Student Reviews Local Japanese Restaurant

With such a large selection of dining options in the Fresno and Clovis area, it can be hard to find a restaurant with originality and authenticity.

I made it a goal to locate a new restaurant that offered not only good food, but also a hint of creativity. This search led me to find Sakanaya, a Japanese restaurant offering teppanyaki.

Walking through the front door, it feels like you have just entered a Japanese garden. Exotic plants hanging off the ceiling and winding their way down the torii, this restaurant has a beautiful atmosphere.

In a teppanyaki restaurant like this, you are seated at a small bar, wrapping around a grill, along with other random customers. Because of this dining system, you may have to wait a while to be seated, due to the fact that they must fill the bar. I had to wait about 20 minutes.

I received my drink immediately after I was seated and the waitress took my order within 5 minutes.

If you are interested in attending Sakanaya for dinner, you will be looking at dining on the more expensive side. The cheapest meal starts $18 while prices can reach up to $40 plus.

I decided on the teriyaki chicken because you can never go wrong with cliche asian dishes. All meals come with a small salad and bowl of mushroom soup beforehand.

The chef wheeled a food cart containing the all the required ingredients to prepare everyone’s dishes. This is when the entertaining aspect of the Sakanaya experience came into play.

The chef threw all the ingredients on the grill and proceeded to astound the crowd as he twirled his utensils high in the air. The most fascinating trick performed must have been the onion volcano, consisting of a pile of onion rings funneling a plume of fire out the top.

Because the chef must prepare food for many different people, not everyone is served their food right away. A large portion of fried rice was prepared first for everyone. Next, a generous helping of stir fry was divvied up between the customers. Finally everyone was served their meat following the proper cooking time.

I was expecting to come away from this meal feeling hungry, but to my surprise, the portions were much larger than I was anticipating. I could not finish the whole meal.

This restaurant would be the perfect place to dine on a date night or a special occasion with a large group. I would not recommend eating here alone due to the extreme awkwardness of being paired with strangers.

While the food was delectable and the atmosphere was very inviting, the biggest issue I had was the prices. While you may sacrifice the high profile dining experience, you can eat at a variety of other teppanyaki restaurants around Fresno for virtually the same quality of food at much lower prices.

I will give this restaurant a four out of five stars because of the great tasting food and fulfilling meals. Next time you are looking for a place to take a date or have a family night, try checking out Sakanaya Japanese Restaurant.

Follow The Feather via Twitter @thefeather and Instagram @thefeatheronline. This writer can be reached via Twitter: @Nohjnamood.

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