Sakana Sushi
740 Cleveland Ave S, St Paul, MN, 55116
Sakana Sushi Menu
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Visit below restaurant in St Paul for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
740 Cleveland Ave S
St Paul, MN, 55116 - Phone (651) 699-7777
- Website https://www.sakanamn.com/stpaul/index.html
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:30 am - 2:00pm
- Mon : 11:30 am - 2:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Trendy
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Elizabeth R.
I've been looking for a place with tuna/salmon sushi plate so I won't have to order by the piece. Enter Sakana and its Tuna or Sushi Love platter. Ohhhh yes, I have found my new favorite thing. It's 8 pieces of tuna or salmon sushi and one spicy tuna or spicy salmon roll. On one platter! All for me! Now, listen, I don't plan to ever have anything else at this restaurant, so my five stars is literally just for that platter, the edamame (it's hard to mess up edamame, lbr), and the super-cute bottle of orange soda imported from Japan. By the way, if you've never had a Japanese orange soda, do yourself a favor and get one. Even the Fanta in Japan is amazing, because they actually bother to balance the flavoring and ingredients so it's nowhere near as cloying and heavy as orange soda is here. Japanese soda is light and refreshing, and I highly recommend it as a general positive life choice. Plus, y'all, the bottle has a marble in it you can annoy the other patrons with, and yes, I'm five, shut up. My friend had some rolls. I honestly forgot to ask what he thought of his order because I was so happy. He ate it all and didn't mention any complaints, so they were probably good. The parking lot signage is weird and confusing, though. Why are the spaces split up between businesses with confusing arrows and signs? Because Highland Park, I guess. Good luck figuring it out. Or just park on the street.
(5)Crystal T.
I am writing this in-restaurant right now. I absolutely love this place. It's the highest-quality sushi in the Twin Cities save Fuji-Ya in Uptown. I've been here three times and each time it was delicious. The service can be slow based on number of patrons, but I think this is true of all sushi restaurants. I've gotten the Godzilla and King Kong rolls each time and they are expensive but to die for. The ingredients are fresh and high quality and the presentation is amazing. My fried shrimp, eel, and lobster were freshly prepared, which that cannot be said for many other sushi places. One warning I will leave you with is that sometimes they close early if the customer traffic is slow. It's best to call ahead if going late. A caveat about calling ahead is that I had to call four times tonight before I actually got a human to answer. Also, they apparently don't have their voice mail box set up, so you'll get a message that makes you question the validity of the number. Do not despair, just keep calling.
(5)Erin G.
Came in here for a light lunch and wanted some kind of tuna salad. I asked my server a few questions about the menu but he was new and unable to answer many of my questions. He didn't offer to get anyone who could help me or find out for me, so I just selected something and went with it. The salad was good, but pretty small for the price. After I finished, I waited, and waited, and waited, and finally gave my credit card to someone else, as I had to get back to work and my server had disappeared. I'll give it another shot, because it was entirely a service issue and he was new.
(3)Cathy P.
We like sushi and this sakana has interesting rolls. I loved the seaweed salad. My husband liked the sashimi better than I did. And of course when we splurged for green tea ice cream the meal was complete. A great anniversary night out or any night for that matter.
(5)Angelica L.
Amazing sushi. I went there during happy hour, the price is very reasonable. Definitely would visit again.
(4)Noel M.
We went to Sakana last night for the first time and had an excellent experience. We got there a little before 7 p.m. on a Monday night and the place was pretty empty. That made me a little wary but not too worried. It gradually filled up as the night went on. The space looks nice inside and the booths are comfortable. Service was prompt and friendly. The food was very good. Two things made it a 5 star experience 1. We had an excellent server. She was very helpful with recommendations on both drinks and food and really seemed to know the menu inside and out. She even steered me away from one my initial choices which I really appreciated. I think it really says something when a server is willing to say "That's not my favorite thing on the menu, maybe you should try this instead." 2. The food. We had gyoza for the appetizer, which was a great version of gyoza but wasn't unique or anything. The Nigri was good and very fresh (I'm saying 'fresh' compared to other MN sushi places). The Maki were amazing. I think often all the different maki taste very similar to each other with only slight variations. We ordered 4 different rolls and they each tasted wonderful and completely different from each other. The Winter Roll was my favorite. Two things to know: 1. The rolls here are huge. Much larger than I'm used to. I can normally order pretty perfectly and be full without anything leftover. I would definitely have ordered one fewer roll last night if I had known quite how large it was going to be. 2. The prices are a little higher than other sushi places in the Twin Cities. I didn't find it to be unreasonable and it won't keep us away, but it was a little on the expensive side. I do think it reflects the higher quality ingredients, the uniqueness of the food and the size of the portions. Other reviewers have commented on the parking situation, which is surprising to me. For a place in the middle of the city I thought the parking lot was quite large. And there is plenty of street parking available. Many restaurants in St. Paul don't have much parking at all so don't let that keep you away.
(5)J W.
Sushi good, nothing special. I'd eat there again because it's close to my house. It's a little over priced. We we're the only people there & still waited 15 min to get out bill & close out. Tried the sea urchin I so not recommend that.
(3)R G.
Meh. the service is decent but not awesome. I think they are used to a certain customer base and getting away with more than they are worth.
(2)Mel B.
Some of the best, but most expensive, sushi I've had in the twin cities. Even my 5yr old noticed the difference in qualify of their fish - hence my $100 "lunch date" with a child half my size who initially claimed he was not hungry. Bonus points to the sushi chef behind the counter for answering the million questions my son had for him.
(4)Omnivore E.
