I'm surprised. Usually, this is my go-to place in Providence for sushi (service is fast and staff is friendly) but this time I was not impressed. It was pretty packed when we got there, but we were seated pretty quickly - in the back where we always like to sit - but our server took FOREVER to come over. We had a bottle of wine we'd brought but we couldn't open it because we didn't have any glasses to pour it into. We finally got our water, then the waiter took another 5 minutes to come over with the glasses. We then got our menus and we waited - no joke - 20 MINUTES for the waiter to come back over and take our order. We were ready to go looking for him. Then our food took a little while to come, but I appreciated that all of our appetizers and soup/salad was brought over at the same time on a large tray. We all got our entrees at separate times, which wasn't great (they all came out a few minutes apart). Seriously, have no idea what was going on in the kitchen that night. Then, we were sitting with our plates for ANOTHER 20-25 minutes before the waiter came over with the check. Unbelievable. I'd go back since the food is good and prices are decent. And BYOB. Thankfully they didn't charge us the corkage fee - though I would have definitely fought it if they had. read more

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Terrific lunch bentos halfway between ptown & nyc. Super friendly staff, fast service, easy to make substitutions on meat, and best spring roll wrappers ever--like a pancake dough gently fried. read more

This was the place where my sushi journey begin. The first time I had sushi was here and I love their rolls. The special rolls are unique and cannot be duplicated (I've tried to have a place closer to home make the Samurai roll, it didnt work). Anytime I am in Rhode Island I make sure that I stop there. It's a very small restaurant but their rolls are excellent! I would definitely recommend it! read more

Sakura Restaurant - (From right to left) Samurai roll, I love you roll, the sunshine roll and a california roll - Japanese Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

I was looking forward to having lunch here. It looks nice from the outside but when you walk into the front entrance it is shared with tenants on the second and third floors. That part of the restaurant was dirty and not very welcoming. The layout is awkward as others have described. We were seated at a table across from the sushi bar. Service was fine but there were 3 of us and 2 of us were served our lunch order but nothing for my daughter. We waited, shared our meals and finally waved down an employee and she just said that they are working on it. When we finished our meals my daughter finally got her lunch. Food was mediocre at best, maybe I'm spoiled with the quality of sushi on Long Island NY. Miso was worst I ever had sort of like dirty bath water. Chicken was very dry and chewy. Do not park in front of the restaurant unless you want to lose a side view mirror. Since service was slow I went outside to check the parking situation and found out there is free parking lot for Sakura around the corner. read more

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Their sushi is awesome. Easy to order. Right in downtown. Friendly staff. Parking on the street. No outside seating.

Sakura has one of the best sushi I have had. They have some normal tables, but you can also sit cross legged in some low ground tables in the back. The sushi is unreasonably good honestly I'm unable to explain it the presentation is done extremely well too. When you come to this restaurant just remember it does allow BYOB. There is not much more to say besides how good it is just remember when you come here don't order too much because most of the time you'll end up eating it all even if you think you're full. read more

Sakura is a good place to come sit down and just eat some sushi. Walking in, the layout is kind of confusing but once you enter the main area you'll know that you've arrived. The ambiance is slightly dark and intimate, which really gives you the feel of a Japanese restaurant (despite being located on Wickenden). For the atmosphere, I like how you can switch it up, whether that's sitting next to the sushi chefs, sitting cross legged in a no shoes room, or in a private room (can only be reserved for the weekends). Going to the food, it was tasty given the variety of rolls that we ordered (hot babe roll is one of my favorites), but didn't really give me a serious WOW factor. For a Providence location with BYOB, I'd come back for some celebratory sushi. read more

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Visiting from out of town. Good quality at great prices. Definitely enjoyed lunch and would dine again. read more

Sakura Restaurant - Sushi and sashimi lunch special - Japanese Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

