Like siblings in a family, two of West Lafayette’s Japanese dining restaurants share a common heritage but shine in their own ways. Sakanaya and Sakanaya Izakaya offer their own unique personality, menu, and dining experience.
Purdue University Student, Mackenzie Larson, shares this blog. This blog is part of a series of articles submitted to Visit Lafayette-West Lafayette through a cooperation with a 400-level travel writing class at Purdue University.
Though the restaurants that opened in January 2024 and August 2025 share the same ownership and dedication to offering quality food, each has its own style.
Sakanaya shines with its bold sushi rolls and lively atmosphere at 150 South Chauncey Ave. on Purdue’s campus. Sakanaya Izakaya, the first of the two restaurants, expands the experience with comforting noodle dishes, inventive small plates, and cozy decor. It is located at 2060 Sagamore Pkwy W, northwest of Purdue’s campus.
Together they give visitors two unique ways to savor Japanese dining right here in Greater Lafayette!
The Dining Experience
At Sakanaya, a long sushi bar greets you upon entry with chef’s working to prepare fresh rolls to order. Most of the tables are filled with Purdue students, some squeezed into booths, and others sharing large Sushi boats at their tables. Sakanaya offers sushi creations unique to this location such as the Ever Roll and the Sakura Surf Roll.
The Ever Roll is filled with spicy salmon, topped with crabmeat, torched with cheese, and finally wrapped in crunch. It was a delicious combination of flavors. The Sakura Surf Roll includes white tuna, red snapper tempura, avocado, and jalapeno inside. It is then topped with tobiko and spicy mayo. The combination of the raw and cooked fish was delightful.
I look forward to coming back with friends and making my way through the rest of their menu. Sakanaya is geared for casual nights out, pre-game dinners, or sharing a meal with friends.
A short distance away, Sakanaya Izakaya offers a different dining experience. Highlights include warm wood accents throughout the restaurant, honeycomb seating lining the walls in one room, a sushi bar surrounded by booths in the next. The menu goes far beyond sushi rolls and invites you to settle in and enjoy a delicious meal.
For my meal I started off with their Crispi Amerika appetizer, the restaurant’s take on spicy tuna crispy rice. The combination of spicy tuna and slightly crisped rice was delicious and each bite melted in my mouth. Guests can then decide whether to continue their meal with sushi from their expansive list or try out one of their many entrees.
I chose to continue my meal with a Spicy Tuna Hand Roll and a Tiger Roll. The hand roll came out first and contained a generous serving of rice and spicy tuna wrapped in a seaweed funnel. For just $5, this menu item is going to become a regular in my orders. Combined with the Tiger Roll, which contains spicy tuna and shrimp inside, topped with fresh crabmeat and crunch on top, I was extremely satisfied.
Although I did not choose to include a cocktail with my meal at Sakanaya Izakaya, it has an expansive drink menu. They offer a variety of traditional Japanese cocktails, sake, soju, Japanese spirits, and Japanese beers. If that is not your speed, they also offer domestic bottles of beer, seltzer options, sodas, and wine!
Overall, the best way to appreciate these sister restaurants is side by side. Think of Sakanaya as the energetic younger sibling, hence its location, menu, and dining layout. Meanwhile, Sakanaya Izakaya is the versatile older sibling, offering comfort dishes, shareable plates, and a more laid-back pace.
Before You Leave
A tradition that stands true at both Sakanaya locations is the opportunity to write whatever you may wish on a wooden ornament hung in their entryway trees. It allows individuals or groups to commemorate their special evening and dining experience before they exit.
If you are visiting Lafayette or West Lafayette, enjoy the opportunity to leave your mark!
Sakanaya and Sakanaya Izakaya bring a taste of Japan to West Lafayette. Whether you are grabbing a quick sushi meal with friends at Sakanaya or enjoying a long cozy meal at Sakanaya Izakaya, these sister restaurants will work for you.