Sakana Sushi Bar & Japanese Cuisine

Typical average sushi restaurant. Was greeted by the owner upon walking in. She’s very friendly and proceeded to tell us her ginger is fresh ginger that has a 3-​month shelf life instead of the ginger many of her competitors use which has a shelf life of over a year due to the preservatives. Also informed us that the only thing that has any trace of MSG is the Kibo Mayo (spelling ?).
Loved that we were greeted with free edamame. We weren’t super hungry so ordered two rolls.
One roll was a special roll so I can’t locate the name of it on the menu but maybe it was called the firecracker roll? Tuna and avocado wrapped with rice, rolled in some crunchy stuff, drizzled in sweet sauce with a dab of Sriracha. Really enjoyed this roll.
Second roll we tried was the Sakana Roll — Spicy tuna crunch, cucumber topped with escolar, avocado, cilantro, tobiko, green onion and sakana sauce. Not my favorite. The escolar on top was a a bit warm for my liking.

3 stars for service, especially during lunch time. Party of 2: 20 min to be seated.
I am not impressed by their rolls either. They seem un fresh and I have had «hard rice» rolls before and believe me they aren’t the best: x
For the same price range and few min away, I usually pick Tepanyaki Jordan’s landing.

So good!!! We had a big party and they did such a great job and the sushi was amazing!

Good sushi, the sunset roll was my absolute favorite! I loved the lemon on top.

It’s been several years since my last post on Sakana and I went there again last night so I just wanted to point out that this is our go to place for sushi here in Utah. It’s fresh, it’s quick and we just really LOVE everything about this place. The owner is amazing and she runs a fantastic place! Last night we tried the Sakana Steak as an entrée and that meat just melts in your mouth. it’s really REALLY great. Some of our favorite rolls are: Playboy, Mars, Vegas, Hottie and Sunrise. Really you just can’t go wrong! We tried some mochi icecream it’s a wonderful and refreshing dessert. Stop in and try this place. you will enjoy it! Remember Monday and Tuesday you buy 2 rolls get the 3^rd for free! (makes it around $ 8 a roll… not bad!) Their lunch deals are also fantastic!!! Thanks Sakana!!!

Every time we go we love it! They never fail to give great service! The General Managers are always out on the floor helping the staff. I love this place! Food is always good! Has a great menu for children as well! My soon loves the noodles and they also give a side of fruit which my son devours. He can be a picky eater sometimes which makes me happy to see my 2 year old eat everything on the plate! One of my favorite places to go!

I love this place, especially the lunch special of $ 7.99. The sushi taste very good and service was fast and very friendly. Also the owner is really nice and takes the time to converse. Another plus is they close from a certain time till dinner because they are out picking up another load of FRESH fish!

I’ve been here a few times now and have always left happy. My last visit was for Valentine’s Day with my husband and son. My son is five and the waitress brought a clip for the end of his chop sticks. He was such a happy boy to be able to use chop sticks like mommy and daddy!
I love that they bring out complimentary edamame every time. They have a lot of good rolls but I’ll highlight my favorite as the Rockin-​Roll. On top of that they have good options on the sake. Most places have just plum wine to mix with your sake. They have several different options including raspberry which was really yummy.
This place has a nice friendly atmosphere and we’ll be back.

This is our family go to spot for a delicious meal.
The sushi is good, the bent box is a favorite. The lunch and dinner specials are priced well.
The part that makes this a favorite us the kids menu. My picky eaters look forward to the noodles and shrimp.

