Pusaka Japanese Express — Restaurant in Fairview Heights

I recently ordered from Pusaka Japanese Express in Fairview Heights, IL, after seeing their impressive 4.8-star rating on Google with 28 reviews. Unfortunately, my experience was a complete disappointment, and I feel compelled to share it.

Firstly, none of the items I ordered matched their descriptions on the menu, whether on DoorDash or their website. Here's the breakdown:

Hibachi Steak: The menu promised grilled steak with mixed vegetables. What I received was steak with an overwhelming amount of onions and just two lonely pieces of broccoli—far from "mixed vegetables."

Fried Rice: It was completely inedible. The rice was mushy, and an odd flavor-lacking the distinct taste you expect from hibachi fried rice.

Add Beef Ramen: The description said it would come with noodles in beef broth, but what I received was simply sliced beef with no broth whatsoever—nothing resembling ramen.

Deep-Fried California Roll: This was the worst offender. Instead of a crispy, freshly fried roll, it was soggy and drenched in a mysterious, unlisted sauce that ruined the entire dish. The sauce was so overwhelming that it made the sushi impossible to eat.

Every single item in my order was a letdown. The descriptions were completely inaccurate, and the quality of the food was abysmal. I was excited to try this new restaurant, but this experience has left me not only disappointed but also feeling like I wasted my money.

I cannot recommend this place to anyone based on the food I received. It’s clear they need to drastically improve both their menu accuracy and food...

This little place is excellent. Not a lot of seating inside (maybe 4 tables altogether?), but it's very cozy and has a great vibe... its just cute in there. A good lunch date spot.

The menu is huge! We ordered two Bento Boxes and boba tea. The boba teas came out minutes later and they were great! Boba was soft, both drinks were sweet and smooth. Delicious.

Just a few moments later the food came out! It was very fast! The breaded chicken was fresh, crispy and had a delicious sticky sauce. There were 4 California rolls, and they were tasty. A little salad, two little spring rolls and a giant serving of noodles (i opted to swap my rice for noodles... love that!) The noodles were fantastic. Everything tasted great. Big fan of the bento box itself which is a to-go container and they give you the lid so when you get full (and I did get full, it was a big serving of food) you can just pop the lid on and take off. I like little details like that. The presentation of everything was excellent.

This place was a lovely suprise. I look forward to trying more menu items ( they have sushi, ramen, etc) so i will be back to try more things.

The gentleman behind the counter was friendly and patient as we asked a ton of questions about the menu and menu items, even going back to the kitchen to grab a pan to show us the serving size of one of their baked dishes. It was just a nice interaction.

I would highly recommend giving this place a try. It's got a nice vibe in there and I am excited about the...

The service and atmosphere is great but the food is not so great for its price. I ordered the chicken Katsu ramen, crab ragoons, Pusaka coffee, and omg roll. My spouse ordered the Hibachi chicken and steak with Sriracha on the side. He tried it before I did and said it had no flavor and doused it with his own Sriracha. The sushi rolls were decent but not something I'd order again. The crab ragoons were not well filled so it was more of a fried bread with some light filling. I liked how the ramen was separated with the broth on the bottom and in a separate section the noodle, chicken, egg, and veggies at the top to keep it from getting soggy. Honestly, the sogginess would've done the chicken katsu a favor because it was dry and flavorless anyway. I think the ramen egg was prior prepped and separated from the marinade because it wasn't good either and i just threw it away, and I'm a big fan of ramen eggs that I make my own at home. The broth is the best seasoned thing I tasted from my selections so far and the noodles aren't bad but at that point you could save the $14.95 and make your own ramen at home. The boba coffee is good, just remember to mix it first. All this was $58.13, without the tip included.

That's my honest review. If you dine in, enjoy the pink...