samurai japanese cuisine & sushi bar

this resturaunt is the ultra climax to a sushi fantasy! everyrolli've order and have seen come out to other tables, is too gorgeous to even eat! i make sure i take photos to remember the delicacy of every created roll! the sushi chefs are so kind and knowledgeable in any question you have for them on any roll. i'm so very allergic to soy, so the sushi chef knows this by now, and he's so very carful in handling and preparing my special rolls. my aunt also is highly allergic to shrimp and the owner knows this so he personally prepares all her hibachi just for her, which he makes quite special! everything we have ordered is always served in generous portions on a plate with beautiful presentation, in which the chefs take time with to garnish. i can tell this family owned restaurant takes pride in their dishes, and business. they are some of the kindest, friendliest owners i've ever got to meet and talk with. this is why i myself and my friends always continue to patronize this establishment!


-----28 mar, 2015-----

the very best sushi and hibachi in the columbus and phenix city area!!...every sushirollis filled to the max with outstanding ingredients! every hibachi dish filled with an abundance of meat, vegetables, and rice. your surly going to leave with a to go box as i always do. the waiter staff are all very helpful and efficient, i've noticed how clean the whole restaurant is from the floors and tables. i've seen the owners always on hand doing things to help make every guest satisfied. this is over all a family atmosphere where you can come with family and friends to relax and enjoy the retro music from the classic eras and enjoy a variety of many beers, wines, and sake to choose from. i plan on having my 50th birthday party here, close to 30 people which i have booked for upstairs. i know it will be a party to remember. thank you samuri for all your accommodations to our big family and friends! your an outstanding resturaunt and added gem to columbus downtown and to the north end of columbus now where you are much needed for us who live up there and want a great sushi place to come to!!

sushi. each sushirollis filled with top perfection, with the up most fresh cuts of fish..topped with homemade sauces. never once disappointed. they never skimp on thier sushirollingredients, they are abuntly filled! these rolls are huge, and never skimped on. they top the rolls with special homemade sauces to die for! the hibachi is outstanding! they use top grade top of the line beef, and chicken. the vegetables i can tell are fresh cut, they don't use the frozen pre-cut vegetables here, all cut fresh. i know for a fact the sauces are all homemade. this is a family owned business who is very personable with the guest. times are very busy, but worth the waite. so much food on everything you order for the price. i love sitting, and having a few beers to which i can choose from their 130 different beers, wine, and sake while listening to thier great music, it's so different here, it's not like the run of the mill japanese resturaunts in columbus, and decorated quite hip! the owners are so welcoming and kind when you talk with them. if i've ever had a problem, they are so kind to get it worked out, and very acomidateing to my special request when i was on a special diet! the servers are always helpful and always doing their best to make you satisfied. i've had serveral parties upstairs to which all was made so perfect with the food and service. this place goes above and beyond to please and make thier guest happy and satisfied! my most favorite place to eat downtown and my favorite japanese restaurant for superb sushi and hibachi!

very friendly service and amazing sushi! i've been 5 times this week. if you're new to sushi or just giving this place a try for the first time, go for the franciscorollat lunch, or the japanese bagelrollat dinner. expect to wait a little bit, they take their time, and seem to be a little short handed, but it's well worth the wait.

i really wanted to like it.... as a downtown business owner, i really wanted this to be a great sushi restaurant. i was excited to see the neo-contemporary decor and the wide-open floor plan in our beautiful historic district.
the staff and management was friendly- no complaints at all in that department, and leniency is given for the tardiness of the food delivery as they are just opening and are likely working out the kinks.
the food quality, however, is the worst i've ever had in a japanese restaurant. (point of reference: while living in japan, i was a traditionally trained sushi apprentice and hibachi chef).
starting with the miso soup. flavor was instant miso and dehydrated (still crunchy) tofu, quite watered down and salty due to the abundance of wakame/kelp in the miso soup.

the tenpura appetizer was dripping with oil, the broccoli floret, sweet potato, and zucchini was still raw and cold in the middle.

we ordered the largest sushi/sashimi platter. the tuna, salmon, and hamachi quality was fine, however, the mackeral, yellowtail, and abalone was rubbery. the ebi was overcooked and dry. no eel or octopus was included and this was their best platter. the nigiri sushi was formed all wrong..3-1/2' slab of sashimi (all cuts) on a 1" ball of rice.

every sushi chef takes pride in making rice properly. i tasted very little mirin and only a slight hint of suu (rice vinegar) in otherwise dry and flavorless rice. the rolls included were phillyrolland california roll. i've had better from publix.
the sashimi was cut into cubes and odd-sized pieces and thrown on the platter. perhaps the chef was trying to hurry and finish as i had already been waiting for half an hour.
my overview is this: the decor and atmosphere are great; i really do like it. the servers and staff were friendly and attentive, so no complaints there. the sushi chef however, was apparently not properly trained or just unskilled. no apparent knife skills, basic nigiri forming standards weren't followed. the sushi rice wasn't made/seasoned properly.
if this establishment hires a skilled sushi chef before everyone catches on, perhaps they'll survive here. if not, they'll be just another statistic.

i really hope that the owner will read this and take positive action; i would love to give them another chance, but not with the current sushi chef.

this is by far some of the worst sushi i've ever had in my life. apparently they are moving out of their current location (they use to be a chinese buffet?) & had construction mess everywhere. i went for the more safer options such as a californiarollor shrimp tempurarollbecause you really cannot screw these up. it was awful! the avocado was brown & who puts asparagus in a shrimp tempura roll? the tempura batter tasted like the oil had come from mcdonald's. my husband got therolltide roll, ate two pieces, & couldn't eat another bite. publix has better sushi than this! while we were dining we got to watch a waitress (?) paint the tables black?!?!? & then they screwed up the tax on the charge recipes & tried to add it in their price of the meal? hibachi was just as bad & over cooked with too salty vegetables & rice that tasted like it came from a box. they would have done better as a chinese buffet. don't let their commercial fool you. never ever will i got back!