Sakai Japanese Bistro
2303 W Main St, Troy, OH, 45373
Sakai Japanese Bistro Menu
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Address :
2303 W Main St
Troy, OH, 45373 - Phone (937) 440-1302
- Website https://sakai.tacti.info/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- 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 : No
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Quiet
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Gregg H.
I was in Troy, OH for business and tried Sakai because of the decent reviews from other Yelpers. I'm from Los Angeles so I've had great sushi and I've had terrible sushi. Sakai was, by far, THE WORST sushi I've ever had and here's why. First, I was the only one at the bar. I waited about 5 minutes until the chef finally stopped chatting with his buddies at the table next to bar before he meandered over to me. We said my hellos and I gave him my verbal order--isn't that standard for every sushi bar?? Apparently not here. He made me write down my order on the order menu in front of me. I WAS THE ONLY ONE AT THE BAR!! It's just silly. The sushi order form included basic sushi options only. No originality at all. I almost got up and left before ordering and both my wallet and I regret I didn't. I ordered a couple of small cut rolls and a hand roll and he made the entire order very quickly. The hand roll was fish, rice and seaweed! Nothing else. Booooring. I needed to dig to find the salmon in my cut roll and the chef was so lazy on my spicy tuna cut roll that he put a dollop of hot sauce in top each each piece like a cupcake. Huh? Just as the other reviewer stated, the fish was all pre-cut. I huge sushi no-no. I also ordered the miso soup which lacked salt. It was bland as can be and when I received my check, I reluctantly signed my name on my slip. The whole meal was worth about $5 but cost me over $20 with tip. Ugh! I will never go back to Sakai.
(1)corylus a.
This is the best restaurant! I have not yet been to the hibachi side because there food on the dining/sushi side is so fantastic! I am originally from Oregon and was a bit surprised to find a Sushi restaurant in Ohio, but I like ti better than any of the West Coast sushi restaurants. The sushi is always very fresh and tasty, and the sushi chef takes special orders. The Miso soup is fantastic, and I have yet to order anything off the menu that I didn't like. If you go there, be sure to try the wasabi shumai!
(5)Carol S.
We live in Columbus. My husband is Japanese and I lived there for five years and is where we met. He has been driving to Troy for his company on occasion, and when he does, he eats lunch at Sakai. While off work yesterday, and with a day trip to Arcanum for a purchase, he wanted to introduce me to his favorite restaurant. It is getting difficult to find restaurants anymore that are truly Japanese. Many have Chinese or Korean owners/chefs, and the difference in the food is highly noticeable to us. Yes, we have a few authentic Japanese restaurants in Columbus. One is extremely and prohibitively expensive. The one or two others are nothing special and pretty far away as well. I was so pleased to eat lunch here. I had vegetable tempura which was so light and non-greasy. The crispiness was such that it made a cracking sound when I bit into it. The vegetables are varied and consisted of onion, green beans, sweet potatoes, zucchini, and bell pepper... delicious. I must say that I could have been totally satisfied with salad alone since the salad dressing was outstanding and tasty. The waitstaff were friendly and attentive. We met Chef Sakai-san and his beautiful wife. Lovely people. My only regret is that this is quite a long drive for us, but we will return whenever we can sneak a side trip in! It was that good, and I am looking forward to our next trip already. Thank you, Sakai, for your great food and hospitality!
(5)Joyce J.
It's surprising that this place didn't get reviewed more times considering it appears to be the only Japanese restaurant in Troy. I went to the restaurant for lunch today. Upon stepping in, I noticed several customers are Japanese (Good Sign # 1). The waitress greeted me in Japanese (Good Sign # 2) and offered me a counter seat. Being from California, I am always skeptical of ordering seafood in a state without a coastline. Therefore, I ordered beef don and tebashio (grilled chicken wings). The beef don was fairly good, on par with what I have had in California. The tebashio was grilled nicely. The lemon slice came with it had decorative peel. The only thing I have against this place is that the waitress forgot my hot tea and the beef don was slightly salty without a drink. While I was eating, the chef came to the counter to start preparing saba. You can tell that he is quite experienced from the way he was slicing the fish. I read on ActiveDayton.com that the chef has been involved in several Japanese restaurants in Dayton ( activedayton.com/dayton/… ). So I think I will return this week to try their sushi. I will write an update then. Stay tuned.
