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    Sando Cafe

    4.6 (29 reviews)
    ModerateJapanese
    Open 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

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    Karaage.  Perfectly fried thigh bites Japanese style.
    Frederick M.

    A delicious home made Japanese spot for katsu sandwiches and much more. We loved the trendy options and really enjoyed the karaage chicken and gyoza. Not many seats but it's cozy for a quick bit to eat or to do for delivery. In person will likely taste best given the fried and pan fried options we chose.

    Sara B.

    Absolutely loved Sando Cafe - everything was 10 outta 10. The space is really tiny and cozy. I'd imagine they do a good amount of takeout business. We were able to snag a table though which was nice! A katsu sando is a must and the crispy fried chicken was perfection. I've had sandos a few times and don't always see an egg on it. I really liked this! Sharing a sando and a few small plates was the perfect meal. We also loved the pork gyoza, seaweed salad and fried potato croquettes. They have some really fun drinks that come in the cutest branded cup. Loved the sweet peach tea! Service was super friendly and overall this was a great pick for a delicious lunch in Montclair.

    Kusa Dango Red Bean
    Aimee C.

    Stopped by for a little montclair lunch and was excited to try their sandos! I brought in quite a group, but luckily it was a slower day so they allowed us to put some tables together, but otherwise, expect to come with just a friend or two as seating can be very limited. My service may have been impacted by inclement weather, but while the server was very nice and courteous, after ordering, it did take about an hour to recieve food, even as it came out in waves as it was ready. The chicken karage was not your typical style, fried with a light coating of what seemed to be tapioca starch, which was less crispy but still flavorful and delicious. We were expecting wafu fries to be waffle fries, but they were instead similar to okonomiyaki style fries which was a pleasant surprise. Their okonomiyaki was fantastic, crispy yet still moist inside, and seasoned generously. Their sandos on the otherhand were pretty well-packed, but didn't stand out flavorwise to me and any of the selections we made. Their niku udon on the otherhand was a warm, comforting bowl of bouncy noodles, and quite a large portion for its price. To finish off our meal, we had their mitarashi dango (grilled sweet soy sauce that was definitrly the star of the meal, warm and chewy and tasted like honey) as well as their kusa red bean dango (served cold, and generously coated with red bean, but the cold temperature made them extra tough to chew and a very mild grassy flavor). Overall, one of the many solid choices for a mid day meal in Montclair. Parking, as per usual in Montclair, have plenty of street parking options, or thr crescent parking tower is not too far a walk.

    Sand
    Rosa R.

    This is place is just average. It's the only one of its kind in downtown Montclair and maybe people don't have anything to compare it to but it's honestly just average. It's lacking flavor which says a lot for a Japanese spot. It's a good spot it you want to get introduced to JP eats.

    Sakura Tea
    Christian R.

    I was eager to try Cafe Sando ever since reading about the special egg salad sandwiches they serve in Japan. This is not your standard deli egg salad sandwich. It's prepared with special sweet mayonnaise, "milk bread," and the egg itself is more pulverized--all to create a creamy, sweet mouthfeel. It also features a full split hard boiled egg and shredded cabbage. I was not disappointed. The ingredients of the "tamago sando" were fresh and flavorful. Since this is my first taste of the genre, I can't compare it to others like it. But I enjoyed it very much. To drink, I tried the Sakura tea, green iced tea flavored with cherry blossoms. The server asked what level of sweetness I preferred, since she was to make it fresh in a shaker. I said "regular" in order to establish a baseline. Next time I'll ask for light (but not zero) sweetener. Your mileage may vary, but you'll want to have an answer to that question if you order it. Finally I ordered a fruit sando for dessert. This is like strawberry shortcake served on the sweet, fluffy milk bread instead of shortcake. I found the ingredients delicious and fresh, but felt a bit stuffed afterwards. Cafe Sando is a nice atmosphere. Japanese pop music plays, and there are about five small tables and seats at the coffee bar. If you want a taste of Japan in Montclair, I recommend it.