I haven't been back in years but was reminiscing on the authentic Japanese decor & sitting in their floor dining area for a date night w/hubby. The sushi here is way more affordable than most sushi spots around town, they also offer a large variety of Maki rolls. I really enjoy their paper menu to check off which rolls you want, makes ordering easy & quick. Everything came out really fast but here is where service is a little off as well, let me elaborate.... I ordered the fried oyster app followed by maki rolls for hubby & I. The rolls which were our meal came out first before the app even did. I received the app mid way thru my sushi rolls. Ok not that big a deal until the miscommunication & how management handled it.... When I ordered the app I told the waitress fried oysters & repeated it twice. She says, "Number 4" and I reply "yes" since she is the waitress & assumed she knew the app numbers & was just informing me it was number 4 for apps. When the app came midway thru our meal, another waitress bought out the wrong app (takoyaki) & I let her know we ordered fried oysters. She walks back & another woman who I assume is the manager comes back to the table to basically reprimand me "You said fried oysters right but you said number 4 which is takoyaki" I just said ok as a whatever to her reprimand. This left a bad taste in my mouth. Unprofessional to reprimand a customer for a small misunderstanding. What I don't understand is when I said fried oysters twice when ordering the app why would one place an order for something else even if I replied to the wrong number she stated. Maybe a language barrier? Anyhow, sushi was good and food came out fast. Very well priced menu but service was unorganized with apps coming mid meal. The manager was unprofessional which is why I won't be back here. Then when I went to leave waitstaff stared at me without a word so I felt the need to say thank you have a good night. How awkward lol. read more

We came here for dinner on a slower Sunday evening and so we were seated immediately. The service was fast and friendly. The menu has your typical assortment of Japanese appetizers and protein entrees as well as sushi/rolls. There's a separate paper menu for basic rolls, that you mark with a pencil, and the fancier chef special rolls located in the main menu. They really earn their 5 stars on their special chef rolls. They are reasonably priced considering they come in sets of 10 (2 more than the usual 8-piece). I ordered the Crazy Roll and the Out of Control Roll and they melted in my mouth. The fish was fresh and soft. The flavors worked amazingly well together. They each had a sweet note, which I love. I really like it when specialty rolls have a sweeter taste or paired with a sweet sauce. We ordered 2 miso soups, and 4 rolls to share. This was plenty and we were stuffed by the end. Tip: sit upstairs if possible. The downstairs interiors are cozy but It's a little eclectic. Lots of different Japanese motifs strewn about your usual run-of-the-mill Asian restaurant finishes. The best place is the upstairs. They have a nicer dining area that's set up for floor seating. You have to take your shoes off and sit on a raised floor around a low table. It's a pretty cool experience and definitely embodies a Japanese vibe. Delicious rolls, fair pricing, unique upstairs dining area gives this place 5 stars. read more

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The food is usually great at Sakura. I love any salmon dish they have. My friend, my boyfriend & I went for dinner last night and my stomach has been hurting ever since. I'm not sure what caused it to hurt and it usually doesn't but we had miso soup, salmon rolls and tuna rolls. My friend didn't like her tuna roll, which I do admit, tasted funkier than usual. I'm leaving three stars mostly because the woman who served us last night practically rushed us out. We were planning on being at dinner for a while but ended up leaving only 40 mins after walking in because the ambiance was so weird. We barely sat down and shortly after were asked to order. We aren't a group of people that usually take 3 hours for dinner but it was a night out. The food came quickly (which is nice) but then the bill was brought to us. We wanted to have dessert but since the check was already in front of us we just paid it. We sat for a little while longer while she hovered around trying to see if we left. It was only 9:30 and they closed at 11 so I didn't see the problem. As a server myself, I understand we want to go home but if serving isn't for you and your lifestyle, don't do it and don't project it onto your customers. read more

Sakura Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

Take out seafood soup... $8.50 really? Came in the same size container as Miso soup... which is free with an entree and $2.50 a la carte. And there wasn't even a lot of seafood in it!! I called to ask if it was a mistake... it was not. Ridiculous! Their sushi is good... so I guess I'll just have to stick with that. read more

Sakura Restaurant - Seafood soup... $8.50 really? Came in the same size container as Miso soup... - Japanese Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