(4)Samantha D.
I'm with Gregg H. on this. Yuck, yuck, and yuck. I will never go back to this restaurant again. The sushi is bland and completely lacking in originality. The meals prepared at the hibachi are greasy and way too salty. The miso soup tastes like water. The service is slow and completely unengaged. And, to top it all off, you're lucky to get out of this restaurant spending less than $15 on sub-par food. Take my advice: if you live in Troy and want sushi or hibachi, it is definitely worth making the drive to somewhere that is not Troy in order to find a better restaurant. Sakai Japanese Bistro: You'll eat really bad food and then have to pay too much for it. I learned this the hard way- but you don't have to!
(1)James W.
This place is pretty good if a bit inconsistent. Given that it's a Japanese restaurant in someplace as far afield as Troy, I don't have any major complaints (except perhaps about locals who refuse to learn to use chopsticks or pronounce the name of the restaurant like "sake," which, for the record, they're also mispronouncing--but I digress and wax a bit too snobbish). The sushi and sashimi are sometimes fine sometimes good, maybe depending on which day the fish came in. The tempura is unremarkable but perfectly edible. The service is passible to good. I don't really get the whole hibachi/teppanyaki fakery thing, but if you're into that, it's also an option (tho' I think you need to call ahead). In the end, given the paltry options in Troy, when I'm in town visiting family, I usually end up here at least once, sometimes even by my own choice.
(3)Matt W.
The food is fantastic, the servers and chefs are super friendly, this is my favorite spot for the best sushi experience in Ohio. A must visit for anyone who loves fresh, delicious food and outstanding service!
(5)Heather H.
Dinner was delicious as usual, despite the "not-so-nice" people that shared the table with us! We still had an enjoyable dinner though. Thank you Brian!
(5)John M.
never done the gimmicky hibachi grill. love it for japanese cuisine. great sashimi or nigiri sushi with japanese chefs. not really a sushi roll kind of place. yakisoba, udon, takoyaki, onigiri, then mochi ice cream for desert. even some bibimbap and other things on the menu for whatever you're in the mood for. kirin on draft and i like the cheap hot sake. uhhhhh my mouth is watering just thinking about sakai. I NEED TO GO BACK!!!
(5)Colby H.
I love this place, my favorite is the noodles. I can order any type of ramen/ or noodles they serve up. I love the yakisoba and the miso ramen. They always have a fresh supply of fish every two weeks, and I order the sushi all the time. If your in troy and looking for a great Japanese place to eat, Sakai Japanese Bistro is the place to go. I live in North California and every time I come to troy, I come here at least once a week. If your wanting Japanese food this is a great place, otherwise if your coming here and ordering something that's not Japanese, this is not the place to go.
(5)Alexandra G.
Having lived in Southern California most of my life, I must say this isn't the best I've had. If it wasn't for the fact that is difficult to get good fresh ingredients for sushi, I'd nit pick at this place with fervor. But, taking these factors into consideration, its sushi is decent enough. If you have a craving for sushi and have no other options, this place will suffice until you can find better. The service may be a bit lacking and the sushi mediocre, but all in all this is an okay place.
(3)Mo B.
I love this place for sushi. Very fresh fish, excellent service and ambiance. The hibachi is also excellent.
(5)Ar K.
