I had no idea this restaurant even existed until I saw an article on December 30th that they would…read morebe closing on December 31, 2025. So, I quickly messaged a good friend on December 30th (afternoon) and we planned to arrive for dinner. DINNER - The style is TAPAS so the food is small plates. Dinner was delicious. My friend and I ordered several dishes to share including sides (mushrooms, broccolini, and eggplant), rice, and 2 meats (sirloin steak and chicken skewers). The flavour was rich enough but not too strong. Pricing is slightly high but the quality is great. It's sad that the investor decided to close down this Japanese restaurant so early. They only opened in July 2025 so after 6 months they are closing. It takes time for a restaurant to see growth in customer base and money. Perhaps they didn't advertise well enough but whatever the case, I'm glad I got to try their food. Customer service was amazing. My friend and I were greeted when we arrived and were checked on throughout the night. **** GOAL of 365 reviews in 2025 - 60/365 total reviews in 2025 - 841 total Yelp reviews - Reviewed on 31 December 2025

Came to celebrate my birthday and the staff was so friendly! I love that they only carry Japanese…read moreliquor, it keeps the restaurant feel extremely authentic. We tried 6 dishes and 2 sashimi dishes and it was a perfect amount of food for 3 people. The food came out extraordinary fast too I was shocked. They were busy but efficient, I was quite impressed. The must haves are the chicken rice bowl, the yellowtail, and the beef cheek. I love the wide variety of food options for vegetarians and meat lovers. I will say, the food still needs some fine tuning. The flash fried octopus had a weird texture and the sauce was way too overpowering. The squash was good but didn't have anything that made it stand out than anything I could've made at home. Excited to come back to keep trying out more flavors!

Once you are downstairs and through the doors, you are transported to a submarine experience. The…read morelighting, the bar setup, the textures, colors and scenery prepares you for an immersive night. There are numerous drink options at moderate prices. Steamed towels are provided upon arrival. This is one of the best, high-end meals offered in Cleveland. Everything is done professionally with precision and care. Not pictured below, but one of the best options on the menu, is the Eye of the Tiger roll.

Ginko was delicious!! I loved the speakeasy vibe finding/getting into the restaurant, as well as…read moreinside - that being said, it is a little dark and cramped inside, so if that's not your cup of tea just be aware of that! The fish was incredibly fresh and tasty - we got the tuna tartare, the sashimi set, and an uni nigiri, all of which were delicious! My only real complaints were that service was a little slow, and that its a little expensive for Cleveland, but the quality makes it worth it - especially for special occasions!!

Delicious lunch here the day after Christmas. Half full restaurant as we were quickly seated upon…read morearrival. Lunch specials w soup salad and multiple rolls were a hit. We had unagi sushi, spicy tuna roll, California roll, yellowtail, chicken yakisoba, red lobster roll, and had to try the Christmas roll. Good service, attentive staff, calm atmosphere. Would definitely return!

We had an absolutely fabulous experience here. Found it on Yelp and it had good reviews so we…read moredecided to check it out. It's in the middle of a little strip mall and you would never imagine it would be as delicious as it is based on the outside. But, we decided to give it a shot. We could not have been happier. We tried the crab Rangoon appetizer, which was good, although didn't blow us away as much as some people on Yelp. The rolls were absolutely the highlight. We tried the amazing role, the dynamite roll, and one other as well as a selection of Nigiri. The amazing role was my absolute favorite, but they were all really really good. The mochi dessert was very good although the portion was tiny. And the fried ice cream was OK but not particularly special. We will definitely be coming back!

I'm still thinking about the lunch that I had here and I can't wait to order it again. It was…read moreyummy!! I visited Hako for the first time for a takeout lunch in early March 2026. I was working at a coffee shop nearby, 10 mins away, with a friend and we both decided to walk over to Hako to grab lunch. FOOD -- Hako has lots to choose from, including sushi, rice dishes, dumplings, etc. I ordered the Dumpling Bowl ($13.95) for lunch which was delicious and fresh. The Dumpling Bowl includes sushi rice, furikake top fried chicken dumplings, and cucumbers. It is topped with spicy mayo & eel sauce. The chicken dumplings were thick, crunchy on the ends, and slightly creamy with the spicy mayo on top. The addition of the sushi rice gave for a filling lunch. The dish wasn't too salty especially with the cucumbers on the side which added a cooling effect. I will definitely order the dumpling bowl again and the price ($13.95) is a lunch special, I believe. AMBIANCE -- Simple design inside with tables and chairs. Calm atmosphere. Clean. SERVICE -- Quick and efficient customer service. The lady at the checkout counter was very friendly. We spoke about her being from South Korea. I will definitely love to come back to Hako to dine-in for dinner. Although I don't eat sushi, if you are a sushi lover, this restaurant is for you. **** GOAL of 250 reviews in 2026 - 44/250 total reviews in 2026 - 885 total Yelp reviews - Reviewed on 23 April 2026

If you like sushi this is a good place. Very small inside but the menu has many options to choose…read morefrom. However if you don't like sushi there are no other options to choose from. Staff were very nice. Very casual atmosphere.

