorganized. The nigiri cuts were actually decently thick without being overbearing so if you can stand the bad service, the sushi is pretty good. The agedashi was not actually agedashi tofu. Age means to fry and dashi is stock. Traditional agedashi is usually dusted with a starch and submerged in a delicate stock, often garnished with grated daikon radish, lacy green onion, and bonito flakes. This tofu was deep fried in tempura batter and served with a dark dipping sauce with scallions and bonito in it. The sauce was thicker and denser in taste. These changes made it feel more like Asian junk food, but as far as junk food goes, relatively tasty. Overall, not real Japanese food, no big red flags, and the food was acceptable. Fine for a quick lunch if you are in the area but not worth special travel.
(2)
Jessica M.
We are here for lunch and were thoroughly pleased all around. The food was delicious and arrived quickly. The service was friendly and professional. The only negative was that the tables are so close together you can accidentally knock elbows with your neighbor simply by bringing your fork to your mouth. Be prepared to be up close and personal with every other patron in the establishment. I had the tofu teriyaki from the grill. It was $10.95 for lunch and came with a house salad (delicious higher dressing), miso soup (yummy), and steamed white rice. Very large portions and worth every penny. My husband had the Sakura Blue sushi roll and was very pleased. A little kick and a lot of taste. It was a big roll, enough to keep my usually very hungry husband satisfied after sharing part of my salad and soup with me. Other than the extremely close quarters, I would definitely recommend this restaurant for lunch. We haven't been for dinner yet, so I couldn't say yay or nay to that.
(4)
Anastasia U.
Went here with a few friends-waited about 15 minutes for a Hibachi table when it wasn't even busy. We ordered 2 Philly rolls to start with-definately not a top notch sushi place. We all ordered the Hibachi-2 ordered steak and chicken. I ordered the scallops and Jason ordered the shrimp/scallop. When the Hibachi Chef came out I asked him to not put soy on anything as it has wheat in it. It took him a good 5 minutes to understand what I was even referring too. He finally figured it out and we had to remind him again to seperate my vegetables from everyone else's. The Chef made it fun for the table, joking and pouring Sake in Jason and another male friend's mouth. He flipped the egg into all of our mouths-missed the other male on purpose and it landed all over him and the floor. This place left something to be desired...
(2)
Judy H.
Service was good, the food was presented well, but all selections were bland. I had miso soup, tuna (raw) salad and agedashi tofu. A nice touch at the end was an orange half, presented nicely. I wanted to like it more!
(3)
Lanie H.
We really enjoyed both the Thunder Over Louisville Maki and the unusual Baka dish. The Uni and the Salmon nigiri were ok.
(4)
Rachel F.
This is my kind of sushi place. Expansive, creative sushi menu that is also packed full of variations on classics for the less adventurous. Almost every roll under $10. We had 3 massive ones, 2 miso soups, 2 salads, and 4 glasses of wine ($1 wine Monday!) for $43 after a 22% tip!! There are a few reviews about the poor service, but I'm guessing they heard the responses and stepped it up, because we had excellent service. Sitting at the bar, we had an attentive but not intrusive server and even the chef checking in on us which was much appreciated. When the server was bringing out food, the cashier brought us our checks. And of course the most important part of a sushi restaurant - the food. Not only was it cheap, it was absolutely wonderful. I wish it was my birthday sooner so I could start planning a return visit. We had the Texas roll with strip steak on top. The flavors of the steak and the crab played well off of each other. I personally would have liked it a little more rare, but I am probably one of the few. Still, extremely tender, bit pink, well cooked and I cannot believe only 8.95. Yes please. We also got the I think it was called the Spicy Crunch. Spicy tuna, salmon, yellowtail, tasty spicy and sweet sauces to boot and I loved the way the crunch was done. It was gently folded into the rice itself and had the flavor and a bit of the texture but was much lighter than it typically is. Finally, the Monkey Brains was on special and is one of my favorite ever. Like a lightly fried roll meets appetizer, it had mushrooms with crab and I don't even know what other heavenly things in there and topped in these sauces that I wanted to take home with me. No need for soy, just eat and smile. I would like to eat these every day. And Monday dollar wine! Tuesday dollar saki! Hit up Trader Joes while you're over there! This just moved up to my top 20 Louisville restaurants and knocking on Sapporo's door for top sushi.
(5)
Suzanne B.
Convenient, affordable sushi restaurant. I've come here several times for dinner with friends and have always had fast service and decent sushi rolls. Decent I said, not mind-blowing. But hits the spot when I need my fix of maki with rice and seafood.
(3)
Belle C.
I've tried this several times and just because it's in a shopping complex don't be fooled it is pretty good. The sushi is tasty and the fish is fresh. We got several sashimi dishes to test out the freshness and the salmon and yellow tail sashimi was properly sliced, good proportion and tasted good. It's been hard to find good sashimi without getting that "fishy" taste. The rolls were good although I will maybe ask them to go light on the teriyaki sauce they put over some of the rolls. The sauce tends to overtake the taste of everything else, which is a shame because everything in the roll is good. I am taking away one star because most of the times we have visited, service is very slow. Just don't be in a hurry and you will be fine. There was one incident when I ordered sashimi and they gave me nigiri. I pointed out I ordered sashimi and the waitress said "well the nigiri is less expensive." Hmm, I'm not sure what to think of that if she was trying to save me money or if she just didn't want to change my order. Either way, the service wasn't terrible just slow but the food makes up for it.
(4)
Mark L.
From out of town and looking for sushi in Louisville. So many good restaurants in town but trying to find a sushi place is difficult. Found this on yelp and thought we would give it a try. Usually the places that have the teppanyaki grills have so-so sushi so we were not too sure about this place. Inside a shopping center on shelbyville road. We opened the door up thinking we would take a quick peek and see if he sushi bar looked any good. A warm greeting by the hostess. And it looked ok so in we went and sat by the sushi bar. They have 3 teppanyaki tables and about 12 seats at the sushi bar. Very nice gentleman working behind the sushi bar. good sushi roll menu. we all commented on how many of the rolls had fired items in them. but being in louisville, it didn't surprise us :) we tried 2 of the cherry blossom rolls. one with out the salmon and just, 1 lobster roll, one other roll that was spicy tuna, with tuna and avocado on top. unagi, and salmon sushi. also, miso soup, and edamame. they also gave us each some kind of mussel to try. honestly, I can't say anything was terrible, so at least we know they don't get their sushi out of the Ohio river!!!. it was good though, just not great. I would order the cherry blossom roll again. I still can't figure out the cherry part, other than 1 cherry being placed in the middle of the plate??? guess the roll looks like a cherry blossom? a couple pieces of each roll were very large pieces. miscut? we were calling them double-wides. most of the lobster roll was difficult to eat cuz the pieces were so big. overall, just average but we all said we would go back, as we don't know of too many sushi places in louisville. very quick and friendly service. Teppanyaki area would be good for kids or groups.
(3)
Lianna N.
Love the cheap house salad, nice atmosphere, but the rolls are questionable.
(3)
Justin M.
I am pretty new to sushi having only recently begun to branch out into more authentic sushi (still love calf. Rolls though). Anyway, my wide and I went here for dinner and ordered four different rolls. The Spicy Tuna was awesome. I know some of the reviews were so so, but to my naive palette everything was great.
(4)
Alex C.
My wife and I are regulars here. Always great sushi. Good selection. Awesome spot with fast service and friendly people.
(5)
Anna K.
This is my home from home! I love love the wait staff and sushi chefs. I have my own menu item called the Anna Cocktail and it is one of the VERY few places in town that offers uni, a rare find for true sushi loves. Monday is $1 wine night---can it get much better! Japanese Nachos are really yummy. Love the salmon and white tuna too. I rarely order rolls off the menu--The chef knows what I like so I will just have him mix me something up or I will come up with it!!! Fun to try new things.
(5)
Matt B.
Went here for lunch because I wanted sushi and because this place was right next to Trader Joe's. It succeeded on both accounts, though barely on the first one. If I were rating on the quality of the sushi alone, this would be a very low two star rating. The sushi was really not good. The ingredients really didn't seem fresh, and the rolls just seemed to lack the awesomely clean sushi bite that you come to expect from good sushi. The rolls were creative and pretty, but not very tasty. What brings the rating back up is the other stuff. We ordered four sushi rolls, and they brought us each out a complimentary mussel with a nice sauce, which was actually quite tasty. For a finish, they brought out a very creatively sliced orange for two. It was a nice clean finish to the meal. Also, the service was good. Really can't complain. Drinks were refilled quickly and before the bottom of the glass was reached.
