Come here often after first visit. Soft tofu stew is a lot better than expected. Sushi is ok with a good price. Will definitely order nigiri next time. The service staffs are all nice and willing to serve. read more

Sushi wasn't amazing. The avocado salad was yummy and I like the contrasting flavors of mandarin oranges, avocado and cucumber with the mixed greens. I like to mix the sesame and ginger dressings on the salad but they charge 75 cents for an extra side of dressing - kind of cheap and petty, in my opinion. read more

I've been eating occasionally at Saica for 3 or 4 years, and it's always been a mediocre experience. Service is always slow, always forgetting things here and there, but the food is pretty good and the prices are good too. Last night, I've decided not to go back to Saica after finding a rather nasty looking bug in my udon--to be precise, a "Brown Marmorated Stink Bug" about an inch long. (Look it up, you'll lose your appetite too) Yep, definitely not a good experience. What was worse than the bug though was the complete lack of effort shown to remedy the issue. Waitress casually said "Oh, I'm sorry. Did you want a replacement?". For such a small restaurant that I've been frequenting for several years, the owner didn't even show his face for an apology either. Lastly, the cheque arrives with a 18% Gratuity slapped on. I had eaten with my family, and there was no mention anywhere on menus or signs that a Gratuity would automatically be charged for a party of 5. We had waited for food for over 30mins, had to ask for utensils which they forgot to set, tables were sticky and we had to asked for them to wipe it down, and the Bug's Life Udon special. Definitely did not agree with the mandatory 18%, but oh well. Not coming here again. read more

This place has been around for 20 years and still manages to not looked dated or worn. Recently I've discovered that Ann, (previously famed from Thai Thai in Ypsilanti) has brought some of her amazing Thai dishes to Saica. The red curry is THE BEST. Thanks Ann for bringing this dish back! read more

Anyohaseyo! That's right people, Koreans can make good Japanese food! Actually, I must say that the spicy tuna roll (another Japerican creation) is got the signature Tae Kwon Do kick in the arse in the spicy category, something my kin are unlikely to reproduce. Lets face it, when it comes to in your face flavor, a la garlic spice till it hurts the next day coming out the other end, Koreans are hard to beat. Let them make Japanese food, and inevitably you get the "good God please spare my sphincter..." factor imbedded to what is commonly a subtle fare of dashi hidden in shoyu flavor or whatever variant of soy by-product. All that aside (that is, can Korean make authentic Japanese? The answer is of course yes, but then, why would they when they can add their own spin!), the quality of fish was definitely top notch, and it is now becoming our (my hot wife, that is...) favorite lunch date. And bonus points for having a Kansai okusan working the tables. Not only is she easy on the eyes, but she's all about the Korean man. Gotta keep the gene pool mixed!! We all know what happens when there is too much inbreeding... (my 2 cents on anti racism through cross breeding. If I was appointed GOD, or an evid dictator, I would require all marriages to be interracial...) read more

Atmosphere: First time here. Came in for a late lunch with a friend. First thing I noticed was the kpop playing in the speakers. Always a good sign to have good music playing. I was happy they had a AKMU playlist going. Clean and well kept. Interesting art and simple layout of the restaurant. It was not busy as we went around 4:00pm. Food: I ordered yakisoba with chicken which was 12$ and my friend ordered kampyo roll and a california roll though I'm not sure how much it was for her bill. The yakisoba was much different that I'm used to. The flavor was there, but a hint too sweet. They used thin eggs noodles. Some places do use thicker ones, but these thin was were just fine in size, but the elasticity of the noodles felt tacky and broke apart fairly easy. Lots of veggies on this, very largely cut oniona made the dish imbalanced because some werr cooked perfect, some raw, and some over cooked. The cabbage was great. Service: The waiter was very attentive and quick with our food orders and drinks. He was also really good looking which is always a plus when dining. Overall: I am conflicted between a 3 and 4 star as I believe the yakisoba needs improvement, but the waiter and atmosphere make up for the mediocre food. Ultimately, I decided on 4 stars for the excellent service and clean facility. read more

