Foods from Sawa Sushi
Comments
2014 Aug 9
I went here today with my toddler daughter. She loved the ginger, miso, ginger, shrimp (tempura and plain), soft tofu, rice, ginger and beans. Did I mention she loved the pickled ginger?
The rest of us enjoyed their well prepared tempura (yam, shrimp, veggie -- all crispy, warm and cooked), dragon rolls (green, red, black), red tuna sushi, salmon sushi and sashimi, and misc others.
A downside was that the patio was abandoned -- there was even a birds nest on a speaker when I did an after dinner walk out there.
They have a 10% cash discount (cash cash, not debit), and where not all that busy on a saturday night: I hope they aren't closing down, as the food and service where both above par.
The rest of us enjoyed their well prepared tempura (yam, shrimp, veggie -- all crispy, warm and cooked), dragon rolls (green, red, black), red tuna sushi, salmon sushi and sashimi, and misc others.
A downside was that the patio was abandoned -- there was even a birds nest on a speaker when I did an after dinner walk out there.
They have a 10% cash discount (cash cash, not debit), and where not all that busy on a saturday night: I hope they aren't closing down, as the food and service where both above par.
2014 Jan 23
I live close to Merivale and it is full of AYCE restaurants, but Sawa is worth the trip to Orleans! I went upon the recommendation of my nail technician and I'm so glad I did.
The seafood and nori were fresh, the servers attentive, and we received everything that we ordered (we kept track and crossed items off as they were served).
Drinks were offered as soon as we were seated, and the servers paced the food delivery well. My only complaint is that I couldn't eat more! The photo is a sampling. We also enjoyed the variety and style of plates - it made the sushi table tetris a lot easier :)
The seafood and nori were fresh, the servers attentive, and we received everything that we ordered (we kept track and crossed items off as they were served).
Drinks were offered as soon as we were seated, and the servers paced the food delivery well. My only complaint is that I couldn't eat more! The photo is a sampling. We also enjoyed the variety and style of plates - it made the sushi table tetris a lot easier :)
2013 Feb 15
Typically you don't want your soft shell crab tasting "fishy" nor for the shell to be actually "soft", especially if it's tempura (which it typically is in a sushi roll).
Might be an indication that it was either thawed improperly or it was just under cooked.
The taste should be delicate, and a bit "sweet". Not nearly so much as regular crab meat though.
As for the shell, I don't find it has its own flavor or anything but it should have a slight crunch to it if cooked properly.
IMO it's the unique texture of the shell when pan/deep fried that makes them special.
No comment on the deep fried ice cream...
Might be an indication that it was either thawed improperly or it was just under cooked.
The taste should be delicate, and a bit "sweet". Not nearly so much as regular crab meat though.
As for the shell, I don't find it has its own flavor or anything but it should have a slight crunch to it if cooked properly.
IMO it's the unique texture of the shell when pan/deep fried that makes them special.
No comment on the deep fried ice cream...
2013 Feb 13
We used our Groupon on a Sunday evening with a reservation but the restaurant was about half empty. We had two apetizers: soft shell crab and edamamae. The crab tasted very fishy but the shell was soft. I don't know, I've never had it elsewhere so I can't compare. The edamamame was decent but only had salt, no sesame oil.
I can't remember the four rolls we had but here is a picture! As you can see, the presentation was lovely. The rolls all tasted fresh and the fillings weren't skimpy.
I can't remember the four rolls we had but here is a picture! As you can see, the presentation was lovely. The rolls all tasted fresh and the fillings weren't skimpy.
2013 Jan 12
Had picked up a Groupon for Sawa Sushi (dinner for two), and finally had a chance to use it on Dec 15t. We dropped by around 4:30pm, early enough that there was only a few other diners and a small party of people in the restaurant.
Overall, we were very impressed with the meal. Service was excellent, food was fresh, and came in short order. Beef Enoki was one of our two starters - both of us agreed this was very nice. Sauce wasn't overpowering, and the beef was not at all tough. That was followed up with Gindara, black cod ... again, fresh & tasty. Next up were rolls; we had ordered Hidden Dragon, Oz, Lobster Tail and Kabuki. All were excellent!
My only real issue is that we aren't located out in Orleans, so it's a bit of a hike for us to get out here. Then again, 20 minutes isn't a terrible distance to drive. Then again, if you can co-ordinate dinner with a flick at the Mayfair, it balances itself out quite nicely!
Overall, we were very impressed with the meal. Service was excellent, food was fresh, and came in short order. Beef Enoki was one of our two starters - both of us agreed this was very nice. Sauce wasn't overpowering, and the beef was not at all tough. That was followed up with Gindara, black cod ... again, fresh & tasty. Next up were rolls; we had ordered Hidden Dragon, Oz, Lobster Tail and Kabuki. All were excellent!
