Saka 618 Hoboken Japanese Restaurant — Restaurant in Hoboken

This was just such a pleasant surprise. My partner and I have tried so many sushi places and this was one of my absolute favorites for a casual and comfortable sushi experience. The quality of the fish was really excellent for the price point. They also pay attention to all of the details that a lot of more casual sushi experiences miss - the texture of the sushi rice was just right, the sashimi was served the right temperature, there were small flavor garnishes on the sushi and sashimi that enhanced flavor - little things that have a big impact on the quality of the sushi experience. We ordered the sushi boat which was an excellent value. The sashimi portion was excellent with large pieces of fish. The rolls were impressive - I generally do not like eel and I actually ended up having a bite of the dragon roll as my last bite. The BBQ sauce on the eel had a crunchy, caramelization that was just so tasty. The spicy tuna was heavy on the spicy tuna and light on the rice and had black sesame seeds mixed into the rice that added just a touch of flavor. I really enjoyed everything we ate.

We came during the soft opening so I generally keep my expectations low and expect there to be kinks that need to be worked out with service and menu. That just wasn't the case here - start to finish it felt like a very established dining experience. It's clear that a tremendous amount of thought and effort went into preparing to open. The owner clearly takes a huge amount of pride in making customers feel welcome and cared for. Please check them out and support a local small business. You'll be...

The staff her is very friendly and attentive. I thought the quality of the sushi was very low compared to pretty much any other sushi place in hoboken. The sushi has a stringy, chewy texture. It was either poorly cut, not super fresh, both? The most unfortunate part of the meal was the employee who took his smoke break next to the outdoor dining area and then dropped his cigarette in a bottle they keep directly next to the dining tables and a PROPANE TANK. I imagine the propane tank is empty, but either way, it’s quite unsettling to see smoke rising from a bottle sitting right next to a propane tank that is one table away from a family with a young child. That, one top of the wafting smoke smell as my sushi arrived, really sealed the deal on me never...

It was pretty good for what it was…. Japanese STYLE food but not Japanese (ownership).

I am really not trying to be a jerk, but I work for a Japanese company and eat lots of Japanese food and easily noticed. Not saying it was bad, but just different and less traditional regarding the recipes/ingredients/flavors you would expect in comparison to other Japanese restaurants that are Japanese owned and operated. I confirmed my palate’s suspicions when I noticed the sushi chef’s weren’t speaking Japanese to each other.

Again… I want to stress the food was good, service was good and the restaurant...