Hurray, another great sushi place. I think I'd come here over Raku because of the convenience and demeanor of the staff. Raku's staff has never been rude to me, but they just seem happier here. I ordered sushi (I don't do the weird 100 kinds of fish in a clown car type rolls) and it was very fresh. I ordered yellowtail and they gave me a cut from the belly. Delicious. Another standout was the giant clam they had on special. I look forward to being back to try some of the happy hour specials.
(5)Colleen B.
Thank GOD this place took over for the very out-of-place KFC that used to occupy the site! This is a much better use of the space and the happy hour is not to miss since you can get two glasses of wine, an appetizer and 2 rolls for about $20. There are lots of unique options to choose from on the menu too, but my favorite is the Dancing Dragon roll - it's the perfect mix of flavors with a little sweet, a little salty, a little sour and a little spice. Sakana is a great little gem in the heart of Highland Park. It's not too trendy, so you don't feel like you're on display or that you have to fend off throngs of hipsters to get in, everything is reasonably priced, and it's far enough away from Uptown that you won't have to wait in line for an hour to get seated!
(5)Jay B.
Always excellent sushi. I tend to think its a little over priced, but, it's very good. We split the Sakana sushi plate and a Winter roll with the calamari as an appetizer. All very good. Fresh, buttery, succulent fish. Tonight, Friday, the place was full, good for them. The wait staff was friendly and helpful, as always. If you can catch a Groupon for this place, it is well worth it. Just remember to tip on the full bill, not the Groupon discount.
(4)Saugar M.
We usually do take out from Sakana but have dined there several times over the last year. We usually order sushi and some appetizers and the food has been consistently good. The sushi is fresh, well composed, and tasty. My only complaint is its pricey. For two of us we usually spend $50 for takeout, $75 when we dine there. The cost limits how often we actually order from them.
(4)Emily H.
Went here after a friend suggested it as well as there was a groupon deal. We went here on a Tuesday night and of course during happy hour. Although the groupon isn't valid on the happy hour menu but the server was nice to split the happy hour stuff and the regular price stuff for us. So we were able to get the Happy Hour price on the appetizers. It looked like a pretty nice sushi place in Highland Village, very mellow relaxed place to go. The happy hour deals were awesome definitely a fan of their calamari but not so much of their chicken satays (wasn't flavorful and the sauce wasn't peanuty enough). I got the king kong roll and my goodness it was king kong. It was one of the best half fried roll that I've tasted. My bf got their kung pow beef something... it was pretty good there were huge chunks of beef and very fresh veggies. Overall the experience was good and the food was very tasty. The only thing was that the price was a little steep. In my opinion the kung pow, wasn't worth $20. Next time I might just try their hh food instead and see how it goes.
(3)Ellen C.
I was beyond excited to try this place. I LOVE Japanese food and my tummy has noticed the lack of it since I moved to Minneapolis. So when I was running errands in the area, decided to come here based off the 4 star reviews! Hm. The service was okay. After asking if I was ready to order (I wasn't) he disappeared for a while before coming back to take my order. I finished playing a couple rounds of games on my phone and was staring out the window by the time he got it. Now, take this review with a grain of salt, because I took the bento lunch box route, so it might not be the authentic experience. I wanted to know what a chicken in steamed bamboo would be like but the description was basically what the menu said, chicken in a steamed bamboo. So I went the safe route with chicken teriyaki. However, I did notice that their description of the California roll is crab meat, avocado, cucumber. It is imitation crab. That makes a big difference and restaurants should make sure people know that before ordering especially when they're not cheap rolls here! I got the chicken teriyaki, which came out like boiled chicken with teriyaki sauce drizzled over it. The garlic sauteed veggies that were under the chicken were VERY tasty though. The vegetable spring rolls were okay, they were fried nicely? The salad tasted a bit too bitter and the veggies didn't taste all that fresh - it didn't have that crisp to it that I'm used to. All in all, it cost $15 for lunch (bento box was $10.95) which was more than I would've liked to have spend on a lunch like that.
(2)Jeremy J.
Just the right blend of laid back and class. The sushi itself is well presented and delicious. I tried the smoked salmon sashimi and it was destined for my memory banks from the first bite. The rolls were also above average and I can highly recommend anything with eel. Only mild complaints (and they are minor): overly salted edamame and it seemed like it took a while for the food to arrive. Service was great.
(4)M H.
Everything on the menu is delicious. You really can't go wrong. I love the sashimi and the soups. The atmosphere is quite chill. Think dark wood and minimalist decor. Pretty sophisticated. I love the bathrooms; a black and red color scheme under a blue light with ambient music piping through the ceiling so that as you sit on the toilet, you feel like it's suddenly going to turn into a miniature discotheque. Their lunch specials are pretty decent. Yay, bento boxes! The parking lot kind of sucks. Don't be deterred. If you brave the hair-pulling frustration of the parking lot, you will be greatly rewarded.
(5)Holly M.
My sister and I stopped at Sakana for happy hour. We shared the King Kong Roll (shrimp tempura, cucumber, avocado, with spicy tuna and deep fried soft shell crab on top) and the Spicy Girl Roll (spicy tuna, avocado, spicy salmon, and jalapenos). The Spicy Girl was very good and it was on the happy hour menu so it was a steal. The King Kong Roll was also good but wasn't on the happy hour menu so I think the twenty dollar price tag is a tad high; however, it was a huge roll.
(4)John N.
I really like this place for its big menu, great roll selection, and interesting specials (rolls and sushi). They do tend to put a lot of sauce on the rolls, but they'll leave mayo, etc. off if you ask them. It's a great everyday kind of option.
(4)Brad A.
