Come and enjoy Sakanaya Izakaya and savor authentic Japanese culinary excellence with the Dining Divas and Dudes. As you step through its doors, you are welcomed into a world where the ocean's bounty takes center stage. With a menu brimming with an array of meticulously prepared seafood delights, Sakanaya Izakaya invites diners on a sensory journey through Japan's rich culinary tapestry.
Once identifiable as the location of Wings Etc., Sakanaya Izakaya looks out at the new building, though the frosted glass prevents stalking and staring, they honestly wouldn’t ever think about it anyway. Those days are long gone, let’s leave the past in the past. The new restaurant bears no scars of the time spent slinging wings and dishes up a relaxing aura upon entry.
The key to a successful divas lunch is showing up late, which is my strong suit for sure. By the time I arrive, the tables are already adorned with bountiful surprises, none of which I could identify. Thankfully, my superiors were more than happy to all shout their names and descriptions at me at an incredible pace. I shall list them here for you, in no particular order.
The signature sampler boasted gyoza, agedashi tofu, takoyaki, seaweed salad, Ika salad, and tempura shrimp. I can personally attest that the half gyoza I ate before fumbling the rest to the floor had me really contemplating eating the floor dumpling the entire rest of the visit. The tempura shrimp had a delicious flavor and light, yet satisfying, crunch. The sampler had something for everyone and the presentation was beautiful! The karrage chicken was delicious as always, and the sauce stole the show! Reminiscent of the awesome sauce featured at Kirby’s, it really went well with everything! I personally loved the hamachi kama, which is a grilled yellowtail collar. While it’s not something I would usually order, I was so happy I tried it! The hot, buttered, cheese corn really speaks for itself; it’s got all of the basic necessities for a good time.
Most of us ordered sushi, and let me tell you that we have NEVER seen a presentation quite like this! The rolls all came out on a whole boat! An entire wooden boat! It was insane, and the crowd went wild. It did raise quite a rumpus with everyone scrambling to fight for their order, but that’s just who we are and the restaurant has no control over that.
Kay could not wait to recommend the Godzilla roll. It’s tempura shrimp, avocado, cream cheese, and crab. The best pieces are the ones with the tails sticking out, but they’re all good! When you come here, order it, and ask for your own plate so you don’t have to share the boat with everyone.
Jerry likes to go against the grain and opted for the chicken katsu. It’s a dish that features panko crusted chicken, potatoes, and veggies served with curry and white rice. It was stunning! We stared while he feasted until we could stare no more. That man is an endurance athlete and powered through even after the bill was paid and the table was cleared!
Margy’s Thai salad fancied up the table quite nicely and required zero combat for her to access it. Surprisingly none of us fought her for it, which really is pretty weird because it was beautiful! It was topped with fried tofu, veggies, rice noodles, cashews, and sesame dressing. It was enormous and brightened up the room with the array of colors!
Let the record show that Ken, affectionately known as the mayor of Main Street, wanted the Amazing Tuna Roll and I, Whitney the Villainess of the Midwest, ordered it before he could. Against all adversity, he persevered in the name of Mackey Arena. He suffered through the cream cheese, spicy crabmeat, and avocado to bring balance and harmony to the table. He finally conceded and would later admit that it was a slam dunk, scrumptious even. You’re welcome, Ken.
Linda order the lobster roll. It had “real, honest to god lobster in it!” It also involved a centrally located scallop that can only be described as delectable! She also took a strong liking to my salad, which was amazing by the way.
Jo opted for the zucchini and mushroom yakitori which was served grilled on a skewer. They were warm and subtly flavored teriyaki. She would venture to call them a slam dunk, but ole mayor of main street got to that before she did!
I had the highly coveted Amazing Tuna (insert villainous laughter). With every bite I could taste his envy and it made the pepper tuna, avocado, and jalapenos that much more satisfying! I would later go on to have a heart and share it with Ken, for I am nothing if not merciful. I suspect it was everything he ever dreamed of!
Tetia got the Out of Control Roll and I honestly suspect that could easily describe all of the events that took place here today. The asparagus, salmon, and tuna both hamachi and not created a song of textures and flavors that we will go on to remember fondly for all of our days.
In the midst our excitement about the boat, the battles, and the vibe; we were greeted by a familiar face from before! A server from a past fan favorite, my beloved, Checkerboard Tavern, distracted us while the management rolled out plate after plate after plate of dessert! We were gifted bowls of yuzu ice cream adorned with deep fried Oreos, and let me tell you there was a flurry like we have never flurried before.
In a matter of seconds, this gang turned absolutely feral. I actually think we were talking about how full we all were when we just collectively lost our minds. Deep fried Oreos are now my personal mascot, and yuzu ice cream is a close neighbor of lemon and is simply to die for. I would die for it. The Taiyaki is a fish shaped pastry filled with ice cream and either strawberry or brown sugar. It was all so delicious I could just scream.
We also wanted to give a special shout to the manager Deb, the service here was beyond incredible and she and the entire staff really went above and beyond to make the whole experience completely wonderful!
