With a sign that simply states "Hajime Restaurant and Lounge Bar", you wouldn't be able to tell from the outside that Hajime is a sushi restaurant. However, once inside, you will be greeted promptly by friendly staff and contemporary Asian décor. Multiple chefs will be meticulously creating beautiful sushi rolls behind the bar. I have ate here several times and was pleased each time. The sushi presentation is breathtaking and the taste is not far behind. There are excellent options for children including Asian inspired popcorn chicken coupled with a California roll and chocolate filled koala treats. All food I have tried was great, fried rice, ramen, appetizers, salads, etc. The staff was very friendly and have chosen "Americanized" names to wear on their uniform which is fun and quirky. The only reason Hajime does not get 5 stars in my opinion is because I have had better sushi for less. With no all-you-can-eat option or two-for-one roll deals which are fairly common among decent sushi places, you will be paying full price for every roll and although great, it won't be the best sushi you've ever had. That being said, you cannot find sushi less than a 20 minute drive from here so if you are an Elk River native, this is the place to go. read more

Hajime - Excellent presentation, LED Lightning - Japanese Near Me - Elk River, Minnesota

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Incredibly delicious. I was concerned about moving up here due to the lack of Asian cuisine: after finding this though, I couldn't be happier their fresh sashimi and maki are to die for I have no clue how they do it! This is a nearly weekly tradition in my house. Absolutely love it! read more

Great sushi! Food was to die for!!! Service was spectacular as well! Nice Asian ambiance

Seriously love this place and so excited to have a good sushi place here in elk river! I recommend the Devil Roll if you like spicy.. It was amazing! The fried rice is also amazing and served with the "yum yum" or shrimp sauce. Delish! Our waitress was also super friendly and very helpful! Atmosphere is also really nice! We will be returning here many many times for future date nights :) read more

Hajime - Devil Roll - Japanese Near Me - Elk River, Minnesota

Great food everytime! This is our go-to sushi place, and we love that it's close to home and we don't have to go far to get good food. read more

Outstanding!! So very YUM!! What a fantastic find in Elk River. Truly wonderful food and a great experience all around. I'll definitely be back. Cheers!! read more

Hajime - Japanese Near Me - Elk River, Minnesota

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Great service and great sushi!! They offer a great selection of rolls, Nigiri, and Sashimi.

I visit here often and cannot say enough good things! The sushi is always very fresh and festively presented. The portions are HUGE! Wait staff are very pleasant and attentive. The atmosphere is calming and I love that they have seating in front of the sushi bar so you can watch all the delicious dishes being made. I have yet to do this, but I think the concept is genius. One thing I've tried here that I can't recommend is the ramen. It was quite bland. You get A LOT of it, but it just wasn't tasty. However, I definitely recommend trying the Shumai, it's amazing, as well as any specialty sushi roll. The care that goes into making their dishes is certainly reflected in the look and taste of it. Highly recommend Hajime! read more

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Our second time here and soooo disappointed, waited 20 min for someone to come by our table and get us some water. Placed the order for 4 rolls, fried rice, and teriyaki chicken. Rice and chicken arrived and half of us had food and half still nothing. After 50 min our patience came to end so we asked for the bill and not only there not even an effort to make it right but we were even charged for one roll (t which we never got) when asked why people who came after us had food and ours still didn't come the excuse was that the cooks pick the order and ours is just not ready. Decided to write the review just for others to not expect a great service, from previous visits we knew food is good, on the higher price range, but one would expect when the price is higher something has to make for it. read more

Heard of this place word of mouth and went there with my husband just to try it out. We were greeted immediately and had the best service at the sushi bar. We got to chat with other foodies and completely enjoyed the eel roll! The environment was very pleasant and got to enjoy some Big bang theory while we waited, I recommend this place to all my friends! read more

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Stopped in after seeing a movie just down the road. The atmosphere is nice, the vibe is casual and the food was really good! We had an excellent server and the desserts were yummy! Highly recommend the Tempura Ice Cream! read more

Great meal! Food was delicious and well prepared. Service was attentive. Good place to enjoy sushi.

Excellent food and service. The ambiance it great. Super fresh seafood. The sushi chefs make excellent selections and suggestions.

I was a bit frustrated that Hajime's Happy hour deals were changed and offer is a bit confusing.

Love this place! You can never go wrong when you order here. Very friendly, clean and amazing food.

Very good service, staff is really nice. Food comes out fast and always taste good along with affordable prices.

Every time I go there they have oysters on the menu and never have them it is really disappointing especially when I really wanted them and had my heart set on them and the server said " we only order 22 oysters a day ...". They need to order more . read more

Every roll I've had is just absolutely amazing. And the happy hour specials bring down the price for those who shy from spending big on food. All the hibachi is cooked to perfection and their kids meals portions are more than enough for the little ones. Even those who wouldn't try sushi, guess what? You can get your raw rolls fried on request. Michael, a bartender and server, treats customers very well and even will give you the good wasabi of you ask. Most people shy away from wasabi, not I. Happy hour also includes 2 dollar beers, not the tallest, but can't complain for 2 bucks. Great place to eat and if you're willing to spend a couple bucks, definitely worth a try. Been here about 4 times and I can't even look at other sushi bars the same way. read more