The printing on the back of the wait staff's t-shirts pretty much sums it up: "Good sushi isn't cheap; cheap sushi isn't good." I come here with the GF probably more than I should, given what it costs, but it's always a real treat for us. I guess any place can have an off day, but we've always found the service to be gracious and friendly. The menu and drink offerings (full bar) are expansive. We always come here for the sushi, and without exception, everything we've ordered, especially the rolls, has been delicious - beautifully prepared from fresh, quality ingredients. Whatever it was in the past, this property has been very nicely refinished on the inside. The crowd varies, but you can be comfortable and have a nice time whether you come for a casual dinner, an intimate evening out, or a business occasion. There's a small parking lot that fills up quickly, but plenty of street-side parking to back it up. Sakana is pretty popular, and for good reason, so if you don't make reservations, expect to wait during peak dinner hours.
(5)Jodin M.
I rarely eat out, except for when I go for sushi with my significant other. So, I'm very familiar with the different sushi places in town. This is the first time I attended this one, however. The ambience was nice . Considering the building used to be a Kentucky fried chicken, they did a great job. It is not a super fancy place (especially on the outside), if that is what you're looking for. I don't care for loud distracting music, and instead they had reasonably volumed unplugged versions of various popular tunes. I hate it when sushi places feel the need to play some kind of techno. The wait staff was attentive and polite. The portions were generous, and the food was of very high quality. Some people are looking for a place that looks fancy enough to impress a date, but don't know anything about food quality. If you are looking to impress someone with shallow surface appearance (but bad food quality), head somewhere else. Regarding price, if food quality is what you are looking for, this place is very well priced. If you don't know much about how sushi should taste, then there are cheaper places to get sushi that will fit your budget better. I will be coming here again soon.
(5)Alice S.
All around this is a nice place to have nearby but it's not a life-changer. The sushi is solidly average, which, depending on your palate, can be hard to take or just fine. The vegetable gyoza are a big hit with the kiddo, but they are nothing special. The prices are higher than the quality warrants, but the locale probably explains that. Service is always very good.
(3)Jenny K.
The ambiance is low key yet elegant. You could bring a first date here or come in jeans with a friend. The service was pleasant and on top of everything. We had a large Winter Roll, and two smaller rolls plus edamame. Allt he rolls were delicious and came out faster than any sushi place I've been to. I want to come back for their happy hour (4:30-6, after 8:30). What a deal for delicious food!
(5)Mindy T.
My husband took me here for dinner after seeing a few good reviews on the sushi / raw fish quality. They have a wide variety menu, including Thai & Chinese cuisine, which in my opinion, taking away their Japanese authenticity. We ordered Fried Calamari & Soft Shell Crab for appertizers, and the Sakana Sushi Entree (9pcs nigiri + 4pcs spicy tuna rolls) & Black Dragon rolls for main entree. Appertizers were okay, it was about one small soft shell crab, and thus two bites for us. Fish quality was good. I enjoyed the Spicy Tuna & Dragon rolls, those were very good flavor & not much rice at all. They deserve 4 stars for the rolls. Dinner was expensive, as expected for having raw fish in MN. Nothing out of ordinary.
(3)Ashley D.
Horrible. My husband and I decided to try this restaurant upon recently moving to the area. We went in and got led to a table which the host quickly wiped down with a rag leaving food chunks on the chairs that we had to clean off ourselves. There were many flies buzzing at the window where we sat and a distinct musty smell overwhelmed us. The service was terrible all just for mediocre sushi. We didn't see or waitress for an hour as we were waiting for food and she didn't stop by at all. Then we had to wait 20 minutes for a bill and ended up going to the host stand to ask for it. The host gave us our check and WE STILL NEVER SAW OUR WAITRESS. Oh, I almost forgot.... There was a greasy handprint on the window next to us that no one had bothered to clean and the restaurant maybe had 4 tables full so I'm just wondering what the excuse was. If I pay $120 for dinner I would at least expect better service. I feel like the service would have been better at Perkins than this place. Ick
(1)N N.
Best gyoza! Thai basil fried is amazing. Had the spicy maki combo and would try different rolls next time. Nice servers and they weren't groupon haters so plus plus plus!
(4)Lia K.
Excellent sushi and incredible happy hour deals. I loved the service I received and will be back!! I would say the sushi was on par with Fuji Ya- the city's oldest sushi restaurant. Much better deals and service though. I will tell friends and we will be back! Thank you Sakana!
(5)Sal K.
YES! This is an excellent spot for a late night vegetarian snack at happy hour prices. They have plenty of interesting vegetarian rolls. The mushroom avocado roll is the stuff my vegan sushi dreams are made of.
(5)Kim R.
My hubby took me out for a sushi dinner for my birthday. We had never been to Sakana, but heard great things and we definitely enjoyed our meal! We got there early enough to partake in their fabulous happy hour. They have tons of things on special, so I would definitely recommend trying to get here before 6. We started with the shrimp summer rolls and pork gyoza. I loved the summer rolls. They were light and fresh and came with a hoisin-like dipping sauce instead of your traditional peanut sauce. We also ordered three different rolls, and all of them were excellent. I can't wait to go back!
(5)Yabing Y.
Food tastes okay, but does not worth the price you pay at all. We waited for the food for over half an hour when it wasn't even that busy. The waiter was arrogant and slow. Would not come back again!
(1)Maggie M.
Tonight was my second trip to Sakana, and it was even better than the first. The staff were wonderful - very friendly and very prompt, but not annoying. The interior ambience is dark and cozy (don't let the exterior deceive you). I was with my daughter and we shared a few things: shrimp and tuna sushi, the white tiger roll (tuna, salmon, avocado and roe wrapped in white seaweed and topped with a yummy sauce with a taste all its own), sushi rice, and I had the shrimp lemon grass soup which was excellent! I opted for hot tea tonight since it's 10 below zero outside. Even the tea was surprisingly delicious - very unique flavor. Best part was that I had a groupon! I will definitely be back, and will definitely order the lemon grass soup again!!
