Authentic Japanese experience right in Worcester. Very small dining room but cozy feeling and love…read morethe open kitchen concept with seating right in front of the chefs. BYOB. Fast service. Recommend the Christmas Roll. All sushi was so fresh and delicious. We'll be back

I visited the Worcester Art Museum and took the opportunity to try this Japanese restaurant, which…read morehad received high praise on RedNote and Google Maps. The conclusion was that it was very average. Sashimi Appetizer: The sashimi was fresh and quite thick, but the quality was really poor. Combined with the warm temperature, it felt loose and soft, lacking a firm texture and rich, oily aroma. The only way to compensate for the lack of flavor was with the shouyu. Only the salmon was barely acceptable.

Kaizen handled an extremely uncomfortable situation professionally, and I want to share what we…read morepersonally witnessed. My significant other and I have been going to Kaizen for years and have consistently had wonderful experiences. The food is always amazing, and the staff have always been polite, helpful and hardworking. Last night was no different with our own experience. We were seated near a party of three who eventually became involved with management and police. There was a party of approximately eight beside them and another of approximately six behind them, diagonally from us. That's only a fraction of the tables Kaizen was serving that Tuesday night. We had a clear, front-row view and could hear much of what happened. The situation was uncomfortable before management ever became involved. The way the gentleman and his party spoke to the server and her trainee, who was also serving us, was extremely rude and disrespectful. I've worked in the restaurant industry for years and honestly cannot remember hearing guests speak to employees this way. At one point, the gentleman got up and walked over to the trainee while she was holding his food and bringing it to them, demanding to know where his food was. We could clearly see she was literally on her way to deliver it. Kaizen is a small, fine-dining, made-to-order Asian restaurant with a sushi bar. THIS ISN'T FAST FOOD. Different dishes take different amounts of time, especially when the restaurant is busy. The staff were clearly working extremely hard. Our server was also training a new employee. Despite everything happening around her, she remained calm, kind, polite and helpful. She even explained how we could order one of our favorite dishes differently in the future to save us money. She wasn't upselling us; she was looking out for us as customers. One of the other people in the party mentioned having 10-36 years of restaurant-industry experience. If you've spent that much time in restaurants, you know what it's like to be the employee dealing with an impatient table, busy kitchen, delayed orders and frustrated customers. That experience should give you more empathy and respect for restaurant employees, not less. If you claim you've never dealt with situations like this, that's either false or you've never worked in the restaurant industry. When the manager came over, she was calm, kind and professional. The gentleman immediately became rude and began yelling at her. She calmly told him she understood he was upset, but asked him not to yell or continue using inappropriate language. She explained that if it continued, she would have to ask him to leave. His response was essentially challenging her to do exactly that. Management continued trying to resolve the situation and even comped their entire bill. Eventually, police arrived and asked the party to leave. There was discussion about trespassing them if they refused, and their response was essentially, "Go ahead." Police then told them they could continue the conversation outside, but they needed to leave the restaurant. They finally went outside, and we witnessed the gentleman remain confrontational even after police became involved. As customers sitting nearby, we were extremely uncomfortable. We were there for our own dinner and date night, and their attitude and disrespect nearly ruined our evening. Once they were outside, the atmosphere immediately returned to normal. If you're expecting made-to-order food at a small, fine-dining restaurant within a specific amount of time, there are plenty of options designed around speed and predictability--McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's or an Asian buffet. Kaizen isn't that kind of restaurant. You don't have to like the wait, but you do have to treat the people serving you with basic respect. I've worked in the restaurant industry and understand that mistakes happen, orders get delayed and kitchens get busy. I also understand that the person serving you is a human being doing their job. From what we personally witnessed, Kaizen's staff and management handled an extremely uncomfortable situation professionally and appropriately. They didn't create the situation. They dealt with it. My significant other and I have been customers for years and will continue to be. We've consistently received great food and great service, and last night's experience only reinforced our opinion of Kaizen. The employees deserved patience and respect, and from where we were sitting, they showed considerably more of both than the party giving them a hard time.

Great food, superb attentive service and a cozy appeal makes this a great restaurant…read more The food was done well and presented beautifully. Was humming for a Sunday evening which is always a great sign. Besides the good food, the attentive staff made for a great dinner out.

After so many visits this place still continues to be the best for sushi. Great food, great…read moreattentive service staff and ambiance. Can't fault the place for anything during several visits over the years!

I went on a double date here last Friday and this place was great. They have ample seating -…read moreincluding an upstairs area. They have sushi and hot pot items. I ordered 3 sushi rolls, and their crab rangoons. Everything was delicious. We would all definitely come back and try more items. Please keep in mind that their parking is limited, but they do offer a complimentary valet service.

surprisingly good!!…read more inside is a well decorated space with tons of seating, we were sat right away! service was very quick and very kind, we had a large order and they didn't write it down so we were nervous at first but everything came out perfect! food was incredible. i love sushi and this was no different. would happily return.