I really enjoy this place! Service is good and quick. Food is good and reasonably priced, especially with the lunch and dinner happy hour specials – I have had no bad experiences! They give complimentary edamame here, but charge $ 1.95 for miso soup!
Miso Soup ($ 1.95): The portion is large, but taste is mediocre. I wasn’t a fan and hardly touched my soup.
Baked green mussels ($ 7.99 for 4 ct) are good! It’s a bit different from the ones I’ve had at other places (whole or chopped into 4 pieces). They mince up the mussels, pour dynamite sauce on and broil it high! It comes served hot, saucy, and savory!
Monkey Brains ($ 4.95): this is a mushroom stuffed with spicy tuna and battered and fried tempura-​style and sliced into fours. It is what it is and if you like the ingredients, it’s worth a try!
Fresh Roll ($ 11.25): I used to love this roll, but they’ve changed things up a bit the last time I tried it (not sure if it was just to see if I’d like the change or if it’s actually permanent). They reduced the variety of fish and topped it with eggs. The new flavor combination was disappointing. You can see the before vs after on the photos I’ve uploaded (the original version is labeled original).
Awesome Roll ($ 12.95): This roll was good! It had a good variety of fish and was pretty filling!
Marz Roll ($ 12.75): shrimp tempura roll with tuna on top. It’s pretty good!
Sunset Roll: This is a California roll topped with fish. It was really tasty, and I remember this being Angie’s favorite!
Sakana Roll: This roll is pretty good, but nothing that’s too memorable.
Tip 1: Monday and Tuesday happy hour is buy 2 rolls, get 1 free with purchase of an appetizer or 2 drinks!
Tip 2: Lunch special is $ 7.99 for any roll!

For an after work stress reliever this is a good go to spot. Their menu is reasonably priced and I hVe never eaten sushi or fish here that I questioned the freshness. Their service is a little slow sometimes but I also tend to sit at the bar a lot. So if I need another drink I almost assume the wait staff thinks I will tell the sushi chefs. As always sushi here is better in house than To go. The manager always walks around and tries to talk to each and every customer. It’s a great place for a nice relaxing dinner. They also have menu items that are not sushi. My dad dislikes sushi but can’t get enough of their steak!

Why do we travel the valley, going through sushi house after sushi house, even if they don’t seem, on the surface to have a ton of potential… other than liking that type of food, that is? Because there may be somewhere, somehow, sometime, another Ginza… maybe not another Ginza, but another place like Ginza, which is that thing ever-​popular to seek among Unilocaler, that quintessential so-​called «hole in the wall» place, not much to look at, but dynamite food inside…
This is yet another entry on this increasingly long list that ain’t it. Inside, we have a very modern, very eclectic, perhaps eccentric interior that is a pretty enjoyable space. Table positioning is kind of crappy unless you’re a smaller person, but that’s relatively minor. The place never quite filled up to unmanageable when I was there, but even at 50% or so capacity, service drags heavily.
Rolls are mostly combinations, so lots of sauces… lots and lots of sauces. Green tea was excellent, but most of this was average to good. Nothing was really standout-​ish, but the fish seemed pretty fresh and the calamari was cooked pretty well. The breading was a bit clunky and greasy, but I’ve had worse. In fact, that may be the strongest parting thought I have about this place… I’ve had worse. Conversely, I’ve also had a lot better. If you’re in this area, though, not a ton of options and this one is a pretty solid one, considering your alternative is to drive across town…
This place has also caused me to create a new Salt Lake City Area Sushi Revelation, which is going away from downtown, in any direction, but especially South and West, will get you into iffy sushi propositions.

They were running a special when I went earlier this week: buy 2 rolls and 2 drinks and get a third roll free. So we got the Jordan, Awesome, and Hawaii roll. I can’t remember which was which but I really liked all of them.
If you’re looking for something pretty unique, my friend ordered a roll with strawberries in/​on it. I can’t remember what it was called but it tasted like some kind of dessert roll (if there is such a thing) and was fun to try.

I normally come here for their sushi. It was great. Three things I have to say:
1. Customer service SUCKS. Waitress and host is very rude. I called over Valentine’s Day weekend for a take out order, the hostess simply said, «we are so busy and not accepting take out orders!» Okay, so you’re refusing my business?!
2. Unprofessional staff laughing and giggling when the customers are trying to enjoy their meals. Did I say service sucked? Wait times for food was longer and forget your drinks.
3. The hours suck! Open for lunch then closed… Open for dinner… What kinda of busy are you running?!
To the owners/​managers/​staff: I would never return ever nor I would recommend anyone to your restaurant. Care about your customers a little bit, because we are the ones who keeps you in business.