This restaurant is a gem that deserves recognition for their quality of food, their quick…read moreturn-around, and last but not least their exceptionally friendly and kind staff. It's a place you want to visit at least once and I'm 99% positive, you'll want to come back.

The first time we went it was we fine, the hotpot and bbq were poorly explained and there is stuff…read moreon the digital menu that wasn't in the hotpot menu paper. Everything tasted fine, so we just assumed it was a communication issue. So we came back, this time it had a quarter of the menu and the quality took a sharp dive. Pretty amazing since it had been less than a week. Most of the menu was missing, our waiter seemed clueless, nice but clueless. I've never been to a hotpot that didn't have quail eggs all day. All the grill meat came out frozen, the cuts were thin and bad. The green peppers tasted like the blade that cut them, dry and metallic. I don't know that was way too wild a swing in quality we won't be back. We can't win with hotpot in Ohio it seems, for how much hotpot is in the US, I expect better than this. Kpot is still the worst but this last time at Kintaro is up there. Guess I'm looking for another hotpot place. It was clean and organized, the floor is in bad shape in the dining area but other than that it didn't feel dirty or unkempt.

We ate here last night with a group of 8, and we were so impressed! We had a hard time finding a…read moreplace to even seat 8 people at 6:30 on a Friday night (we did make reservations) much less provide a menu that could please that many people with different dietary issues (Vegan/Gluten Free, etc), but Sora not only met our needs it exceeded our expectations. First of all, the place is beautiful. You will want to stand and stare a minute when you first arrive, from the cherry blossoms overhead to the gorgeous art painted on the walls. We were welcomed immediately and seated quickly. Our waitress was attentive and efficient, again this was no small task with a bit group at a very busy time. She made great recommendations and we started with several appetizers for the table: Crab rangoon Mozzarella stick, Goyza, and crunchy rice with avocado. They were all good and cooked to perfection, but the Crab Rangoon Mozzarella sticks were show stoppers. This is fun fusion at its finest, and everyone agreed we could have just lived on those. We had to put in sushi orders early as there was a bit of a backup with the kitchen, but our server did a great job of keeping us informed about the timing and made all the entrees work out so people getting hot dishes got them at the same time as people who ordered cold dishes. I had the sora roll which is another great fashion dish with a simple tempura shrimp and avocado roll upscaled by adding thin slices of wagyu beef, spicy mayo and dark sweet soy. I loved the combo. My wife had the peking duck and said it was fantastic with a good bit of flavor and a hint of kick, cooked to perfection so it didn't get dry. My son had the mushroom risotto which he said was very flavorful, and carried a bit of asian spiciness. Other people at the table had sushi, the katsu chicken, and the crab fried rice. No one was disappointed! Finally my wife and I split the smoked creme brûlée and all I can say is, you should save room for dessert because this was a fantastic spin on a classic! The only thing I would note is that it's not a quiet restaurant. Do not expect to have a hushed or private conversation here, but even with the big group I could still hear everyone, so it's not like it's ear splitting or anything. Honestly, every part of this experience impressed me and I would love to go back next time I'm in town.

THE GOOD Crab Rangoon mozzarella sticks!!!! Wowza I am…read moredefinitely going back there for those alone The crab fried rice- delicious, rich The ambiance- it is very aesthetic THE BAD Service/ management. one server had half the restaurant as her section, with 5 ish food runners, she was running around like crazy. While I felt bad for her I also was starving! I didn't even get an order for food in until an hour plus after I was sat and didn't get the food until an hour after that, it was a big yikes The management did give me a gift card but I honestly would rather they just staffed better. the sushi- really disappointed, especially after all the great reputation. the pricing- quite high, especially for the amount of sushi received. OVERALL I guess I will be back to use my gift card, probably on takeout, for the crab Rangoon mozzarella sticks

Upscale sushi bar on East 4th on Downtown Cleveland. They are usually pretty packed (including the…read morebar which is not first come, first served) best to make a reservation. The service is excellent. Waitstaff is super attentive and it definitely gives off a fine dining feel as they encourage you to order in a course kind of way. The sushi is just perfectly fine. It's a bit pricey and for the most part it's just standard. I guess it's the premium for being Downtown. They do have a few inventive rolls and all of the fish definitely tasted fresh. They also have a lot of other dishes and apps which is nice. Cocktails are great.

