Jaku Sushi North — Restaurant in Grand Rapids

I dont know if we went on an off day or what but my visit was frustrating to say the least. It was busy when we arrived and were told it would be a 30 minute wait. I looked around and noticed there were 2 open tables and only 4 groups ahead of us waiting so I figured it wouldn't be too long. Then there were 3 open tables...then 4...then 5. I would understand if they were short staffed but there were often two people standing at the register. Finally they started seating people but the large table (2 pushed together) stayed empty. After 30 minutes we were sat at a table....one that was open about 10 minutes after we arrived. It was then that I noticed that the large table that was open when we arrived had a reserved sign on it. 45 minutes after we arrived the party for the reserved table arrived. In that time we watched multiple groups walk up, see the line and leave. At one point 5 of the 17 tables were empty. That has to hurt.

Our server was hustling and clearing tables as he could but he often times was the only one clearing tables and was always the only person I saw moving quickly. We ordered tea twice before it came and when it did he brought one glass and let us know we would have to wait for another since they were all out. Again they were busy..but there were always many open seats. We ordered soup 3 times before we got it.

The food wasnt bad, not the best sushi I have had in GR, but better than most. The poke bowl was pretty delicious and my dad really liked his Bibimbap. Our waiter was very nice and apologetic....it seemed like he could really benefit from a few more coworkers with...

Upon walking into Jaku, the atmosphere was quite nice. We went at dinner time so it was notably busy, thus we were lucky to get a table upon walking in. The decor of the venue was quite modern and elevating in combination with the ambient lighting. Even though the restaurant seating was full, it didn't feel too cramped to sit within the restaurant and it didn't feel too loud even though everyone was having their own conversations and there was also background music.

The menu was quite extensive and I felt that there was good value for all the option they offered. We ordered shumai, gyoza, three rolls of sushi, and mochi. For the shumai, it is not similar to the ones that you'll find at a traditional dim sum place (it felt more like a round shrimp dumpling that had been steamed). The gyoza was pretty standard, pan fried. The sushi rolls that we had were the highlight, the fish was fresh, it was clear that they were hand prepared and arranged (very nicely). The mochi order had 3 pieces in it and we had the option to choose between red bean, green tea, mango, and strawberry. We had the latter three options. The strawberry tasted like traditional strawberry ice cream. The green tea was succulent and a balanced end to the meal. My friend commended the mango (she also really likes mango in general).

In general, would 100% visit again! Great place to bring a date to or a smaller group to. When exiting the restaurant and leaving in your vehicle, turning left is NOT an option, you will turn...

Want a hot bowl of dolsot bibimbap? Why go to a Japanese restaurant of course! That's a bit of tongue-in-cheek humor for you. Being from the Bay Area, it was strange to see "mixed" restaurants in Grand Rapids. By "mixed", I mean you can expect to see strange names like Shanghai Sushi (Chinese and Japanese food) or Japanese and Korean food served together. Usually, restaurants specialize in one thing, at least in the Bay Area. It's great to see variety, as I was honestly expecting nothing but fast-food joints and greasy spoons.

Yes, I had the dolsot bibimbap. (Okay, stop laughing. I knew I should have had the chirashi. Are you still laughing? Oh, stop it.)

It was quite delicious, and the rice was burnt to crispy perfection in the dolsot (stone bowl). I've been to other Korean restaurants in the Bay Area where the dolsot isn't hot enough. It was also rainy. To me, that is the perfect time to have hot foods, like noodles and dolsot bibimbap to stay warm. Okay, so it doesn't get cold when it rains up there, at least not this time of year. It was still warm out, at around 70 F. Still, a guy's gotta have an excuse for getting the...