Must try barachirashi (although it is a common dish for Japanese)- one of the oldest Japanese restaurants in Sydney. Lives up to its history.
One of the best Japanese Restaurant in Sydney. Excellent food, attentive service, reasonably priced.
Fresh products and great service - reasonable prices - must book for seats to avoid disappointment
Fell in love with fresh seafood and delicate Japanese food, delicious!
Fresh seafood, authentic Japanese resto with authentic Japanese hospitality
Magnificent cuisine and service. True Japanese hospitality. I wish I could give it 10 out of 5 !
Hands down best sashimi in Sydney. All the others simply cannot compare. Thank you for the excellent meals and service
Every single visit was excellent in the last 20 years! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY !
Sakana-ya is a casual Japanese restaurant with a homely feel. They serve authentic Japanese food in a traditional style. I went there with family and we enjoyed our meal.
The food is not looking good in the review but the review is high. Hence I give it a try and it was incredibly good especially the eel on rice! Everything were so good and we will come back again for sure!!! Adding into my favourite restaurant list!
We came here to celebrate my nephews second birthday and everyone thought the food was really good although pricey.
We were dining early and we were seated upstairs where we were able to make noise without disturbing anyone as we had two young kids. Staff were friendly and we ordered many dishes to share. Their assorted sashimi was fresh and thick slices (just the way I like it, but pricey for the size). We also tried their beef tongue, fried chicken, sweet omelette, Unagi, soft shell crab roll, eggplant, mixed tempura, seaweed salad, chicken teriyaki which apparently takes 20mins to cook.
Staff were polite and they had no cakeage which was great and they bring party hats and party napkins which was a nice touch.
Iām glad I got to try this restaurant as it was good quality food although as I mentioned a bit pricey.
Good location, 5mins from the station. The menu looks good, food fresh, service is nice. Highly recommended, you never get disappointed!!!!!
Food was of a decent standard, but have had better. Ambience could do with a lot of improvement, really disliked the upper level seating. But overall good quality sushi.
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If you have a taste for good Japanese food I highly recommend this place.
I have visited this place 4 times and each time was an enjoyable experience. The atmosphere and the service very good. Parking is also convenient as you can park behind the restaurant.
Japanese main dishes are the star in this restaurant. With the eel teriyaki on rice and the Barasushi my personal favorite. The rice is very high quality and the ingredients fresh(not much fishy taste in the eel and the sashimi)
Tempura prawn was also very good. They serve fatty prawn.
They also have daily specials. Must try whenever available seared salmon belly.
Overall a very good Japanese place if you want great main dishes.
Edit: after my wife and I went to Japan and experienced first hand traditional Japanese restaurants, Sakana ya holds up even against those in Japan, especially the eel teriyaki on rice and the Barasushi. Furthermore my wife and I both agree after visiting a well known eel grill restaurant in Sapporo, which specializes in eel, that it still doesnāt beat Sakana Ya.
We had a nice assortment of fish - sashimi, fried fillet, cold noodle and chicken bento box. They speciality is definitely in fish and the imperado fish sashimi was a hit with a fresh and clean taste.
The food here is excellent. Quite an authentic Japanese restaurant and I must say the food was fresh and excellent. A bit on the expensive side however well worth it for the quality of the food. The ambience is nice and is usually busy on the weekend at night.
Been coming here for years and we literally order the same things every time (give & take a few extra dishes). They have the best (my favourite) prawn tempura roll in which they put a plum jam that makes it extra yum and haven't really had it anywhere else. The sashimi is always fresh but a bit on the pricey side if you order from their a la carte daily specials menu. The only thing that's not great is their service, some days it's good and then there's the not so great days.
As it was a busy day,it meant the service wasn't that great, they were very slow to take your order and wasn't attentive.This is personally my favourite Japanese restaurant in the North Shore area, The sushi were very nice, especially as the rice is Al-dente.The soft shell crab roll was very crunchy and the sushi was very fresh.Unfortunately they had no more Green tea ice cream, From the last few times of coming the Green tea ice cream is very good, it was jam packed of Green tea flavour.