(3)
Nathan B.
Stopped in for lunch after seeing a movie. First impressions: restaurant wasn't very clean. Our table had been wiped down leaving nasty streaks on the glass tabletop. The carpeting was dirty as well. Cleanliness matters at all restaurants, but even more so at a sushi place where you consume raw fish. I'm sure the kitchen is plenty clean, but a dirty dining area detracts from the overall experience. Food: average. Shared 4 rolls with my spouse and all were merely adequate. The few pieces of tuna nigiri I ordered came a very light pink in color and were warm on the tongue. Their flavor and freshness was lacking. The Jasmine tea was excellent. Service: fast and friendly. Value: prices were about average for the Chicago area where I live. I expected lower prices in Louisville. The quality was definitively lower than the average Sushi place in Chi-town. Overall: not a place I'd go out of my way to visit again.
(3)
Jessie G.
The seaweed salad was lovely. The veggie roll, on the other hand, was 80% rice, 15% avocado and only 5% veggie. the veggies were so small that it looked weirdly disproportional! kind of sad looking. however, the tiny portion of the marinated Japanese mushroom was good, if not overwhelmed by the avocado. the tuna roll wasn't the freshest but my mother and I did not care after waiting for 20 min for two simple rolls, unusual given that it's lunch time with the restaurant about 1/3 full. we also ordered a Korean tofu soup. again, after waiting for another 20 min, I asked our waiter. Upon returning from checking up on our order, we were informed that "we dont have th soup today." Not sure if he meant that our order was forgotten, or that the item we unavailable. I went to Trader Joes next door, bought a bag of organic broccolis and snacked away.
(2)
Philip E.
We have been regulars here for several years. Have seen the multiple changes in sushi chefs and menus. Well, it changed sushi chefs again last month and redid its menu yet again (just when we were getting used to it). Although this has always been one of our favorite places (love Tuesday penny sake night), there has been a serious downgrade in both quality and service since the last change. Would suggest giving it some time to get its feet back on solid ground before we can recommend it.
(2)
Woody W.
Half price rolls on Thursdays, but they are well worth full price any time.
(5)
Zee R.
The place is very small and the tables are extremely close to one another. We had a party of four and sat very close to a couple so close that my friend's elbow touched the other's party once or twice. We were given menus and when it was time to order sushi, I had no idea that they had a special sushi menu. I ordered the Thunder Over Louisville and Volcano. The sushi looked great when it arrived but it was just ok. The service was ok too, the waitress came back once to fill our drinks. My party ordered sushi and fried rice with chicken. They were not overwhelmed with the food either. I would not come back unless I am in the area and would order something different.
(3)
Joel P.
Great food ...you gotta love that ginger dressing!
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Jason M.
New place for us and we always love sushi so we gave it a shot. The good: We had 3 rolls, all of which were great. The fire roll was the most appropriately named, but still flavorful. We sat at the sushi bar and didn't have to wait too long on the food. While we were eating, one of the chefs surprised us with a salmon sample dish. Even the waitress had not seen it. We had so much food! Lots to select from the menu and we had a hard time picking. One of those places worth going back to try different items. The bad: When we sat at the sushi bar, it kinda felt like we were left alone. We found the sheet of paper where you select your items but also looked at the menu (Thanks to Emily's Yelp review for that tip). Nobody really said anything about the menu or how to order. Finally the chef asked us if we had any questions. Also, where I was sitting was really close to where the waitresses picked up the food to take to the tables. It was a little too close for my liking and I wanted to move. Didn't say excuse me and I felt like they were reaching over me the entire time. Overall, a good place and I would easily go back. Pricing was fair and the service (once we knew what to do) was quick and friendly.
(4)Sarah C.