    Vivian C.

    so excited to see more asian food in the area, especially a new japanese restaurant! the prices here are very affordable, especially compared to the rest of the neighborhood. most of the menu was around $10 or below!! the food here was delicious!! we plan on coming here often, the katsu sando and curry over rice was delicious and so flavorful, but the katsu sando definitely was the best! so tender and crispy and delightful! making good food takes time, so be prepared to wait a bit during the food rush hours for your food, but it's worth it! staff was friendly and constantly busy with all the customers, but they have a button on each table that helps you call the wait staff. there's only 4 small tables, so takeout is definitely a good option as well if you can't get a table. street parking only.

    chicken katsu & tamago
    Tina K.

    Awesome local gem! The chicken katsu & tamago sandos are very good and the service is great as well.

    Gyudon
    Victoria P.

    The food and service is excellent! amazing staff and so quick!!! We were in and out within 35 mins with our belly's full!

    Fruit sando

    Food here has consistently been great! Their mango or passion fruit with hojicha tea best option and it comes served in the cutest cups. The potato croquettes are perfectly crisp and full of flavor. The real stars, though, are the sandwiches (Sandos) -- from tamago and kani salad to chicken or pork, every option hits. Don't skip the booster combo: chicken katsu with tamago is hands down the best pairing. Everything is made fresh to order, and their gyozas and rice bowls are excellent too. This spot definitely shouldn't be slept on -- plus, they've got a great playlist! Highly recommend checking them out.

    Pork Katsu

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    9 months ago

    Tasty sandwiches, friendly service. We tried the egg salad and the katsu pork sandos and they were excellent.

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    5 months ago

    Amazing customer service and cozy atmosphere! I had the pork katsu sando and enjoyed it.

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    10 months ago

    Had the katsudon, a rice bowl with a pork cultlet. The best! Can't wait to go back and try the rest of the menu.

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    Minoru

    Minoru

    4.4(84 reviews)
    2.1 mi
    $$$
    Women-owned & operated
    LGBTQ friendly

    Honestly I had incredible conger eel in Japan and have never had a better experience since. Every…read moreeel I have had in the U.S. has never compared, even the eel I had in Seoul, so I was hesitant to order it at Minoru. But this was absolutely worth it. I'm so glad my husband pressured me to. The eel was incredibly tender and delicate on the inside with a delicious crispy exterior and a rich flavor with every bite. The contrast in texture was so so good and it honestly exceeded my expectations in every way. I wish I had more. Easily the best eel I have had in the U.S. I'm still thinking about it weeks later. My husband ordered the Wagyu donburi, which was excellent. The Wagyu was incredibly tender. The waitress also cracked an egg over the beef. It came with rice at the bottom, miso soup, and broth. I also really appreciated that our waitress came over and explained the different ways to enjoy both entrees. There were four different ways to eat each one, which made the experience feel much more thoughtful and interactive. I enjoyed eating mine plain and mixed with broth, scallions, and seaweed. These were the only two dishes we ordered and both were excellent. I will definitely be back for the eel again. It is definitely cheaper than flying to Japan to get my fix.

    Came here on a Saturday evening and, honestly, I'm pretty shocked by how positive some of the…read morereviews are. The ambiance is beautiful and the concept is really cool, but unfortunately, the execution falls short. Given the high prices, I expected much better quality in both the food and service. The fact that it's BYOB is definitely a plus. We started with the miso soup, which was $8. For that price, I expected something more elevated, but it tasted no different from basic takeout miso soup. We also ordered the large sashimi appetizer. The fish was mediocre overall and simply didn't match the price point. The botan shrimp was probably the highlight. I ordered the Kaisen Don. The uni was fresh, although not among the best I've had. The tuna, however, was disappointing--you could tell just by looking at the color that it wasn't particularly fresh. The portion of fish was also very small, with the bowl heavily filled with rice. I'm pretty particular about sushi rice, and unfortunately, I didn't enjoy theirs. My husband ordered the Gyu Don, which was just okay. Again, there was very little meat and a LOT of rice. Overall, this place was a huge disappointment. The prices are far too high for the quality and portions you're getting, and there's a lot of room for improvement. The ambiance and BYOB concept are great, but unfortunately, the food just doesn't live up to the price or the hype. I'm genuinely surprised by all the glowing reviews.

