Fuji-Ya Restaurant

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600 W Lake St (at Garfield Avenue)
Minneapolis, MN 55408

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(612) 871-4055
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Fuji-Ya Restaurant - Minneapolis, MN
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Best

After living in the Twin Cities for several years,I've tried most of the sushi restaurants in the area,and always return to Fuji Ya.It is the absolute best option for sushi and Ja...

Worst

In early 2002 (when I moved to the Twin Cities), I told many friends about how great my experiences had been at Fuji-Ya. In fact, I truly believe I had the best sushi dinner I hav...

Fresh Sushi! 1/24/2007

I've gone to many sushi places and I must say, I love going to the Fujiya in downtown St. Paul. I've been to that restaurant over 10 times and each time they amazed me. I'm obsessed with their yellow tail and tuna. Their Dynamite roll is spicy and mouth watering. If I'm feeling really hungry, I order their Reiko box. It consist of 3 lighty, glazed terriyaki sticks, a new york strip, (medium-rare cooked perfectly) vegetable tempura, and a side of rice. The sushi chefs are very friendly and outgoing. Sometimes, at the end of your meal, they give you a long, slice of pineapple drizzled with raspberry sauce for free! It's a quiet atomosphere and very romantic. I'd say the only downfall would have to be their service. Most of the waitresses/waiters that I've had are really quiet and snoody. Other than that, a fantastic place to eat at! Pros: fresh seafood, great sushi chefs, and on time Cons: bad servers more
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Yummy rolls 11/21/2006

We went to the Fuji-ya in St. Paul. It's not quite as nice as the uptown Fuji-ya, but the food is as good. The have all the regular selection of rolls. The were out of toro wich was dissapointing. The serivce was good. Pros: Good rolls Cons: Atmosphear more
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Ridiculous customer service 11/3/2006

This is only the second time I feel compelled to write a review on Citysearch on a poor restaurant experience. The other one being New French Restaurant which folded about a month after I reviewed. I have been going to Fuji Ya in Uptown consistently for 7 yrs since their Lyndale location days. Over this period the food has gone from exciting to above-average but customer service has become plain lousy. Yesterday I called the restaurant in the afternoon to verify that I could call ahead to place my name on their waiting list for the sushi bar (no reservations at the sushi bar) and the lady who answered the phone confirmed. As I was on my way to pick up my girlfriend the same night I promptly called and was told by a male staff, who identified himself as the manager, that they didn't have such policy and I had to appear in person to be on the waiting list with a 40 mins wait. I explained to him that I had already been told by their female staff I could call ahead to be put on the waiting list and I had done that before. The manager said he would not be able to do that. I believe that, policy aside, a restaurant manager willing to leave his customer stranded because his staff provided the wrong information shows how little care or respect they give to customer satisfaction. At their price point I expect reasonable accommodation. more
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Super Delish! 5/28/2006

Restaurant is great! I have only been there once, but had a great experience and will definately return! The sushi was fabulous! Loved the dragon and the spider. Unagi is very good. One of the friends I had dined with had never had sushi before and is allergic to shellfish. That being said our waiter was extrememly patient and helpful. Reservations definately recommended. We were seated promptly on a Saturday night with a crowded restaurant because we had reservations. Prices were comparable to any other TC sushi. Pros: sushi, service Cons: parking more
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Great sushi but very expensive! 3/27/2006

Everytime I've been there, I have not been able to leave with anything less than $40/person on the bill, and I'm a very petite person who does not eat that much! However, that said, the sushi tastes very fresh and I love the appetizers. It does not get very busy for some reason (maybe bc of the price) so I have never had to wait for seating. The service is always very consistent and friendly. Pros: good service, fresh sushi Cons: expensive price more
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Good Food 11/15/2005

The ambiance and food are good. Service is hit or miss and the chairs are so uncomfortable you won't want to stay long. Every chair feels like the bottom is falling out. Pros: food, ambiance, parking Cons: service, comfort more
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Average experience 7/26/2005