I should preface this by saying I go to Sakura at least a few times a month with friends. And I've come to love it for what it is: a BYOB Japanese restaurant where you can gorge on cheap (but perfectly fine) sushi to the point of nausea for under $25. For poor twenty-somethings who are craving a wine-induced buzz and a rainbow roll fix, this is the place. The service is no frills, all business. We always end up ordering off their checklist style sushi menu and write our appetizers on the back of the sheet (oyster tempura is my personal fave). Minimal human interaction at Sakura which is A-OK. No small talk, no funny business, simply a list of my demands! That being said, never change, Sakura. In a perfect world, I would go to Ten Prime and get five rolls but I just can't afford to and after a bottle or two of wine I brought from home, who can tell the difference anyways? read more

The sushi here was fresh & yummy, but I've been at sushi spots that have way better service & overall ambiance. The house salad was good & actually pretty big as house salads go, but the edamame was pretty flavorless (I like some salt on it). The green tea was super refreshing, though. My sushi rolls were great: the providence roll was delicious & the lost control roll was fresh and huge/super filling. I also really appreciated how pretty the rolls were displayed. The cons: the water was room temperature, the restaurant was really hot (temperature wise) & the service was meh. The server dropped off a plate of sushi with all the rolls and walked away when we asked him to explain what was what, so another server came over and explained it. But, overall, this is an awesome spot for causal, affordable sushi, and I heard it can be super fun & BYOB. Not the top of my favorite Providence restaurant's list, but certainly a great neighborhood spot! Also, tip: there's free parking in the back. read more

Sakura Restaurant - House salad and edamame - Japanese Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

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Loved them pre covid, during covid they've shut down their dining room and have window service. The wait can range anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour and 45 minutes. Super disorganized and it feels like they are always forgetting something. Would recommend calling in when you order and confirming the wait, I made the mistake of ordering online this time and really regret it read more

Delicious, consistent, I love this roll so much! I've been coming to Sakura for YEARS and they never miss a beat! read more

Sakura Restaurant - Samurai roll. This place never misses a beat! Been coming here for years their consistent and delicious - Japanese Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

Great sushi. Shitty service. Please train your staff to be friendly and polite!!!!!!! Service is horrible!!!!!! The staff snaps back. Makes you more want to support them. I've been coming here for years but the service lately has been really bad!! They are currently doing takeout only and not sure why. All other restaurants have opened back up for dine in. read more

Been eating there for years. Yesterday, Tuesday October 18, was the very first time I had a poor experience there. I craved something fried. I normally get sashimi or a combination sashimi/sushi. But I ordered seafood tempura. First off, I didn't recognize the staff. They were new and not particularly attentive. Usually I sit in the same location if available. Staff attempted to seat me and friend in empty room with 4 available tables after walking past 3 empty tables. I insisted on table of my choice where I could see the front door and anyone that came in, plus the staff. Right from the start, things weren't going right. Ordered #33 and friend ordered #32, seafood tempura and #32 vegetable tempura. Waitress said, " two vegetable tempura?" Uh. No. One vegetable, on seafood. " Any drinks? Yes. Water. After what seemed like a long wait with no utensils and no water, tempura arrives. Both looking the same. Mine, more vegetables than mixed seafood, couple of scallops, couple of fish, 3 shrimp, all covered in a thicker than expected thick coating of tempura as well numerous vegetables. Tasteless, thick batter. I was hungry and ate about half. Could not take anymore. Unusual for me. Thinking about never going back after so many years. Service poor. Meal poor. I will try one more time and only order my usual sashimi or combo, but if then no more! Saddens me greatly. I will stick to Wednesday's. Could have been the Tuesday staff and chef. read more

Fun little restaurant on Wickenden st Prov. Most tables are for 2 people. There are a few booths. You can eat on the porch, place where you first walk in, sit at the sushi bar, booths & tables scattered about. Fun Japanese menu with tasty fare you don't see at other Japanese restaurants. It was a great to eat favorites I enjoyed living in Japan. Takoyaki is out of this world!! Not too doughy & the octopus chunk is just the right size, so impressive. The restaurant was busy, with people waiting, line to sidewalk. There are 2 boats, 2-person boat, and 3-person boat full of sushi & sashimi with a couple maki rolls. Also ordered some favorites as sashimi, saba, tobiko, and amebi. This restaurant is also BYOB, yay!! 5 of us ate & were full for $150. Great time! Great food, pretty fresh, byob, well worth the wait for a table read more