    Photos
    Minoru - Restaurant

    Restaurant

    Minoru - Shrimp Bun

    Shrimp Bun

    Minoru - Mushroom

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    Mushroom

    Nami Nori - Vegan Temaki

    Nami Nori

    4.4(173 reviews)
    0.1 mi

    My friend and I met for lunch at Nami Nori Saturday. She had been there before and recommended it…read morefor us. This was my first time there, and after that meal, it will not be my last. I love temaki! We started with shishito peppers with a smoked honey miso. I was curious to see how they did vegetarian options, so I went with five plant-based temaki. I'm hard-pressed to pick a favorite; each one was so delicious! -- avocado "toast" -- cucumber black sesame -- tofu chimichurri -- sweet potato tempura -- maitake truffle Our waiter was so nice and welcoming. She checked in on us and answered questions that we had about the menu. That kind of genuineness and hospitality always makes the dine-in experience a notch above. I hope to return again soon. The eatery is close to the Welmont, so I made a mental note to remember it next time I'm seeing a concert or show. Nami Nori in Montclair is highly recommended!

    Second time coming to Nami Nori and had amazing service as always! Always good to make a…read morereservation ahead of time as it gets pretty busy during the dinner rush! We love nami nori for its upscale and clean feel! Its well lit and doesn't seem like a night club lol. Food was amazing!! The spicy tuna dip was delicious and actually spicy! The caviar service has gone up a bit in price since we came here a couple years ago but it was too good of a deal before! All the handrolls were amazing but our favorite was the toro scallion. We added some of our leftover caviar from the apps and it mixed perfectly!!! Spicy lobster is definitely a must as well! Can't wait to come back for our next date!! Pro tip: theres a parking deck right across the street behind the bike store! You can cross through the lit up alley pretty safely there.

    Photos
    Nami Nori - Ocean trout

    Ocean trout

    Nami Nori - A la carte selection of Temaki (hand rolls)

    A la carte selection of Temaki (hand rolls)

    Nami Nori - Japanese Potato Salad with Ikura

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    Japanese Potato Salad with Ikura

    Aozora - The front

    Aozora

    4.0(301 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    It's always a little sad to say goodbye to a place that meant more than just good food. Thank you…read morefor all the wonderful memories, incredible meals, and experiences over the years. We always looked forward to coming here, and the food never disappointed. The environment was inviting, and you could have privacy in a booth or be front and center at the window and enjoy the view. What made it even more special was the people. Mem was always so incredibly sweet, remembering us and asking about our cats, while happily sharing updates and stories about hers. Those little personal touches are what you remember long after the last meal. We're truly going to miss this place and everyone who made it special. Thank you for the food, the hospitality, the laughs, and the memories. Wishing everyone who was part of it nothing but the best.

    Came to Aozara last Saturday to meet up with some friends for lunch and didn't take a single…read morepicture :( We were seated quickly along the left wall which had tables. The other side of the restaurant had these big white booths which were pretty cool. I ordered the Spicy Scallop Roll and Sexy Girl Roll for myself. We all ordered on the provided menu sheet and were able to check off the items we each wanted. Because we got there so early, the food came out fast. I LOVED my scallop roll and plant to come back here just for that. Aozara is located on Bloomfield Ave right across from the Wellmont. I'll be honest, I go to the Wellmont for shows at least once a month and had never been here before but I plan to come back now that I know the food and service are good. It's BYOB - so make sure to bring your fave wine with you!

    Photos
    Aozora
    Aozora
    Aozora

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    Nori

    Nori

    3.7(294 reviews)
    0.4 mi
    $$

    Came here on a Tuesday night with some friends. The restaurant was very empty, but they did have a…read morelot of takeout orders ready. We were able to be seated right away and the person who greeted us was incredibly kind to us. The restaurant is fairly spacious. They have lots of tables and some booths. As we were looking through their very large menu to the side, what to order, the waiter brought an appetizer on the house, which I believe was some kind of tempura fish, which was pretty good! We ordered four rolls and one miso soup. I do have to say that other places give you the miso soup when you order more than one roll, so it was different that we had to order it separately and pay for it separately, but I understand that restaurants are different. We got the Montclair, the Caldwell, the salmon avocado, and their Hawaiian roll. The one that truly stood out to me was the Hawaiian roll, it had kiwi and mango on top which made for a delicious combination and very refreshing. The other three rolls were OK, nothing outstanding. That miso was a bit sweet, which was different for me. At the end of our meal, they gave us orange slices and they were actually delicious! It was a cute surprise and truly showed the vibe of the people who run this place. Overall, the bill came around $50ish which was incredibly cheap for all four rolls and the soup. I definitely would come here again to get the Hawaiian roll and maybe try out some other stuff!