Had a great lunch here today. Though I am a regular here I never have had a bad experience, and since I am new to yelp I am going to do a review. Seated pretty fast, party of two. Place was busy. Waitress got our drink orders right away and returned with the drinks. A few minutes later the waitress returned to take our orders. We started off with suishi, tuna roll and spicy tuna roll. I like this suishi here becuase they do not make it cheap by adding veges. Photo included. Also ordered for appetizar gyoza, okonomiyaki, and takoyaki. Didn't try the gyoza but brother ate them and said they were pretty awesome. He also really liked the takoyaki and was partial to the okonomiyaki. I, on the other hand am a takoyaki snob and just love the takoyaki here. Perfectly fried with a good amount of sauce, mayo and dried fish flakes. The okonomiyaki was much better today then other times. It is always good, but since I havent had it in awhile I think I enjoyed it much more. For the main part of the meal, yes we ate alot today, I ordered oyakodon and my brother beef yakisoba. My brother was amazed at how good it was. He never had this before. He now plans to bring his wife here. My dish, oyakodon was also delicious. It is the first japanese food I have ever eaten so its like the perfect comfort food for me. So Sakai never fails on this dish. Oh, also had the miso soup, love it. Now I know my review is glowing, but the meal well deserves it. If you havent been here before you should try it.
(5)M L.
This is a five star place. Food is awesome. The presentation is fantastic. Sushi is fresh. Udon is good and tasty.
(5)David L.
I have been here twice. I have been pleased with regular menu items and especially the sushi rolls! The soup was tasty and the red bean ice cream was tasty.
(5)Greg A.
Never judge a book by its cover. I was unsure about this place, but reviews are spot on! Place is great! Awesome interior, very relaxed, but nice and busy. Service was great, fast, friendly, and attentive. Had sake with a few rolls and it was the perfect little meal. Spicy tuna roll was my favorite. Price is right. They have A LOT of choices, cooked/sushi/ramen/tempuras/combos.
(5)Mary P.
We're from southern California and know Asian food however we had to take the time and write our review! This place was so delicious, I don't think I've had better chicken before. The chicken breast were perfectly cut, seasoned and displayed! We cannot wait to go back and try other dishes! The udon noodles were fantastic as well as the sushi we ordered. Well done Sakai! Wonderful family owned restaurant! Mary Monte
(5)Andy K.
Jules is a huge sushi fan and, lacking options in the Englewood area, we took the quick trip north to Troy to give Sakai a try last year. After our first time out, it's quickly become the place we take friends for fantastic Asian food on the north side of Dayton. Firstly, though--skip the hibachi/teppanyaki table. It's good, don't get me wrong, but it's the same thing you'll have anywhere. For the real Sakai experience? You need to hit the sushi bar and the dining room. I wish I could speak more to the sushi aspect of Sakai, but as I mentioned, I'm not a fan. Jules, however, swears by the spicy tuna roll, which always smells fresh and clean, with tightly packed rice. She's had several other rolls, as well, and has never had a complaint. For the best stuff, though? Order one of the ramen/udon noodle bowls. You'll receive a bowl the size of your head of delicious steaming broth, filled with either thin (ramen) or thick (udon) noodles, a slow-cooked protein, and several other enhancers. My favorite is the beef udon, which has a fantastic balance of sweet and savory, brought on by the slow-cooked beef mingling with slices of sweet yellow onion. Jules prefers the soy ramen, which comes with slices of roast pork, egg, and more. The best thing about the ramen/udon bowls? They're cheap! The two of us eat heartily, with leftovers, for less than $25. You can't beat that with a stick. Go slurp some noodles!
(5)Min S.
Hibachi was too salty. The American chef cooked for our table had a cold face, while a Japanese chef at the other table made effort to entertain the customers. I would still give it a four stars because their Noodle soup has great flavor, very tasty, love it! Sushi was fresh and good too.
(4)Marisa L.
One of my favorite restaurants in the area! I'm definitely a sushi person, and it is always delicious. My sister usually orders from the kitchen, and she has never had any complaints. The service is great, and the desserts (especially the fried ice cream) is the perfect finish to a great meal!
(5)Brian S.
Pretty good, but expensive. Plan on $33 per person with one drink. Pretty typical Japenese place.....