I've always passed Sakura Blue but have never really given it much thought. It's tucked away in Shelbyville Plaza and have never heard much talk about it until my friend mentioned they do penny Sake nights on Tuesday and that the fried rice is the best in Louisville. The verdict? Fried rice isn't the best, but it's a good portion for the price. $2.95 for a good plain fried rice and $5 for beef fried rice. We got the beef fried rice and while the beef was a bit well done, it was a lot more than the usual portion we get at sushi restaurants. I got the crispy roll, which is deep fried, and my boyfriend got the tuna roll. While both were good, I've had better. The service here was quite good! Our server was new and was being trained by another server. Both ladies were attentive and extremely sweet. Every employee we encountered at Sakura Blue were incredibly kind! The people alone make me want to come back. So-so food, but really great service.
(3)Lung T.
Sushi is your typical average amateur rolls with various sweet sauce decoration. Service is not so great. One time we sat at the bar and server came by a total of 3 times. I was so annoyed that I mentioned to the manager, and I got no response other than "oh, ok..." There are better sushi joints out there. Just not this one.
(2)Stephanie H.
If you are in the mood for the best salad and mediocre sushi then this is your spot. Nearly every time I have been here the service is extremely slow and it's not very crowded. They are kind and it seems to be clean...I will say it kind of made me want to get up and leave when the waitress brought our water and said "I will take this water back, I think I saw something in it"
(3)Kevin O.
So, I went here with some friends who wanted to get some sushi. We ordered a few rolls each. I got. the fried shrimp one and one of the dynamite rolls. The dynamite definitely lacks some spark. Overall, the service was decent but the sushi was pretty mediocre. I've had better and I've had worse here in town. If this place is convenient for you, by all means give it a shot. I won't necessarily go out of my way for it though. Oh well, itadakimasu!
(3)Jim G.
This is decent sushi. I go here mainly for lunch on occasion. This place is a lot cheaper than Sapporo (which doesn't do lunch at all) and not as high up the chain of pretensions (or quality in my opinion). But still, this is competent sushi when you've got to have sushi at lunchtime.
(4)Heather D.
I hate when I have to write these reviews, but it's times like these I feel I must. I used to go to this place when it was still Saki Blue. It still has hibachi. Even then it was crowed and noisy. However, Back then (maybe 3 years ago) the sushi was excellent and fresh. It was made with quality ingredients, fresh fish, and a chef who seasoned rice well. Ownership changed and their food changed drastically. We went one day and the sushi tasted vinegary -- have you ever had sushi with too much rice vinegar? If you have then you'll know exactly what I mean: it tasted super bitter. It was inedible. We complained (this was a first for us anywhere) and they told us they just "changed the vinegar type". We paid $60 for sushi we couldn't eat. Needless to say, we left intending to never return. We didn't come back for a while. Their name changed shortly after to Sakura blue. I was craving sushi again recently so I tried again and ordered a small sushi roll to go. YECH. Same issues under a new name. This place I seriously believe has some of the worst sushi in Louisville-- and their service isn't much better! Skip it for fresher (and less vinegary) fare! Try Hiko-a-mon on Herr lane, or even to-go sushi on Lyndon lane is much much better on quality, taste and especially price. This place costs above average for sushi in Louisville and the taste is not good.
(1)Samantha F.
Expect to sit super close to other tables, an unfortunately common trend in sushi restaurants. The sushi was good, my only complaint was that the rolls were too large which isn't really an issue. I also ordered the fried rice with chicken which came as a massive bowl! It was very tasty. At first I thought it was off that there were complimentary oranges with everything but I ate them anyway and they were delicious!
(4)Amy R.
Awesome!!!!!! Some people complain it's not the best in town, but we are regulars and are never disappointed. Both my kids love it, the sushi is fresh and made to order and the people are nice. My very picky teenage son loves hibachi chicken and my sweet girl loves the Cali rolls, mushroom soup and salad. It's our pleasure!
(5)Brent H.
Ate here for lunch, sat at the sushi bar and service was great. The tuna tataki was wonderful, the soup was tasty and half the sashimi platter we had was very good. The other half of it was inedible and couldn't bare to finish. The tuna sashimi was very veiny and chewy and two other items were too fishy to attempt finishing. Won't be returning.
(2)Amber M.
Amazing sushi! We go every Thursday night and enjoy their $3.95 rolls. Best fried rice that I have ever had. We are moving this summer and will definitely miss this place.