    Is this the best sushi in NJ? No, but you get a friendly staff , great selection of apps and rolls,…read moresome unique menu items like sushi pizza and fried banana on sushi (digimon roll), but the number one selling point for me is the prive point. For how expensive everything is nowadays, they keep it affordable hell without it feeling like budget sushi. All the fish tasted fresh, no complaints here

    Photos
    Nori
    Nori
    Nori - Decor

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    Decor

    pastaRAMEN - Wagyu skirt steak

    pastaRAMEN

    4.0(549 reviews)
    0.2 mi

    First off I love this chef\owner's work. I've tried all his places here in NJ…read more that being said pastaRAMEN is very good, but now we're getting to a point where it's more about the VIBE than anything else. Don't get me wrong, the food we all tried here was good to excellent, but maybe we're headed into the direction of "the scene" rather than what we came there to do ( EAT!) and this is a BYOB so no cocktails or wine\beer program to talk about here. Great concept and a new FOODIE term out there " Wafu-Italian" which is a meld between Japanese & Italian ( heck, someone had to eventually invent it ) Street parking and a huge parking garage about 1 block away. There is no sign during the day at this restaurant; at night an overhead spotlight beams the name on the sidewalk; Considering the street # ( 13) is painted to blend in with the facade, we walked past the place 3 times before realizing this was it......Really? Is that supposed to make it seem like a "speakeasy \ in-the-know" kind of place. ( Hope not, it's pretentious if it was) Staff was great. Our waitress ( from Boston) was super helpful & friendly. Ambience is "city vibe". Splashes of paint here & there with plenty of black painted walls & Asian accents. (I personally am not a fan of bathrooms that are so blacked out anything could be in there with you..it's about maintaining a clean environment) THE FOOD---We tried many apps & entrees; Keep in mind the menu is altered frequently. I attached a pic of one from mid-August. Portions are fair\healthy. You'll be full, not stuffed. APPS...... -The Cucumber Salad is one of the freshest, best items on the menu. -The Porcini ( mushroom) rice-balls were ok; but not at 5 small ones for $40 -The clams on focaccia bread was very good. Need more focaccia for dunking! The sauce was killer! -The cacio & pepe Gyoza ( dumplings), just "meh". ENTREES... --the Miso Cod; is a dish I just love; very good example here --Hanger Steak Carbonara was good, nice mashed potatoes --Wagyu short rib also a "good" choice. ( yes, I mean JUST good) --the brothless Ramen Shrimp Scampi was the winner here. An excellent pasta dish full of flavor. Great choice. DESSERT... not here....plenty of coffee shops, etc in Montclair within walking distance. We were told no coffee ( only tea) and only 1 dessert ( a bao bun confection with Nutella & powdered sugar). How boring ! No coffee? Never heard of such a thing. and isn't EVERYONE doing a version of zeppoles in Nutella sauce these days. Really disappointed in this. Let's hope a few tweaks brings this new Felice outpost inline with some of the other restaurants he has.

    10/10, no notes!! I literally cannot wait to eat my…read moreleftovers today. We ordered quite a few items because we wanted the full experience after waiting so long to try this restaurant. WORTH ALLLL THE HYPE!! Speaking of hype, the vibes were good and the type of atmosphere that anyone would feel welcomed in. I saw dates going on and enjoying the tasting menu which is the perfect way to bond, groups of guy friends, families and then us, girls night out to catch up with my best friend. By the way- service was great, too. Friendly, fun & personable from everyone we encountered. Back to the food: *Calamari, super yum! *Caesar Salad, very yum!! Not your ordinary *Pescatarian Bestie ordered the Shrimp Scampi and enjoyed it! I ordered the Wagyu Short Rib Ramen and wowza, it's everything I hoped it would be and more. A generous portion of tented beef, I almost wish the ratio of ramen was higher though but seriously no complaints! I will be back, STAT!! Don't forget to bring your own vino cause it's BYOB

    Photos
    pastaRAMEN - Inside

    Inside

    pastaRAMEN - Delicious octopus skewers

    Delicious octopus skewers

    pastaRAMEN - Cacio e Pepe Gyoza

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    Cacio e Pepe Gyoza

    Sando Cafe - japanese - Updated September 2026

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