(4)Lauren M.
Dinner Bento Box was a great deal. My husband greatly enjoyed it. I have the two dinner combo with Sashimi and beef udon. Sashimi was 6 pieces of decent fish (small pieces) and the udon bowl was huge!! I loved the udon, rich broth and generous amount of udon. Bottle of sake was $12.00 very affordable. As it has been said, for middle of Ohio, decent sushi and japanese food selection
(4)Matthew P.
Love the feel of this place. Very warm and welcome and local. Great food too. Try the Love Boat!
(5)Mike L.
THE best restaurant in Troy, Ohio and rivals anything you would find in Cincy, Columbus, and Cleveland. Once you walk in every employee says "Hi" and will bow. Very gracious when walking you to your table asking you how you are and they make you feel very welcome. Service is very prompt and courteous. The menu is diverse since they offer a teppanyaki or hibachi area and a regular area including a sushi bar. The sushi bar is very authentic offering options like: salmon, tuna, soft-shell crabs, mackerel, BBQ eel, etc. The sushi menu is a separate menu and can be ordered as such. The hibachi menu offers many seafood and meat dishes, all done very well. The regular menu item include many Udon noodle dishes, sauteed salmon and chicken, tempura , plus some speciality items. I really like the fact that they include a "speciality menu" for everyone ( much like the "secret menu" that most of us non-Asians only here about) as this menu includes some rare (well rare for midwest Ohio folks) like mackerel ( which is delicious) and beef tongue ( which I am dying to try). Every item on the menu has been among the best I have ever tasted. Outstanding. The staff is among the friendliest and helpful you will ever come across.
(5)Eric W.
Better than West Coast sushi? Umm, no. While the prices for sushi are good, the fish is not. All of the fish is pre-cut, which is a big no no in good sushi restaraunts. I'll give the place credit for being in Troy, but they need to improve the freshness and quality of their fish.
(2)E L.
I've been here at least 4 times. Once for hibachi and the rest on the sushi side. All times we had wonderful service and food. The sushi is fresh and well prepared. It's the closest you can get in Dayton for good Japanese food. We try to make it every time we are passing through Troy.
(5)E L.
I've been here at least 4 times. Once for hibachi and the rest on the sushi side. All times we had wonderful service and food. The sushi is fresh and well prepared. It's the closest you can get in Dayton for good Japanese food. We try to make it every time we are passing through Troy.
(5)Lauren M.
Dinner Bento Box was a great deal. My husband greatly enjoyed it. I have the two dinner combo with Sashimi and beef udon. Sashimi was 6 pieces of decent fish (small pieces) and the udon bowl was huge!! I loved the udon, rich broth and generous amount of udon. Bottle of sake was $12.00 very affordable. As it has been said, for middle of Ohio, decent sushi and japanese food selection
(4)Matthew P.
Love the feel of this place. Very warm and welcome and local. Great food too. Try the Love Boat!
(5)James W.
This place is pretty good if a bit inconsistent. Given that it's a Japanese restaurant in someplace as far afield as Troy, I don't have any major complaints (except perhaps about locals who refuse to learn to use chopsticks or pronounce the name of the restaurant like "sake," which, for the record, they're also mispronouncing--but I digress and wax a bit too snobbish). The sushi and sashimi are sometimes fine sometimes good, maybe depending on which day the fish came in. The tempura is unremarkable but perfectly edible. The service is passible to good. I don't really get the whole hibachi/teppanyaki fakery thing, but if you're into that, it's also an option (tho' I think you need to call ahead). In the end, given the paltry options in Troy, when I'm in town visiting family, I usually end up here at least once, sometimes even by my own choice.
(3)Matt W.
The food is fantastic, the servers and chefs are super friendly, this is my favorite spot for the best sushi experience in Ohio. A must visit for anyone who loves fresh, delicious food and outstanding service!
(5)Heather H.
Dinner was delicious as usual, despite the "not-so-nice" people that shared the table with us! We still had an enjoyable dinner though. Thank you Brian!