(4)Mariah H.
Bought a groupon, that said not valid on federal holidays. Obviously this is not a very intellegent business owner because he claimed that valentine's day is a federal holiday. They then proceeded to lie to us about being booked all night, because when my boyfriend called back 2 minutes later, they took his reservation. Well I hope they don't let the open table for 6 sit too long, because we will never be coming back here.
(1)Nick B.
Chicken curry soup was out of control. Sushi was amazingly tender. We will be returning!
(5)Tim R.
Happy hour here is amazing. Sushi chefs are skilled and friendly.
(5)Food E.
This is my new favorite sushi place! We stated out with the Edamame which was salted just right and a nice way to start the meal. The Spicy Maki Combo Entree included tuna, salmon, and crab rolls. It was not too spicy, and very filling. The Highlight of the meal were the Spicy Girl rolls. My mouth lit up as soon as I tasted it. The avocado and cucumber on the inside was a nice balance for the jalapeño and wasabi mayo. The crunch on top gave it texture and really completed the roll. I will definitely order these rolls again! This restaurant is very nice for splitting things with your table family-style. The service was also nice and pretty quick. I'll be back!
(5)Kristin G.
Excellent rolls - the Twins roll was delish, our favorite for sure! Before trying that we had the Spicy Girl and Lotus Roll and I thought those were my favorites! I would highly recommend this restaurant for sushi
(5)Mar N.
Nice atmosphere. Our server was very helpful and knowledgable although not very attentive. Everything was delicious except the chicken satay was dry. The best part was how calm it felt. So nice to go out with friens and not have to yell!
(4)Norman M.
Ok.... First my two star rating is a 2 1/2 but this doesn't allow you to do that. Secondly my low rating relates to waitstaff knowledge and service and restaurant organization. I called in to ask a question regarding the veg udon noodle entree - the girl said she was " drawing a blank and didn't know but she knew it had lettuce". OK not a big deal but not a good way to start. I then asked if it was vegetarian and she assured me it was. I will jump ahead here - my wife (who is a vegetarian ) upon first bite clearly tasted FISH! So I called later and upon further investigation the chef revealed that they use a bit of fish oil in the broth - sorry but that is NOT vegetarian . Back to the rest of the experience. Upon arrival for my takeout order I was told it would be a few minutes- great! Another customer got his takeout order and left but came back 5 minutes later and I gathered that there was a mix up- he received part of my order. They took care of him but I ended waiting for another 20 minutes and then I finally got my order For a total of 55 minutes which includes the initial " it will be ready in 20 minutes. Ok now for some positives: The hostess did comp me for the screw up - gave me the spider roll for free ( cause of delay) and an additional shrimp roll- this is what a restaurant should do in light of a mistake. This is one reason I will come back. The food is pretty good - very tasty. The hostess was very friendly but I think they waited too long to reveal there was a problem....had to sit there a longtime watching them scramble. Basically this seems like a young inexperienced restaurant working out the kinks - I highly recommend that the staff should learn about what is on their menu and ESPECIALLY letting people know that there is fish oil in something they refer to as vegetarian - imagine someone with a fish allergy who asked and then later...BAM! Nice recipe for a pretty serious lawsuit.
(2)Rachel S.
Had a great experience here last Thursday. Found parking in the lot easily. Our server (Becky) was fantastic. She didn't write anything down (which always makes me nervous) but the our order was perfect -- and fast! We started with gyoza and edamame, which were great. All I ask for in edamame is that it be warm, salty and fresh...but it's amazing how many restaurants fail. Sakana's was delicious! We chose 4 rolls, all of which were very good. I have seen a lot of complaints about the prices, but we didn't think it was too far off from other sushi restaurants. Yes, if you order many specialty rolls, you'll pay more. Pretty simple. There were plenty of delicious choices that were moderately priced. We'll be back!
(4)Matthew R.
Excellent food and service! Menu and happy hour are great! Good prices and location. The sushi was fresh and served quickly. The miso soup was also very good.
(5)Lindsey R.
Last night was my third time having Sakana. The rolls were perfect, the service was excellent and everything was great. My only gripe was the miso soup was just barely "hot" and more like really warm. Beer and wine came out quickly, our server was very attentive without being "too much," which is important for a nice date night. The california, spicy tuna and philly rolls are all usually pretty standard but tasted incredible. We agreed it was the best sushi we'd had in months. Can't wait to come back!
(4)Marcus D.
Seriously underwhelming. We have been coming here since we read the "updated" reviews about customers coming back to have outstanding food and service earlier this year. Usually, this is an outstanding place, especially during happy hour, and today's effort was terrible. I can't explain how bland the crunchy roll and the spicy girl were today. Neither had that usual "punch" that we've grown accustomed to. I know 4:30 on a Sunday is not a high time for service, but the fact that we sat around with empty glasses for 5-7 minute stretches made us feel neglected. Lastly, one of our favorites, the yellowtail jalapeño, has undergone several changes since we began eating here. The previous iterations have always been good, but the most recent experience has us asking where the consistency went. We'll be coming back since it's near the house, but another experience like today will signify the end of our patronage at this establishment.
(2)Soma N.