(5)lauren m.
if I could I would give no stars. the sushi was disgusting, not fresh tasting and there was WAY too much sauce on everything. not only that, but there was an unidentified substance in one of my rolls that looked like beef. this was horrifying to find as I do not eat meat, only seafood. they assured me it was fish liver, but I have never heard of that being an ingredient in sushi. this is beside the point, because the food was so disgusting that both I and one of the people I dined with both threw up our meals. they still charged us full price. do yourself a favor and stay far away from their sushi.
(1)Mookie M.
Good sushi. We have brought company to sit at the grill and they seem to enjoy the show/food. We prefer the sushi.
(4)Bill D.
Good sushi! Friendly staff, nice family atmosphere! located in shopping center so don't expect glitzy decor just down to earth comfort with tasty food, large portions. Can't vouch for grill I always fill up on the sushi! Sit at the bar and enjoy watching the masters at work. They will take good care of you.
(4)Emily H.
Big first of all: Make sure you get to take a peak at the full sushi menu before ordering. During my visit tonight, we only realized that there was a special sushi menu when we were handing our regular menus back to the server. The sushi form that everyone fills out doesn't have the special rolls on it -- the special rolls that I kept eyeing at the other tables as the night went on. But even with the more basic rolls, they were just OK, as the three stars denote. I got the Crunch Crab roll (deep fried crab and cucumber), Dynamite Shrimp roll (fried, shrimp, spicy crab, avocado and cucumber) and the Fried Shrimp roll, which was $3.95 due to some sushi rolls being marked down on Thursdays. (I really like shrimp and crab.) The first two were my favorites of the three. Loved the crunch of the Crunch Crab, and the Dynamite Shrimp was very flavorful. The Fried Shrimp, though, was bland. I also tried my boyfriend's Spicy Tuna roll, which was also marked down. It definitely had a bite to it but didn't really have much flavor besides that. In general, the rolls were good, but the seaweed was very tough to bite through. And considering many of the rolls I received were too large for one bite -- and this was especially true with the end pieces -- they fell apart when I tried to bite through them. And when a person is stuck with half of a giant sushi roll in his/her mouth and seaweed that won't budge, your only options are to somehow find a way to stuff it all in your mouth quickly or let the roll's center fall apart down your chin, back on to the plate -- neither of which are good or graceful. We also ordered edamame that never came. When we asked our waitress to take it off the bill since we never got it, she was apologetic. Some pluses, though: * Our group of nine easily got a table after waiting just a few minutes. The staff was very accommodating. * Sakura Blue also has hibachi. * Other weekly specials include $1 house wine on Mondays, penny sake night on Tuesdays and half price beer on Wednesdays. Even though Sakura Blue only warranted three stars this time around, I hope to go back, try some of its specialty rolls and raise this rating in the future.
(3)Bernadette A.
I love this place! They are always friendly, quick, and the food is delicious (during lunch hours). It's best to come here for lunch rather than dinner. However, on Thursdays they have an amazingly cheap dinner sushi special. You can opt for their hibachi during lunch and its a large portion for under $8.
(5)The N.
So... I go to this place with a friend. She warned me they are "pushy" as in, come in, eat, pay and get out. The good --- the food was amazing. Cheap drinks also. The bad --- everything else. My friend and I couldn't even have a few drinks without being asked 4-5 times were we ready to order. They took my friend's food and beer after I told them what we were still working on (I went to restroom; she was outside). Horrible customer service.
(2)Joe D.
Really this is a 3.5 review. Sakura Blue has been hit and miss with me but last night it was a HIT!! The gyoza (tasted like pork filled) were perfectly sautéed and nicely spiced and the dipping sauce was right on. Shumai shrimp pan friend dumplings were as close to dim sum as I could get in a Japanese restaurant and very delicious, sweet but you could taste the shrimp. The sushi rolls also were good. The crunch munch which is a roll filled with crab and shrimp (blended together in a sort of paste) with a mayo and crunchy panko on top tasted fresh. Eel roll (cooked) with cucumber and avocado on top was very tasty. A couple of standard rolls, tuna, salmon and yellowtail finished the night for us and were all good. Overall, quite a good meal especially for take out. Since they are located right next to Trader Joe's a $9.99 bottle of warmed Sake finished the night for me zzzzzzzzzz.
