Sakura Japanese Restaurant: Bring on the Sushi!

Jane Martin

The holiday season is always an exciting time to mix, mingle, and sample new menus. And with so many fabulous restaurants lighting up the downtown area, it’s actually a thrill to come across a fun, funky alternative to upscale elegance.

Located at 116 E. Broughton (912-234-9300), Sakura’s charm recalls many of the cool diners tucked away in college towns across the country. While the SCAD influenced atmosphere retains a DIY (do it yourself) random display of brightly colored paper lanterns, there is a contagious undercurrent of collegiate cool that extends from its wait staff to its affordability.

Entering Sakura, we were immediately seated at one of the spacious booths along the wall. Our waitress, clad in vintage chic and sporting a red Mohawk hair accessory, immediately warmed our table with amusing dramatic monologues and complimentary pan-fried bread. Selections from The Velvet Underground’s Andy Warhol played quietly in the background as we examined the menu.

Fairly new to Japanese cuisine, we were advised to begin with Tempura, a classic Japanese dish of lightly battered, deep fried vegetables and/or shrimp. We located this under the appetizers and enjoyed nibbling from an enormous basket of crispy broccoli, carrots, shrimp, and mushrooms. All appetizers are $5.00 and below.

For our entrées, we split an assortment of sushi rolls, favoring the Acapulco Rolls. These contain avocado, shrimp and masago. Naturally, there is an extensive selection of these rolled favorites, all very reasonably priced. Udon noodles make a nice addition to any entrée.

World acclaimed Tiger beer is also available.