(5)John M.
never done the gimmicky hibachi grill. love it for japanese cuisine. great sashimi or nigiri sushi with japanese chefs. not really a sushi roll kind of place. yakisoba, udon, takoyaki, onigiri, then mochi ice cream for desert. even some bibimbap and other things on the menu for whatever you're in the mood for. kirin on draft and i like the cheap hot sake. uhhhhh my mouth is watering just thinking about sakai. I NEED TO GO BACK!!!
(5)Colby H.
I love this place, my favorite is the noodles. I can order any type of ramen/ or noodles they serve up. I love the yakisoba and the miso ramen. They always have a fresh supply of fish every two weeks, and I order the sushi all the time. If your in troy and looking for a great Japanese place to eat, Sakai Japanese Bistro is the place to go. I live in North California and every time I come to troy, I come here at least once a week. If your wanting Japanese food this is a great place, otherwise if your coming here and ordering something that's not Japanese, this is not the place to go.
(5)Ar K.
Had a great lunch here today. Though I am a regular here I never have had a bad experience, and since I am new to yelp I am going to do a review. Seated pretty fast, party of two. Place was busy. Waitress got our drink orders right away and returned with the drinks. A few minutes later the waitress returned to take our orders. We started off with suishi, tuna roll and spicy tuna roll. I like this suishi here becuase they do not make it cheap by adding veges. Photo included. Also ordered for appetizar gyoza, okonomiyaki, and takoyaki. Didn't try the gyoza but brother ate them and said they were pretty awesome. He also really liked the takoyaki and was partial to the okonomiyaki. I, on the other hand am a takoyaki snob and just love the takoyaki here. Perfectly fried with a good amount of sauce, mayo and dried fish flakes. The okonomiyaki was much better today then other times. It is always good, but since I havent had it in awhile I think I enjoyed it much more. For the main part of the meal, yes we ate alot today, I ordered oyakodon and my brother beef yakisoba. My brother was amazed at how good it was. He never had this before. He now plans to bring his wife here. My dish, oyakodon was also delicious. It is the first japanese food I have ever eaten so its like the perfect comfort food for me. So Sakai never fails on this dish. Oh, also had the miso soup, love it. Now I know my review is glowing, but the meal well deserves it. If you havent been here before you should try it.
(5)M L.
This is a five star place. Food is awesome. The presentation is fantastic. Sushi is fresh. Udon is good and tasty.
(5)David L.
I have been here twice. I have been pleased with regular menu items and especially the sushi rolls! The soup was tasty and the red bean ice cream was tasty.
(5)Greg A.
Never judge a book by its cover. I was unsure about this place, but reviews are spot on! Place is great! Awesome interior, very relaxed, but nice and busy. Service was great, fast, friendly, and attentive. Had sake with a few rolls and it was the perfect little meal. Spicy tuna roll was my favorite. Price is right. They have A LOT of choices, cooked/sushi/ramen/tempuras/combos.
(5)Mary P.
We're from southern California and know Asian food however we had to take the time and write our review! This place was so delicious, I don't think I've had better chicken before. The chicken breast were perfectly cut, seasoned and displayed! We cannot wait to go back and try other dishes! The udon noodles were fantastic as well as the sushi we ordered. Well done Sakai! Wonderful family owned restaurant! Mary Monte
(5)Andy K.