Got into the coveted Tuna cutting experience. They only allow 30 people or so and the event is…read moremaybe once a month, but or fewer. Once they announce it, you need to call immediately or get shut out. My observation about the place itself. The U shaped bar is gigantic for the space. It's a bar-bar too not like a sushi counter. This seems to draw a crowd of local drinkers rather than the normal sushi crowd. You feel like you walked into a sports bar. The place was really loud and it was hard to hear the chef explaining everything. Once seated... it's the chefs carving the tuna off to the side. There were 2 bar tenders making drinks and like 3 chefs cutting tuna.... other than that, no waitstaff. Which is really odd. You have to grab the manager who was running around helping to get your Wasabi refilled. Not to mention they gave zero place settings for about 8 of us, until we asked. The bar tenders seemed to pass over my empty drink until I asked for a refill too. It's a more chaotic event than I would have liked for $120 per person. It also takes time to carve the tuna so if you arrive hungry be prepared to not get your first tiny bite until 45 minutes after the start. The star was Chef Timmy. Honestly he was awesome. The tuna.... so good. You end to with only 3 pieces of Nigiri which was a little disappointing but the sashimi part was unlimited. Of course you have to take your plate up and ask for some. They only put about 6 small pieces of the various cuts per trip. I think I went up 5 times for sashimi alone. The tuna handrolls you can make yourself or ask the chef nicely. Those were really good. Probably best I ever had because it's so fresh. There is a limited amount of the highly prized (and highly priced) Kamatoro, but you can experience it here as it's included in the experience. That's a hard cut to find. The finale was a shot of tuna spinal fluid. My first time with that but it's not bad. You're probably looking at $150 per person unless you order alcohol than it's alot more. The fresh cut tuna is amazing. I'm glad I did it. The chaos and the setting made it less than ideal. I don't think I would go again to this location for it. One and done. It's a bit weird that you're paying $120 for this and you're still intermingled with local patrons just there to grab some beers after work and watch the game. Because of the massive bar it is impossible to create a space secluded to do it. They also should have a roaming waiter at least taking care of the 30 people who came for this experience.

I've been a customer of this business for many years. Yong shing (old and new) and now Bar One. The…read morefood has been outstanding each and every time. Without exception. We recently noticed that the food preparation was not what we expected. I spoke with two other people about this and they agreed. The last three visits the food was not up to the high standards we are used to. There must have been some recent changes. New chef, new supplier etc. Please let me know that whatever happened is being corrected. I want to continue to be a satisfied customer. I took the time to write this because I like the people and the food.

This was my second visit to Bar One, I enjoyed my Sushi dinner takeout on the first visit and was…read morelooking forward to a repeat. On this evening, I was joined by my co-diner who prefers Chinese food to Sushi. We ordered: * Salmon Sashimi (2 orders - 3 pieces each) * Fantastic Roll: Salmon, Tuna, Yellowtail, Avocado, Fish Roe with Soy Paper * Gyoza * Spring Roll * Pork Dumplings (Fried) * Chicken Fried Rice Total: $73 with tax and tip. The Salmon Sashimi was very good, thick slices of fresh and buttery salmon. The Fantastic Roll was good, albeit not fantastic. The menu mentioned fish roe, but I didn't see or taste any. And rounding out the good dishes was the Gyoza, which was nicely prepared, light and crispy. However, the last three dishes ranged from just okay to categorically terrible. The Spring Roll was okay, we've had better, but it was passable. The Pork Dumplings were unappetizing, the dough was much too heavy, too chewy and most of these remained uneaten and found their way into the trash. The Chicken Fried Rice was very, very dry and flavorless. My co-diner thought it was the worst fried rice she's ever eaten, and most of it was dumped in the trash. The big takeaway from our takeaway dinner was, come here for the sushi, not the Chinese food!

