What it's actually like
Saji-Ya garners strong enthusiasm for its fresh, high-quality sushi and attractive interior design, with an 80%+ 5-star rating. Service excellence is tied heavily to individual staff members, creating polarized experiences. While many celebrate the food quality and upscale ambiance, a consistent minority criticizes pricing as high and sushi quality as inconsistent, with occasional reports of bland or subpar fish.
cozymodern-elegantvibrantintimate-bar-seatingneighborhood-gem
Diners keep mentioning
maki sushi rollsgyozaspicy tuna rollsmatcha ice creamomakase experiencechicken fried rice (off-menu)sake selection
Ambiance
upscale-casual
Noise level
lively
Dress code
smart casual
Outdoor seating
Yes
Good for
birthday celebration, date night, family dining
Reservations
direct
Wait reality — Reservations recommended, especially for weekends and special occasions. Wait times can vary; some reviewers report 40+ minutes during busy periods, while others note quick seating. Best to arrive during off-peak hours or book ahead.
Derived from 94 recent Google reviews — not marketing copy.
What's cooking
Bento Box / Nabemono Donburi
Chicken Katsu Bento
Served with egg drop soup, ginger broccoli, seaweed salad, steamed rice, Chef's choice app
Chicken Teriyaki Bento
Served with egg drop soup, ginger broccoli, seaweed salad, steamed rice, Chef's choice app
Salmon Steak Bento
Served with egg drop soup, ginger broccoli, seaweed salad, steamed rice, Chef's choice app
Shrimp Tempura Bento
Served with egg drop soup, ginger broccoli, seaweed salad, steamed rice, Chef's choice app
Vegetable Tempura Bentovegetarian
Served with egg drop soup, ginger broccoli, seaweed salad, steamed rice, Chef's choice app
Yakiniku Bento
Served with egg drop soup, ginger broccoli, seaweed salad, steamed rice, Chef's choice app
Classic Maki Sushi
California
[inside] Snow crab, avocado; rolled inside out with sesame. Add Masago (6 pieces)
Crunchy Tempura
[inside] Shrimp tempura, daikon sprouts, spicy mayo; [outside] rice, tempura crunch, eel sauce (8 pieces)
Deluxe Saji-Ya
[inside] Eel, cucumber; [outside] avocado, eel sauce, sesame (8 pieces)
Dragon
[inside] Shrimp tempura, spicy mayo; [outside] eel, avocado, eel sauce, sesame (8 pieces)
Dynamite
Mixed white fish tossed in habanero sauce, leaf lettuce, cucumber, daikon sprouts (5 pieces)
No. 9
[inside] Shrimp tempura, spicy mayo; [outside] salmon, avocado, eel sauce, sesame (8 pieces)
Philly
[inside] Salmon, cream cheese, cucumber; rolled inside out with sesame (6 pieces)
Rainbow
[inside] Ebi, cucumber, avocado; [outside] A beautiful array of fresh fish (8 pieces)
Traditional Spider
Panko-breaded softshell crab, lettuce, kaiware, cucumber, gobo (5 pieces)
Entrees
Chicken Teriyaki Donburi
Tender grilled chicken, sweet peppers, carrots, onions, sautéed in house-made teriyaki sauce. Served over steamed rice, topped with white sesame and green onion
Sukiyaki
A comforting Japanese hot pot featuring ribeye steak, simmered with glassy Maloney noodles, green onion, tofu, shiitake and enoki mushroom, in a sweet, savory dashi broth. Served with a side of steamed rice
Tempura Udon
Springy Japanese udon noodles in a savory dashi broth with peapods, green onion. Accompanied by lightly battered tempura shrimp and vegetables
