| Name: | Japanese Restaurant |
| Address: | 1537 Main Street Sarasota, FL 34238 |
| Phone: | 1-941-365-6544 |
| Fax: | 1-941-365-6544 |
| Opened: | Open for lunch Monday to Friday 10am -2pm , Open for Dinner Monday to Saturday from5:30pm to 10:00 |
| Review: | "Kiyoshi's is definitely one of the best
sushi places you'll ever go to, with the freshest
sushi in Sarasota, Florida, prepared by a ex head
chef of a four star resturant in Manhattan NY
(mitsukoshi), Kiyoshi delivers taste, and style
into a casual, and comfortable environment.
Unlike most formal Japanese resturant, this place
is for Casual dining, and in a city that
capitalizes on tourists, most the customers
consist of regulars.
Kiyoshi's formerly Kyotos (open for 19years) was
the first Japanese resturant to be introduced to
Sarasota, and is definiately the best around.
Not only does Kiyoshi welcome every customer, but
is willing to listen, and talk to every customer
as a friend.
In a small 69seat resturant it can get packed
within only a few minutes, and the food is
absolutly exquisite, the harumaki is to die for,
and the sushi is in all the right proportions.
I'd recommend Kiyoshi's to any of my friends,
with a chef who has over 30years in experience,
believe me on this, he knows what's he doing.
" |
| | - Alex [August 7th 2000] |
| Name: | Midori Japanese Restaurant |
| Address: | Main Street, Sarasota,FL |
| Phone: | unknown |
| Fax: | unknown |
| Opened: | unknown |
| Review: | "Midori as a Japanese restaurant was trully
a disappointment, with a selection of 2
resturants, chinese and japanese, the resturant
had a cold atmosphere, everything was so open and
wide, but just did'nt have that right feeling.
The Ika (squid) was horrible, the house white
wine was supposed to be dry, but was way to
sweet, the pina colada tasted nothing like a real
pina colada, (avoid this at all costs).
Midori aiming for a higher class of customers,
did a bad job, the prices are high, for lower
quality food, the decorations did'nt match, the
waiter we had did'nt even know anything, or what
even sake' was, there is also a chinese resturant
to this place on a complete separate section, but
even though Midori's sushi was by far a
dissapointment, the kitchen food was magnificant!
I'd never again go to Midori again, but I'd like
to try the chinese side soon.
When we went to Midori a week after it's opening,
we were the only customers in there, and it's not
hard to see why. I'm not someone to critisize and
is usually very nice about everything, but midori
just trully lack what other japanese resturants
like Kiyoshi's and Saga has to offer.
" |
| | - Alex [August 7th 2000] |
| Name: | Pacific Rim |
| Address: | 1859 Hillview St., Sarasota, FL 34239 |
| Phone: | (941) 330-8071 |
| Reviews: | "This is your best bet for sushi in Sarasota. The Mount Fuji and Caterpillar rolls are out of this world.Once you try them, you'll be hooked.
" |
| | - Christine Mercado (merc_78@excite.com) [May 15th 2005] |
| | "We have become regulars here.The service is great and the food is outstanding.Everything is fresh and the rolls they have on the menu are very creative.They even have a selection on the sushi menu which lets you create your own roll.I can't say enough about the chefs here, quality, creativity and friendliness.We have visited almost all of the sushi restaurants in the Sarasota area and this is the one that keeps us coming back for more.The pricing is more than reasonable as well.
" |
| | - A family of 3 [Jan 16th 2006] |
| | "My husband has to eat sushi at Pacific Rim at least once a week! I am not a sushi fan and that is fine because they have the best food ever. I can eat something different everytime. My husband says the reason he loved their sushi is because everything is so fresh. They have the longest sushi menu I have ever seen. Another great thing is how nice everyone is. Even the owners are more than happy to say hello & talk to you. Pacific Rim's staff and the customers are kind of like a big family. Once you go there you continue to go there and everyone gets to know one another. It is like seeing family everytime we walk in the door. Check out their website for the sushi menu. My husband prints the menu ahead of time and has it ready to go when we sit down.
" |
| | - Kaye [Jan 15th 2007] |
| | "Excellent atmosphere, Very good prices, and very friendly staff! Huge selection of sushi which was so fresh and the taste was amazing. By far the best Sushi I have ever had! If I lived in Sarasota I would go there regularly!
" |
| | - Steven [July 18th 2007] |
| Link: | Restaurant Website |
| Name: | Saga |
| Address: | 8383 South Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34238 |
| Phone: | (941) 924-2800 |
| Fax: | (941) 925-0955 |
| Reviews: | "We have been to Saga for six months on a biweekly basis and the restaurant has had the best sushi we have ever eaten and it is consistently the case. Every time it has been excellent. Saga´s vegetable roll-up and their Tetaki Specials are our favorites." |
| | - Dan or Sara Penn (dmpenn@ix.netcom.com) |
| | "Saga's Japanese restaurant is trully something you must see to believe, the atmosphere, the friendly people is just great, we always enjoy eating at Saga's Japansese resturant. The chicken tempura is just marvelous, and the shrimp tempura just mouth watering. Max a co owner of the resturant is well skilled and always welcomes us with open arms.
I'd recommend Saga's to just about everyone.
Also if your in the downtown area please try
Kiyoshi's Japanese restaurant, which is just as good as Saga in Sarasota.
" |
| | - Alex [August 7th 2000] |
| | "Full disclosure: having just reviewed Taste of Tokyo, it's now time to review my other old employer. I was a waiter at Saga years ago for a few months during the slow season and then briefly was a sushi trainee (which I realized I was not cut out for). Max has demanding standards and I remember it from his criticisms of the imperfect California rolls I made during my brief attempt at sushi training.
Owners teppanyaki chef Max and sushi chef Shin also have a very good restaurant last time I checked (unfortunately, I don't make enough money to eat Japanese cuisine regularly).
The teppanyaki cooking is very good and also entertaining (until you've worked there long enough to have memorized their routine antics), though I prefer the back kitchen menu items. My one criticism is that I've felt that the gyouza dipping sauce tasted too salty on multiple occasions (being a big fan of gyouza I know the typical sauce flavor at Japanese restaurants).
Good food, so I now miss the family style meals we employees had before opening after we'd finished pur prep work. I still remember the night that Shin made us employees some Omu-rice with katsu sauce after closing.
" |
| | - JD (meals = circa 2005) [July 22nd 2009] |
| Name: | Taste of Tokyo (see Bradenton,FL) |
| Address: | 7129 South Tamiami Trail, Sarasota,FL 34231 |
| Phone: | (941) 924-2271 |
| Reviews: | "Taste of Tokyo is trully a disappointment, the food was over priced, and the sushi was just bad.
It was'nt only the food, but the service was
horrible, we were not surprised to find out from our friends, that Taste of Tokyo is'nt owned
and managed by Japanese people, but of Vietnamese
owners, a personal friend of mine worked in Taste of Tokyo as a chef, and he was cheated
from his wages.
Taste of Tokyo in Sarasota, is really a disappointment, not one of the staff was true Japanese, and the servers did not even know what a kappa maki was, and I had to tell them it was a
cucumber roll. The Taste of Tokyo in Bradenton, FL is not bad, but the branch in Sarasota is bad
from all angles, service, food, and atmosphere.
" |
| | - Alex |
| | "Hideo ('Joe') Horaguchi, the owner of both Taste of Tokyo restaurants and chef on Tamiami Trail, is in fact Japanese. The food is excellent, with a full menu and wide saki selection. His inventive maki include the spicy 'SSS Roll'. I eat there severao times a month and highly recommend it. While eating you can enjoy Japanese television via satellite dish!
" |
| | - Tom W. [July 16th 2004] |
| | "Having recently (2000) come back to Sarasota from Chicago with my half Japanese wife, we were anxious to find an authentic Japanese restaurant. Taste of Tokyo is the real deal. After several visist to 'Sushi' restaurants, we were left very disappointed, especially considering the abundance of real Japanese restaurants back home. Japanese food is art. Usually it took only one question from my wife to a server to determine whether they really knew what Japanese food was.
Once we got beyond the Chinese and Vietnamese imitations, we found Joe and the Taste of Tokyo. We no longer look for real Japanese food. My wife knows what she grew up with, and Joe delivers. When her mother (originally from Osaka) visited, this is where we went. I'm very caucasian, don't know diddily about Japanese cuisine, but have learned to enjoy the freshness and flavor that real Japanese food delivers. Definitely try the S.S.S, I usually order 3 servings, and be sure to ask Joe what s.s.s stands for! :-0 As for the non-Japanese servers, in Chicago that wouldn't be a problem, but Sarasota might be harder to find a Japanese student suited to restaurant wages... Nevertheless Mama-san is there to take care of you during your dining experience. Getting to Joe (Hideo) is an added treat, he's been in Sarasota for quite a while.
An evening out here is a no-brainer for us...
" |
| | - Pete [Sep 16th 2005] |
| | "I also believe Taste of Tokyo to be a superior Japanese dining establishment. I was disappointed to see a negative review, that was truly a product of misinformation. The menu is very authentic japanese including a wide variety of pickles (a must in japanese meals). And the ownership has always been the Japanese husband and wife team of Joe and Fumi. Just call them with a special request and you'll see true japanese hospitality come to life.
" |
| | - Noa [Oct 25th 2005] |
| | "Excellent and authentic...very wide variety of FRESH fish prepared in original and traditional ways as well as a very complete japanese menu of appetizers and entrees. Perhaps the Japanese owner and his family were were away when the other reviewer stopped in. Sake is even served in a sake box (very authentic). Excellent food, excellent service and highly recommended by a true sushi/sashimi lover. A little pricier than other Japanese restaurants in town, but worth the slight extra cost. If you like Japanese food, this is a must..." |
| | - [March 20th 2006] |
| | "I've had sushi in New York and San Francisco, and Taste of Tokyo taste and quality is top notch. Joe (the owner) hand picks his fish, and it shows. Presentation is good, and ambience is nice. Price is also reasonable. We've eaten there many times, and each experience is superior.
" |
| | - Steve from Sarasota [Jan 12th 2007] |
| | "I am a Japanese and it has been really hard to find a real, and good japanese restaurant in this area. I have lived here for 10 years.Taste of Tokyo is a good place to try. The owner 'Joe' is japanese and his wife Fumi is vietnamese. Mama san and Papa san are Fumi's parents from Vietnam. I think the food is ok, sushi average, love sss, and yes the food is overpriced but aren't they all in Sarasota? I like this restaurant, yet I don't want to work here because I know the waitress have to share the tip with mamasan and sometimes sushi chef and even with dishwasher.
I was very surprised to see the price jump.
" |
| | - one japanese [June 22nd 2007] |
