IZAKAYA REN SUSHI & SAKE BAR

4.5 out of 5 Write a Review

Google Reviews:

5 Star Review By Quyen H.

It was my second time here. The first time was a few years back so I didn’t remember much. We walked in during dinner time. The restaurant was pretty busy but we got seated promptly. I like that they have booth seatings which are very comfortable and convenient when dine in with young children. Menu is well organized with variety of sushi, yaki mono ( grilled items ), rice bowl with some Korean dishes like bulgogi or kimchi fried rice. Several sushi rolls names caught my eyes like 911, heart attack, hell’s gate, ooh la la shrimp… I think it’s cute. Unfortunately,they don’t have kids menu. I wanted to order the octopus salad but they didn’t have so I got squid salad instead - it’s average, you can skip this item. Next, tuna tower — I didn’t understand the hype. It’s basically a four layers of rice, avocado, imitation crab, spicy tuna topped with masago and tobiko and sauce. It has too much rice and very saucy which masked the taste of tuna. IMO, it’s adapted to American taste. Here are items that I would definitely order here again, 1. Sashimi - I got the hamachi sashimi. And I loved it. For anyone who wanting to try sashimi for the first time, I’d recommend yellowtail for buttery flavor and smooth texture. Salmon toro (belly) is good too but it’s kind of fatty. 2. Ama ebi - I knew immediately I wanted to order this when I saw the description how they make it here - raw sweet shrimp served with fried head. Both my partner and I love ama ebi. We’ve had it at many sushi places in the US, in Japan and other countries, but they often serve raw head. We always had the raw head by sucking it out - it’s full of flavor and nutrient dense. Here, they deep fried the head and it’s so crunchy like eating chips. It was so so good! Must try item! 3. Crazy roll - tuna/salmon/yellow tail with cucumber and avocado - It’s a perfect combination. I was able to enjoy the flavors of fresh raw fishes, the crunch of cucumber and the creamy avocado. But, rice was a little but lacking of rice vinegar. 4. Bulgogi rice bowl - I ordered this for my kid. I taste tested it and I think this bulgogi bowl won my heart. Beef was tender and flavorful. I would definitely order this again. Overall, the dinning experience here was totally out of my expectations. Raw fishes here were fresh and the cut was generous. Service was warm and amazing - when we left, chefs behind the sushi bar all said bye and thank you to us. Highly recommend this place and we’ll definitely return.

Quyen H. Jul 13th, 2024 Google

5 Star Review By Tessa Miles

This is maybe my favorite sushi restaurant in STL! The calamari is amazing, although a bit on the pricey side. I always get the American Idol roll. I have tried the bulgogi don, shrimp & veggie tempura, and a few others of their rolls. Everything is always delicious!

Tessa Miles Mar 16th, 2023 Google
0