The rolls are great and variety is nice but wait time is long expect to wait 15 – 20 minutes for even just one roll

I live very close to this place and I couldn’t be more happy to have excellent Sushi so close right here in West Jordan.
I’ve been going to Sakana since they opened. The woman who owns it used to be there every time. The last time I saw her we asked how it was going and she basically said she was warn out. Haven’t seen her since. But, fortunately, it continues to deliver good quality food pretty consistently.
Obviously we’re in Utah and there isn’t an Ocean nearby. So, don’t expect world class quality fish. That said the fish is good. I almost always get a few pieces of Maguro Nigiri and it’s is delicious.
The one must order sushi roll for my family is the G2 roll. It’s got a little lemon and chopped garlic on top and is just bursting with flavor. My wife now makes my son and I wait to order it until we’ve had a few other rolls because she says the strong flavors interfere with the delicate flavors of our other rolls. She’s smart like that, and right.
When they were new they had some serious consistency issues. I think the head sushi chef was a problem. He seemed angry a lot of the time. Once he wasn’t there anymore Sakana became very consistent and generally better. Of course with sushi you can’t do anything to make mediocre fish better than it is and I imagine it is challenging in Utah to always have quality fish for your standard menu items so I understand why at times there is a little variation. But it is small and it is never flat out bad fish.
We are lucky to have such an amazing sushi place out here on the west side of the valley.

Love this place! Go here about once a week with my father. They are not to pricy and taste great! Good and friendly staff, which is always a plus!

Service has gone way down, the last time I went the hostess was laughing and joking around with a server while she saw that’ll my party waiting there she eventually made her way up to the front and continued laughing and then eventually calmed down and asked if we’d like to be seated? The severs were all looking around as if they didn’t know what to do so I just got up and left before ordering considering I lost my appetite for sushi.
Other than the new poo customer service, the food is great.

I came here for lunch. Food is decent but the menu is limited. Lots of great sushi of course. I wish they had some better entrée options.
Check out their lunch specials for the best value if you come by yourself.

Decided to give it a try on a last minute suggestion. Wandered in on a Friday night, got seated immediately. The waitress took our order and that was the last we saw of her for about 45 minutes. When she did finally bring our food, I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of the food. I think it could be a great little spot in a prime location if they can address their service issues.

I love the food the sushi is good, and their entrée are delightful. It’s enough to keep you full, and to the point where you don’t need to order more. The service however, is AWFUL. There are many times that we waited 15 minutes to be given menus or even given water. This time around we went rather a little earlier than usually it was around 5 or 6pm. We sat right in the middle where each server could see us, we were the only ones sitting in the tables. We waited about 30 minutes and we were not looked at, served, or even given menus. Many of the waitresses just sat and looked at us. Yes, maybe our table isn’t the one you are in charge of, but you can at least give us menus. We waited for about 30 minutes and left. I wouldn’t recommend this place to a friend or family member.

Like some other reviewers, I have had some issues with service at this establishment. My most recent visit was with a group of 10, but we all arrived at different times. When I got there, I told the hostess I was part of a birthday dinner and gave her the name of the birthday girl and she said, «Um, so do you want to just look around for her?» That’s kind of awkward, since the hostess is in charge of seating, but the restaurant isn’t too big so I spotted the group easy enough. Once seated, no one came by to provide water or take drink orders until I flagged someone down after 15 minutes. Other than these issues, the sushi I had was great. The quality of fish was good, and the rolls were pretty creative. I enjoyed everything I tried. Sakana is the place to go for sushi in this area of the valley.

Love this place!!! I always have an order of sashimi which is always fresh and leaves me wanting more. This last time I ordered a spicy chefs choice and it did not disappoint! The server asked me a few basic questions: What fish do you like? Spicy or not? and then she had the chef come up with the roll… no name. It had salmon, super thin sliced lemon and jalapenos! This roll knocked my socks off! This is always a stop of mine when in W. Jordan!

