Great food that's well worth the wait. The tonkatsu ramen and Spider Roll were delicious. If you go during the start of happy hour, be prepared to wait some but it obviously didn't affect my review. :) I'll be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Megan Derwich
We went for happy hour. Amazing deals on huge pieces of fish. The tray we got was gigantic. They did miss a few of our rolls but it was ok in the end.The only reason why I am rating them so low in service was multiple other people's food was delivered to our table. Had to ask multiple times for drinks or rice. But I think the main reason is because they never dropped off the check. We asked multiple times and ended up going to the hostess stand to get it.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Happy Hour Sushi, Takoyaki, Sushi Happy Hour, Sushi Roll, Hand Roll, Yakitori, California Roll, Fish, Sashimi Dinner A
Adriana Aleman
It took us over 2 hours, closer to 2.5, to be seating, waited on, served the food, and the check. It was long stretches of just nothingness, not even eye contact made. Awful service in general, not worth the food.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 1
Kaitlyn Tran
Food is just alright, but the service was terrible. They have very odd rules regarding reservations (need to “pre-order” sushi via Instagram or Facebook DM) that was not made clear. When we arrived the owner(?) tried to turn us away, saying that since we did not pre-order, we lost our reservation.The waiters were great, the host/owner was not.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 1
Charles W. Clark
Asaka is the only place in Indianapolis with authentic Japanese cuisine, period. The staff is knowledgeable, the kitchen turns out amazing food, and the sushi bar provides beautiful cuts of sushi you can't believe. I take my friends and family as much as I can. A+
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Happy Hour Sushi, Omakase Sushi Dinner, Takoyaki, Miso Soup, Sushi Happy Hour, Tempura Udon, Sushi Roll, Sea Weed Salad, Edamame, Hand Roll, Spicy Miso Ramen, Yakitori, Shoyu Ramen, Kabocha Tempura Roll Chee on a Roll, California Roll, Noodles, Fish, Curry Udon, Sashimi Dinner A, Salmon Sashimi
C C
Waited 90 minutes for a ramen to be served. Left the place after waiting for 90minutes. The place wasn’t even busy. Not going back again.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 1
Shilun Wu
Hands down the best Japanese restaurant in Indiana. I've been coming here for 10+ years and it does not disappoint. You'll probably run into plenty of Japanese people here (perhaps all in Indiana) because their food is so authentic. They seem to be understaffed lately, so service can be slow and there's probably a line to get in. However, it's worth the wait. Remember to hide your valuables in your car, as it's not the safest part of Indy for sure.
We used to love this restaurant. They have amazing food, but their service has really gone downhill in the last few years. It’s gotten so bad that if we’re in the mood for Japanese food, we no longer consider Asaka as the first option because you can never predict whether they’ll accept you in the restaurant or accept your takeout order. There is usually a wait to be seated because they only take reservations for a couple of time slots. When you’re dining in, be ready to also wait (whether it’s to get your first drink order placed or to get your food). For takeout, this is never consistent. You could call one day and place an order without a problem, but then be denied another day and told they are not accepting takeout orders that day because the restaurant is too busy. It is also extremely frustrating how they post so much on social media about their business hurting and urging customers to support them, but they continue to deny customers that want to support them and who have supported them for so many years. I hope they change some of their business practices soon because this inconsistency in service could be their downfall.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 5
Service: 2
Brock Bucher
If you want great sushi, at the expense of the worst service you’ve possibly ever experienced, Asaka is for you. However, if jumping through endless hoops and waiting forever for food sounds like a terrible experience, you’d be right. I’ve loved Asaka’s food before but it’s just not worth the horrific service and requirements to get good sushi I could get anywhere else. Had a party of 10 that wanted to go for a family Christmas dinner. Called and was told that for larger parties, we cant schedule same day of, but it had to be at 5:30 the following day. Oh, and for larger orders, I had to “pre-message” them before our reservation with our explicit order. I thought all those steps were annoying, but the food was good, so I complied, and the next day I messaged them on Instagram with my party’s order. Right when they opened, I called to make sure they got our order. They did… but because I had messaged them at 12:22pm, they couldn’t serve us… because they needed the order BEFORE NOON… a requirement that was never expressed or communicated to me. So my entire Christmas party had to scramble with a new reservation. I and all my other previous Asaka-loving party members will never be back.
