As the hostess led the way to the sushi bar, two sushi chefs stood behind a glass case that displayed the colorful ingredients that would comprise the ingredients for that evening. Octopus tentacles, tuna, salmon, shrimp, crab and other raw foods are at eye-level with the customers as they sit down. Behind them, the sushi chefs were hard at work preparing the sushi with style and flair. The artistry of making each dish is quite remarkable, as the shape of the plates, and the color and order of the food all play equally important parts.
Set on a plate in the shape of a fan came the first dish of four spicy tuna poppers; an odd but intriguing mix of Mexican and Japanese cuisine. Spicy tuna and cream cheese are stuffed in a small jalapeño, which is lightly fried and sprinkled with spicy mayo and eel sauce. Aptly named, these poppers are easily eaten in two bites and the cool cream cheese and tuna nicely complement the jalapeño to deliver a spicy kick. If the poppers weren’t fried, the dish would be slimy and hard to eat, but the fried texture of the poppers settle the dish and provided a tasty crunch.
This is Sakura 2, Hibachi Grill & Sushi Bar, located on Westnedge Avenue in Portage. Stuck in a typical suburban plaza next to a Target, video game store, and crafts store, one would probably expect the decor of the restaurant to be cheap and funky. This is not the case, as the chic combination of a black, brown and beige interior decor of the restaurant make it feel like one you might find in downtown Kalamazoo instead of nestled in the Target plaza. The restaurant is divided into two large sections: the hibachi section and sushi section. The hibachi section contains many open grills with seats around the grills for the performance-style cooking of hibachi. On the opposite side of the wall sits the sushi section of the restaurant. A black granite counter-top ruins along the wall and square tables run the length of the room. In the back of the restaurant is the kitchen and next to it sits the sushi bar.
A long, rectangular plate sits on the sushi bar with two single-file lines of Sakura rolls and Vegas rolls. The Sakura rolls are comprised of shrimp tempura, cream cheese, crab stick, avocado, cucumber and tobiko (flying fish roe) wrapped in soy bean paper with eel sauce and spicy mayo. The mayo is not spicy as advertised, but provides a pleasant, sweet quality. The light pink soy bean paper wrapped around each piece of sushi makes for a pretty presentation, but doesn’t add much to the taste of the sushi. The soft consistency of the sushi pairs nicely with a crunchy bite of fried shrimp inside each roll, but it is bland overall. The sauce packs a nice punch, but the rest of the dish fails to deliver.
Like many of the names of the sushi options on the menu, the name of the Vegas roll doesn’t make much sense. Covered in the same tasty sauce as the sakura roll, the salmon, cream cheese, mozzarella cheese and avocado fried in tempura made the vegas roll an excellent choice. While these ingredients may seem rather unconventional for a sushi recipe, these zany choices like mozzarella cheese and avocado resulted in a great sushi roll. However, akin to the sakura roll, the sauce combination covering the rolls lacked the spicy kick that it advertised.
The sushi chefs personally present the completed dishes over the counter to the customers at the bar. Their precision and artistic flair is accompanied by intermittent speech to each other in Japanese. On one particular night, a middle-aged couple sat at the bar, trying to drum up some conversation with the chefs, asking what the names for certain ingredients were in Japanese. The chefs gladly obliged and answered what they could. The waitress was always there to fill up depleted water glasses and oohs and aahs could be heard from the audience sitting in the hibachi section quite frequently. These sounds were much more welcome than the cheesy piano music playing through the speakers that seemed to belong on an episode of Days of Our Lives.
Upon first glance, a sushi newcomer may be intimidated by the jam-packed menu. No need to worry though; each of the 30 sushi selections on the menu are accompanied by a picture of the dish and a full description, leaving no room for misinterpretation. Sakura 2 also caters to the adventurous, as courses of tuna, eel, sea urchin and salmon roe appear on the menu. Traditional ingredients combined with the infusion of ingredients like mozzarella cheese, cream cheese and avocado added flair to this seemingly Midwestern-style sushi. From the Yummy Yummy Roll to the Playboy Roll to the Rock’N Roll, the names are the only thing more quirky than some of the ingredients in the selections.
A meal for two consisting of a shared appetizer, two entrees and drinks costs about $30 before tip, so Sakura 2 can be a restaurant that is in the price range and style of college students looking for a night of easily shareable food within their budget. Appetizers range from $5 to $10 and entrees vary from $9 to $15. The hours are very flexible as well; they’re open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner.
If one is looking for prime sushi, Sakura 2 is probably not the place where you will find it. You will find decent sushi often presented in new and interesting ways, like with the Vegas rolls and the spicy tuna poppers. You pay for what you receive at Sakura 2, and the quality of the often zany sushi selections will leave customers willing to come back for more.
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