I've gone to Fujiya 3 times over the last two years. The first time, we had to wait over 45 minutes for seating because we did not have reservations. We ended up eating in the bar area. The last time, I was meeting friends there and I was snubbed by the host at the front. What was that? Will not be returning any time soon. Two bad experiences out of three... Sushi and service is also average in comparison to other local sushi places. Atmosphere is great if you take away the service element. Pros: Atmospere Cons: Expensive more
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Lovely 7/23/2005

First of all this place is beautiful. Very romantic, esp the private rooms. The service was top-notch, very imformative and friendly. Sushi was just good, nothing esp special and the food was like-wise. The menu offers several things for those not sure of ""real"" Japanese food and our server accomidated picky people very well indeed. It was a little on the pricy side for what was offered, but overall a good experiance. Pros: beautifully decorated, good service, good variety Cons: expensive more
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User review by acjc1095 5/9/2005

We go to Fuji ya a lot and every time we have gone it has been awesome! The only bad thing we've ever had there was the Toro( it was like rubber). more
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Sushi Yes, Japanese Food No 2/21/2005

The sushi at Fuji ya was VERY good. Almost as good as some of the NYC and San Francisco Sushi bars that I goto. However, the hot foods on the menu left a lot to be desired. It just was plain and not very good. The sushi, I cannot say enough about, but the balance needs to be there. Prices at this place are reasonable and I could get used to it, but if I have to live in the hinterlands just to have good inexpensive sushi, that would be crazy. Pros: Sushi, ambience, decor Cons: BULGOGI!?!?!?!, Bland hot foods more
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EXCELLENT! 2/18/2005

The food at Fuji Ya is excellent, sushi is delicious. I highly recommend the dining experience. Pros: Sushi, Service, Food Cons: Crowded, parking more
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it's just sooo goood 10/6/2004

Perhaps the best Japanese restaurant in the entire TC area!! The service is very friendly and prompt. The seatings are nice too! They have the traditional Japanese tatami seating on the floor. I LOVE the Unagi-don especially. How could they make the eel so cruncy from the outside, sticky soft inside, and so sweet?? Pros: nice waiter, delicious food more
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The Best 7/6/2004

My wife and I have eaten at some of the top sushi houses in the country (including Nobu NYC, etc...) and this takes it. Not only was the negiri fresh and reasonably priced it was also some of the most rare and difficult to find. Not only that, I had their Kobe beef (and I take pride in noting that I was the first person to ever order it). It was new to the menu and was $35. While that may seem high it was close to a pound of the most wonderful meat I have ever tasted...BAR NONE. And I do mean any meat, anywhere!! Needless to say, I found out later that they are selling it at cost to get the fact that they offer Kobe beef out there...so I feel some responsibility to pass it on!! Expect the price to go up...$80-90 would be reasonable for this!! Pros: Food, Food, Food more
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Fabulous Sushi 4/17/2004

My Husband and I love sushi, have had a favorite place in St. Paul, but decided to try some new ones. we went early on a Friday Night and were able to be seated in a Tontomi room. this was a wonderfully Romantic Experience. The sushi was great, tempura delightfull and the Seafood Doria was a rich finish. We will be back. We have a new favorite closer to home. Pros: romantic, price, selection more
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Perfect Virgin Sushi Experience! 9/12/2003

My girlfriend and I were extremely anxious to delve into the sushi experience, so a friend demanded we go to Fuji-Ya. I called ahead and reserved us a private room, and when we got there we were dissappointedly placed in a room next to one filled with a bunch of 17 year-old screaming girls. (One of whom even said, ""I only have 2 sushis left!"" Ugh.) Our waiter Jason was top-notch. He sat down with us and helped us order, he made suggestions, and he was very patient. The potstickers were a phenomenal appetizer. We got the California roll (excellent) & the spicy tuna roll, which was one of the best things I've ever eaten. The sashimi-style sockeye salmon &bigeye tuna melted in our mouths. We also ordered a wonderful Philly roll. Dangerously hot green tea was our dessert, and we left Fuji-Ya craving our next sushi experience. Pros: Service, Food Quality, Presentation Cons: Pay Parking more
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Something has changed 9/8/2003