I haven't been to this place in years but one of my friends were hungry and decided to check out this place out again. This supposed to be authentic Japanese restaurant and they are now serving other cuisine. Again, I tried to enjoy my food but their food is level of mall sushi or super market sushi. When food was presented to us, there are no decorations, or don't seem to put any effort on making sushi look more appetizing. When I had my first bite of Salmon, it really didn't smell well and also yellow tail was more red then pinkish color it normally has. Also tuna was bright red which means they were frozen previously. I know i am very picky about my food and i think most of the people should be if you are eating them raw. I left the restaurant thinking I might even get sick..... Go back there with your own risk..... read more

I'm a huge fan of sushi and usually go to Sadako or somewhere on central campus. But we were passing by north campus and decided to try out Saica instead! We ordered udon and the fire crunch sushi roll. The udon noodles were little harder to chew than other udon places I've been to. I was also little disappointed they only gave me one of those fish cake slices (not sure what they're called) and not more. Other than that, the udon was fine. However, the fire crunch roll was very delicious! It had spicy salmon, crab topped with spicy salmon, crab and crunch flakes (my favorite part). The spicy/sweet sauce drizzled on top tasted really good and made a very beautiful presentation of the sushi dish. 10/10 would recommend the fire crunch roll! read more

Saica - Japanese Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

I am mainly writing this review because I don't believe this place deserves the scathing review posted by a fellow Yelper. Although this place is nothing special or authentic it wasn't horrible by a long shot! So this review is to offset the negative review a little. I came in here after a long day of recruiting at the engineering campus and wanted a quiet peaceful snack before heading to DTW. There aren't many sushi places open at 4pm so I was glad this one was. With just a few people inside this spacious restaurant, I definitely had the peaceful experience I wanted and the waitress (I agree, she is japanese) was very attentive. I ordered a Volcano 1 roll which was my second choice because they didn't have the tempura jalapeno and salmon one I wanted. The sushi is your typical korean interpretation and was just fine. I finished up with a bowl of green tea ice cream (3 scoops!). OK, so this place isn't the most authentic or elegent. Its right across the street from the university! But in no case, can I imagine that the waitress would be rude or put someone in a corner because she didn't want to deal with the patron. So if you are hankering for some sushi, you aren't wanting to spend a lot of $$, and you don't want a snobby atmosphere, this is a good place to visit. read more

I have been to Saica many times and I am never disappointed! The waitresses are so cute and they always bring the dishes and water out with a smile, even if they are MAD busy. I love their sushi combos and their sashimi salad; Perfect salad sauce with many fresh fish cut in bite size pieces! Their lunch bento boxes are excellent and I have heard great reviews of their new menu items too! Well definitely try it out the next time I am in need of a korean and sushi fix! mmm... keep up the great work Saica! read more

My true review is a 3.5. I tried the sushi and thought it was pretty average at best, the same type of Americanized sushi you find at other restaurants. What, I did notice was most of the people around me where ordering the Udon and Ramen soups and seemed to be enjoying those. My wife ordered the grilled mackerel served with assorted vegetable tempura, she enjoyed everything and would order it again. I ordered the Kalbi which was served on a steaming cast iron skillet. The meat was marinated well and grilled to perfection, very tender and tasty. We tried the appetizer pork belly which was a disappointment. It was dry and served with some sort of salt/pepper mixture, did not have much flavor. If, I come back here, I would stick with the Korean or Japanese soups. The staff was very prompt and attentive, the value for the amount and type of food your getting was very fair. read more

So I'm updating again. All I can say is when they are good they are very good. The king crab nigri is exceptional when you get a nice big claw right from the steamer. If we get the non-asian dark haired lady as a waitress we know we are going to get great service. When they are bad they are very bad. Fish that seems old, people not feeling well after, and their other wait staff aren't great. We've had a waitress there screw up our sushi orders several times when they are clearly marked on a sheet, ignore some of the people at the table completely, or take forever to bring utensils for those who can't use chop sticks. So I'm a stuck at a 3. 4-5 if you are there on a good day; 1-2 if it is a bad day. I do think some of the illness problem has been due to serving escolar instead of tuna. This may not be their fault, but that of their supplier. What is there fault though is after we had let them know that our tuna eaters were "waxing" a classing sign of escolar poisoning they didn't seem to do anything to fix the problem. We continued to have the problem over the next couple of months before we decided to switch our normal sushi lunch to another place. I'd love to see this place more consistently good as they have a much better layout for large groups than many sushi restaurants. read more