Sakana is like any other typical sushi restaurant except it is a bit more on the expensive side. When ordering you receive a small dish of edamame to begin your meal. I ordered 2 rolls along with some Green Tea. The rolls were prepared nicely and were tasty. The tea on the other hand tasted nothing like Green Tea. I would definitely recommend avoiding that.

Everything at this place is good!!! We have been several times and we always order different items and they are always good!!! When you go in don’t be scared to order several different kinds of rolls and even appies!!! Definitely a plus if you’re in a large group or if you’re just a couple try sitting at the sushi bar… Service is alway great and they have a full bar and great wines!!!

*Food is amazing
*Service is awesome
We come here every date night it’s such a nice atmosphere and the few times we have brought our kids the servers have been very accommodating. Best Sushi restaurant I have been to in a while!

I really feel annoyed that others characterize this as an «authentic» Sushi Bar, or even as an authentic Japanese restaurant. I AM part-​Japanese, and well-​versed in authentic Japanese food. My grandmother was a waitress who cooked customers’ food at their table for decades at another restaurant. And, I actually lived in Japan for a few years.
* The noodles used in their yakisoba have got to be standard, supermarket pasta noodles. It wasn’t horrible, but the lack of decent ingredients was disappointing. Especially, for the price. Yakisoba is comfort-​food for me, and I feel better getting something from a Sarku, Edo Japan, or some other place in the food courts of the local malls. Not kidding. I like their stuff better. And it’s way cheaper.
* Their menu is fairly limited, aside from sushi, but since they advertise themselves as a sushi bar, I guess I can’t hold that against them. What they make is «okay», but not impressive at all, for the price. It’s easier to make better stuff at home. And I do. You can too.
* The sushi menu has multiple items which include tomato, jalapeños, cilantro, and escolar. Seems like ¹⁄₃ to ½ of the items. NOT AUTHENTIC. I’m willing to give room for creativity and artistry, but it seems they are going for some kind of Japa-​Mex fusion. Sorry, not interested!
* They serve Escolar. (aka, the «Ex-​Lax fish») It has been *banned in Japan* (wait, was that an 80s song?) for consumption by humans. So, once again, this is NOT authentic. It can taste nice, and have a nice texture. However? Consuming even moderate amounts of it pretty much guarantee you will have orange, explosive diarrhea the next day. This can lead to life-​threatening conditions in some cases. It has been judged to pose a true health-​risk to diners, leading to its ban. (The American FDA, however, fails next to many other nations’ own food-​safety institutions, and allows Escolar, along with other dangerous things)
So, no. Not authentic. If it tasted really nice, I might overlook that. But their food seemed prepared with the same «meh» attitude you would expect at a fast-​food burger joint. Only, you are paying more than you would from a fast-​food establishment.
—
If you want the most delicious sushi in the valley? Go to Takashi in the city, on Market Street. They do have some creativity, but everything is delicious. If anything is wrong, they are sure to fix it! (One small faux pas led to an impressive gift certificate from the owner. I was blown away) And Takashi makes a MEAN bowl of udon!
If you want good, authentic Japanese food overall? I recommend two places:
* Suehiro, in Sandy. You won’t be disappointed. Though it was taken over by new management in the last couple of years, I haven’t yet heard of, or experienced, a reduction in quality.
* Kyoto, in Sugarhouse. (about 11^th E and 13^th South) Their owner, Tada-​San, is old-​school. He does it well. Everything is good. He frequently comes our to visit the customers himself. You can even sit down in a more traditional way, if desired.
Both restaurants have a sushi-​bar, and neither has ever disappointed me, over MANY visits in the last thirty years or more. I helped many Americans to discover how wonderful sushi can be at the above places. Many had never tried even a California-​roll. Even my young children are converts to sushi and sashimi!
But hey — don’t take MY word for it. If you like the food at this place, good for you. I will not be wasting my money there again. I’ve got better places to eat. :D