I had two rolls -- the caterpillar roll and the salmon avocado maki. They were presented beautifully. Luckily, they were also very tasty! The caterpillar roll is an eel and avocado roll, and it had a generous portion of rice. The maki was also quite hearty with more salmon than I expected. Each piece of sushi was quite big - I think it would've been easier to eat if it was sliced into smaller pieces. My colleague opted for a tempura bowl and the portion was HUGE. I was expecting 5-6 pieces of tempura but it was a whole plate! I tried a mocktail but the flavors didn't stick out to me much. If I were to go again, I'd probably opt for hot green tea. Service was great -- folks checked in on us enough without lingering or interrupting often. read more

Saji-Ya - Japanese Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

Love Saji-ya!!! I do miss the previous interior with the sunken booths but the updated interior is beautiful. Sat at the bar and had exceptional service and as usual, food is always excellent. The interior and exterior is beautiful with a lovely shared (Emmett's Public House) patio. Their rolls are always so creatively presented and everything is so fresh! Street parking only. read more

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I wish I could rate them higher since the food and service were fantastic. Unfortunately, I visited on a very busy night, so I felt I missed out on the complete Omakase experience due to the staff being overwhelmed. The price was excellent considering the food quality, but I was hoping for a more interactive experience And would have been nice if the chef explained the menu and the reasoning behind the drink pairings. Overall, the food was excellent, and I'd certainly return to this place since the staff were very friendly and not so busy time of the year. read more

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The food here is SO GOOD. The Jurassic Marc and Negihama were my favorites. Service was a little slow. But it was packed on a Friday night. Definitely can be a little pricey. But a fabulous option for a special occasion. read more

Saji-Ya - Spicy Salmon (5), Jurassic Marc (8), Deluxe Saji-Ya (8), Negihama (6) - Japanese Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

My friend and I stopped for lunch here right as they opened, which was perfect because their lunch combo discount was an amazing deal! I was going to get the 8 piece sushi combo meal, which was originally around $40, but the lunch discount made the total around $20. I recently went to Japan so I've been having some food withdrawals for sure. I will say this definitely satisfied my craving! We got outside seating, though inside the restaurant was super nice as well. The workers were so kind, we had somewhere to be afterwards and they served us quickly and kindly. Will definitely come back sometime. read more

Saji-Ya - Lunch combo - Japanese Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

Very solid, traditional sushi place. I had a green tea, a mix of nigiri, and Agedashi crispy Tofu. All were very good. The dining room is really nice, I sat at a high top in the bar. I enjoyed great service. Prices are a bit high, and parking is difficult (I found a space on a side street, no chance to park in front. read more

Do not give this restaurant your money!! Terrible service. We were seated for our 8:30 reservation at 8:25 on a Saturday, to celebrate our daughter's college graduation. It took 45 minutes for us to get appetizers, and 70 minutes for us to get food!! It was absurd, given that there were many open tables. Overall, very disappointing given that we were there to mark a once-in-a-lifetime event. read more

Poor service! Waited over 40 min for our food which was mediocre. They were not that busy. Go somewhere else.

Updating review to add pics after trying many more menu items. Service was consistently good. You're definitely paying extra for the amazing ambiance here, but it could be fitting for date night or a special occasion. My favs: Hamachi Kama app No. 9 Sushi Roll Mochi dessert Skip these items: Chilean Sea Bass Gyoza app read more

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Service was good, but slow, even though we went during a snowstorm; restaurant was clean and so cute; food was just okay, but absolutely not worth the price. We went during happy hour which is probably the best time to go. Also, this review lists the veggie tempura bento but as I'm allergic to shrimp I couldn't get that (due to cross contamination of oil) so the picture is of the salmon bento. The broccoli was so good, but I didn't eat the egg roll or fish but my son said those were really good. I'd probably recommend a bento instead of the sushi combo. Both of my sons (adults) weren't impressed and said some of the fish was either too fatty(toro which is the point), or not as clean (fresh) as they were expecting, especially for the price. They did, however, love the wagyu nigiri...even though it was so thin. The avocado maki was so good we ordered several plates, and lastly, the "freshly" grated wasabi didn't seem like anything special or even real wasabi; it was smoother than regular fake wasabi that comes with sushi, but I've had real grated in front of you wasabi in Japan and that was not it. Save your couple bucks and get more food. Overall, everything was fine, but we won't be going back. read more