We had a larger group on a Saturday and we needed to wait nearly 2 hours for our sushi…read more The upstairs was busy at the time but for the past half hour it's been empty in the upstairs and downstairs. We continually asked about our orders and were told they were "on their way". 30 more minutes. Still no mains other than the cooked food. The poor server was also our bartender and none of this was his fault. If something was going to be this late we would've appreciated not being mislead. Also-- for full disclosure we said that food could come out as it was ready. Not forcing them to have it all at the same time. If you enjoy waiting more than 2 hours for your food to be delivered-- here's the place for u

Summary: Visited during a trip home to see my parents. I…read morelive in San Francisco and have traveled to Japan multiple times... This was truly the most exceptional omakase I have had anywhere in the world. Every detail has been planned and executed to the highest degree of excellence. To have this kind of experience anywhere would be a treat but to have it in Cleveland is an incredible luxury. A must visit. Details: Space - Absolutely stunning, intimate space with incredibly beautiful, traditional Japanese finishes. The wood counter is so soft you could rub your face against it. Food - Beyond all expectations. Careful selection of the best ingredients, a fanatical fixation on flawless execution, and undeniable skill, all really add up to something special here. The use of unique techniques and seasonings, chosen thoughtfully for each fish elevated what I thought were familiar ingredients to entirely new levels. Drink - Incredible selection of top sakes, many of which I even found difficult to find on my last visit to Japan. Service - Incredible service, warm, accommodating, effusively kind and above all else... super fun and friendly! At this level, dinning can often be stuffy or intimidating but the team really does an incredible job curating a fun light hearted atmosphere! Vibes - The vibes are great. By the time we left, we were friends with everyone in the room! Price/ value - This is definitely not a cheap meal but it is a truly special experience that could stand toe-to-toe with any top Sushi restaurant in the world. The amount of care, craft, skill is outrageously special and there is clearly a "spare-no-expense" approach to all of the ingredients, dishware, glassware and techniques used.

As a half Japanese person, my sushi intake is immensely particular. But there are days where I do…read moreneed to have some sushi to fix my cravings. I'll share what I absolutely love about Omizu. I usually order from UberEats, and I normally just order salmon rolls, spicy tuna rolls, etc., because I normally have avocado at home. This one time--I didn't have any. But I also didn't want to pay extra for avocado. I placed a note in my UberEats order "PLEASE ADD AVOCADO". And they did--no extra charge. I was so happy and I devoured my meal. My top picks: * Spicy Tuna * Salmon Lover * Salmon Roll, Tuna Roll, & Spicy Salmon Roll One day, we went inside to celebrate my friends birthday. She was a fan of hibachi, and wanted to try sushi for the first time. I had came earlier and asked them to store a cake for me--they gladly took it and presented it at a timely manner for us to celebrate her first sushi + her cake! Above and BEYOND this restaurant goes--impeccable service and quality.

I ordered delivery and had the sashimi deluxe dinner entree. Excellent sashimi - rich texture,…read morewonderful flavor, very fresh - with a very nice salad. Everything was well packaged with a beautiful presentation. Prompt delivery time - cannot wait to try in person.

I stopped by Sakura recently to try something different. I've never eaten here before and I've…read morealways wondered why they have one stand that sells Chinese and Japanese food. To be honest, it doesn't seem like Sakura differentiates their meals that much. It's the same person making similar food, except half of it sells at one counter and the other half sells at another counter. I ordered mushroom chicken with a side of veggies and it took a while to make. The food was of good quality and great taste. The staffer was friendly, but the wait was long. I'd definitely eat here again.

I think there are only two words to describe what is Sakura, value & chaos. Sakura is located in a…read moretiny little spot in the middle of the 5th Street Arcade downtown. I love the location because of the small shop atmosphere in the Arcade and the wide mix of people who frequent the building, plus it's close to my work. Sakura is in the tiny "food court" of the building and is really a gem. I bring up "Chaos" to describe Sakura because that's what your experience is like when waiting in line for your food. 3 ethnic Asian guys are running the place, 1 cooking, 1 preparing to go boxes and the other guy taking orders and grabbing drinks. The typical person comes here for the "hibachi" style meal of Chicken, Steak, Shrimp or Veggie Teriyaki. The prices are wonderful ranging from $5.99 to $6.75 for an entrée. They do serve sushi and combo meals but I tend to stick with one of the main four. The line is always a pain in the butt at lunchtime (I have been there a handful of times between 12 and 130) and it is always busy during these times. You wait and once your order is taken it is almost becomes a no holds bar death match to get in another line and fight for your food. I've seen it look like a Royal Rumble on one particular occasion. Eventually someone will get you your food but sometimes it is a struggle. The food though! You get a fresh protein with a heaping side of white or fried rice and veggies (lots of onions, zucchini and mushrooms). Oh and that YUM YUM sauce to add really makes this meal fantastic and filling. Don't get me wrong it's not better than say a top hibachi place but for $5.99 how the hell can you beat that. What can I say I enjoy the food, the line is a pain but well worth in my opinion the best VALUE lunch spot downtown.