(3)Colette H.
We stopped in Sakura Blue for a quick lunch yesterday and had a predictable experience. FIrst of all, when you see a sushi and hibachi combo, never expect traditional Japanese food. Benihana style Japanese restaurants are an American creation and can only be found in tourist areas in Japan. They can be fun for big parties and they always have some large menu of janky Americanized sushi treats. However traditional Japanese food and sushi is very different and more diverse than what is reflected here. We started with the ginger salad that had the same standard ginger salad dressing at all these sushi bars. The salad dressing ratio was about equal. It was of course iceberg lettuce which while crunchy and fresh but what I would give for some legitimate greens! We then ordered a the wasabi roll, a veggie roll, two orders of salmon nigiri, agedashi tofu, and a avocado roll. Our order was so simple I remember it 24 hours later. Regardless, they forgot one order of salmon nigiri and the veggie roll. We brought it to their attention because we didn't want it reflected on the bill but advised we didn't need the missed pieces because we were satiated. They ended up bringing us the 2nd salmon nigiri anyway, even after they brought us the complimentary oranges to end our meal. They didn't bring us the missing veggie roll. We went ahead and ate it and it was reflected on our bill, naturally. This wasn't a big deal but it was clear the service was very disorganized. The nigiri cuts were actually decently thick without being overbearing so if you can stand the bad service, the sushi is pretty good. The agedashi was not actually agedashi tofu. Age means to fry and dashi is stock. Traditional agedashi is usually dusted with a starch and submerged in a delicate stock, often garnished with grated daikon radish, lacy green onion, and bonito flakes. This tofu was deep fried in tempura batter and served with a dark dipping sauce with scallions and bonito in it. The sauce was thicker and denser in taste. These changes made it feel more like Asian junk food, but as far as junk food goes, relatively tasty. Overall, not real Japanese food, no big red flags, and the food was acceptable. Fine for a quick lunch if you are in the area but not worth special travel.
(2)Jessica M.
We are here for lunch and were thoroughly pleased all around. The food was delicious and arrived quickly. The service was friendly and professional. The only negative was that the tables are so close together you can accidentally knock elbows with your neighbor simply by bringing your fork to your mouth. Be prepared to be up close and personal with every other patron in the establishment. I had the tofu teriyaki from the grill. It was $10.95 for lunch and came with a house salad (delicious higher dressing), miso soup (yummy), and steamed white rice. Very large portions and worth every penny. My husband had the Sakura Blue sushi roll and was very pleased. A little kick and a lot of taste. It was a big roll, enough to keep my usually very hungry husband satisfied after sharing part of my salad and soup with me. Other than the extremely close quarters, I would definitely recommend this restaurant for lunch. We haven't been for dinner yet, so I couldn't say yay or nay to that.
(4)Anastasia U.
Went here with a few friends-waited about 15 minutes for a Hibachi table when it wasn't even busy. We ordered 2 Philly rolls to start with-definately not a top notch sushi place. We all ordered the Hibachi-2 ordered steak and chicken. I ordered the scallops and Jason ordered the shrimp/scallop. When the Hibachi Chef came out I asked him to not put soy on anything as it has wheat in it. It took him a good 5 minutes to understand what I was even referring too. He finally figured it out and we had to remind him again to seperate my vegetables from everyone else's. The Chef made it fun for the table, joking and pouring Sake in Jason and another male friend's mouth. He flipped the egg into all of our mouths-missed the other male on purpose and it landed all over him and the floor. This place left something to be desired...
(2)Judy H.
Service was good, the food was presented well, but all selections were bland. I had miso soup, tuna (raw) salad and agedashi tofu. A nice touch at the end was an orange half, presented nicely. I wanted to like it more!
(3)Lanie H.
We really enjoyed both the Thunder Over Louisville Maki and the unusual Baka dish. The Uni and the Salmon nigiri were ok.
(4)Rachel F.