Sakana-Ya was a lovely on-the-spur find on a Saturday night for an intimate catch up between good friends.
What works:
Simple, authentic Japanese house setting. Fantastic, fresh, flavoursome food. You must try the miso soup, agadeshi tofu, prawn tempura, teriyaki eel on rice, sushi nigiri. Service was subtle and attentive. There's a quiet hum of activity on both floors of the restaurant created by the continuous conversation of guests and communication between the busy but amiable staff.
What doesn't:
Can't fault it yet as I've only visited once. It's not cheap, but you won't argue with it given the quality you experience in your palette. So you can call it reasonable value.
The verdict:
I was really impressed by the quality of food and the overall experience at Sakana-Ya. I will be back to try more on the menu for sure!
Very fresh sashimi cut beautifully.
Highlight for me was definitely the mix sashimi platter. Generous portions of salmon, tuna, king fish and flounder served with grated wasabi. Their kingfish cooked in sweet sake and soy was a bit dry but the flavours were wonderful.
Used to be a favourite when we lived closer. Haven't been by in years but decided to have dinner here tonight and it was just as good as we remembered. No wonder they've been around for decades. Food was flawless, especially the deep fried flounder and bara chirashi which are must order dishes. Also love the sashimi and nigiri here - so incredibly fresh. The tempura prawns are also fabulous with a light crunchy and non greasy batter.
'Local' haunt, frequent patronage.Ā
Authentic, Japanese cuisine. If you want fresh sashimi, this is your place to go. There is no place in Sydney that does sashimi was fresh, or with the same knife skills. The sashimi here is just amazing. We come here so much it's almost ridiculous and the manager practically knows our order each and every time (he definitely knows our name in any case).Ā
Their sushi is average, I would go elsewhere if I wanted sushi.
Must haves:Ā
Sashimi (medium at least), uni is sweet and fresh, raw fish on sashimi rice, barasushi, tofu and avocado salad, grilled/nimono fish head (blue fin tuna when they have it!) and tempura. Their white sesame ice cream is also really good.Ā
Service is attentive, food is amazingly fresh and well executed. One of our favourites.
We at the Food Hunters heartily approve of this cosy Japanese restaurant which we visited last month. It is authentic, period. We had a small sashimi platter which was perfectly portioned for two, fresh and expertly prepared. The grilled kingfish and Japnese squid were perfect accompaniments to my iichiko on the rocks. We liked the offerings so much that, reckless to the limits of our wallets and our stomach volumes, we ordered an additional dish - flounder nimono which came exactly as we wanted it - just cooked and juicy fish seeped in a flavoursome blend of mirin, dashi and soysauce. I imagine that this restaurant might be seen as being on the expensive side, but I also imagine that for a homesick Japanese person, Sakana-ya might also be considered a priceless dining experience.
Love this little japanese place, the grilled fish is awesome, always get this, you can eat the bones too but make sure you chew it thoroughly
The sashimi rice is great and i love the thick cuts of the sashimi, taste better when the fish is cut thick
The udon was a little disappointing though, wasnt a huge fan of it
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Lovely authentic Japanese restaurant - off to a good start when all the other diners are Japanese. This is not your standard Korean run Japanese place. The staff are attentive and really... Japanese if that's a way to describe someone talking not only of their nationality. Very polite and friendly.
Now for the food. First off we had the salmon tataki from the daily specials menu. Wow, really fresh salmon seared on the outside with fire imparting a nice smokey flavour. The dash of yuzu on each piece really made the meat sing.
Next up was the barasushi. This is apparently their special. The small size listed as being for 1 person is quite large and is plenty for 2 people to share with other dishes. Sushi rice down the bottom, a healthy serve of raw fish, followed by what you see pictured on top of that (the yellow stuff is thinly sliced egg). If you're a first timer this is a must have (and probably for every subsequent visit too).
Chicken teriyaki followed. Normally wouldn't order something like this at a Japanese restaurant, more reserved for cheap food court eats but got it after reading a review here. It really is quite special - chicken was tender and moist and being cooked over their bbq again had a deliciously charred taste to it.