Saica is U of M's secret, hidden sushi spot. In my first two years of college, I lived on North Campus and so I would frequent Saica for my sushi cravings rather than making the trek down to Central Campus for the (less impressive) sushi restaurants. And yes, it is (MUCH) better than the other sushi place on North Campus. SERVICE: 5/5 The service at Saica has always been great. Servers are helpful and friendly and not too overbearing. The food comes quick, within 5-10 minutes. FOOD: 4/5 The food is fresh, delicious, and reasonably priced. I will say that like most sushi places, the quantity isn't huge, but it IS more generous than what you will get at sushi places on Central Campus. Besides sushi, they also have noodles and rice dishes that are equally delicious. ATMOSPHERE: 4/5 The place is clean and well lit! Best sushi in Ann Arbor, IMO. Parents who are visiting, skip Central Campus and head to North for a great sushi joint with FREE parking (something that almost always can't be found on Central)! read more

Highly recommending rolls, udon, and sushi. Some korean food looks really delicious also. During the busy hours, I feel like they are short-staffed, very un-responsive and slow. But overall the service is nice and food quality is high enough. read more

After the renovation, they've got some new menu items! The portion of entree is greater as well. Really love their bibimbap, they use well marinated vegetable and hot stone with brown rice is just extremely tasty. Also, there are some special cold sake you can't find at other restaurant. The fruity one is so good. Among all Japanese restaurant in Ann Arbor, saica have the best value out of what you are paying for. read more

A friend said she had discovered a new and cheap sushi place in Ann Arbor called Saica. "Okay, " I said, skeptically, "let's try it." Before dinner, I scoped out the menu online, and was pleasantly surprised by the variety non-sushi items. Let's be honest-- Ann Arbor isn't exactly the mecca of good/authentic Asian food. For Japanese food, few restaurants push past the norms of teriyaki chicken, California rolls, tempura, and udon. So I was intrigued when I saw a few yakitori and tofu dishes listed under appetizers. At the restaurant however, I decided to go simple and order one of the dinner specials, which consisted of a small salad, bowl of Saica udon (shrimp tempura, seaweed, fish cakes & veggies), and California rolls. The salad was simple (lettuce, few veggies, and a tangy miso sauce), and the udon was hot and savory. After downing the salad and noodles, I barely had enough room for a few California rolls. The inside of the restaurant can seat quite a few people. Everything is very clean, and soft music played in the background. I went on Sunday night with a group of 6 girls. A few of the other tables were filled, but otherwise it was rather quiet. Not a huge fan of the decor. Modern furniture pieces and lighting, flat screen tvs (with nothing playing), but strange, and almost tacky, blue wallpaper/curtain covering the wall. Service was good. Our waitress was polite and attentive, and the food came out fast. She was even willing to split checks separately for everyone in our group. A plus when everyone only has credit cards! Overall, my experience at Saica was pleasant. However, I'm curious to return again to try some other items, including various appetizers and sashimi dishes. read more

I don't pretend to be a Sushi expert, but I found the offerings at Saica Sushi very tasty. I had the opportunity to sample a number of the house specials and found them very flavorful. The service was fantastic, the waiters were very attentive, freshening my beverage and seeing to any needs that I had. If I had one problem it would have to be the level of spice on the "Spicy" Dishes. I've become accustomed to very hot sushi, and their dishes just didn't hit that hot spot. Some of the rolls I ordered were also more loosely rolled then I'm used to, but I'm not exactly a master of chop sticks, so that could have had something to do with it. Over all I'd recommend the place, great for dinner, very quiet atmosphere. read more

If you pay attention, you will find many comments are totally useless. They were written by the owner's people. This place is terrible, trust me, the taste is not bad, but not clean. And the owner is Korean, not Japanese. Many people got sick after having food there. I hope some departments can pay attention to this restaurant, I once had a chance to see its kitchen, it is very mess and dirty. Besides, the owner hires many international students, who is not allowed working here. (They can only work on campus.) Anyway, I suggest everyone not to go there, I personally had a bad experience. Believe or not, I warn you guys seriously. read more

A real bargain for the lunch special roll combo. Every time my friend came here would order noodles.

