Review Sakuraya - Brighton

Bought some Tempura Udon here a month or so back. Was pricey but expected it for decent Japanese. The tempura was likely just fine, not sure as I ate it at home by which point it was cold. But the broth was revolting. It tasted of watery cabbage and little else. No hint of the miso or soy sauce I was expecting. No layers of flavour typical in Japanese cooking. Just cabbage and carrot in a pale weak looking broth that made the tempura taste terrible ad well. I couldn't finish it. Expected far better for 17 dollars. Not going back.

We had a very bizarre experience dining here last night. We are a family of four with two teenage sons. We wanted to have the 'all you can eat' deal and were initially advised that you had to prebook this and then advised that yes, we could have it, but approximately 8 of the say 30 items were unavailable. OK we thought and ordered carefully after being told that any food left over would be charged extra. We also ordered drinks, the boys ordered soft drinks, their first two choices being unavailable and my husband ordered a beer - his first choice of beer also being unavailable. I was pleasantly surprised to see a Pewsey Vale Reisling on the menu so ordered that only to be served something completing different! The waitress obviously saw my face when I tasted it and asked if it was OK to which I replied, "I don't think this is the Pewsey Vale" and she showed me the bottle and of course it was another far inferior wine. When the food finally arrived it was fine but after a few dishes we decided to order more only to be told the kitchen had run out of rice! The boys had by this stage discovered that their drinking straws were actually two straws cut and stuck together so would not suck up liquid....by this stage things were getting a bit comical! Along with being served only one small bowl of soy sauce that we were all expected to share and  having our napkins changed from cloth to paper upon ordering the set menu it was very clear that they were keen to save money at every opportunity. Needless to say an 'all you can eat' deal when the kitchen runs out of rice at 7pm is ridiculous and a rip off. We would certainly not be going back again.

Don't go to the restaurant after 8PM!!<br/>We live in Brighton and have visited the restaurant before with good experiences. The food is good, priced and presented well.<br/><br/>Sadly tonight was not a good experience. We arrived at the restaurant at just before 8 PM. Ordered entree, starter and main at 8:05 and were served each dish with no break between courses quickly. When we asked to have a break the waitress apologised and said that was not possible and mentioned the kitchen was closing.... The kitchen was obviously under pressure to close as my dishes were taken away as my girl friend was finishing her main course.<br/><br/>We walked away with indigestion at 8:50 PM and will not be visiting again.

Basic clean decor and cheap sushi and sashimi. Good for a quick bite and BYO<br/>We often meet friends at Half Moon Pub next door and then pop in for supper on the way home.

The food is nice and tasty especially kong po chicken and popiah beef.

Great food. A akiya advocate but tried this across the road and a true delight, excellent service with quirky waitress who was a pleasure. Authentic japanese flavours and will definitely be back

Cheap & cheerful delivered with exceptional service from the owner Michael. Always accommodating with our kids' quirky non menu requests & as such, they love going to Sakuraya too. Exceptional value for money & better than the Japanese restaurant across the road. Make sure you try the salmon spicy crunchy rolls & pork gyozas.

Recommended for a very nice dinner.. The staff were friendly and extremely attentive and their timing was excellent and never did we need to try for their attention. The sashimi was to taste and the spicy crunchy salmon rolls hit the mark. The value is good but not great, although I'd have no problem dining here again as the food is good and the atmosphere is very cosy. Definitely recommended for a nice night out.

Once a week for us. Excellent value for money and nice ambience. Also like the menu. Service is good enough. As good or better than other local Japanese restaurants. Sure, there's better further afield.

Michael the host makes you feel right at home, food is amazing. Lovely atmosphere

Excellent food though service a bit slow when it come to ordering dessert&getting the cheque.however the food's that good i will definitely go back.

Wonderful service great food. Sushi and sashimi a delight

Great food and service. Ok, so the majority of "Japanese" food you find in Melbourne, especially in suburbia, is not authentically Japanese. Sakuraya is one of these places, but it is light years ahead of most others and the food is delicious. It is infinitely better than Akiya across the road. The pork gyoza and prawn gyoza are absolutely mouth-watering, and the various other meals we have tried have featured delicious home-made sauces. The main waiter, who always remembers us, is extremely friendly and attentive, without being overbearing. Prices are affordable and the atmosphere is refined.

Excellent. I've been here twice now and both me and my girlfriend have been very impressed. top service, friendly staff, delicious food. it's BYO, which i've appreciated, and the staff are happy to make you feel welcome and to refill your glass when it's empty. <br/><br/>i can heartily recommend Sakuraya for a great dining experience.

Great service, beautiful fresh food. A great experience. The two of us didnt hold back and only just touched $100. Great value. Will be back.

Ms. jan berger. Tried sakuraya recently...exceptionally clean...even the tables are cleaned thoroughly in between courses!..all the food served including entree had been fresh, tasty and prompt...i highly recommend this restaurant...

Sayounara. Elected to try out Sakuraya as the few reviews on Urbanspoon sounded positive and their website gave the impression they were a little more polished than your average suburban Japanese restaurant.<br/><br/>It's a pleasant enough space with your typical Japanese inspired decorations; however the solid timber chairs were a little uncomfortable.<br/><br/>Service was for the most part attentive, although there were a few instances wherein orders became lost in translation. Despite asking for cold sake, we were given hot sake. We requested only salmon sashimi; however the plate that arrived also included tuna.<br/><br/>The food was on the whole was average at best, and nothing selected really impressed. That's not to say the meal was terrible, it was just run of the mill. Depending on your expectations and experience with Japanese, you may find Sakuraya quite adequate, but personally I believe there are other venues that are more appealing.

Fantastic salmon sashimi. Eat here 3 times a week. Crunchy salmon rolls are great too!

Delicious authentic japanese food. Better than Akiya across the road. Service was great. Will def be back

A pleasant restaurant, better than Akiya across the road. Nice selection of traditional Japanese fare, with amicable service.