We LOVED this place. I cannot express how happy I am that a place of this caliber opened up in Highland. My husband and I will LIVE here this summer. Our server was super friendly and attentive while not being overbearing or intrusive. There were 3 in our party and we were one of the 5 or 6 tables in there. Normally, I expect great service under these conditions, and normally I'm disappointed. But not here, not tonight. My glass of wine never got too low, my company's beer never went dry. We got recommendations for everything we ordered, and we each LOVED everything. We ended up spending way more than was necessary, but we felt it was worth every penny. The oysters were fresh and just amazing; each one of the 4 had unique and delicious accoutrements. I cannot remember the names of the rolls, although 2 were specials and not on the menu, but I cannot imagine being disappointed with any of the sushi there. The wine list was short, but I guess I expected that, and I knew going in that it was a beer, wine and sake establishment. We did find a small bone in one of the rolls, but we loved everything else so much that we really didn't mind much. Our server was sincerely apologetic and tried to offer any way to compensate, but we were so happy with everything we couldn't accept. I can't wait to go back and show everyone I know the gem that is hidden in Highland Park.
(5)Amy T.
Great new place in St. Paul! I'm so excited to finally have a good sushi place that is in St. Paul where you don't have to go downtown. We went on a weekend with a group of 6 people and had made reservations. They were pretty busy and the table we were supposed to be at had people that stayed a lot longer than they expected. After about a 20 minute wait, they offered us all free drinks for waiting. We weren't expecting that at all, since the place was really busy. We were getting pretty hungry after waiting 40 minutes, so we ended up going to the sushi bar. We started our orders there and about an hour after our reservation time we moved to the table reserved for us. When we got there, they sent us free apps for our long wait. Service was great, sushi was delicious, and we can't wait to return.
(5)Rhonda G.
I had to write an update because now that I'm back eating meat, there are some things not to be missed. At the top are the pork dumplings, and the wonton soup which is loaded with pork dumplings, and made to order. I went for lunch once and this is included in one of the specials, but a smaller portion. I've since had sweet and sour chicken and it needs more sauce. At dinner I would recommend getting a kobe beef dish. For what you get, you get more value then if you saved money on a chicken dish. I still haven't tried the damn sushi yet, they lure me in with all this other great stuff more suitable for this weather. I met one of the owners who is also the chef. He appreciates all our multiple visits. I just don't have the desire to "try" other places. It's easy not to be fickle with a true artist.
(5)Antonio G.
I've had take out a couple more times from this place and it has impressed me! Sushi is very good by MN standards.
(4)Ward T.
Tried this new sushi place last week. We asked to be seated at the sushi bar near the sushi chefs. They were friendly, but not very talkative. I got the feeling that most people didn't engage them in the usual patter I have come to expect from a good sushi joint. Sushi was good and fresh but expensive.
(3)Yaray K.
Food looked/tasted fine. Nothing spectacular. However, after we finished eating and stacked our dirty plates, it took us 30 minutes to get our check, and another 30 minutes until the hostess (not our waiter) asked if we needed anything. She went and got our waiter, and he took our money. The only time we saw our waiter was when he dropped our food off, and when he picked our bill up an hour later. Bizarre, to say the least. It was seriously bad service. Staff seems to stand around a lot, and avoids making eye contact with customers who are in need of assistance. It's like they pretend you don't exist. We won't be going back, for sure.
(1)Chris T.
Given the price of the fancy rolls we were hoping for quality along the lines of Origami. Not so. I'm not saying we were tossing cookies after but I certainly won't be heading back which is a shame given it is quite close by to us. Service was also on the aloof side. Our waitress was sitting at the back bar eating lunch instead of taking our order. We all gotta eat--I get it--but at least put in our order first please.
(2)Kevin Q.
You know how you can always tell when a new business opens up inside an old SA or 7-Eleven but you never see anything but the convenience store? Well, that's not the case here. I stopped by tonight after work to get take-out on a whim and I'm really glad I did. Nothing about the building inside reminded me of the old KFC it once was. Upon entering I was greeted very nicely by a hostess who when I told her I was wanting to look at the menu and do take-out, she escorted me to the bar, gave me a takeout menu along with the full menu, and a glass of water to order by. After ordering she told me it would be about 20 minutes, but I got it in 5 (that's probably as close to fast food as I'll get). I got the Thai Style Pineapple chicken and lightly fried spring rolls and they were both quite good. A nice spice in the coconut pineapple yellow curry sauce, fresh vegetables, and the sauce for the rolls had a good kick. On a Wednesday at 6pm, there were two tables of patrons and another party at the sushi bar, so relatively quiet. When I asked the hostess if business was good she said it has been very busy. She said they've been open about 3 1/2 weeks. Ambiance is very good; dimly lit in a good way and nicely set tables. They did a really good job remodeling inside and again nothing made me feel in the least that this used to be a fast food restaurant. The service, food, and everyone was great. I will definitely be back and next time will try the sushi.
(4)Benjamin B.
One of these stars is for the fact that the space took over a KFC. One of these is for the sushi itself. But that's about it. Avoid takeout at any sort of peak hour. I pre-ordered and then arrived to pick up my order, only to have to wait for an additional 30 minutes and watch a total debacle ensue with other, hungry, waiting guests. The layout is ridiculous. As you enter, you are met by a sea of people waiting for tables or takeout, and the host station is hidden behind a wall. This mini hallway also happens to be the route to the bathroom, and the route from which servers deliver food from the kitchen. Great space planning! On the second check-in on my order, I came to learn that it had been sitting at the host table for the last 20 minutes. It was promptly thrown in a bag, which failed to include chopsticks, napkins, soy sauce, or an apology for the wait. Maybe give them a few weeks to get their things together. Or just go to one of the many other sushi places in town that already do.
(2)Rob G.