4 stars for some of their food for take out. 3 stars for dine-in and overall. I dined here several years back, was very underwhelmed with portions, taste and service and wrote them off for a while. I tried it by chance about a year ago and this has become my Ann Arbor sushi craving fill (I don't like most of the sushi in A2, sadly). Decent prices and delicious rolls. The lunch bentos are a hit or miss. I don't love most of their nigiri/"fresh" fish-- although the salmon fits the standard alright. Their california rolls hit the spot! I know, basic... but it is actually really difficult to find a delicious california roll, and their japanese mayo crab salad and creamy avocado always do it for me. I also always get their jumbo spider roll as it's always a massive amount of soft shell crab and fried perfectly. The service and their order accuracy fluctuates, hence star rating. I haven't tried much of the Korean food there yet but would like to! read more

Quite pleased with Saica after having experienced several of the sushi options in Ann Arbor. Offers Korean dishes too with bibimbap and katsu. We had a nigiri plate and the bibimbap, both were tasty and fresh. Warm sake also available. Prices are slightly higher than some other places, but you get what you pay for. We experienced prompt and polite service. Decor is a little unusual with large plastic drapes hanging over the walls and metal pipes sticking up from the floor, maybe to "camouflage" the real pipes in the middle of the room? But, once you whet your palette with some delicious sashimi, you will hardly notice. read more

If you ever want a sushi piece the size of your palm, get the Spider Roll (No fret. It's eel for the newbs). Largest single roll I've ever seen. Seriously. I was | | this close to adding chopsticks for fingers if it was more socially acceptable to wave them around like that. read more

Im giving this place a three, but to be honest its closer to a two. I came here on a friday night, during dinner time, so I knew it was going to be full with students. I assumed that it would pretty good given the amount of people dining. But life slaps you across the face when you look around and see things not to your liking. For one, there were a group of employees just sitting at the sushi bar, casually taking their break. They wore sneakers and texted on their phone when not busy. That didn't bother me as much as the food itself. After asking for some hot tea, the appetizer came out, salad with house dressing and a miso soup. I am always excited for this time because each restaurant uses a different recipe for the dressing. However, the bowls came out and the lettuce was just drenched in this dressing, soggy and not very tasteful. So I tried my miso soup and the thing was not only overly salty, it was not anywhere near the optimum temperature for soup. Waiting patiently for the sushi, which came out in due time, I noticed something immediately wrong. The rice was too wet. It was mushy, the entire batch, including my 3 rolls. Of the 3, the least expensive (yellow tail) ended up tasting the best. The spicy tuna w/ avocado, was not spicy to say the least and the avocado masked the entire flavor of the fish. And lastly, I ordered something called the Great Lakes. Here was sushi at its absolute lowest. Sushi to me is about tasting each flavor, both as a mix in the roll and individually. When you try to add too many ingredients, they end up in different quadrants of the mouth and you don't get that mix of flavors. This is exactly what happened. In one particular bite, the ratios went something like this: 50% cucumber, 7% roe, 13% crab meat, and 30% tuna. I couldn't finish my dinner. On the flip side, they are doing more than well with their business. As we were leaving, my friend suggested to me that perhaps we should give their non-sushi items a chance. Could this be worth it? It'll be a long time before I come back to this place in Ann Arbor. read more

The best ansian food in ann arbor. Bibimbap is yummy and there's lots of chicken, mashroom and seaweed in it. They use a HUGE bowl to serve and the potion is big. I love bibimbap! read more

Saica - sushi combo B - Japanese Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

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Went to Saica for a take out Unaju. Four pieces of eel with rice, ginger salad and miso soup. The staffs are really nice and the food is good. I don't know if it's really authentic but I appreciate the restaurant to have it. A little bit over priced. Could have more sauce read more