Last we had a grilled yellowtail. This is the only dish that disappointed solely due to my own fault as I wasn't familiar with the type of fish. What I had originally wanted was the black cod but there wasn't any available. The yellowtail was nicely cooked and presented but the flesh is quite tough/dry but I'm sure this is just what this species is like.
The damage was $120 for the above and two desserts and a glass of wine. We were stuffed and probably over ordered. Would absolutely return.
I heard this gem has been serving an authentic Japanese cuisine in Crows Nest for at least 20 years. Went there for a dinner on Sunday but some dishes were hit and miss.
Sashimi platter was fresh and nicely plated. We ordered grilled wagyu but it was tough and chewy unfortunately.
Black cod looked good but it was slightly bland as I didn't taste their seasoning at all. It had delicate texture and tasted wet.
Barasushi was my favorite dish, it's basicaly sushi rice topped with fresh fish, thin strips of cut up omelette and gingery sauce.
We ordered Kinako Pudding with Japanese black sugar for dessert. The texture was so smooth, custard like dessert with a slightly malty taste. The kuromitsu added extra mild sweetness to the pudding made it a perfect light dessert to end the night.
Decent and generally speaking high quality food but don't bother with the special bento box. It's way over priced and not worth anywhere close to $42. Spend the money on other a la carte dishes. Or be like one of our friends and get the bento box takeaway (it's almost 50% cheaper takeaway).
I absolutely love this restaurant. Yazu is the best host you could ask for. The food is extremely reasonable for the price, and when I eat here I am transported to Japan. It is a must visit if you have not been.
Sakana-Ya might as well be renamed Low-Ya considering the frequency in which my family goes there. Birthdays? Sakana-Ya. Celebratory event? Sakana-Ya. Weekend dinner for when someone is too lazy to cook? Sakana-Ya. I love daily routines like getting up at 6 am and brushing my teeth while Iām letting conditioner set in my hair but going to the same restaurant over and over again would drive me mad. Well it would, if Sakana-Ya wasnāt so freaking awesome.
I heard from a friend that Sakana-Ya has been in Crows Nest at least 20 years. I am sure there must be something wonderful to hold on a restaurant this long.
I went this Monday for the second visit. Overall it's a great experience to dine there.
We order quite a lot from entree to dessert.
Some dishes from Today's special are worth to try. E.g mochi style deep fried lotus and deep fried octopus with seaweed. It's not a fancy cuisine that you are looking for here but the way they cook and the taste.
My favourite is grilled fish! It's really hard not to overcook it, I order mackerel last time and king fish this time. They are both juicy and tender! Very happy with it.
Lastly, the dessert, it's the highlight tonight! The soy powder pudding with black sugar syrup is a divine! This is a pure Japanese taste and I really love it!
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Yet another beautiful sunny winter day and I'm off to North Sydney for Japanese food Today's review is on Sakana- Ya Japanese Restaurant, one of my go-to places for lunch...Ā Decor is simple, ambience is quiet with friendly staff Salad and Pickles (Part of my lunch set) Salad - fresh salad with thousand island dressing Pickles - not too sour & refreshing before the main Special Lunch Box ($28 -- quite a deal!) 3 Kind Sashimi, deep fried potato balls, mixed tempura (prawn, fish, eggplant, sweet potato, capsicum), grilled teriyaki salmon. Comes with rice and miso soup The sashimi is very fresh and cut nicely. Fried potato balls very nice and smooth potato inside with a crisp outer layer. Teriyaki salmon was slightly overcooked Ā Closer view of the food. The dipping sauce on the side is for the tempura, which by the way was fantastic! The tempura skin was nice, thin and light yellow (if tempura comes out "heavy" & dark brown, the restaurant probablyĀ re-used the oil too many times... Ā but
An excellent Japanese dining experience and given the number of ex-pats in the room, I suspect the owners are quite happy flying under the radar and sticking with near flawless Japanese cooking at a reasonable price.