Wow this place is great! Formerly known as Kentucky Fried Chicken in this Highland Park sweet spot, Sakana has not disappointed me in the least. I dropped in with a group of friends to try it out and was disappointed to find that our reservation couldn't be filled on time but only because the people whose table we were supposed to have didn't leave and had stayed for almost three hours. When we finally were able to sit, we learned why, but only after being comped around of drinks! Also the host was very apologetic and gave us several free appetizers! Great service! The sushi was terrific. Everything was very fresh and neatly prepared, and served quickly in spite of how busy it was that evening. I would point out specifics for you but honestly everything was amazing. It was a great experience and I look forward to going back soon.
(5)Peter L.
Great Spot! I was craving some sushi and this place was right in our neighborhood. For being Minnesota sushi it was excellent!
(4)Patti K.
Most Twin Cities sushi fans will love this place. It's got a trendy vibe, a better-than-average sake menu, and a long list of imaginative sushi rolls. The seaweed salad was close to authentic, with colorful American garnish, and the sweet potato tempura (billed as "sweet potato fried" on the menu) was served french fries style, with a ketchup-sized dish for the tempura sauce. I ordered the pink panther roll, which was a tasty soy paper-wrapped creation with spicy tuna, generous avocado, cucumber, peanuts, and mango salsa. There was not much rice, so I couldn't tell if they actually put vinegar in the rice for real sushi rice. The roll was a little mushy with the spicy tuna and avocado, but the cucumber and peanut made for a nice crunchy contrast. My companion ordered octopus and spicy scallop nigiri-zushi. We had a difficult time discerning the scallop, but it was still tasty. As is the case with most Midwestern sushi places, people who want authentic Japanese food should go elsewhere. A small handful of Japanese side dishes like miso soup bumps elbows with a dazzling array of East/Southeast Asian foods such as lo mein, Korean barbecue wings, and tom yum soup. For me, the selling point is the sincerity and local flavor of the place. It's not a slick corporate restaurant joint with mango cocktails. I'll probably go back to try the cooked "house favorite" dishes. Update: A year later, Sakana seems to have slid downhill, so I've changed my rating to two stars. We took some friends here over the summer, and I was embarrassed that there were fruit flies all around us. Today I ordered takeout.They messed up my order because the person who took my order hadn't been there long enough to know that what I ordered was no longer on the menu and didn't call me back. I ended up waiting 20 additional minutes for takeout. The food itself was a bit disappointing. My mango shrimp was billed as "spicy," but it was a very ordinary sweet stir-fry with a watery sauce. The kung pao beef was overdone, perhaps because they made the order and had it sit there while the replacement food was being made. I did want to see this place succeed, because at the very least the owners seem to know something about sake. The hostess was also kind enough to give me a discount on the food. But enough is enough. I tossed my outdated takeout menu.
(2)Stephanie S.
Very good sushi. Highly recommend the salmon and scallops. Best quality scallops I've had in the twin cities. Very nicely decorated with good ambience. However, the music sounded very 80s, in a "classy" sort of way (think 80's elevator jazz). I dug it.
(4)Chase D.
Horrible service. We were never greeted and it took forever to get drinks although there were only 3 other families. Once they found out we had a "groupon" we were treated badly. I'm pretty sure they also served us less food also. Sushi was good, but the service was very bad. The entire staff, including the kitchen staff lounged around in street clothes, sagging pants, backwards hats and all. They were all at the bar talking loudly of their personal lives about 5 feet away from our table, and they watched us eat our mediocre food. One of the waitresses decided to start actually doing something and got a bottle of some cleaner that smelled like ammonia and began cleaning menus; 5 feet away. We could smell this cleaner as we ate. Never going back.
(1)Alec W.
We went here last night after it turned out Highland Grill was a little overcrowded. I'm really glad we did, because we got some fantastic tasting sushi. We were immediately welcomed in and felt right at home. The only sign that this is a former KFC is the takeout window in the corner of the restaurant. Other than that, they did a fantastic job of re-doing the place. We ordered a couple apps and some sushi. Again, the sushi was really tasty. Overall, I'd say it is above average sushi. The only part about it that wasn't great was the appearance. Some of pieces of the rolls were a little squished and deformed. Still, it's easy to overlook once you taste it. I was pleasantly surprised when they brought the check out. It was much less than I had originally thought. Sake menu was great, and again, the service was fantastic. We had a great time, and we'll be returning soon. Try it out, I don't think sushi fans will be disappointed.
(4)Dana L.
Here's the deal, I've been here 3 or 4 times and while the food is very yummy, the service has always been ... fine. However last night was one of the worst service I've experienced in a long time. Hostess was very nice and sat us quickly, but then we waited and waited and 15-20 minutes later another server noticed us sitting with closed menus and not even a glass of water on the table. She said she would notify our server that we had been waiting. Two more tables were seated, received their drinks, apps, main dishes... finally our server came back with our drinks. At this point we had been there for almost 40 minutes. Not all of our food came out--she never checked back in with us--the other server delivered our missing food... We wanted to order more but after sitting for nearly 75 minutes and our server no where in sight we asked for the check. She took my card and then disappeared... My SO had to track down my card so we could pay and leave. We left still hungry and disappointed.
(2)Rose M.
Really good sushi! Clean. Nice atmosphere. Make a reservation on weekends. I recommend the spicy tuna sushi. I will be coming back here. Really good service. Our water glasses were always full. Good location.
(5)BeeJay C.
Kinda spendy. Waitress didnt know much about anything because she didnt drink beer or eat sushi. Hmmmm. Probably won't go back
(2)Sheng T.