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Seen Saji-Ya on the morning news and ended up here for lunch. Such a darling location in St. Paul and truly had a lovely experience! I loved the ambiance and how welcoming it felt. Our service was exceptional. I enjoyed the warm towels for hand wiping and edamame to start. The sushi was fresh, fast, and delicious! They're open for the lunch hour and surprisingly, it wasn't too busy on a Saturday. Parking is on the street, so be prepared to walk a bit if it's busy on Grand. Will most definitely have this in my sushi rotation! read more

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Came here for the first time to have dinner with my sisters. It was pretty full. We made reservations so we got seated right away. Server was friendly. We ordered the deep fried pepper as our first appetizer, they forgot to bring it out with the sauce so we had to wait a while for the server to come by again. Regardless, the dish itself was plain even with the sauce. Sashimi was good, can't go wrong with that. We got 2 sushi rolls and boy oh boy, these rolls are WAY TOO SKINNY to be called sushi rolls.... them rolls were on a diet... servers were great but food was not. 2 stars for the servers. read more

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Omar, thank you! You gave me and my wife just amazing service and truly made our day! Your drinks kept flowing and you make a mean martini! Thank you for all the recommendations on food and for truly keeping happy guest at the bar! Thanks for a great time, environment, food, and being an amazing bartender! We have won new regulars read more

Good sushi, excellent customer service - 4 stars. Saji-Ya was the latest stop in my on-going adventure to visit every sushi joint in the Twin Cities. DECOR: The first thing I noticed is the restaurant is beautiful. The accents are amazing. I particularly like the giant mosaic displays. The biggest one is behind the sushi bar. The bartender said these came from the original location. They were cut into smaller sections and restored by the original artist for the current spot. I also like the lighting, especially the giant UFO style, paper, umbrella type lights in the center of the dining room. Very cool. SERVICE: As expected, the customer service was great. But at Saji-Ya, the customer service is definitely a big step up and beyond the good service I usually experience at sushi joints. I sat at the bar and the bartender was particularly excellent. (Shout out to Kyle.) FOOD: The food was good. I ordered hot green tea and 3 tuna based sushi rolls. Every bite was wonderful and bursting with bright, fresh flavors. Yum! LOW CARBOHYDRATE: It's easy to eat low-carb, keto, carnivore style at Saji-Ya. They have a couple of soups and hot kitchen appetizers that are definitely keto friendly. I stuck with my usual tuna based sushi rolls, which have relatively modest amounts of plant material. I always avoid mountains of rice, mounds of noodles, and anything that might be hiding added sugar or vegetable seed oils. My insulin levels like it that way and it keeps my doctor happy too. I'd go back again any time. Thumbs up! -Maxx read more

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They have a pretty good happy hour daily from 4-6. I enjoy their hot sake. For dinner if you are lucky you can have them make fried rice, not on the menu. Some of the best in town. read more

Saji-Ya - Hot Sake - Japanese Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

Came here for my son's birthday and thoroughly enjoyed it. The space is typical Japanese Sushi place. Service was excellent and very helpful. Good choice of cocktails. Typical appetizers like Edamame, Gyoza, and Wings were all really good. They also had a very good Bang Bang Shrimp (seems like I'm writing about this at every restaurant lately). But of course, we were there for the Sushi. The Maki rolls and Nigiri choices were plentiful, and everything was executed perfectly. We left full and happy. read more

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Had 100's of GREAT Meals over Decades at Saji-Ya ! NO BIGGER FAN ! But, as GREAT as these were, Saji-Ya 2.0 IS NOT ! Not one Good thing to say about it... Service, Ambiance, Skill, Quality ALL Lacking. In today's Economy, save your Money and Patronize those who are doing Sushi/Japanese Right ! There are too many people doing Sushi / Japanese right to waste your Time and Money here ! read more

Amazing sushi! The service was quick and never felt like we were waiting. I had an old fashioned, which tasted great. For an appetizer I got some potstickers and they did not disappoint! I got a variety of sushi and I have to say, you could get any sushi here and you would jot be disappointed! Had a great time and would definitely come back! read more