SAWA Sushi & Lounge | Excellent Sushi, Incredible Fried Rice & a Great First Impression!…read more DISCLAIMER: This review is based on a takeout order rather than a full dine-in experience. However, I did have an opportunity to observe the restaurant's atmosphere and interact with the staff. SAWA Sushi & Lounge certainly made a strong first impression! While my visit was brief, the quality of the food was enough to make me want to return for the complete dining experience. Shrimp Asian Fried Rice - 10/10 Absolutely outstanding! The fried rice was delicious and easily exceeded my expectations. This is one of those dishes I would order again without hesitation. Sometimes fried rice is simply an afterthought at sushi restaurants, but SAWA absolutely delivered! Poseidon Sushi Roll - 10/10 Another exceptional selection! The presentation was visually appealing, and the flavors were equally impressive. Between the sushi and fried rice, SAWA demonstrated an ability to deliver quality across different menu offerings. Atmosphere & Customer Service Ambiance - 8/10 Although I wasn't dining in, the restaurant appeared inviting and offered a pleasant atmosphere. I'll reserve a more comprehensive assessment for a future dine-in visit. Customer Service - 8/10 A positive interaction with the staff during the takeout process. Everything went smoothly, contributing to an enjoyable overall experience. Price - 7/10 The pricing was a little less impressive than the food itself. However, considering the quality of both dishes, I certainly don't regret the purchase. SAWA Sushi & Lounge delivered where it mattered most: the food! It's not often that I give two dishes perfect 10/10 ratings during the same visit, but both the Shrimp Asian Fried Rice and Poseidon Sushi Roll earned them. While I would have liked slightly more competitive pricing, the quality of the food made this a worthwhile experience. Would I return? Absolutely! Next time, I plan to dine in and explore more of the menu. If the rest of their offerings are as impressive as these two dishes, SAWA could easily become one of my go-to sushi spots.

We were getting new tires at Mavis Tire & Breaks which is across the street from Sawa Hibachi. It's…read morea short walk through a large almost abandoned shopping center, which now only Staples, Sawa Hibachi and Fidelity call home. Sawa had a decent Yelp rating (and was essentially the only place we could walk to), so we decided to give it a try. It has a large bar, traditional table seating and Hibachi steakhouse style seating, it's a fairly large place. It also projects a traditional Japanese Steakhouse vibe. Since we were dining at an off time, there was only one other patron in view. They have an expansive Asian menu and we ordered: Salmon Dinner - 5pcs of salmon sushi & spicy salmon roll (with salad) Asian Fried Rice with Chicken Scallion Pancake Gyoza -Japanese pan fried pork dumpling 2 Green Tea Total with Tip: $78 How expansive is the menu? If you search for Salmon on their online menu, you get 47 hits! Service was good, then again we were essentially on our own. The Salmon was good, not the best I've ever had, but tasty. The Fried Rice was also tasty, but very salty. The Scallion Pancakes were crispy and nicely cooked, we really liked these. And the Gyoza was very tasty, but should have been crisper. Overall, a very enjoyable "Linner" and a 4-star dining experience. I would return here if in the area.

The waiter was so nice he was very funny .The food came out great fast service! Can't wait to…read morecome back!

This is my college town favorite for sushi. Came back here for the first time since 2018! I was…read morehappy to see it's still doing well and the food still is the same quality. We got a yellowtail appetizer to start. The slices were thicker than I'm used to for a crudo. I felt something was missing. The sushi and the oyster shooter however were really good! Got two of my favorite rolls - Godzilla and Celtic roll. Along with a couple basic rolls. The Godzilla has a slight sweetness from the banana but it does not take away from the savory flavor profiles. The Celtic roll is a great balance of crunch and smoothness from the avocado. By far- the oyster shooter is my favorite menu item. I got two. Could have had 8 more! I love baba! Hope they continue to stay in business and keep the quality and service consistent as it has always been!

Yamato is one of my favorite places to go when I'm looking for a quick, satisfying meal. The…read morerestaurant is clean, and the food is absolutely delicious. No matter which location I visit, the service is always excellent, and the staff make every experience feel five star. My go to is the miso soup a comforting blend of savory, umami flavors. The hand rolled shrimp tempura is wonderfully fresh and crunchy, and it never disappoints. You can't go wrong with any sushi roll, especially the special rolls. The drinks are great, too, and the scorpion bowl is always a fun choice. If you're looking for a quick bite, stop by Yamato you're sure to enjoy it!

I tried the hibachi for the first time at this location and was very disappointed. The portions…read morewere surprisingly small for the price, and the food was bland and lacked flavor. The service was also poor. Waitress seemed annoyed whenever I asked for a refill or needed anything, and neither she nor the rest of the staff were particularly friendly or welcoming. Overall, the experience was underwhelming, and I won't be returning. There are much better hibachi restaurants in the area with better food, portions, and service.

Absolutely delicious!…read more Stumbled on this place after attending an event in Worcester. Quick little five minute drive and we were there. We were greeted instantly and were met with the beautiful artwork on the walls of the restaurant. The atmosphere of the place was very chill in the best ways. Our server was kind and service was prompt. The smaller dishes really are the perfect amounts of food. We opted for the chicken karaage as an appetizer and it was absolutely delicious. My boyfriend had a Japanese wine that he loved so much we ended up going to a store to buy some for home. Would absolutely go back to this establishment and try some of the other items!

Great drinks and food. Sat at the bar and they had 4 tvs playing different anime shows…read more The food was really good and I would come back again!