Saica - Unaju - Japanese Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

came here to give the ol michigan sushi review. if there was a 2.5 star I'd give it because it wasn't great. I wouldn't drive out here again but I didn't hate myself after. read more

Their service is terrible!! Will never go to there again. When we ordered food,the waitress said that we ordered too little for three people. She insisted that their policy not allow us to order that little, so we ordered more food ( at least one per entree?? could not be salad or something else...). During the meal the waitress did not ask about the meal and not serve water until we asked. When we saw the check, she told us their is 18% compulsive tips since we ordered a special roll. After I said then we want to split our meal into two check to separate bill, she threatened to call the police!!!! And the waitress continued insisted that she saw us we eat together and we told her so, so she not allowed us to separate the bill to pay different tips. When the manager came, he told me that they gave us basic service so there is still 15% compulsive tips for other food we ordered. We do not want to gave that much tips since the waitress is really impolite and threatened us. She even said the reason we argued is because we want to save tips but not because of bad service! The manager also said that even some people think the service is not good they should still give at least 15% since that is the basic!! What?!! He also said they gave the basic service which is carrying plates to our table!! Such a horrible experience!!!! read more

I loved my green curry dish and amazing rolls. Generous portions and beautiful presentation were remarkable. Noodle salad seemed out of place (cold Japanese noodles with mayo?) on the chicken teriyaki meal. My daughter, who was salty about going to a Japanese restaurant, discovered a love for tempura. Great service. Bad music. read more

A Korean and Japanese mixture restaurant. A little bit expensive. I like the Soon Tofu here. The Bibimbap is also good. Other things are just okay. read more

Its more like 3.5 stars, but not 4. I like their korean dishes more, and dislike their sushi. The Dolsot (bibimbap in hot stone bowl) in Saica is really good. I also like their bibimbap and spicy pork. if you are feeling like trying something different, try Hwae-dup-bap .. its like sashimi meets bibimbap. read more

The food quality was poor. My green tea cheesecake was still frozen in the middle and the broth in my meal smelled extremely fishy and did not taste fresh. The service was also really bad. The waitress automatically charged us 18% because I was in a group of 5 people. However, because she was guaranteed money, she did not check on us at all and our glasses of water remained empty for the entire meal. She never came around for us to say something about how poor our meals were. This is the worst restaurant experience I have ever had and I have worked in the restaurant business for a few years. read more

Really overpriced for average quality. I visited Saica for dinner with a co-worker on a whim, and the experience was blasé. We ordered two mildly spicy sushi rolls (which ended up being too spicy for what we ordered), and a BiBimBap that was undercooked. The service was kind, though disinterested, and wiped down the tables in the middle of our conversation (they absolutely should have waited). The prices are inflated, and the check makes you wince. Overall, don't come here if you want a full dinner. read more

We were KICKED OUT for not ordering Entrees. Can you believe it? We would rather it be that we are a bunch of weird lookin hippies. But no. It was difficult for any of the 6 of us to understand at first because of the language barrier, but after ordering teas and several appetizers, the waitress returned and said "You go now" and we asked "after the tea?" She said, "No, now."... All while having a smile on her face. She looked up to the manager looking somewhat confused and then said "No pay, just leave. Now." We were still confused and could see the people (presumably manager/owner) was agitated behind the sushi counter. When our friend went up to him he said to please understand. They have been having a problem with people coming in and only ordering a snack/drink while waiting to get into the adjacent restaurant (Cardamom) and it becomes an issue somehow. Its one thing if Saica was even near half capacity, but because they were only at about 15% full it makes no sense to kick us out. Its rude, and an excellent mechanism to make sure we NEVER go there and let everyone know to not step foot in this establishment. So we went to Cardamom (Indian food) and it was amazing! It was an easy decision to spend the money we would have spent at Saica at Cardamom instead. *note to manager - don't send your waitress that doesn't understand english enough to explain why your customers are being told to leave the premises. You should have come over and talked to us in person. read more