Asaka is a definition of a good sushi restaurant. Fish is always top quality. “Asaka Special Sushi Dinner” is definitely special and not just a bunch of ingredients stuck together. Excellent quality and portions!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Miso Soup, Fish, Sashimi Dinner A, Salmon Sashimi
Review Mr
Food: Happy hour sushi options are very cost-effective, but all other menus are mediocre. I personally rate fried menu options as bad. For instance, their tempuras are not battered correctly, and if you happen to order tried food during busy times, your tempuras will be disgustingly soaked in oil.Service: Initially, it was not bad, but due to the high volume of customers, they are not able to help you. If you order a refillable beverage, you always have to bring a waitress's attention. They used to be good 5 years ago, but now they only check your table if you try to stop them.Tip: You CANNOT order sushis on Sunday.Always pre-order your sushi before open time, and use Instagram.Due to the high volume of customers, your pre-order will most likely be your last order; it will take another 30-40 min to get another round of sushi items.Always call in or DM for a reservation; they may not take your reservation ─ Their standard is pretty unknown ─ but it is better than being stuck in the open queue.Last Visit: For my last visit, their communication with the customers was abysmal. I was told that my seat would be ready in 30 min, but I was seated an hour later, then it took another 30 minutes to order the food and another hour to get the actual food. Some menus were even unavailable, and I was not advised while waiting. What is the point of being seated anyway if you can't provide the food in a timely manner? I understand there was a large group of Japanese customers, but you must shut down the store for the rest of the customers if you can't serve them properly.Overall: I have been visiting Asaka for over 5+ years since I was in college; they are famous for budget-friendly or cost-effective sushi options. However, every aspect of this restaurant has plummeted due to the increasing number of customers and the management's decision to take customers beyond their capability. I used to testify this restaurant is one of the most reasonable sushi restaurants in the Midwest region, but I will not recommend this restaurant to anyone anymore.Will I revisit: Probably with the pre-order happy hour sushi and around opening time only, but not for any other food items. I am already looking for alternative restaurants, but it is indeed hard to beat their cost-effectiveness.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 1
Yu-Hui Lin
Sashimi is fresh. The price is affordable. The decoration of the restaurant is similar to what I saw in Japan. Although the food is tasty, it is not an authentic Japanese one.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sushi Happy Hour, Shoyu Ramen, California Roll
Juliann Cloar
I have been coming to Asaka for nearly 6 years. It is the only place I will eat sushi at in Indianapolis. Their rolls and nigiri slices are HUGE. Aside from sushi their ramen is also incredible and many other non-sushi items on their menu. If you happen to go in on a Sunday when they aren’t serving sushi you will not be disappointed by everything else they have to offer :-)
Great food that's well worth the wait. The tonkatsu ramen and Spider Roll were delicious. If you go during the start of happy hour, be prepared to wait some but it obviously didn't affect my review. :) I'll be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We went for happy hour. Amazing deals on huge pieces of fish. The tray we got was gigantic. They did miss a few of our rolls but it was ok in the end.The only reason why I am rating them so low in service was multiple other people's food was delivered to our table. Had to ask multiple times for drinks or rice. But I think the main reason is because they never dropped off the check. We asked multiple times and ended up going to the hostess stand to get it.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Happy Hour Sushi, Takoyaki, Sushi Happy Hour, Sushi Roll, Hand Roll, Yakitori, California Roll, Fish, Sashimi Dinner A
It took us over 2 hours, closer to 2.5, to be seating, waited on, served the food, and the check. It was long stretches of just nothingness, not even eye contact made. Awful service in general, not worth the food.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 1
Food is just alright, but the service was terrible. They have very odd rules regarding reservations (need to “pre-order” sushi via Instagram or Facebook DM) that was not made clear. When we arrived the owner(?) tried to turn us away, saying that since we did not pre-order, we lost our reservation.The waiters were great, the host/owner was not.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 1
Asaka is the only place in Indianapolis with authentic Japanese cuisine, period. The staff is knowledgeable, the kitchen turns out amazing food, and the sushi bar provides beautiful cuts of sushi you can't believe. I take my friends and family as much as I can. A+
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Happy Hour Sushi, Omakase Sushi Dinner, Takoyaki, Miso Soup, Sushi Happy Hour, Tempura Udon, Sushi Roll, Sea Weed Salad, Edamame, Hand Roll, Spicy Miso Ramen, Yakitori, Shoyu Ramen, Kabocha Tempura Roll Chee on a Roll, California Roll, Noodles, Fish, Curry Udon, Sashimi Dinner A, Salmon Sashimi
Waited 90 minutes for a ramen to be served. Left the place after waiting for 90minutes. The place wasn’t even busy. Not going back again.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 1
Hands down the best Japanese restaurant in Indiana. I've been coming here for 10+ years and it does not disappoint. You'll probably run into plenty of Japanese people here (perhaps all in Indiana) because their food is so authentic. They seem to be understaffed lately, so service can be slow and there's probably a line to get in. However, it's worth the wait. Remember to hide your valuables in your car, as it's not the safest part of Indy for sure.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Happy Hour Sushi, Takoyaki, Miso Soup, Sushi Happy Hour, Shoyu Ramen, Fish, Sashimi Dinner A
