Sakura Bana Restaurant

For those of you who do not know me, I have been a waitress at Sakura Bana for over three and a half years. Normally, I do not really care about the negative reviews on here because most of the time they do not pertain to things I can control, but our most recent review from January 23rd is something I could not keep to myself.

This review had some remarks about our price and quality of our food, which I cannot comment on. I have nothing to do with our pricing or the quality of our fish, so it is not my place to argue with a customer’s review. However, I was truly disgusted by the treatment of my good friend at the sushi bar.

For those of you who come eat with us often, you are probably aware that one of our sushi chef’s is not Japanese. He is a very nice man who has been making sushi and serving it to customers longer than I have been alive. He is always efficient, fast, and kind to everyone around him. If any of us waiting staff forget to put an order in, he will make it within a few minutes at the highest of quality because he is just that good.

This review referred to him as the “take-out chef” and said he was not a real sushi man. When the customer had asked me who makes the sushi, I had said this gentleman makes the sushi rolls and these gentleman (the Japanese sushi men during this night) made the sushi pieces. It was obvious with this customer’s tone that she was not interested in our sushi chef who made the sushi rolls this particular evening.

In addition, when we continued to ask this customer if everything was okay or if she needed anything, it was very clear she did not want us to really talk to her. Our sushi chefs are attentive and kind to our sushi bar customers and all customers in general. We try to have conversation because as many of our reviews say, we try to keep this place a family friend, kind environment.

I could see the sadness from my friend when he noticed the dissatisfaction of his sushi rolls that he made. I also noticed how upset he got when he understood that this woman was not going to give him a chance to prove himself. Her disgust for his sushi happened before he even had a chance to prove himself.

I understand that sometimes customers just want to be left alone and enjoy their meals in a nice, peaceful manner, but after reading her review, I was truly disgusted to see my friend being treated as if he did not have the skill or the experience to serve customers sushi.

I get that people have bad nights, and maybe this was one of them. I apologize if this woman feels as if we treated her differently because she was out by herself at our restaurant, that was never our intention. We always want everyone to feel welcomed and have a great experience.

However, I do not care if my manager or anyone sees this and gets upset, I am not going to sit here and tolerate my friend being bashed and referred to as a fake sushi chef when he has been satisfying customers and making these delicious rolls for years. He has always been kind to customers, treated them like family, and always makes the experience for everyone there special. I do not appreciate him being referred to anything less than what he is by someone who did not even give him a chance. I truly do not tolerate any sort of disrespect to my sushi chefs the way he was disrespected tonight. The sushi chefs at Sakura Bana are friends to everyone, and the level of disrespect I witnessed tonight was horrific to say the least.

To my friend, all your daughters and sons of Sakura Bana want you to know we see you as one of the bests. You always make sure we serve top notch food and really save us when we need to during busy nights when we forget some things or a customer needs something to go quickly. I hope when you read this, you know that we all love you and appreciate your hard work at Sakura Bana.

Excellent sushi and very attentive service. Great menu choices with interesting specials. It's BYOB so it as an added bonus!!!

The food is very good and very traditional is not a fusion !

Excellent 🍣 Sushi. And everything else on the menu is top line.

Delicious fresh Japanese authentic sushi, excellent service and I like the Cozy environment. Feels like I'm coming over my friend's house for dinner I like that

Always an excellent experience. Love sitting at the sushi bar and conversing with Ken!

This place has been a fixture of Ridgewood for over 20 years now and it still blows me away with the quality of its food.

The appetizers were fresh, the vegetables, in the tempura we ordered, tasted like they had harvested them in the morning. They definitely move all of their stock out the door, and, cook with fresh ingredients. Means a lot. Also, if you prefer a dish to be slightly modified, they will work with you. If it's an expensive ingredient, they may ask for your understanding if they need to charge an extra dollar or two, however, they are willing to help you get the dining experience you are craving, is my point.

Had a great time, last night, with family, so, thank you!
👍👍👍👍

Very fresh Sashimi and Sushi definitely 5 stars. And all waitresses are so nice and friendly. So warm welcomed

I would classified this as a cozy, casual, very low key restaurant with very solid sushi. If you are looking for a glitzy date place, you probably want to go somewhere else. Been here a handful of times and will return for more. Found the specials, appetizers, and all sushi offerings to be consistent and fresh. You will want to make a reservation as this place is popular. Service has been equally consistent as the food - friendly and attentive. The bill will add up fairly quickly especially if you have healthy appetite. NJ really has a sad roster of sushi restaurant so being even slightly above average will make any restaurant stand out. This is an excellent sushi restaurant and would easily find its crowd in NYC. Only minor complaints are the sushi cuts can sometimes feel small and the rolls can sometimes be overpacked with rice. Please don't do the classic cost-cutting moves and maintain a high level and the people will continue to come.

This is by far my favorite sushi place in Northen NJ. The fish here is incredibly fresh, the sushi is delicious and never disappoints. There’s a reason why it’s always packed. I really want to highlight the Yellowtail Jalepeño appetizer (it’s not on the menu but they will make it if you ask for it!) - I’ve eaten it at so many places, and the one they make here is so incredible that I ordered two of them one time I came for dinner! Must try. The service is always great and food always impeccable. Highly highly recommend!

Awesome lunch special and great service. Parking is definitely a B though.

Always a pleasure. Very fresh food. Cheerful service. Enjoyed bentos fir a Saturday lunch.

The service is always amazing here, and the food is wonderful. We usually dine in as a family for special occasions like birthdays. If you're a group of 5 or more they prefer if you reserve first so keep that in mind. It is a smaller restaurant so if you do have a bigger group, it's best to go at an early time or weekdays.

This is the place.
If you want to eat Japanese taste food.

Our fave sushi place, great Hamachi kama and naboyaki udon.

The best Japanese restaurant in the area! Phenomenal sushi, delicious Miso soup, I've never ordered something bad here. For dessert, don't forget to try the green tea ice cream. The service is excellent, as they are not overbearing during the meal, yet maintain the tea and water. Tip well, they deserve it!

great foods and excellent customer service as always.

Came here on fathers day without a reservation, no wait at all. First time coming here, sushi was fresh, tasty and delicious. Along with the sushi our table had miso soup, salad, and desserts. Everything was fairly priced. Sushi chefs were very friendly as well. Will be coming back!

North Jersey and NYC are blessed with a number of great sushi joints well worth treating yourself to, but this one is among the best and most fresh in NJ. It's been a while for me, but I'd be very surprised if there's been any decline, really a great place. If you're picky about sushi, this should be a safe bet to impress you. Enjoy!