Jules is a huge sushi fan and, lacking options in the Englewood area, we took the quick trip north to Troy to give Sakai a try last year. After our first time out, it's quickly become the place we take friends for fantastic Asian food on the north side of Dayton. Firstly, though--skip the hibachi/teppanyaki table. It's good, don't get me wrong, but it's the same thing you'll have anywhere. For the real Sakai experience? You need to hit the sushi bar and the dining room. I wish I could speak more to the sushi aspect of Sakai, but as I mentioned, I'm not a fan. Jules, however, swears by the spicy tuna roll, which always smells fresh and clean, with tightly packed rice. She's had several other rolls, as well, and has never had a complaint. For the best stuff, though? Order one of the ramen/udon noodle bowls. You'll receive a bowl the size of your head of delicious steaming broth, filled with either thin (ramen) or thick (udon) noodles, a slow-cooked protein, and several other enhancers. My favorite is the beef udon, which has a fantastic balance of sweet and savory, brought on by the slow-cooked beef mingling with slices of sweet yellow onion. Jules prefers the soy ramen, which comes with slices of roast pork, egg, and more. The best thing about the ramen/udon bowls? They're cheap! The two of us eat heartily, with leftovers, for less than $25. You can't beat that with a stick. Go slurp some noodles!
(5)Min S.
Hibachi was too salty. The American chef cooked for our table had a cold face, while a Japanese chef at the other table made effort to entertain the customers. I would still give it a four stars because their Noodle soup has great flavor, very tasty, love it! Sushi was fresh and good too.
(4)Marisa L.
One of my favorite restaurants in the area! I'm definitely a sushi person, and it is always delicious. My sister usually orders from the kitchen, and she has never had any complaints. The service is great, and the desserts (especially the fried ice cream) is the perfect finish to a great meal!
(5)Brian S.
Pretty good, but expensive. Plan on $33 per person with one drink. Pretty typical Japenese place.....
(4)Alexandra G.
Having lived in Southern California most of my life, I must say this isn't the best I've had. If it wasn't for the fact that is difficult to get good fresh ingredients for sushi, I'd nit pick at this place with fervor. But, taking these factors into consideration, its sushi is decent enough. If you have a craving for sushi and have no other options, this place will suffice until you can find better. The service may be a bit lacking and the sushi mediocre, but all in all this is an okay place.
(3)Mo B.
I love this place for sushi. Very fresh fish, excellent service and ambiance. The hibachi is also excellent.
(5)Carol S.
We live in Columbus. My husband is Japanese and I lived there for five years and is where we met. He has been driving to Troy for his company on occasion, and when he does, he eats lunch at Sakai. While off work yesterday, and with a day trip to Arcanum for a purchase, he wanted to introduce me to his favorite restaurant. It is getting difficult to find restaurants anymore that are truly Japanese. Many have Chinese or Korean owners/chefs, and the difference in the food is highly noticeable to us. Yes, we have a few authentic Japanese restaurants in Columbus. One is extremely and prohibitively expensive. The one or two others are nothing special and pretty far away as well. I was so pleased to eat lunch here. I had vegetable tempura which was so light and non-greasy. The crispiness was such that it made a cracking sound when I bit into it. The vegetables are varied and consisted of onion, green beans, sweet potatoes, zucchini, and bell pepper... delicious. I must say that I could have been totally satisfied with salad alone since the salad dressing was outstanding and tasty. The waitstaff were friendly and attentive. We met Chef Sakai-san and his beautiful wife. Lovely people. My only regret is that this is quite a long drive for us, but we will return whenever we can sneak a side trip in! It was that good, and I am looking forward to our next trip already. Thank you, Sakai, for your great food and hospitality!
(5)corylus a.
This is the best restaurant! I have not yet been to the hibachi side because there food on the dining/sushi side is so fantastic! I am originally from Oregon and was a bit surprised to find a Sushi restaurant in Ohio, but I like ti better than any of the West Coast sushi restaurants. The sushi is always very fresh and tasty, and the sushi chef takes special orders. The Miso soup is fantastic, and I have yet to order anything off the menu that I didn't like. If you go there, be sure to try the wasabi shumai!
(5)Joyce J.