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Fabulous sushi. Love the restaurant, ambience, super cozy. If you are a student sushi lover you will definitely like this place

Sakura always get high praise from my college buddies, and today I'm joining the club. Food is standard at best, but Friday night BYOB + sushi is never a regrettable move. Inside, it's packed, but cozy. They have two private rooms available for party reservations--I went for a friend's birthday and I had a blast. A classic member of the Wickenden posse, Sakura should belong to any townie's list of spontaneous dinner spots. read more

Sakura Restaurant - Bryan's birthday dinner. - Japanese Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

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LOVE our waitress tonight. Straightforward and sweet and to the point! I've been coming to this place for sushi since I was 12 years old asking my mom for money to go out with my friends. It's still such a great and affordable option for good sushi in providence. Now that I'm over 21 (and still going here!!!!) I can take advantage of their BYOB policy! It's only a $1 uncorking fee per person, which, after living in a city like San Francisco is frankly absolutely nothing and you should be grateful. The quality of the fish this time was really something else I was highly about the salmon sashimi the first week of July (now) keep up the good work guys!!! You rock! Don't ever change! read more

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Great sushi for the price. Each standard roll is about $4 or $5 (fancier rolls are more expensive), so you could get 4 rolls for about $25. Sushi is good, not spectacular, but definitely worth the price. Space is intimate (though can be a bit too small if you wind up sitting next to another group who is talking somewhat loudly... which can make for an awkward dinner spent trying to not ignore the loud conversation). Pretty quick service. read more

Sakura Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

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Great sushi! Extremely poor customer service. Hot tea is not hot. Waiters are not polite at all. I left 10%tip and the waiter harassed me, saying out loud that the tip had to be at least 15%. The guy was out of control speaking loud so other customers could hear him. The restaurant closes at 10pm, he came to the table next to ours at 9:40, saying g tgat they should finish their meal because they close at 10:00!!! What is that? Never going back again and for sure I'll spread the word. If I want their shushing again, for sure will only order take out. read more

This is probably one of the worst, overpriced Chinese restaurants in the area. Some say it's a Japanese restaurant, but the workers are Chinese. The waitress was rude, none of the workers get along with each other and fight amongst themselves making it an uncomfortable atmosphere. The food was extremely overpriced. Crab rangoons were smaller than a quarter a piece and for $5 for 5 pieces, that's ridiculous. The chicken teriyaki was very expensive because it just has white rice and one chicken breast glazed in sauce. Boyfriend got the sushi which was small and overpriced as well. Everything about this place is just a tourist trap and they charge 100% more than what you can make at home. read more

Great tasting sushi made with quality fish, very fresh ingredients, and not too much rice! Ordering takeout is easy, pick up has greatly improved and is also quite simple these days. read more

We went to Sakura's to have dinner among friends. Only place where you have a choice to sit at a table or sit on a mat with low rise tables. The fish was fresh and of good quality, with nice presentation! However, a few complaints: the sushi was warm (mostly from the rice), which is always a little strange. More importantly the service is okay at best! We were there until close to closing they dropped the bill on our table, and started at us awkwardly until we were finished eating. Then they cleared our food reaching over us and dumping leftovers on trays in front of us pretty invasively. At that point they had already changed clothes starting at us, pressuring us to leave. read more

Sakura Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

It's as good as supermarket sushi. Kinda pricey. I got a couple of appetizers and some rolls. It's not bad but it's not great either. There's no such thing as good sushi in RI but this place is one of the better ones read more

My favorite BYOB!!! Live the food and the service. Staff is always accommodating and the sushi ROCKS!

