19 September 2008
Sakura - Flagstaff’s Original
Posted by hottie under: Japanese; sushi .
Sakura 3 1/2 peaks out of 5
1175 West Rt. 66
(inside the Radisson Hotel)
773-9118
Lunch: M - Sat., 11:30 - 2 pm
Dinner: 7 days a week, 5 - 10 pm
Sakura is Flagstaff’s original Japanese restaurant and first sushi restaurant. While sushi has become a hot dining scene of late, Sakura was the one that started the trend here. Sakura is still Flagstaff’s only teppanyaki dining experience.
Located in the Radisson Hotel on West Rt. 66, their space is a bit small but well decorated (and recently remodeled a bit to freshen up) so there is an intimate and cozy feeling in the dining room. Sakura does offer sushi bar seating additionally. The lobby area for waiting is pretty standard for a hotel and it is located to the side of the hotel’s casual dining restaurant. Bathrooms require a walk through the hotel and over to the ballrooms. Not that it’s so far to go, but a bit of a hassle.
Teppanyaki is Sakura’s highlight offering. The sushi bar always seems to be decently crowded and the sushi is entirely acceptable, but there are better places to go in town if you want just sushi.
The teppanyaki tables are the way to go. Go for a special occassion or with a group ready for fun. The chefs put on a good show complete with raging fires on the tables and onion volcanoes. If you get Ruben, you are in for a treat. (He’s got great jokes and gags and practices his art about 4 hours a day outside of work!) You really can’t loose with any of the teppanyaki dinner offerings. Yes, it is a little pricey, but you get miso soup (much improved lately), salad, rice, plus your entree and veggies. I can never finish mine and always have lunch for the next day; the Fatso does finish his but is always very full. Sakura does have beer, wine and cocktails available.
Sakura is super fun, the ambiance is nice, and reservations are highly recommended for weekend dinners as they draw so much business from the hotel. With the newer competiton in Flagstaff, Sakura has managed to keep their status in town and freshen things up. A meal here will not disappoint. Enjoy it!