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LOVE this place. Little more expensive but their happy hour is great! They make you feel fancy with hot damp towels for your hands to start. Been back multiple times! read more

Not sure why all the hate -- I'm Japanese with family that regularly visits from Japan, this is their preferred St. Paul spot. Obviously not going to be 100% authentic, but they do a great job I think. Service can be spotty sometimes but our server Jabriel the other night was above and beyond awesome. read more

Better than ever! If you have not been back to Saji-Ya since their remodel, go soon. We have loved this place since we moved here 17 years ago, and their high quality of food and service remain strong. I will miss their second floor patio, but their new Grand Avenue deck is pretty great. We have had both taken out and done in recently and it remains one of our favorite Saint Paul restaurants. read more

We loved dinner and our server was attentive and friendly. I ordered the truffle shuffle, which was so flavorful, my only complaint is there way wayyyy too much rice in the roll. The sashimi was the star of the show. Definitely the freshest fish we've had in the midwest. I also loved my lychee martini! It's clean with cute decor inside. Nice patio too. read more

We tried their Nice new digs. The service is friendly. The menu is varied much more than just sushi but many awesome sushi plates. Need to search for parking read more

New Saji-ya is so beautiful and modern! love the details of the designs. Their patio is facing to Grand Avenue and the Irish oak shape awning will give you a shade when the Sun is too bright, such a nice touch!! My friends and I shared a sashimi plater, their classic Atsuage and vegetable tempura as our appetizers. The Sashimi was so tasty, and Atsuage and Tempura were lightly battered and totally hit the spot. We finished our meal with delicious sushi follow with Negihama, No.9, Manny maki, Jurassic Marc 26, Truffle Shuffle, and some Nigiris. The GM Pat and our bartender made sure we were enjoying everything and they gave us such an amazing service. Thank you!! I can't wait to go back there and have a nice dinner at their new patio. And I'd love to try their next door Emmit's public house with my Irish husband. The owner Peter Kenefick did such a tremendous job for renewing both restaurants. Kanpai and Sláinte, team Saji-ya and Emmit's public house!! read more

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Very delicious mussels, and deluxe roll. Good lemon drop special drink. Service was a bit slow however, our server Kyle was very knowledgeable and gave us good recommendations based off our needs. Overall I would eat again!! Thanks Kyle!! read more

Usually when you eat sushi there's a high likelihood that you will leave still hungry or your wallet incredibly light. That said, the Sushi Combo is 7 pieces of Nigiri and a roll... but it is also accompanied with a bowl of miso soup and a salad. This was a good amount of food for a sushi entree priced at $25. I really liked the salty Miso! The sushi was average. The texture of the nigiri was spotty. Some being moist and delicious while others having seemingly dry edges. The cocktails were Wayyy to sweet. read more

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Stunning, carefully prepared food that will surpass you expectations of Japanese food.

Long time favorite for over 40 years! Love the new remodel and foods still fantastic!

I called for a takeout order and was told it'd be ready in 15 minutes and got there on the dot. The staff is very friendly and welcomed me in warmly, the downside is the food. I got the chicken katsu donburi, sukiyaki, and gyozas. The chicken katsu was so mushy and soggy I didn't even try it and they forgot the brown sauce. The sukiyaki was a bit bland and the rib eye tasted like brisket. Gyozas were average and the sauce honestly tasted like plain soy sauce. I've ordered chicken katsu to-go from other places and it's never been soggy so that sucked. read more

Saji-Ya - Sukiyaki - Japanese Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

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So absolutely happy Saji-Ya is open again! Our waiter Preston was fantastic! The sushi chefs were fabulous and on point! The chef's recommendation on the specials were so delicious! Will be recommending to ALL and definitely coming back sooner than later! read more

Saji-Ya - Dragon, Truffle Shuffle Roll, Super Saji-Ya, many sashimi specials! - Japanese Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