My favorite sushi of all time the owners are great the food is amazing I personally would recommend the Red Sox roll or the sashimi the atmosphere is great overall wonderful read more

I've only ever gotten the sweet potato tempura roll and the avocado roll and both are really good. My favorite is definitely the sweet potato tempura roll. My friends and family have tried other sushi rolls with seafood in it and they all liked the sushi here also. My favorite thing about this place is that they have a seating area in a different room where you can sit on the floor. It's pretty neat and makes for a unique experience. They also have the traditional tables and chairs if that isn't your thing. While the sushi is good, I had to take a couple of stars off for a few different reasons. Firstly, parking sucks. It's often hard to find parking in the area so you often have to park far away and have to walk a bit. Secondly, I had the iced tea here and it was the worse iced tea I've ever had. I'm convinced it's the powdered Lipton tea that they used to make it. It was way too sweet and just had a horrible taste. I took one sip and couldn't drink anymore. Lastly, the service here is meh. They are kind of slow even when it isn't busy. So if you are just looking to eat some good sushi and don't care about anything else, then this is your place ! read more

I was so disappointed with the service and ambience. I went there last night to celebrate my husband's birthday along with my 4-month-old son. It was quiet when we got there but soon after very loud group of women came and they were very ignorant and disrespectful to other customers. We couldn't here each other. And any sever came back to ask if we are okay with food or anything. We decided to stop eating there and pack the left of meal which we just started and go home. When I asked the server to wrap it up, he brought a disposable plastic box. So I wrapped it myself although I paid more than $50 for the dinner. In terms of the sushi and sashimi, I can have better fish at Sura in downtown or Lim's or Ranzan in Providence. I never go back this restaurant again. read more

Sakura Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

Pretty good sushi place, at least for PVD. There is a section with tables on the right side, and left side is more traditional, where you sit at a big table on the floor. I ordered the Chirashi dinner special (for lunch) and my boyfriend got a beef bento box (not the teriyaki one, but I forgot the name). The bento box came in an untraditional form, with four plates for gyoza, beef, Cali rolls, and rice. Everything was quite delish! I especially enjoyed the beef, which was juicy strips of beef rolled around fat scallion slices and slathered in teriyaki sauce. It was unexpected but yummy! The California rolls also surprised me, as they were very fresh tasting and filled with a generous amount of roe. The chirashi bowl is a good deal for the price, and the fish is decent if not spectacular. Both meals also came with miso soup and salad topped with that amazing Japanese dressing. The chirashi special also comes with dessert, but you have to remember to ask for it...they usually give you the bill before asking about dessert. It's a bit sketch, but whatever. Just make sure to request your ice cream scoop! There aren't many sushi places in PVD, so I still come here pretty often for my sushi fix. read more

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If you want to get served, don't come on a weekend night. Seriously, go anywhere else but here. I'm willing to revise my rating when I decide to come back, because I've heard such great things, but I'm being generous with two stars as it is, based on our experience. We went on a Friday night and brought our friend out for his birthday here because it's his favorite place. The half an hour wait wasn't bad except for being terribly organized and having the hostess seat whomever she wanted whenever she wanted, When we finally got a table, we literally waited 45 minutes just to get glasses so that we could open our bottle of wine. This was after hollering down three separate waitstaff who told us they'd bring us some. Finally it was a busboy who came through. It took another 20 minutes to get someone to take our order. That's over an hour just to order. If it wasn't our friends birthday we would have left much earlier. We saw many of the parties ahead of us get seated and then walk out soon after. As for the food... you get a good amount with a meal. I got the teriyaki chicken and it came with an appetizer, soup and salad. I really enjoyed the ginger dressing, and the miso was probably one of the better I've had. By the time the chicken came, I was full. The chicken was just OK but the noodles were very good. We were also supposed to get dessert that came with our meal, but the waitress just dropped off the check and left. Considering how our evening went, we just wanted to get out of there anyway. If I was into sushi, I probably would have been impressed. We were seated right in front of the sushi station and it was pretty neat to watch them put all the boats together. In general I would say I'd never come back here, but the reviews are too good. I'll come back on a weeknight and give them another try. read more

Sakura Restaurant - Chicken tempura - Japanese Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

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I come here for the sushi. Not the ambiance. Not the service. Sakura is a cramped little restaurant with an uncomfortable layout. You'll either be sitting right in front of the door or in a smaller room packed with loud talkers. Don't let this get to you. Sakura is a great little spot to get consistently good rolls quickly. Not too expensive; not overly complicated. Convenient if you can find parking on Wickenden. read more