This is my kind of sushi place. Expansive, creative sushi menu that is also packed full of variations on classics for the less adventurous. Almost every roll under $10. We had 3 massive ones, 2 miso soups, 2 salads, and 4 glasses of wine ($1 wine Monday!) for $43 after a 22% tip!! There are a few reviews about the poor service, but I'm guessing they heard the responses and stepped it up, because we had excellent service. Sitting at the bar, we had an attentive but not intrusive server and even the chef checking in on us which was much appreciated. When the server was bringing out food, the cashier brought us our checks. And of course the most important part of a sushi restaurant - the food. Not only was it cheap, it was absolutely wonderful. I wish it was my birthday sooner so I could start planning a return visit. We had the Texas roll with strip steak on top. The flavors of the steak and the crab played well off of each other. I personally would have liked it a little more rare, but I am probably one of the few. Still, extremely tender, bit pink, well cooked and I cannot believe only 8.95. Yes please. We also got the I think it was called the Spicy Crunch. Spicy tuna, salmon, yellowtail, tasty spicy and sweet sauces to boot and I loved the way the crunch was done. It was gently folded into the rice itself and had the flavor and a bit of the texture but was much lighter than it typically is. Finally, the Monkey Brains was on special and is one of my favorite ever. Like a lightly fried roll meets appetizer, it had mushrooms with crab and I don't even know what other heavenly things in there and topped in these sauces that I wanted to take home with me. No need for soy, just eat and smile. I would like to eat these every day. And Monday dollar wine! Tuesday dollar saki! Hit up Trader Joes while you're over there! This just moved up to my top 20 Louisville restaurants and knocking on Sapporo's door for top sushi.
(5)Suzanne B.
Convenient, affordable sushi restaurant. I've come here several times for dinner with friends and have always had fast service and decent sushi rolls. Decent I said, not mind-blowing. But hits the spot when I need my fix of maki with rice and seafood.
(3)Belle C.
I've tried this several times and just because it's in a shopping complex don't be fooled it is pretty good. The sushi is tasty and the fish is fresh. We got several sashimi dishes to test out the freshness and the salmon and yellow tail sashimi was properly sliced, good proportion and tasted good. It's been hard to find good sashimi without getting that "fishy" taste. The rolls were good although I will maybe ask them to go light on the teriyaki sauce they put over some of the rolls. The sauce tends to overtake the taste of everything else, which is a shame because everything in the roll is good. I am taking away one star because most of the times we have visited, service is very slow. Just don't be in a hurry and you will be fine. There was one incident when I ordered sashimi and they gave me nigiri. I pointed out I ordered sashimi and the waitress said "well the nigiri is less expensive." Hmm, I'm not sure what to think of that if she was trying to save me money or if she just didn't want to change my order. Either way, the service wasn't terrible just slow but the food makes up for it.
(4)Mark L.
From out of town and looking for sushi in Louisville. So many good restaurants in town but trying to find a sushi place is difficult. Found this on yelp and thought we would give it a try. Usually the places that have the teppanyaki grills have so-so sushi so we were not too sure about this place. Inside a shopping center on shelbyville road. We opened the door up thinking we would take a quick peek and see if he sushi bar looked any good. A warm greeting by the hostess. And it looked ok so in we went and sat by the sushi bar. They have 3 teppanyaki tables and about 12 seats at the sushi bar. Very nice gentleman working behind the sushi bar. good sushi roll menu. we all commented on how many of the rolls had fired items in them. but being in louisville, it didn't surprise us :) we tried 2 of the cherry blossom rolls. one with out the salmon and just, 1 lobster roll, one other roll that was spicy tuna, with tuna and avocado on top. unagi, and salmon sushi. also, miso soup, and edamame. they also gave us each some kind of mussel to try. honestly, I can't say anything was terrible, so at least we know they don't get their sushi out of the Ohio river!!!. it was good though, just not great. I would order the cherry blossom roll again. I still can't figure out the cherry part, other than 1 cherry being placed in the middle of the plate??? guess the roll looks like a cherry blossom? a couple pieces of each roll were very large pieces. miscut? we were calling them double-wides. most of the lobster roll was difficult to eat cuz the pieces were so big. overall, just average but we all said we would go back, as we don't know of too many sushi places in louisville. very quick and friendly service. Teppanyaki area would be good for kids or groups.
(3)Lianna N.
Love the cheap house salad, nice atmosphere, but the rolls are questionable.
(3)Justin M.
