A neighborhood sushi bar, packed every night in Lakewood
At Sasa Sushi in Lakewood, you have to wait between 20 and 30 minutes for a table, and the restaurant also handles many takeout orders.
One Saturday night, the door to Sasa Sushi was so crowded you could barely stand. Groups wrote their names on a list and waited in the small lobby or outside to be called.
The dimly lit dining room features decorative brickwork and long, olive-green leather banquettes along the back wall, as well as strings of multicolored lights that create a cozy atmosphere. It's a casual spot that attracts couples, families, business lunches, and friends. Behind the bar, three or four sushi chefs prepare orders for dine-in and takeout, which are very popular: it's not uncommon to see half a dozen bags being collected while people wait for a table.
The menu is similar to any neighborhood sushi restaurant, with extras like ramen, yakisoba, and a shiitake mushroom salad with spicy arugula, orange, and a touch of truffle oil. The Sasa sandwich, a local favorite, is a rice paper triangle filled with rice, spicy tuna, crab meat, and avocado, with a hint of spicy mayonnaise. The Oyshi roll features tuna, salmon, mackerel, masago, avocado, and crab wrapped in a thin cucumber leaf. There's also maki with mackerel, salmon, and avocado, and California rolls, as well as nigiri with tuna, salmon, and mackerel.
For drinks, the usual choice is Japanese beer or sake, served in a pitcher with ice, perfect for sharing. The bar is a good option for dining alone or as a couple, and the seats by the front window offer groups the best view of the dining room, with less foot traffic.
The service is friendly and efficient, and the restaurant is a great place to run into locals. The most highly recommended dishes are the Oyshi, the Sasa sandwich, and the nigiri.