Yakiniku Donburi
Thinly sliced ribeye steak, grilled and sautéed in a house-made garlic-soy marinade, served with asparagus, lettuce, carrot, cabbage, green onion over rice
Yaki Udon
Japanese udon noodles, grilled ribeye steak, caramelized onion, roasted bell pepper, carrot, sautéed in ginger teriyaki. Garnished with white sesame, green onion
Exclusive Maki Sushi
Baja California
[inside] Avocado, spicy crab mix; rolled inside out with tempura crunch (6 pieces)
Big Bite
[inside] Tuna, salmon, hamachi, cucumber, avocado; tempura-fried, topped with spicy mayo, eel sauce, wasabi mayo (5 pieces)
Crunchy Kaibashira
[inside] Diced scallop, masago, cucumber, spicy mayo; [outside] tempura crunch, spicy mayo (8 pieces)
Deluxe Saji-Ya
[inside] White fish, spicy mayo, pickled ginger; [outside] Tuna, salmon, three color tobiko, garlic miso mayo (8 pieces)
Fancy VTPvegetarian
[inside] Tempura-battered asparagus, sweet potato; [outside] sliced avocado, mayo, eel sauce (8 pieces)
Hot on Top
[inside] Shrimp tempura; [outside] mixed white fish tossed in habanero sauce; topped with eel sauce (8 pieces)
Jurassic Marc
[inside] Shrimp tempura, spicy mayo, cucumber, cilantro; [outside] avocado, paper-thin lemon, garlic-miso, eel sauce, green onion (8 pieces)
Kenton House Roll
[inside] Shrimp tempura, cucumber; [outside] hamachi, maguro, unagi sauce, sesame, togarashi (8 pieces)
Manny
[inside] Albacore, gobo, cucumber, avocado, spicy mayo, daikon sprouts; [outside] spicy tuna, tobiko (8 pieces)
Maruko
[inside] Spicy tuna; [outside] Tuna, avocado (8 pieces)
Ninety Nine
[inside] Shrimp tempura, spicy mayo; [outside] unagi, sake, avocado, eel sauce (8 pieces)
Pablo Escolar
[inside] Shrimp tempura, spicy mayo, gobo, asparagus; [outside] escolar, avocado, fresh jalapeño, spicy Pablo sauce (8 pieces)
Saji-Ya
[inside] Tuna, salmon, shrimp, yellowtail, gari; rolled inside out (6 pieces)
Super Saji-Ya
[inside] Tuna, salmon, shrimp, yellowtail, gari, spicy mayo; rolled inside out with tempura crunch (8 pieces)
TigerEye
[inside] Tempura-fried salmon, cream cheese, jalapeño; [outside] masago, spicy mayo, seaweed (5 pieces)
Truffle Shuffle
[inside] Shiso leaf, spicy mayo, cucumber, avocado, shrimp tempura; [outside] spicy tuna, tempura crunch, jalapeño, aonori, eel sauce, truffle oil (8 pieces)
Wagyu Roll
[inside] Shitake mushroom, spicy mayo, asparagus, green onion, truffle oil, eel sauce; [outside] Torch-seared Japanese wagyu beef, jalapeño, eel sauce (8 pieces)
Yakaretta
[inside] Albacore, gobo, kaiware, spicy mayo; [outside] Torch-seared tuna, masago, eel sauce (8 pieces)
Nigiri and Sashimi
Albacore (white tuna)
Ama-Ebi (raw shrimp)
Ebi (shrimp)
Escolar
Hamachi (yellowtail)
Hokkigai (surf clam)
Hotategai (scallop)
Ika (cuttlefish)
Ikura (salmon roe)
Inari (Sweet deep-fried tofu)vegetarian
Japanese A5 Wagyu
Kaibashira (scallop with mayo and masago)
Kani (snow crab)
Maguro (yellow fin)
Masago (smelt roe)
Saba (mackerel)
Sake (salmon)
Tai (red snapper)
Tako (octopus)
Tamago (egg custard)vegetarian
Tobiko (flying fish roe)
Unagi (eel)
Uzura (quail egg)
Served in addition to Ikura, Masago, or Tobiko nigiri
Sharable Appetizers
Chicken Katsu
Crispy panko-breaded chicken breast, served with Bulldog sauce
Chilean Sea Bass