Best sushi, atmosphere, and servers! I love it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We used to love this restaurant. They have amazing food, but their service has really gone downhill in the last few years. It’s gotten so bad that if we’re in the mood for Japanese food, we no longer consider Asaka as the first option because you can never predict whether they’ll accept you in the restaurant or accept your takeout order. There is usually a wait to be seated because they only take reservations for a couple of time slots. When you’re dining in, be ready to also wait (whether it’s to get your first drink order placed or to get your food). For takeout, this is never consistent. You could call one day and place an order without a problem, but then be denied another day and told they are not accepting takeout orders that day because the restaurant is too busy. It is also extremely frustrating how they post so much on social media about their business hurting and urging customers to support them, but they continue to deny customers that want to support them and who have supported them for so many years. I hope they change some of their business practices soon because this inconsistency in service could be their downfall.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 5
Service: 2
If you want great sushi, at the expense of the worst service you’ve possibly ever experienced, Asaka is for you. However, if jumping through endless hoops and waiting forever for food sounds like a terrible experience, you’d be right. I’ve loved Asaka’s food before but it’s just not worth the horrific service and requirements to get good sushi I could get anywhere else. Had a party of 10 that wanted to go for a family Christmas dinner. Called and was told that for larger parties, we cant schedule same day of, but it had to be at 5:30 the following day. Oh, and for larger orders, I had to “pre-message” them before our reservation with our explicit order. I thought all those steps were annoying, but the food was good, so I complied, and the next day I messaged them on Instagram with my party’s order. Right when they opened, I called to make sure they got our order. They did… but because I had messaged them at 12:22pm, they couldn’t serve us… because they needed the order BEFORE NOON… a requirement that was never expressed or communicated to me. So my entire Christmas party had to scramble with a new reservation. I and all my other previous Asaka-loving party members will never be back.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 5
Service: 1
Restaurantji Recommends
Asaka is a definition of a good sushi restaurant. Fish is always top quality. “Asaka Special Sushi Dinner” is definitely special and not just a bunch of ingredients stuck together. Excellent quality and portions!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Miso Soup, Fish, Sashimi Dinner A, Salmon Sashimi
Food: Happy hour sushi options are very cost-effective, but all other menus are mediocre. I personally rate fried menu options as bad. For instance, their tempuras are not battered correctly, and if you happen to order tried food during busy times, your tempuras will be disgustingly soaked in oil.Service: Initially, it was not bad, but due to the high volume of customers, they are not able to help you. If you order a refillable beverage, you always have to bring a waitress's attention. They used to be good 5 years ago, but now they only check your table if you try to stop them.Tip: You CANNOT order sushis on Sunday.Always pre-order your sushi before open time, and use Instagram.Due to the high volume of customers, your pre-order will most likely be your last order; it will take another 30-40 min to get another round of sushi items.Always call in or DM for a reservation; they may not take your reservation ─ Their standard is pretty unknown ─ but it is better than being stuck in the open queue.Last Visit: For my last visit, their communication with the customers was abysmal. I was told that my seat would be ready in 30 min, but I was seated an hour later, then it took another 30 minutes to order the food and another hour to get the actual food. Some menus were even unavailable, and I was not advised while waiting. What is the point of being seated anyway if you can't provide the food in a timely manner? I understand there was a large group of Japanese customers, but you must shut down the store for the rest of the customers if you can't serve them properly.Overall: I have been visiting Asaka for over 5+ years since I was in college; they are famous for budget-friendly or cost-effective sushi options. However, every aspect of this restaurant has plummeted due to the increasing number of customers and the management's decision to take customers beyond their capability. I used to testify this restaurant is one of the most reasonable sushi restaurants in the Midwest region, but I will not recommend this restaurant to anyone anymore.Will I revisit: Probably with the pre-order happy hour sushi and around opening time only, but not for any other food items. I am already looking for alternative restaurants, but it is indeed hard to beat their cost-effectiveness.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 1
Sashimi is fresh. The price is affordable. The decoration of the restaurant is similar to what I saw in Japan. Although the food is tasty, it is not an authentic Japanese one.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sushi Happy Hour, Shoyu Ramen, California Roll
I have been coming to Asaka for nearly 6 years. It is the only place I will eat sushi at in Indianapolis. Their rolls and nigiri slices are HUGE. Aside from sushi their ramen is also incredible and many other non-sushi items on their menu. If you happen to go in on a Sunday when they aren’t serving sushi you will not be disappointed by everything else they have to offer :-)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sushi Happy Hour, Sushi Roll, Sea Weed Salad, Hand Roll, Spicy Miso Ramen
We love Asaka! From sushi to their cooked menu is always amazing. We love their curry, ramen, salmon teriyaki and of course all the sushi!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sushi Happy Hour, Shoyu Ramen