This place has delicious food. They have quite the variety on their menu. I've only tried their tom yum, pot stickers, veggie lo mein and a few sushi rolls. All flavorful and leave me wanting more. I'm taking away one star because all the few I have been there, bees have swarmed the restaurant. One time, my husband actually took it upon himself to swat a few bees and flies so we can actually enjoy our meal. Shouldn't have to do that.
(4)Jonathan W.
I agree with others that the service and protocol is seriously lacking. And also agree that the layout is really dumb. Overall the sushi was well done, but not for the purist. The service was disorganized and slow. But they HAVE to do something about the layout. The big dumb bar thing in the middle is really a bad idea. And sitting watching the staff stand there and chat with each other while I was waiting for service actually started to piss me off. First , when we walked in we felt like we came in the wrong door. Directly in front of us were 3 people who worked there but all avoided eye contact and chatted with each other. After a few moments of confusion a woman poked her head around the corner to the left and asked if we had a reservation. We said we didn't. She looked at her chart and said there was space available at the (uncomfortably low) sushi bar. We walked past many empty tables that she promised were reserved for another party. (the party never showed up and it would have been nice to be re-seated at a regular table, but the space was given to others) We sat and ordered from the friendly sushi chefs (though it was difficult to see what they were doing because we were so low). The sushi was fine. The service was late and disorganized. (after we were finished the waiter called up to the sushi chef "Hey, what'd they have?", but then went back to him behind the bar and asked again, didn't add to the experience.) Overall, meh. I might go back and order from their menu to find a favorite, but it may take a while to do. Maybe longer than I'm willing to invest. I'm more likely to walk down to Punch pizza where they do their one thing right.
(2)Courtney J.
I had been eyeing this place for a while and I'm very happy I've now tried it. The menu has a very wide variety of dishes which I'm sure will satisfy a broad range of tastes. I had the Japanese noodles with soba noodles and it was delicious. It's a dish that I think even my midwesternfoodonly eating father might enjoy! I also had the sweet potato tempura roll which was fantastic. Since I'm a rare meat eater I tend to go vegetarian which I think some might find difficult as a sushi based restaurant, but I can vouch for this place that there is plenty on the menu for us veggies oriented diners. The ambiance is nice as well although similar to what Rhonda G mentioned, it's pretty standard for an Asian restaurant. It is a cozy environment so it's a nice "fancy but not too fancy" type place for a date. The servers were attentive and very pleasant. They didn't hover but when I needed a refill on tea or water they were on top of it. Overall a very satisfying visit which I would recommend to anyone who is looking in the St. Paul area. I have no doubt I'll give this place another visit!
(4)Kristi C.
Sushi lunch on Saturday with great friends, doesn't get much better. Service was top notch. A few of us ordered some of the non-sushi options, everyone enjoyed their choices, including the vegetarian of the group!
(4)Rita S.
I went there the day after Christmas Day around 7pm of course the kitchen was busy prepping orders for pick up so it took awhile for my food to arrive but that was okay since the waitress kept me informed every few minutes. I would give it 5 stars when they start happy hour! Good riddance KFC!!
(4)Anne O.
I took my best friend here for her birthday and we started with the summer roll appetizer and had to order another one later because it was so freaking delicious. The Mango tuna roll and the sumo roll were phenomenal; we loved them both. This place is a little on the pricier side, especially for a poor college student like myself, but this sushi is SO WORTH IT. I was euphoric the rest of the night because of how yummy it all was.
(5)Nancy G.
We had an excellent sushi tonight off of the Happy Hour menu! Very fresh and delicious. Thoroughly enjoyed Spicy Girl and Pink Mountain rolls. Can't wait to go back. Good service too. This is a new favorite :)
(5)L E.
The pros: -great happy hour items and prices -awesome special rolls, like really good -consistently good fried salmon skin and tempura rolls -sometimes the raw fish is fresh and right on, "melt in your mouth" -gorgeous presentation of sushi The cons: -hit and miss quality on the plain raw fish (sashimi and sushi) -consistently unappealing salmon roe (tried it at least 4 times and it was never a fresh consistency, slimier than it's supposed to be, and looked kind of dehydrated/deflated) So I would say ask the guys behind the sushi bar: "what's good today?" When we did that, we had better luck....
(4)Anthony M.
Great sushi place. I've been here a handful of times, always at lunch. The lunch boxes are a great deal. The sushi is pretty good for a Midwestern town and the chicken pad thai is really delightful.
(4)Brian B.
Everything tasted real good. But this place seems expensive for sushi with the special rolls being $15 or more. Overall a decent place and has a big menu with lots of choices.
(4)V P.
Love this place for lunch! Some of the best sushi in the Twin Cities!
(5)Henry N.
I would like to do 5 stars and it is for Minnesota but I reserve 5 stars for places with wider variety usually on the coasts. For Minnesota this is best you can get by far. We are not roll oriented but like good sushi and sashimi. This is the place for great food and great chefs that are not pretentious. We will be back again this week. Also great sake selction.
(4)Colin D.
Overpriced for such small portions and mediocre flavors. Also the eel was overcooked in the sushi. Spring rolls were 7 bucks for 4 bites of food, with the same filling as cheep frozen egg rolls i can get at leann chins. Will not return.
(2)Bryan E.
Finally!!! A sushi spot in the hood! This is about all the neighborhood was missing as far as restaurants are concerned (how many italian places can you have?). Since my wife is preggers we had to opt for the cooked maki rolls this time which was way off course for us. We had the California, Philadelphia, Spider, and Dragon maki rolls with Sweet Potato tempura rolls. The waiter was extremely helpful in making these "cooked" choices since we don't have much experience ordering on that side of the menu. Overall, can't wait to return to have the "real stuff in 4 months!
(5)G H.