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It occurred to me that I don't eat, or post about, near enough sushi. Well, after the euphoric dining experience we had last night, that's certainly going to change. Restauranteur and just all around gracious dude, Peter Kenefick, owns this joint along with Dixie's and Emmett's right next door. We're regulars of the latter-mentioned and it was long overdue for us to venture over here. Sushi is for sure the ultimate dining experience; for the pallet, conversation, presentation, and complementary flavors. And for this reason I'm almost always intimidated by it and really want someone else to pick things for me. As luck would have it, we came to the right spot. Along with the wide array of sushi and sashimi on the seasonal menus, Chef Noe is vigilant about checking in with servers to know what drinks and starters are coming to the table and can custom build some things to complement your experience, if you choose to go this route. He also welcomes any custom rolls a guest may want off menu. Brilliant. Roll 1 ~ inside: tuna, salmon, hamachi, ginger. Outside: crunchies, spicy salmon mix, truffle oil, powdered seaweed, eel sauce. Roll 2 ~ Inside: shrimp tempura, spicy mayo, cucumber, cilantro, shiso. Outside: avocado, snow crab, eel sauce. **texture and taste with both these rolls was just out of this world. I won't even begin to try and describe everything going on here flavor wise cause Instagram has a character limit. Wow...** Gyoza ~ pan fried dumplings served with savory and spicy dipping sauce. **always a solid choice as a starter. These were, perfectly crispy and delicious** Special thanks to manager Pat as well! My new sushi bar has been set and I'm Livin for it! read more

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Went here four my anniversary and honestly it was because of the service that made our experience so great! Our server was so sweet and helpful! I didn't feel rushed and our drinks were always filled the food was also excellent so we'll definitely be coming back! read more

Quality food! Everything from their appetizers to sushi, bento boxes, lunch or dinner specials. You can casually meet a friend, do date night, family dinner and you won't be disappointed. The staff are all knowledgeable about every item on their menus. Great food, great company and atmosphere all around! read more

First time visit, we have always enjoyed sushi, just hadn't found you. We ordered take out. Very good attention at the front desk. And I observed what must be a regular greet the fellow at the front. Your staff told him that he had held a table for him right around the corner. The wife thanked him as she passed by. We got to know JR down at Wasabi Fusion for a couple of years, miss him. Doll ordered the salmon steak Bento, I ordered the sushi combo. We could not stop saying how good the fish was, both raw and cooked. Really good quality fish, and plenty of it. You have a nice looking dining room and a small patio on the ground floor, I think there was also a second story patio. Can't wait to explore the rest of the menu. read more

We called and made reservations for early dinner, and everything was perfect. COVID-19 compliance, friendly greeter, sat us and brought drinks out quickly. We ordered various small plates and a couple sushi. All was delicious! read more

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Took my husband here for a surprise date. It was both our first time and the impression of the indoor decor was beautifully designed and detailed. Their sushi is fresh and their menu is vast in unique rolls and also traditional rolls you would find in other restaurants. We had a feast of rolls and appetizers, vow that we come back soon but haven't had the time. Will come back with a more detailed menu breakdown soon~ read more

Initially was good but the quality is nosediving with time as is the service. My most recent to go order the rolls were only half completed and when I called to give feedback they just said "ok" and hung up. 100$ dollar order. Won't be back read more

We are long time customers, and had been eagerly anticipating the reopening. Sadly, we have never had such a disappointing meal from Saji-ya. We ordered several different large sushi rolls. The rolls with shrimp were filled with very overdone, and over battered shrimp. The rice was gummy and not at all like it was in the past. The scallop roll smelled a bit off, and was not eatable. Actually, none of it was good enough to eat... we threw it away. I will end by saying we were expecting higher prices, but given the food quality, prices are way out of line. We won't be back any time soon. read more

We have been going to this restaurant for 20 years.They completely from the ground up new building new everything they did a great job on this restaurant top notch everything from the dragon on the wall to the lights and the colors.The appetizers were out of this world we had the steak it was amazing.they have least thirty different kinds of Sushi and they will custom make one for you also.There were six of us eating and everyone said best Sushi in Minnesota.They have the best chefs around.If your within 100 miles of this place go there the sushi is the best I've had. read more

I'm still trying to figure out why this restaurant is not rated 5. The quality of their food, the service everything is a 5. People need to frequent this place more. Honestly it is also the only Sushi restaurant that actually serves coffee, always a plus in my books. read more

Saji-Ya - Caterpillar Roll, sashimi, crab hand roll, seaweed Steamed Rice Salad - Japanese Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota