After dining in this restaurant for a long time I am glad I am writing a review. They have great…read moreand quick service, delicious food with a lot of vegetarian options, ambiance is nice and chill. Every time we have visited, never returned disappointed. The food has been flavourful, presented well. The only thing I would say is it is a bit pricey. It would be absolutely perfect if they regulated their prices a little. Other than that perfect! Definitely recommend to everyone and we will also keep visiting.

Service = Not too shabby! Food = Pretty good! Prices = Reasonable! My only gripes are that I've…read moregotten a dirty glass before, the tables aren't always wiped down, the seating is uncomfortable and their menu is black writing on a dark brown background (can't read it).

This is my second review and I would give it more stars if i could. Whenever we're in New Haven,…read morethis place is a must for us. Wonderful Japanese food and great selection of sake! Service is always fantastic and attentive. The dining section is small so I highly recommend reservations! The downstairs is the main bar area with a few high tops. The upstairs dining room is cozy and intimate. The restaurant is very minimalist Japanese core.

Hachiroku was a highly anticipated place after being nominated for Restaurant of the Year in New…read moreHaven County for Connecticut Restaurant Association's annual Crazies awards so I had it on my list of must go to restaurants. I have also never been to a sake bar. Have to say....I was underwhelmed. We came in last Friday and apparently it was slow because Yale was off (according to our waiter). If a restaurant is good they should not be slow on a Friday night. We sat by the door on a cold night and there were two other couples practically on top of us. Rest of the seating are high tops against a wall by the bar or up the stairs on another level. We would have liked to sit upstairs but they were closing off that area. Menu was complex as the restaurant is authentic Japanese. Lots of beef options. Lots of Wagyu. I was hoping to be blown away by this restaurant trying something different. I was struggling trying to find something to order that sounded appetizing. I knew going in that this place was authentic Japanese but I don't know, nothing sounded great to me. I love mushrooms so I got the Mixed Kinoko Mushroom appetizer which was $15. To add scallops was another $8. Mushrooms were tasty. Scallops were not. $23 for a small dish. I also got the pork short ribs. Not a ton of meat on them, however, nice flavor. I was still hungry after this so I ordered a dessert which was the best part of the meal. They get some of their desserts from Hen & Heifer which is a well established place in Guilford. I got the Ube Panna cotta. Boyfriend got the Black cod Yu-an Yaki and upgraded to add the salad, pickles and rice for $3 more. The pickles were maybe two bites. Salad tasty but again, very small. He said the cod was just ok too. Very small portions and pricey for what you get. $30 for a mini sake flight. Not impressed with how it was served either. Small tasting glasses just placed on the table with no description. The server explained which was which, but I didn't remember. Not sure if he didn't care or this is how it's normally served, but if you go to a wine bar/brewery, they provide descriptions with flights usually written underneath the glass, or at least serve it in something. Not just tiny glasses placed on a table where you have no idea what you're having. Especially for $30! I was not impressed with this place whatsoever. As this is part of a newer restaurant group with a few different locations nearby in New Haven, we then went to their cocktail Lounge on crown street (116 Cocktail Bar) thinking it might be better, however we were equally disappointed. It was dead in there and the bartenders were miserable. They couldn't wait to get out of there. I have heard that their hand roll bar is very good (Handroll on State St). We have been to their Grocery Store called The Loop and it's cute. They have a brunch at the Grocery/Kitchen location that looks really good. They also have a wine lounge at The Loop that I'd like to try.

Mr. J Asian Bistro in Guilford did NOT disappoint We went for happy hour and scored $5 dumplings,…read morea $5 spicy tuna roll, and a $5 salmon roll Such a great deal! The dumplings were our absolute favorite Definitely coming back!

My husband and I recently dined here on our anniversary. We love sushi and have heard great things…read moreabout Mr. J's. Overall, we had a great experience. We ordered the Ruby Red Dragon and Tokyo Sour drinks which were both yummy. For food, we had the Lover Boat and Philadelphia roll. A salad and soup came with the meal. Everything was delicious and we would definitely come back!

Seems the owners spent more time on decor than on training staff…read more We ordered several items and none were any good. I also asked the server if they had sashimi and he said "Not Yet" Huh? Food: Then I tried the rolls and pretty sure I know why. All the rolls are covered in SO much sauce that it's impossible to actually taste the fish. Tuna or Salmon, who knows? The rainbow roll, which I have never had any sauce on in 30+ years of ordering, was covered here. The sad truth is that is typically an indication of using low quality or not so fresh fish. The fish should be able to stand on its own! The yakitori? The beef was not chewable, the pork belly was decent and the scallops were good. Outside of the beef, this may be the only decent edible option. Service: One server, even though it's a small place, it's not enough. Also factor in that he seemed to be somewhat clueless of how the process works. We almost left, as it was 5 minutes before we could get his attention to take our order. The rest of the meal time was not much better. Overall: Seems this place has been open long enough to fix these issues. I guess the owners do not care enough to do so.

Anime fans, this place is for you! Especially, if you love Naruto - that's where the name Akatsuki…read morecomes from - Akatsuki in Hamden is calling your name. A small, cozy restaurant that is decorated to full anime vibes: anime art covering the walls from floor to ceiling for favorites like One Piece, Dragon Ball, and many more (how many can you name), dividers, lanterns, cherry blossoms - it's a total vibe! The menu is small, but has a variety from entrees, sushi, noodles, and shareable appetizers. There were specials as well that we took advantage of and ended up with a lot of food. My husband and I shared the Yukitori Platter, something that I haven't seen before on a menu. It's a Japanese street food that has skewered meat. Our platter had chicken, shrimp, beef, pork, and zucchini and each were very good. My husband got the Gyu Don (which is a beef bowl) and for $5 more, he got the set that included three side dishes and a miso soup. I ordered the Shrimp Tempura Udon and made it a Combo for $5 more which included a classic Brown Sugar Bubble Tea and a Pork Bun. I loved my Udon, was flavorful and not too salty. The bubble tea was perfect, even the tapioca pearls weren't too hard or gummy. The service was good, but it was a slow start since there was only one staff member hosting and serving the dining room. It was a little busy with a couple of other tables. The staff were very kind and respectful. The food came out fast after we ordered. Akatsuki is really a hidden gem and it's a must try. My husband and I look forward to returning soon.

Such fantastic sushi! Super excited that this new place…read moreopened up recently. We've ordered twice now through DoorDash. Every aspect is of really great quality. We haven't tried the poke bowls or burritos...yet. Oh and their wasabi is the best and freshest we've ever had. Use sparingly!!

The food was so fresh and delicious. Will order ahead of…read moretime next time as they were busy with orders when I arrived.

I ordered take out a few times and is always 10/10. Service is always friendly and helpful. I love…read morehow versatile the menu is from sushi to Pho. It has become my go to sushi place. A year later still loving it.

On the way back home from out of state and stopped in for some sushi and ramen. Seated right away…read moreand brought glasses of water. We had to ask about the all you can eat menu, three in our party opted for that while I opted for just some ramen and takoyaki. I guess our order was a little big of sushi and they gave it to us on one of those wooden sushi boats. Yea! Happy to get it and elevated the experience.

I've been here before but never had any specialty roles until I came with a friend cuz they're so…read morebig. I think it's the best Sushi Japanese restaurant in the area. We had fried Gyoza to start - very good. And then ordered off the special rolls menu and got a Double Decker, Sunshine, and Caterpillar rolls. WOW! Of course, we dug in instantly and I didn't remember to get a photo until we started to slow down. Each one was unique in that the Double Decker had a sauce on it that was slightly sweet but not overwhelming, Sunshine was rolled in caviar so it had that pop and the Caterpillar was crunchy. They were exceptional. 2 Sapporo in chilled mugs. Great food.

Soo Good !!! Met some friend too tonight for an early dinner. I had the tuna sashimi over a nice…read moresalad. A seafood soup that was very good and a little bit spicy , which I love. No drinks tonight, only Diet Coke.Everything was very, very good, tasty and very fresh. I can't wait to go back and try some new items on the menu.

I was so pleasantly surprised from our first visit at Sakana that I had to make a return trip later…read morethe same week. It was a humble reminder that you don't need to go to a culinary destination to find good food. Cheshire Connecticut may not be known for its food scene, however, I found Sakana was a genuine diamond in the rough. My expectations were admittedly low going in. My level of skepticism is always high when I see the "Asian Bistro" moniker, as it is frequently used for restaurants to try to appeal to the masses at the expense of quality by having a "jack-of-all-trades" menu that lacks the technical intricacies and mastery required for specific dishes. Additionally, these establishments tend to follow a "cookie-cutter" menu and offer the same boring dishes you can find at every other Asian Bistro. Even when initially walking towards the restaurant, I had my doubts. The exterior of Sakana honestly looked more like a clinic than a restaurant. Once I saw the menu however, my skepticism shifted towards optimism. For a local bistro, they feature a surprisingly extensive wine and cocktail menu, including premium sake options. I was particularly impressed to find toro on the menu; although it's undoubtedly becoming more of a trend in Connecticut, I was nevertheless happy to see it offered at Sakana as well. Overall I liked their sushi selections and everything I ordered was well-prepared and tasted fresh. We ordered a chicken and broccoli for our daughter and found the chicken tender and broccoli perfectly cooked. That may not sound impressive to those reading, but you'll be surprised how many restaurants fail to execute this baseline dish correctly. The service, although pleasant, was probably the only "weak link" of our experiences here. The quality of service was noticeably inconsistent between our two visits, and they would benefit vastly from having a more reliable and experienced front-of-house team to match the execution coming from the kitchen and sushi bar. Despite this minor gripe, Sakana was a standout. As long as I'm in the area, they will definitely be among the top of my list of places to eat!

Dined in for the first time here tonight. Have had takeout a few times in the past. Ambiance is…read morelovely and the bar is nice as well. Service is exceptional. Our waitress was great. So friendly. Is the food exceptional? To me no, but my parents enjoy it. Tonight we started with crab rangoons. Pretty good. Sauce on the side not very exciting. A chili sauce would be better. I got a sushi roll with White tuna inside and cooked shrimp on top and wasabi mayo. I forget the name of the roll but it was better than the two times I've ordered takeout. Miso soup was also good. Their soup bowls are in the shape of a heart which is super cute. Dad got some sort of a mixed protein dish with brown sauce (had shrimp, chicken and beef). Mom got the chicken and garlic sauce. They both got fried rice on the side. I tried it and it was very bland. Dad also got a salad with his meal and the ginger dressing was not very good. Red coloring to it. Usually ginger dressing is more on the orange side. Dad also got the Malaysian chicken coconut soup to start and it could use a bit more flavor. Was a bit watery. Mom loved her sweet and sour soup. Nice that this place is 5 minutes away. Cheshire needs more restaurants. Def not my fav restaurant in town though. Food to me is just ok.