My only real issue is that we aren't located out in Orleans, so it's a bit of a hike for us to get out here. Then again, 20 minutes isn't a terrible distance to drive. Then again, if you can co-ordinate dinner with a flick at the Mayfair, it balances itself out quite nicely!
2012 Dec 31
Went to Sawa Sushi for an early lunch (11:30 am) on a Sunday. We were the only guests there. Service was quite attentive and quick as expected. We were seated immediately, plates were cleared right away. Ordering was a breeze too. I am pregnant so it was nice that the menu listed the raw items. It made the ordering process a little easier for me. The sushi rice was warm and that is understandable considering it was 11:30 am. However if the restaurant opens that early for lunch the onus is on them to maintain quality and consistency. The General Tso - the flavor and sauce were good. However the chicken itself was tough and chewy. Overall it was a nice experience and it satisfied my craving. I am hesitant to go for an early lunch again as the warm rice was a real turn-off.
2012 Dec 2
After reading the post here my brother and I decide to give Sawa sushi a try. Well we have to say it's much better than other AYCE places. They have many special rolls that other places will not offer in AYCE level. My brother and I especially enjoyed the Mango roll with real mango slices on top. They use more ingredients than other places that I've been to and I hope they continue to do so!
We also enjoyed the Sapporo beer they had on tap that taste much better than the bottle form other sushi restaurant offers.
All in all we enjoyed our All You Can Enjoy dinner as they call it here.
Like the cozy atmosphere and friendly staff.
Would recommend Sawa sushi to others.
PS: Can't seem to add a picture here to share with everyone.
We also enjoyed the Sapporo beer they had on tap that taste much better than the bottle form other sushi restaurant offers.
All in all we enjoyed our All You Can Enjoy dinner as they call it here.
Like the cozy atmosphere and friendly staff.
Would recommend Sawa sushi to others.
PS: Can't seem to add a picture here to share with everyone.
Older
2012 Sep 10
That's weird.
I went on Aug21st, and they didn't have anything on tap. well they had one, I can't remember, but it definately wasn't Saporo or Magners, since I am a big fan of both. I also have not seen Magners on tap anywhere so I also wanted to try it, but they didn't have it...
Were they lying to me? :(
I went on Aug21st, and they didn't have anything on tap. well they had one, I can't remember, but it definately wasn't Saporo or Magners, since I am a big fan of both. I also have not seen Magners on tap anywhere so I also wanted to try it, but they didn't have it...
Were they lying to me? :(
2012 Aug 22
Having tried many of the popular ayce sushi places around the city, I can unreservedly say this is the best I've seen. The restaurant is clean and comfortable, the staff are attentive and eager to please, and--most importantly--the food was consistently executed very well. The selection is above average compared with other ayce places, but the freshness and taste is on par with even the finer traditional/'proper' sushi restaurants around. In fact, the salmon sashimi--a benchmark we use among all sushi restaurants--was the best we've tasted this side of the Rockies. Furthermore, the fried items--another benchmark we use to compare ayce establishments in particular--were properly cooked: the tempura was perfectly light and crunchy without a hint of excess oil, and the sushi pizza sported a crunchy crust with unspoiled rice inside. (Any restaurant can deep-fry something, but it takes skill and discipline to use good, clean oil at the right temperature--it shows at Sawa.)
Another pleasant surprise was the bar. In addition to the usual beers, on draught included Sapporo, Hop City, and Magners cider. (The Magners got me particularly excited because it's hard to find it on draught around here.) After supper, the owner, Jack, invited us to sample some of the beers we hadn't tried before. He had a good chat with us, and he seems like an earnest guy who's working hard to deliver a quality product.
In its early days, Sawa already has the marks of top-quality. If it can maintain this momentum, it will arguably be one of the top dining destinations in Orleans. If you have a taste for sushi, and even swear by another restaurant, it's worth your time to try this place out.
Another pleasant surprise was the bar. In addition to the usual beers, on draught included Sapporo, Hop City, and Magners cider. (The Magners got me particularly excited because it's hard to find it on draught around here.) After supper, the owner, Jack, invited us to sample some of the beers we hadn't tried before. He had a good chat with us, and he seems like an earnest guy who's working hard to deliver a quality product.
In its early days, Sawa already has the marks of top-quality. If it can maintain this momentum, it will arguably be one of the top dining destinations in Orleans. If you have a taste for sushi, and even swear by another restaurant, it's worth your time to try this place out.
d00n