Sapporo Izakaya

This place is a fixture in Panther Creek, but we had not tried it until late last week. We got a salmon skin hand roll, spicy cucumber salad, onion soup, steak and chicken from the hibachi menu, and the unagi donburi bowl. Finished with green tea mochi ice cream. Also had green tea with the meal.

I would say that the salmon skin roll was the highlight of the meal. The salmon skin was fried and made for a delightful texture in the roll. The sauce was delicious. The roll was perfectly put together and easy to eat.

The spicy cucumber salad was an interesting experience. It lives up to its name, for me as an appetizer a few pieces were perfect. You get a great big bowl of it! Easily shareable for four or more people. A major contrast to the entrees--the portions were definitely for one person. The onion soup was a good representation, very nice flavor with some mushroom slices for added depth.

The chicken and steak hibachi was competently done but the flavors were very basic. I would say the steak was cooked to at least medium well, though it was tender enough. Good for folks who want Japanese food but are not looking for adventure.

The unagi donburi bowl was also pretty basic. Delicious unagi (it's my favorite sushi ingredient) served warm over a bowl of rice with black sesame seeds. Fried rice might have jazzed it up a bit (you can get that for a little extra).

The ice cream serving was generous, you get four mochi balls (cut in two) to share at the table. The ice cream is quite good. Mochi is an acquired taste, and I haven't acquired it yet, so it's hard to be totally fair, but I believe it was done as it should be. The green tea was fine--but the cups they serve it in are not very insulated so are quite hot at first, I waited for mine to cool a bit.

The restaurant is beautifully decorated, with striking ceiling lights and nicely done murals. It's dark, but not too dark, at the tables. The restrooms were clean and ready. On my next trip I would probably focus on the sushi, that seems to be the strong point. They have some specialties that look good but have no prices--if you have to ask, you know...but maybe for a splurge. I would go back and bring visitors.

My Yelp Review