In early 2002 (when I moved to the Twin Cities), I told many friends about how great my experiences had been at Fuji-Ya. In fact, I truly believe I had the best sushi dinner I have ever had at Fuji-Ya. However, over the last year or so, things have changed and not for the better. Though still quite acceptable service and atmosphere-wise, prices have gone up, and food quality has gone down (a big problem when you are talking sushi). This is not the place it was last year. With numerous sushi options in Minneapolis (most with lower prices), Fugi-Ya will need to work hard to get back up to speed. After about four not-so-good experiences in a row, it is off my list. Pros: Clean, Easy parking (fee), Service Cons: Cost, Quality more
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Fuji Yum or Fuji Yawn?!? 7/17/2003

This is standard Twin Cities Japanese fare which means: Prices are a little steep and the sushi is average . The menu offers a wide selection of sushi. . .too bad they were out of several of our choices. (Recommendation: don't put it on the permanent menu if you can't regularly offer it for sale.) Also interesting: This place touts itself as authentic Japanese and yet offers some Korean items on the menu. (Since when did Japan and Korea merge?) Service was polite and covered all the major bases. The overflowing sake pour is surprisingly generous, entertaining and recommended. Arrive early as the place fills up fast. Overall, it is on par for midwest ethnic dining (almost an oxymoron) but this niche is begging for a corner Japanese joint with California pricing. I'll go back but not often. Pros: Generous sake pour, Fun patio seating Cons: Pay Parking Lot, Prices a bit steep more
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Makes good on dining institution status. 3/15/2003

Come on already - this is great left-side-of-the-brain dining. While other slop houses continue to ruin an already delicate sushi-as-food reputation with slapped together rolls and amatuer nights, Fuji-Ya keeps the quality high from all angles. We're talking considerate presentation and sashimi you can cut with chopsticks. Service is great - stoic; informative; there when needed - not sugary and in your face. This dining engages all senses - and it's nice to see an ongoing commitment to avoid the tar pit of ""we got 'em locked in - let's blow off quality"" insisted upon by so many other formerly great restaurants. GO... Pros: Quality, Value, Presentation, Flavor, Obvious commitment Cons: Packed constantly, (go on a Sunday) more
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favorable 3/10/2003

The sushi at Fuji-ya competes well with twin city mainstays Origami and Kikugawa. I recommend making reservations for the private rooms and sitting on the floor. I also am a big fan of their tempura appetizers. I had udon noodles at one meal and found them fairly bland; if you're going to Fuji-ya you're likely there for the sushi anyway. Pros: great sushi more
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Beautiful way to spend Japanese evening 11/14/2002

Owner Carol Weston Hanson has done an outstanding job in designing and decorating this fine Japanese restaurant on Lake Street in Minneapolis. The sushi is first rate and so are several signature dishes such as the lightly fried soft shell crab. The ginger and green tea ice creams are made from original recipies. Hanson and her husband (Fuji-Ya's general manager) have continued the fine japanese dining experience began by Carol's mother over three decades ago when she had a now legendary japanese restaurant on the Mississippi riverfront at St. Anthony Falls. Sadly that restaurant is no more, but the tradition continues with Fuji-Ya at Lake Street. Pros: Beautiful interior, Great sushi creations more
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Menu for Fuji-Ya Restaurant


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The Twin Cities' original Japanese restaurant offers noodles and sushi, as well as bento boxes and specialty dishes.

Editorial

  • In Short
    This serenely simple restaurant features brick and pale-yellow walls, paper lanterns, bamboo-and-wood trim, Japanese prints and bonsai plants. As soon as you sit down, the server...

  • 6/7/2006 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: Tue-Thu 5pm-11pm Fri 5pm-11pm Sat 5pm-11pm Sun 5pm-10pm
  • Payments: Master Card, Visa, American Express, Discover
  • Neighborhoods: Calhoun Isles, Lyn-Lake
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