Philly｜Honest Reviews of Two Popular Izakayas 🍣

▪️ Sagami (NJ) My first time trying it after moving to Philly. No idea how it used to be—just my experience this visit. 🐟 Sashimi – Thick-cut, super fresh, great texture. I usually avoid fish if it’s even slightly fishy, but theirs was clean and delicious. 🍱 Unagi Don – Solid. Thick eel, decent portion. 🍣 Dragon Roll – One of the best I’ve had! Topped with fish, well-balanced flavor. ⚠️ Skip the sukiyaki – Too sweet, and the “wagyu” tasted like thick, chewy Costco beef slices. Also avoid the overly Americanized rolls. 🏮 Spacious, great service, takes phone reservations. Worth the price for the quality! ▪️ Royal Sushi & Izakaya Tried many times to book their omakase (fully booked), so we walked in on a weekday for the regular menu—still waited over an hour. They don’t take reservations for groups under 6. ❕ This review is only for the regular dinner menu—not omakase. ❕ Except for the duck breast (though the veggies were wilted), nothing was good. 🍣 Rolls – 8 pieces per order, but they count tiny end pieces as full pieces? Messy, fell apart when picked up. 🐟 Sashimi – Extremely fishy, every piece. Tuna was mushy. One bite made me nauseous. 🥟 Pork Bun – Overloaded with lemon, only tasted sour. 🍸 Cocktails – Also not great. Price does not match quality—very disappointed. The place is chaotic: small, crowded, noisy, poorly lit (people used phone flashlights to read menus). Staff wore no uniforms and seemed unprofessional. Our server kept saying she was new and couldn’t answer basic questions (like what fish was in a dish—important for allergies and avoiding fishy types). How is this place #1? Sagami deserves that title way more. If you have other sushi recommendations in the area, please let me know! #PhillyLife #PhillyEats #PhillyFood #PhillyArea #Sushi #NewJersey #Izakaya #FoodReview