I am pretty new to sushi having only recently begun to branch out into more authentic sushi (still love calf. Rolls though). Anyway, my wide and I went here for dinner and ordered four different rolls. The Spicy Tuna was awesome. I know some of the reviews were so so, but to my naive palette everything was great.
(4)Alex C.
My wife and I are regulars here. Always great sushi. Good selection. Awesome spot with fast service and friendly people.
(5)Anna K.
This is my home from home! I love love the wait staff and sushi chefs. I have my own menu item called the Anna Cocktail and it is one of the VERY few places in town that offers uni, a rare find for true sushi loves. Monday is $1 wine night---can it get much better! Japanese Nachos are really yummy. Love the salmon and white tuna too. I rarely order rolls off the menu--The chef knows what I like so I will just have him mix me something up or I will come up with it!!! Fun to try new things.
(5)Matt B.
Went here for lunch because I wanted sushi and because this place was right next to Trader Joe's. It succeeded on both accounts, though barely on the first one. If I were rating on the quality of the sushi alone, this would be a very low two star rating. The sushi was really not good. The ingredients really didn't seem fresh, and the rolls just seemed to lack the awesomely clean sushi bite that you come to expect from good sushi. The rolls were creative and pretty, but not very tasty. What brings the rating back up is the other stuff. We ordered four sushi rolls, and they brought us each out a complimentary mussel with a nice sauce, which was actually quite tasty. For a finish, they brought out a very creatively sliced orange for two. It was a nice clean finish to the meal. Also, the service was good. Really can't complain. Drinks were refilled quickly and before the bottom of the glass was reached.
(3)Nathan B.
Stopped in for lunch after seeing a movie. First impressions: restaurant wasn't very clean. Our table had been wiped down leaving nasty streaks on the glass tabletop. The carpeting was dirty as well. Cleanliness matters at all restaurants, but even more so at a sushi place where you consume raw fish. I'm sure the kitchen is plenty clean, but a dirty dining area detracts from the overall experience. Food: average. Shared 4 rolls with my spouse and all were merely adequate. The few pieces of tuna nigiri I ordered came a very light pink in color and were warm on the tongue. Their flavor and freshness was lacking. The Jasmine tea was excellent. Service: fast and friendly. Value: prices were about average for the Chicago area where I live. I expected lower prices in Louisville. The quality was definitively lower than the average Sushi place in Chi-town. Overall: not a place I'd go out of my way to visit again.
(3)Jessie G.
The seaweed salad was lovely. The veggie roll, on the other hand, was 80% rice, 15% avocado and only 5% veggie. the veggies were so small that it looked weirdly disproportional! kind of sad looking. however, the tiny portion of the marinated Japanese mushroom was good, if not overwhelmed by the avocado. the tuna roll wasn't the freshest but my mother and I did not care after waiting for 20 min for two simple rolls, unusual given that it's lunch time with the restaurant about 1/3 full. we also ordered a Korean tofu soup. again, after waiting for another 20 min, I asked our waiter. Upon returning from checking up on our order, we were informed that "we dont have th soup today." Not sure if he meant that our order was forgotten, or that the item we unavailable. I went to Trader Joes next door, bought a bag of organic broccolis and snacked away.
(2)Philip E.
We have been regulars here for several years. Have seen the multiple changes in sushi chefs and menus. Well, it changed sushi chefs again last month and redid its menu yet again (just when we were getting used to it). Although this has always been one of our favorite places (love Tuesday penny sake night), there has been a serious downgrade in both quality and service since the last change. Would suggest giving it some time to get its feet back on solid ground before we can recommend it.
(2)Woody W.
Half price rolls on Thursdays, but they are well worth full price any time.
(5)Zee R.
The place is very small and the tables are extremely close to one another. We had a party of four and sat very close to a couple so close that my friend's elbow touched the other's party once or twice. We were given menus and when it was time to order sushi, I had no idea that they had a special sushi menu. I ordered the Thunder Over Louisville and Volcano. The sushi looked great when it arrived but it was just ok. The service was ok too, the waitress came back once to fill our drinks. My party ordered sushi and fried rice with chicken. They were not overwhelmed with the food either. I would not come back unless I am in the area and would order something different.
(3)Joel P.
Great food ...you gotta love that ginger dressing!
(5)