Mademoiselle Delicieuse
+4.5
the aromas upon stepping in are unmistakably Japanese - being those of pickled ginger and sweet sukiyaki sauce. We are seated and served small complimentary dishes of edamame ,
The dining room at Sakana Ya, which is Japanese for 'fish shop', is very elegantly JapaneseĀ despite its location on busy Pacific Highway in Crows Nest. Perhaps it's the softly tinkling music, the deferential service, or that unmistakeably Japanese smell of soy sauce and frying oil. Tamagoyaki - sweet egg omelette The menu at Sakana Ya is traditional in all the right ways, adding to the feeling that we might have been in some Tokyo restaurant. We started on warm tamago-yaki sweet omelette, carefully formed into blocks and grill-stamped with the restaurant's name in Japanese. This was served with finely grated daikon white radish to which I like adding a touch of soy sauce for
Penguin Says Feed Me
+4.5
Feeling like going out for dinner somewhere close by, Sir D and I headed out to Crows Nest to eat at Sakana-Ya on a Thursday night. The restaurant was surprisingly quiet which also meant that the waitstaff were particularly attentive. We sat down and were given a regular menu as well as a sheet of chefās recommendations and the types of fish available for the day.
The food is real authentic jap food and the people here are great at what they do.
Excellent service. Loved every minute.
Fresh. One of my fav local, fresh sashimi and handrolls
Loves coming back!
Super fresh sushi. The sushi is one of the tastiest in Sydney. Been here for many years and the quality of the fish is always the best - though in the last year or so, the sashimi pieces are cut differently (way too large for my liking) - probably a change in chef.
I LOVE SAYANAYA!. Delicious food with friendly staff!!
I would recommend this restaurant to any one!
Was wanting to come here for sometime now, so celebrated an anniversary here with the flagship course. We both loved it! Will definitely come again, wish we came sooner! The hospitality was very welcoming and friendly. The food was top notch and fresh we couldn't find a fault!
Been dining at the long standing Japanese restaurant in Crows Nest for many mnay years. It's a traditional Japanese restaurant. Their sashimi are always above par compared to the rest of Sydney. Always fresh and a more thicker slice. Occasionally, thorough the years, and depending on the fish, they also have the very thinly sliced as well. Grilled kingfish head is also perfect, not too salty and also recommend their tempura, bara sushi, agadashi tofu and grilled ox tongue. The service has always been great here as well - although it may be difficult to book sometimes - especially after covid. Have always recommended this place and will continue to recommend to those who like their sashimi! ššš
Having lived in Japan for a long time. I can vouch that this is the real deal. Best Japanese that Iāve had since coming back and very authentic. A couple of things though, if you eat here, go for the fish. Thatās there specialty. I recommend the sashimi. Itās not so cheap but did feel worth it. Also youāll need to book. Itās also quite local and not fancy as per say but I think that adds to its charm. Recommended.
A homely slice of japan in the heart of the sydney.
I could rave about the immaculate presentation, quality of the seafood and deliciously authentic dishes (particularly the whole fried lemon sole, which is so crispy even the bones make for a cheeky senbei like snack), but i wont.
All i have to say is: *SAKE SLUSHY* š¤Æš¤¤
Sashimi and bara sushi were stand out dishes! All the grilled dishes were amazing - the beef tongue, mackerel, wagyu beef and soft shell crab with ponzu was delicious! The entrees of pickled white radish with yuzu flavour was very tasty. The wait staff were courteous and the decor made us feel like we were in Japan. Nice hand wash, moisturiser and hand sanitizer too. The owner also gave us complimentary plum wine which was stellar š
I had Sakana-Ya Delux Bento box take away.
Absolutely stunning.
The quality of the Sashimi is amazingly fresh and delightful. Generous proption and great variety.
Highly recommend.
(Btw, I lived and worked in Japan for four years so defiantly hold a high bar! What a gem restaurant)
Very good food,great service!
We had a wonderful night there.
Authentic Japanese restaurant, on the pricier side but well worth the money as itās good quality. Exceptional service - non intrusive but attentive. The beef tataki was a bit salty. My fave was the soft bone squid
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