3.5: A place I would return to again if in the Highland area. Sakana on the surface appears to only be a sushi restaurant, but it also offers a wide variety of Asian dishes from Thai basics like pad thai to your Chinese chicken and broccoli. The prices for lunch are extremely reasonable, ranging from $6-$15, all accompanied by at least a bowl of soup. I opted for 3 rolls from their sushi lunch special, my sister had the chicken teriyaki bento box which included four pieces of nigiri as well as sauteed vegetables, and my friend got the chicken and broccoli. Outside of lunch specials, you can order from their extensive sushi menu or other cooked dishes, however these are priced much higher in the $15+ range though hover mainly in the $20s. The chicken and broccoli was a large and healthy serving, though it was liberally doused in brown soy sauce. My friend ate it all leaving nothing on the plate. Her meal came with a wonton soup and two small fried spring rolls that she enjoyed. She lives in the area and picked up a take out menu when we left. My sister enjoyed her teriyaki chicken which came with sauce on the side. I tasted the sauce and it was your basic thick and cloying sweetness, very similar to Panda Express' mandarin chicken sauce if you've been to that establishment. It was a large serving of chicken breast, of the Gold-n-Plump variety, and was too much so she had to bring it home. She gave me the fish from her nigiri and ate the sushi rice. The chef's choice fish for the nigiri were cooked shrimp, salmon, tilapia, and another unidentifiable white fish. Only the salmon tasted fresh, the other three were a little stale. The fish I couldn't identify tasted sour, like lemon had been squeezed across it, but I still ate it anyway. Likely not the smartest move, but this is the next day and no bad side affects so it must have been relatively fresh. I, because I like spicy, ordered the spicy tuna, spicy salmon, and spicy yellowtail rolls. Instead of the typical inside-out rolls, Sakana served these maki style. The spicy sauce they used overpowered the two weaker flavor fish (tuna and yellowtail) and all I could taste as pepper after a while. The salmon stuck out a little more, but I think that is more due to its natural pungent flavor. The sushi rice was mediocre, missing the tangy zip of rice vinegar that complements raw fish so well, but was not mushy like supermarket sushi. I'll likely order the sushi again, but just the cheapies until the restaurant demonstrates it can deliver quality rolls. The service was nice and cordial and the restaurant had several tables, but was nowhere near busy nor had large groups to serve. However, it took an extremely long time for our meal to come out. At least ten minutes before our soups made it to the table, and then another 15 minutes after those had been cleared before our main meals came. Maybe there was a back log at the sushi bar that caused the delay, but I could not figure out any other reason for the slow delivery as it doesn't take that long to grill and cook chicken (two of our meals) and ladle out soups. I did a quick glance around and noticed other tables were receiving equally slow treatment related to their food too so it was not isolated to my table alone. For a lazy Saturday afternoon this slowness was fine, but if you're on your lunch hour or in a rush, then you'll lose precious enjoyment eating time. Definitely a thumbs up for me otherwise related to the food as the other two "Asian" options in the area (Cleveland Wok and Vina Vietnamese) are bland and boring, capitulating to neighborhood eaters who lean towards sweet and fat.
(3)Susannah P.
The table ordered teriyaki chicken, chicken pad thai, sesame chicken, dragon roll, cucumber roll, miso soup and pork dumplings. Food was DELICIOUS and the service exceeded expectations! A little pricy but the food is great and if you like Japanese food, this place will be your new favorite!
(5)Freddy H.
So I've been here a few times since it opened and have always received prompt service and attention. The staff is very friendly and the decor is perfect for a cozy date spot. Above all, Sakana uses top tier fish. I recommend the Tuna Poke and a combination of different sashimi.
(5)Nick S.
First time trying this place out. We had 4 different rolls and each one was fantastic. The Godzilla roll has actual eel pieces instead of the little slice you get at other sushi bars. Hot sake was great as well. Would definitely recommend to anyone who loves sushi.
(5)Jude H.
We were contacted by the manager and invited to return, and I have to say, what a difference a month makes. The serving team has really gotten their feet under them. The service was prompt, the sushi was delicious, and the atmosphere was absolutely wonderful. The saki was great (and I'm not a saki dude), and the ambience has quieted down quite a bit -- there is still buzz, but it's pleasant and unintrusive, rather than feeling chaotic like it did last time. The place feels hip without being overbearing. The real gem in the crown of this place remains the excellent sushi -- and this is coming from a West Coast boy who doesn't give compliments to Minnesota sushi lightly. The pan-Asian options provide something for the little ones, too. I'll still head across town to Masu now and then when I wanna get my robata on, but I've probably paid my last visit to Sajiya. We've definitely found our new sushi joint in St. Paul.
(5)Pearl H.
I enjoyed Sakana better the second time when we went for lunch. Much more reasonably priced. My daughter got the salmon and sushi bento box. I tasted her salmon and it was outstanding quality fish. Found out that they use sushi quality to cook. I got the Kung Pao chicken. Very flavorful, not too spicy and so so fresh. Will be back.
(5)Elizabeth T.
Big fan of the rolls I tried--crunchy and spicy tuna rolls were great!
(5)Chad H.
Sakana easily has some of the best sushi I've had in the Twin Cities. It's fresh and beautifully presented. The other food is fabulous too (we especially enjoyed the veggie gyoza). Beyond the excellent food, the management and waitstaff manage to be simultaneously professional but warm and lots of fun. The quirky building exterior and the thoughtful and cozy interior round out the experience. Run, don't walk. We'll be regulars here.
(5)Shane P.
We love sushi and were excited to see a new sushi restaurant come into the Village in Highland Park. We have eaten here three times now and the food has been excellent every time. The service and atmosphere are great as well...I highly recommend this place!
(5)