It's surprising that this place didn't get reviewed more times considering it appears to be the only Japanese restaurant in Troy. I went to the restaurant for lunch today. Upon stepping in, I noticed several customers are Japanese (Good Sign # 1). The waitress greeted me in Japanese (Good Sign # 2) and offered me a counter seat. Being from California, I am always skeptical of ordering seafood in a state without a coastline. Therefore, I ordered beef don and tebashio (grilled chicken wings). The beef don was fairly good, on par with what I have had in California. The tebashio was grilled nicely. The lemon slice came with it had decorative peel. The only thing I have against this place is that the waitress forgot my hot tea and the beef don was slightly salty without a drink. While I was eating, the chef came to the counter to start preparing saba. You can tell that he is quite experienced from the way he was slicing the fish. I read on ActiveDayton.com that the chef has been involved in several Japanese restaurants in Dayton ( activedayton.com/dayton/… ). So I think I will return this week to try their sushi. I will write an update then. Stay tuned.
(4)Samantha D.
I'm with Gregg H. on this. Yuck, yuck, and yuck. I will never go back to this restaurant again. The sushi is bland and completely lacking in originality. The meals prepared at the hibachi are greasy and way too salty. The miso soup tastes like water. The service is slow and completely unengaged. And, to top it all off, you're lucky to get out of this restaurant spending less than $15 on sub-par food. Take my advice: if you live in Troy and want sushi or hibachi, it is definitely worth making the drive to somewhere that is not Troy in order to find a better restaurant. Sakai Japanese Bistro: You'll eat really bad food and then have to pay too much for it. I learned this the hard way- but you don't have to!
(1)Gregg H.
I was in Troy, OH for business and tried Sakai because of the decent reviews from other Yelpers. I'm from Los Angeles so I've had great sushi and I've had terrible sushi. Sakai was, by far, THE WORST sushi I've ever had and here's why. First, I was the only one at the bar. I waited about 5 minutes until the chef finally stopped chatting with his buddies at the table next to bar before he meandered over to me. We said my hellos and I gave him my verbal order--isn't that standard for every sushi bar?? Apparently not here. He made me write down my order on the order menu in front of me. I WAS THE ONLY ONE AT THE BAR!! It's just silly. The sushi order form included basic sushi options only. No originality at all. I almost got up and left before ordering and both my wallet and I regret I didn't. I ordered a couple of small cut rolls and a hand roll and he made the entire order very quickly. The hand roll was fish, rice and seaweed! Nothing else. Booooring. I needed to dig to find the salmon in my cut roll and the chef was so lazy on my spicy tuna cut roll that he put a dollop of hot sauce in top each each piece like a cupcake. Huh? Just as the other reviewer stated, the fish was all pre-cut. I huge sushi no-no. I also ordered the miso soup which lacked salt. It was bland as can be and when I received my check, I reluctantly signed my name on my slip. The whole meal was worth about $5 but cost me over $20 with tip. Ugh! I will never go back to Sakai.
(1)Mike L.
THE best restaurant in Troy, Ohio and rivals anything you would find in Cincy, Columbus, and Cleveland. Once you walk in every employee says "Hi" and will bow. Very gracious when walking you to your table asking you how you are and they make you feel very welcome. Service is very prompt and courteous. The menu is diverse since they offer a teppanyaki or hibachi area and a regular area including a sushi bar. The sushi bar is very authentic offering options like: salmon, tuna, soft-shell crabs, mackerel, BBQ eel, etc. The sushi menu is a separate menu and can be ordered as such. The hibachi menu offers many seafood and meat dishes, all done very well. The regular menu item include many Udon noodle dishes, sauteed salmon and chicken, tempura , plus some speciality items. I really like the fact that they include a "speciality menu" for everyone ( much like the "secret menu" that most of us non-Asians only here about) as this menu includes some rare (well rare for midwest Ohio folks) like mackerel ( which is delicious) and beef tongue ( which I am dying to try). Every item on the menu has been among the best I have ever tasted. Outstanding. The staff is among the friendliest and helpful you will ever come across.
(5)Eric W.
Better than West Coast sushi? Umm, no. While the prices for sushi are good, the fish is not. All of the fish is pre-cut, which is a big no no in good sushi restaraunts. I'll give the place credit for being in Troy, but they need to improve the freshness and quality of their fish.
(2)