Oh, hey. It's us, your prized customers. My friend and I sat down when we were basically starving. We ordered a spicy scallop and a glass of Chardonnay apiece, along with a Coke in a can. We even accepted the fact that you don't have any red wine (perhaps this was the first red flag, no pun intended). The smiley waitress ordered our food, sweetly, though she seemed concerned when after asking us if that was "all," we answered simply, "Yes." As someone who has waited tables, I understand that this is a pretty standard interaction. Logically, though, this doesn't inherently mean, "No, nothing more at all, bring us our check." Apparently, this is how the owner interpreted this after being creepy and watching us leave Cardamom across the street (There was a half hour wait, and we were starving, and I was taking my friend's Cardamom virginity. Oh, sorry, is that private information?) We ordered around $27 worth of food. My friend and I, both being servers, planned to compensate by tipping over 20% on the ticket. After ordering and waiting ten minutes for our drink and food, the waitress did the owner's dirty work and told us that unless we ordered an entree in addition to the hand roll, we would have to leave. There was some mention of people ordering less food than is acceptable and then running over to Cardamom. Um... What the hell indicated that we weren't going to order more, or that this was even the case? There's something to be said for a very average sushi restaurant with little to no wine selection compared to the rich assortment of other options in town, who then proceed to run their business into the globally warmed earth by pissing off two foodies with good intentions. I've even eaten your food, and it's radically sub-optimal/flagrantly cliche. I'm a North Sider. My parents live on the North Side. They've brought you pity business for years.. You're lucky that you're hanging on to business as is, and that a five-star restaurant is bringing you more business. According to the patrons across the street (where we then wound up spending our good money, thank god, because apparently you don't want our business), you did the same to them. To a group of FIVE. Have you lost your mind? I wish I could review your mediocre food to test for improvements, but instead felt profiled because we're two young women wearing faux-fur who got kicked out, when there was some dude sitting next to us who ordered one f***ing hand roll. Disgusting. I will never be back. Good luck with your "business." Good luck with your "endeavors." read more

So we tried there special, its very over price plus you need to give 18% tip, our server doesn't really deserve it, we never had drink refills, and no ice on the beverage. Rest rooms are nasty. read more

The review by Janelle makes me laugh. You talk as if you're an expert on Japanese cuisine. The owner's wife is Japanese. I think that means he might know a little about Japanese culture. Oh no, Romanized Japanese with a "C!!!!" God forbid! Maki is just as telling as nigiri. The skill to make a proper sized roll with the appropriate amount of fish or ingredients makes or breaks a chef. If you want good udon, go to a place that specializes in udon. Obviously this is not that place. The tempura is more than adequate. You can taste the difference in the oil they use. (Rice bran vs cheap vegetable oil) And for such a fan on "Sparty" to come into "Wolverine" country and complain about the food speaks to your credibility. Food is decent, and they have great lunch specials. Katsudon is not the best I've ever had, or even the best in Ann Arbor, but reasonably priced and large in portion. The sushi and sashimi are good and the presentation of the food is nice. Sometimes the plates are chipped, but it doesn't bother me from enjoying the food. Decor is cheap and plastic. A sad attempt at modern architecture. If you want to sit at the bar, just ask. People that complain that they get placed at the end of the restaurant should eat at home. You can sit in solitude, pretending to be intelligent by spewing thesaurus words. Sushi, like all foods, is best eaten in anyway you find comfortable: drenched in soy sauce or dabbed, one bite or two, with your hands or with chopsticks. Don't let "elitists" ruin a decent meal with decent prices. read more

Love this place! By far best sushi in Ann Arbor. When you first see the place your skeptical to walk in but by far best decision I made because it's my favorite sushi spot read more

I walked in 15 minutes before closing time to ask for take-out. They told me they were closed. Closing before closing time is poor service! read more

Their soondobu jigae (soft tofu soup) is very filling and comforting on a cold winter's day, though a tad on the oily side. The restaurant room is very clean and plays relaxing classical music. I wonder whether the owners/chefs are Korean or Japanese, since they offer a balanced number of items from both cuisines. If everything on the menu were $1-2 cheaper Saica would be very attractive as a more regular dining spot. read more

Terrific sushi, nice atmosphere, decent prices. The spicy shrimp tempura roll is to die for, really. I've eaten at Saica countless times, and never had a bad meal. read more