Quirky Cuisine at Sakura 2

    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 sit right at eye-level with the customers as they sit down.  Behind them, the sushi chefs are hard at work preparing the sushi with style and flair.  The artistry of making each dish was quite remarkable, as the shape of the plates, and the color and order of the food all played equally important parts. 
    Brought out on a dish in the shape of a fan was the appetizer of four spicy tuna poppers; an odd but intriguing mix of Mexican and Japanese cuisine.  Spicy tuna and cream cheese lightly fried with spicy mayo and eel sauce, all stuffed in a small jalapeño.  Aptly named, these poppers were easily eaten in two bites and the cool cream cheese and tuna were a nice compliment to the jalapeño with a spicy kick.  If the poppers had not been fried, the dish would have been slimy and hard to eat, but the fried texture of the poppers settled the dish and provided a tasty crunch.

Spicy Tuna Poppers

     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 was not the case, as the chic combination of black, brown and beige colors of the restaurant make one feel like they are in a restaurant you might find in downtown Kalamazoo instead of the Target plaza.  The restaurant is divided into two large sections: the hibachi section and sushi section.  The hibachi section contained 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.

Sakura Roll

Sakura rolls made a single-file line on a long, rectangular plate.  They were accompanied on the plate with the order of vegas rolls.  The sakura rolls were comprised of shrimp tempura, cream cheese, crab stick, avocado, cucumber and tobiko wrapped in soy bean paper with eel sauce and spicy mayo.  A sweet rather than spicy taste of the eel sauce and “spicy” mayo covered the sushi.  The light pink soy bean paper wrapped around each piece of sushi in a pretty presentation, but did not add much to the taste of the sushi.  The soft consistency of the sushi was paired nicely with a crunchy bite of fried shrimp inside each roll.  The most powerful tastes of the dish were the sauce that covered it and the shrimp.  The rest of the ingredients in the sakura roll complimented each other nicely, but left me longing for a bit more of a pop to the dish.

Like many of the names of the sushi options on the menu, the name of the vegas roll did not 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.

Vegas Roll

     The sushi chefs personally presented the completed dishes over the counter to the customers at the bar.  Their precision and artistic flair was accompanied by intermittent speech to each other in Japanese.  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 waning 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. 
     Boasting an extensive menu of more than 30 choices of just sushi rolls, a sushi newcomer may be scared of the prospect of deciding what to order.  No need to worry though, as each sushi selection was 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, these names were the only thing more quirky than some of the ingredients in the selections.         
    The entire meal cost about $30 before tip, so Sakura 2 is definitely a restaurant that is in the price range and style of college students looking for a night of food that is easily shareable and within their budget.  Appetizers range from $5 to $10 and entrees vary from $9 to $15.  The hours are very flexible as well, open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner. 
    The stylish decor, the friendly and attentive staff, and great deal of sushi options make Sakura 2 a nice option for college students.  While the sushi is not top-notch, you pay for what you receive at Sakura 2, and the quality, variety and taste of the sushi will leave customers willing to come back for more.