Eating Utah

Reservations? You definitely won’t need them at lunch time (I’ve rarely seen more than two tables occupied), but it’s not a bad idea to call ahead on special occasions like Valentine’s Day.

Overview: If you’re craving sushi in Orem Sakura is a pretty good option because the food is pretty good and much cheaper than Happy Sumo (the quality is comparable). The teppanyaki grill is also pretty good.

Total price for 2: Expect to pay $30-40 depending on your dining style (drinks, appetizers would put you at the high end).

Service: Rating:

Comments: Despite the fact that nobody is ever there it takes a long time to get a waitress/waiter to your table. Also, if you order a drink don’t expect any refills without asking for it. They really need to improve their response time, especially for the lunch crowd who wants to be in and out.

Ambiance: Rating:

Comments: It’s a nice place, definitely good enough for a business associate. It is not quite as nice as Happy Sumo which feels a little bit more hip.

Food: Rating:

Best dish: I prefer sushi to the grill so I would choose the spicy tuna roll. I thought their Philadelphia roll had too much cream cheese. My friends tell me the beef is the best.

One of the problems with Sakura is that a good sushi place needs a “critical mass” - a lot of diners ensuring that the food is turning over quickly (meaning you always get fresh seafood). Sakura doesn’t have that yet - sometimes I wonder about the quality of the sushi and it seems to be hit-and-miss.

Worst dish: Probably the Philadelphia roll - I like cream cheese but it just seemed a bit heavy.

Other comments: If you are in Orem you don’t have too many sushi choices and Happy Sumo gets a bit old (mostly the price and the wait).

Overall Rating: