I will begin this review with an explanation and an apology. I wrote an article talking about the upcoming Panera Bread and mentioned Sakegura Japanese restaurant, using a link to Urban Spoon so that people unfamiliar with Sakegura could find the place. For some reason Urban Spoon took that to be a review of Sakegura, even though I said nothing about the food. I feel I have to correct that mistake and will ask them to link to this article instead. We’ll see how that goes. Next, these reviews will be made from memory and largely without the use of photos. I suspect, though, that unless I do this, discussing food in Snellville will end up shot through with mistakes like the last one by Urban Spoon.

Sakegura Japanese Restaurant, is well located, found in the complex of strip malls at the corner of Ronald Reagan and Scenic Highway. It’s in a little strip with a few other stores, close to but not connected to the movie theater. Sakegura, as I recall, offered three kinds of dining. I recall tables in which to sit, a sushi bar, and hibachi style dining. My wife does not like the hibachi style at all, as the food choices are limited and steamed rice a must for her to be comfortable. Too many hibachi style places only serve fried rice.

Nonetheless, we went to this restaurant several times when we first moved into Snellville. The staff are not Japanese, but they work hard and do their best to please people. That’s one powerful memory of this place, how hard the manager worked. And it also has to be said I liked the sushi I had there. I also liked their boxed meals. We often would go for the “bento” boxes because those combinations of Japanese food were in general satisfying to us.

Sakegura Japanese
1905 Scenic Highway
Snellville, GA 30078
(770) 985-9168

Sakegura on Urbanspoon

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Yakiniku Japanese Steakhouse, I believe I have been to once. I recall it to be largely a hibachi style restaurant. That means that knife skills are on display here, that people cut up meats and do little tricks such as flip shrimp into the mouths of patrons. The food focus is on simple things, such as grilled steaks and other meats, teriyaki steaks, tempura and so on. I don’t recall if you can get steamed rice here.

My most powerful memory of this place is an especially wry, funny waiter whose lessons on how to use chop sticks had me laughing inside. They had excellent staff that knew their audience and played well to their interests. The hibachi style restaurant is a gentle introduction to Japanese food and this place delivers in that context. However, it doesn’t offer the diversity of cuisine that would draw my wife, half Japanese, to be a regular here.

Yakinuku Japanese Steakhouse
4002 Highway 78
Snellville, GA 30039
(770) 736-1800

Yakiniku Japanese Steakhouse on Urbanspoon