Sakura is very overrated. I had a wonderful time hanging out here with old friends, and the atmosphere was cozy, but I really cannot rate this restaurant very highly. The sushi was just not that good. The "I Love You" and "American Dream" rolls were decent. The lobster was good and not more expensive than other rolls - this surprised me! But the rolls with lobster had enough random crap in them to make it meaningless what sort of quality they were. With less room to disguise crappy ingredients, the hamachi (yellowtail) roll fell very flat. It did not taste right at all. I am no expert on seafood at all, but it did not taste fresh. There are much better sushi places in Providence, and I'd encourage you to try those first. :) read more

I want to like Sakura but there sushi generally disappoints. I realize when it comes to sushi, I'm a bit picky. I want fresh, fresh, fresh. I stay away from any fish-based sushi here and stick with either veggie rolls or teriyaki. As other reviews have said, the teriyaki is okay but definitely not mind blowing. Also, the rice on the rolls is okay but really not as good as other places in the area. Other tidbits: The service here is neither bad nor good. They recently added bubble tea to the menu. There is a $0.75 charge for BYOB. There is plenty of seating. Parking can be a bit trickier on the weekends. read more

Sakura Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

Let me just start off by saying that the service at Sakura is probably some of the worst I've ever experienced. They will ask you how many people are with you and give you a "guesstimate" of how long it will be until you can sit. They told me 25 minutes, but it was more around 40 minutes. If you don't get their attention and remind them you're waiting they won't generally check on until there is a table open. However, don't let this service steer you away from eating here because it is the best sushi I've ever had. I have eaten at a good amount of sushi restaurants, but Sakura is the best. On my visit I ordered a good amount of sushi ranging from the "Lost Control" roll, which is unreal and is a must have to the casual and simple California roll. However, Sakura has the best California roll because they use real crab meat as well as fish eggs on their rolls. The rolls are also rolled with sesame seeds, which overall increase the quality of the white rice rolls. I also got a octopus roll which I got just to try, but it was very chewy and i was not feeling it. But I'm all about living life on the edge and being spontaneous, so I tried it. In addition, I had the dragon Maki which is out of this world and is a must have! As well as the Spicy Lobster, but this roll I feel is aimed more towards those who love lobster. My girlfriend and I also got the spicy salmon and spicy runs sandwich, which is delicious. Also as a tip cut it into eight pieces for each sandwich. The sandwiches are very similar to sushi rolls, and I highly suggest getting them because they are very flavorful. Also, I would wait for the room where you sit on the ground, (don't forget to take your shoes off!), in order to get the full cultural experience. There is very limited seating and it isn't the place to bring a group, but it is a great place to eat. Furthermore, it is BYOB, or bring your own beer, and this is a great addition to Sakura. It allows you to grab a great six pack or a bottle of wine along with your outstanding sushi! I would recommend Sakura 10/10 times to anyone who was looking for a great place for authentic Japanese cuisine and sushi. read more

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We went one cold winter's day for lunch. Well, inside the restaurant was cold too, as the heat was not working. I was moved to another area in the restaurant which did have heat and was given complimentary soup & hot tea to make up for the lack-of-heat initially. The lunch specials are pretty good here and it is BYOB, so those are pluses. read more

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So let's start with the miso soup. Tofu chunks are a nice size and it's actually really delicious and better than most I've had. (And I am a Japanese/sushi lover) The seaweed salad, well, it's hard to mess that up and it of course is a good addition to my meal. I ordered the C11 (King Crab roll) sushi with no eel (because the first and LAST time I ate eel, the taste lingered in my mouth for an hour after until I went home and brushed, flossed and mouthwashed it out) and the C15 (can't remember the name) but it tastes delish! As far as the service goes, I have nothing to complain about. They asked me twice each time I ordered if they understood and had it correct which I appreciate as someone who loves food done correctly (as does everyone) and they had a smile on their face. I'm easy going so it didn't bother me that they are naturally fast paced but they let you eat in peace and know when to clear the table and give you the bill. I give it 5 stars for its awesome intimate small scene. And it's awesome sushi!!! read more

Sakura Restaurant - YUM!!! - Japanese Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island