Miso marinated, steamed in foil with enoki mushroom, onion and peapods
Crispy Wings (6)
Choose Ginger, Sesame Garlic, or Hot & Spicy
Curried Mussels
Steamed black mussels in a creamy Japanese yellow curry, with onion, bell pepper, carrot, green onion, served with lemon and a side of toasted sourdough
Hamachi Crudo
Torch-seared togarashi-seasoned hamachi loin, served on a bed of cucumber matchsticks in a citrusy ponzu and leek oil. Garnished with a blend of chopped garlic, cilantro, serrano, green onion
Hamachi Kama
A Japanese delicacy of tender char-grilled yellowtail cheek. Garnished with daikon radish, lemon, green onion
Poke Bowl
Cubes of ahi tuna, with onion, tricolored seaweed, tossed with soy sauce and nutty sesame oil. Served over sushi rice
Salmon Steak
Grilled salmon filet in a citrusy ponzu sauce
Tempura Appetizer
Lightly battered, served with tempura sauce. Choose Vegetable or Shrimp & Vegetable
Tuna Tataki
Lightly seared ahi tuna in a bright, citrusy soy sauce with green onion, garlic, grated ginger
Yakiniku
Thinly sliced ribeye steak, grilled and sautéed in house-made garlic-soy marinade
Sides, Soups, Salads
Egg Drop Soupvegetarian
Ginger Broccolivegetarian
Steamed with ginger sauce
Japanese Picklesvegetarianvegan
A colorful assortment of Japanese vegetables
Miso Soupvegetarian
Potato Croquettevegetarian
Panko-crusted potato and vegetable cakes with Bulldog sauce
Saji-Ya House Saladvegetarian
Sautéed Mushroomsvegetarian
Sautéed with soy sauce, garlic, butter
Seaweed Saladvegetarianvegan
Special Events
Omakase Night$90
6-course tasting menu with handcrafted selections from Executive Chef Noe Frausto, featuring traditional and fusion Japanese fare. Held first and last Wednesday of the month. Optional cocktail pairing available
Starters
Agedashi Tofuvegetarian
Deep-fried tofu in tempura sauce, with ground daikon radish, ginger, green onion
Atsuage Tofuvegetarian
Bite-sized fried tofu, served with a savory mushroom sauce
Chile Edamamevegetarianvegan
Steamed soybeans tossed with a spicy chile sauce
Edamamevegetarianvegan
Steamed soybeans, lightly salted
Gyoza
Six pan-fried pork dumplings served with a savory and spicy dipping sauce
Pork Belly Skewer
Savory pork belly sautéed in a sweet sesame glaze
Shishito Peppersvegetarian
Lightly battered tempura fried peppers, dusted with seaweed, served with teriyaki sauce
Takoyaki
Savory deep-fried octopus dumplings topped with creamy Bulldog sauce, bonito flakes, green onion. Garnished with Japanese pickles
Yakitori
Skewers of grilled chicken in a sesame garlic marinade
Sushi Dinners
Chirashi Sushi
A beautiful and imaginative array of the day's freshest cuts served on a bed of sushi rice. Includes miso soup and Saji-Ya house salad
Sashimi Combo
Chef's choice of four types of sashimi. Includes miso soup and Saji-Ya house salad
Sushi 7 Combo
Chef's choice of 7 pieces of nigiri and your choice of maki sushi: Kappa-maki or Tekka-maki. Includes miso soup and Saji-Ya house salad
Tempura Dinners
Shrimp Tempura
Lightly battered shrimp and vegetables. Includes egg drop soup, Saji-Ya salad, and steamed rice
Vegetable Tempuravegetarian
A variety of lightly battered fresh vegetables. Includes egg drop soup, Saji-Ya salad, and steamed rice
Find it
Address
695 Grand Ave, St Paul, MN 55105, Saint Paul, MN
Phone
651-292-0444