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Wow, what an establishment! This is like an uptown sushi bar in a small suburban town. They are very modern with a sophisticated night club flare. They also have a fully stocked classy bar. The food here is AMAZING! Probably the best Japanese cuisine I've ever had, and I've been to quite a few places. We ordered from both the kitchen and the sushi bar, and we're very impressed with both! I highly recommend the fried rice as well. The sushi rolls are large and full, and served beautifully plated. We both left feeling very full. We will be back! Often! read more

Best restaurant there is. Staff is always super helpful and friendly, and the food is spectacular! Highly recommended checking this place out if you haven't been! read more

We went for lunch today. Highlights were the calamari with the amazing dip, the north shore roll, and the spicy tuna. Already planning another trip back to try the warm entrees and dessert! read more

Hajime - north shore roll, spicy tuna roll, sweet potato roll - Japanese Near Me - Elk River, Minnesota

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Excellent! I enjoyed a delicious Shrimp Tempura lunch. The lunch special with soup, salad and entree is an absolute must. Service is attentive and friendly. Decor is a little extreme and odd, Will definitely come again. read more

Hajime - Shrimp Tempura - Japanese Near Me - Elk River, Minnesota

For a northern restaurant this one shines. The place is always busy, but there is always a table available. Sushi is always fresh, staff is always friendly. Love there Japanese Jalapeno poppers as well! My wife and I have been here many many times, always the same great service, great food. read more

As a sushi aficionados I claim this sushi restaurant 5 stars!!! Get the North Shore role it is like nothing I've ever had before!!!

Not bad for the burbs! Great food, nice atmosphere, good service. I'd expect expect a place like this to be closer to the city. Impressed by the quality. read more

Love this place! Finally a place "up north" you can get great sushi! Their happy hour has great deals and explores the whole menu! I haven't had a sushi roll I've disliked in my 3/4 trips there and there fried rice is outstanding! The future of this place scares me though because it's always dead ... so 5 stars from me because i want everyone to go go go! It's amazing and easy to get in or take out and one of a kind for the area it's in! read more

Good sushi rolls. Great atmosphere. Tasty cocktails and tap beer (including Japanese and Chinese varieties). Great appetizers. Did not like the fried rice, way too sweet! Why give this place five stars? * Best food in a ten mile radius. * Servers here treat you right. * Fun space. * I love sushi! read more

We love it every time we go. The cream cheese and crab wontons are definitely one of our favorites.

What a wonderful hidden gem in Elk River! I'm a west coaster, sushi was always a weekly stop for me back home, so I'm happy to have found Hajime. Fresh sushi and the service and everyone working was amazing. Great happy hour! read more

Love the sushi! It's kind of tucked away but worth looking for. Great wait staff, answers all the questions about the menu. Yaki soba is great too! read more

We are connoisseurs of good sushi. This place has hit the mark for us to return for more. The presentation of the food makes you want to just look at it, talk about it as they are presented as a piece of art! We sat at the sushi bar to watch them as this is our favorite place to sit when eating sushi. The fish is fresh tender and moist. When trying a new place we order as close to the same thing so we can make a fair comparison. Jalapeño roll.spicy salmon, spicy tuna, yellowtail,spicy crab and Boston roll and the by far out of the park best chicken fried rice with shrimp sauce ever!!!!! Make sure to give them a try. Prices are fair and the food delicious. A great place to learn and experience real sushi!! read more

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Fantastic place! Kids love the fried rice and California roll kids meal! All of the sushi I have had has been good! A nice addition to Elk River. They have a nice bar area and the dining area is also very nice. Definitely coming back. read more

Hajime - Cover of the take out menu. Food was so good I forgot to take a picture - Japanese Near Me - Elk River, Minnesota

Great sushi. It was so good I went to Hajime twice on consequtive days. Fresh tasty tuna and salmon. Maki rolls were awesome as well. Good experience at all at an unexspected area. read more

In town for work and a big sushi fan so I decided to give it a shot. Great lunch special and Happy hour special too. Good choice for sushi read more

Hajime - Sushi lunch special $10 - Japanese Near Me - Elk River, Minnesota

This is my favorite place to eat sushi! Their store is always clean. People are very nice. They have a variety of sushi and everything is so good! My favorite is sushi, but they have the best fried rice and yum yum sauce. Their Spicy Crab Salad is good too! If you like raw stuff, try my favorite, North Shore Roll. If you don't, they have enough menu that doesn't have raw stuff in it too. We LOVE this place! read more

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I ordered a combinations of rolls and sushi. The rolls were pretty thin on fish and crab, with large pieces of cucumber and too much rice. The sushi portions were small and tasted past their prime. The service was fantastic though and the decor was nice. read more

We love this place! Here's a pic of how our special Crab roll and North Shore roll were presented with a blinking led light in the glass under quick fried rice noodles. Fantastic and fresh. Reasonably priced. Great service. Unpretentious and uncrowded. read more

Hajime - Unexpected surprise in Elk River, MN - Japanese Near Me - Elk River, Minnesota

I read the reviews and decided to go there with a group of friends. Cocktails, laughs, and some great food made for a thoroughly enjoyable evening. We can't wait to go there again! This is the best sushi in the Twin Cities read more

First ding on the place is the high prices, but considering the location of Elk River I guess I should be happy I have the option. Food is great, will be back, but it's a special occasion type place for me. read more

My friends rave, but its not my kind of place. Local owners, so kuddos to them. Modern, barish decor left me kold. Food was so, so in quality and bland for my taste, but like I said, not my style of place. read more