Freshido Bar & Kitchen — Restaurant in Lower Paxton Township

I came here on three separate occasions for their soft opening- once for sushi, once to try shared dishes, and once for ramen. The food and service was fantastic every time, and this place is a welcome addition to the area. I think it is important to note that this location is quite different from the other Freshidos in the area- it is a full service, dine-in restaurant with a bar and a much more diverse menu. It is NOT like the other Freshido locations which are largely known for their poke bowls.

TLDR: omakase sushi fresh from Japan, sushi chef from Nobu leads to immaculate presentation and flavors, kitchen dishes are flavorful and traditional, ramen is the best in the area, love the mocktails and tea choices, staff is kind and professional and service was impressive for a soft opening, owner built the interior, which feels upscale yet also relaxed

My first visit was on one of the first few days they were open. I had the omakase sushi dinner, Oriental Express mocktail, and the table shared the bao buns and green bean fries. The drink was excellent- both presentation and taste. The fish is flown in from Japan and tasted very fresh. It was on par with higher end sushi restaurants I've been to throughout the country and the best I've had locally. For the uni lovers out there, the Japanese uni was amazing and a treat to get here in Harrisburg. The bao buns and green beans were also delicious. The friends I was dining with were raving about their dishes as well- they ordered the kitchen dishes and ramen.

My next visit wasn't long after the first- I came back with family to try some shared dishes (many, but not all, pictured below)- more bao buns, shumai, soup dumplings, Singapore street noodle, shiitake salad, Kung Pao brussels sprouts, and Asian BBQ ribs. Don't be fooled by the simplistic presentation of the dim sum and other hot dishes. They are absolutely phenomenal and remind me of my grandmother's cooking (she was from China). We also tried the toro yuzu miso, which was melt-in-your-mouth perfection with a unique, flavorful sauce. I was excited that they have pu'er tea and the little tea pot they served it in was adorable.

Finally, I knew I needed to come back for the ramen after seeing my friend's the first night. It did not disappoint- best ramen I have had locally. The broth is incredibly flavorful, the egg was perfectly cooked, I love that they include wood ear mushrooms, and the spinach was a nice touch. I also tried the tuna tataki which was fantastic as expected based on the previous sushi dishes.

My understanding is that the sushi chef used to work for Nobu, which explains the attention to detail in the presentation, the creative flavors, and the overall high quality of the various sushi dishes. His care and passion certainly comes through in his work. Impressively, the owner and a few of his family members built and decorated the entire interior of the restaurant. They also work in the kitchen. It is abundantly clear that they put a lot of time and dedication into curating the space and the menu. The ambiance is lovely and suits a variety of occasions- it feels upscale yet relaxed, a great place to come hang out with friends or celebrate a special occasion.

All of the staff I interacted with was incredibly friendly, knowledgable, and professional. Honestly, I was surprised that this was only the soft opening as there didn't seem to be many hiccups and there are so many items on the menu. I look forward to returning when they are fully open and seeing how the...

We had the worst service by the server,Abbe, for a more than $110 meal. This woman did not greet us with a smile, barely came to our table to check up on us, & I had to holler for water after 20 minutes. She spent an extraordinarily long amount of time with 2 other white couples in our section. There were 6 empty tables in our section. The place was like 40% full with 12 employees. They had more workers than CVS pharmacy. My husband is black. I have never experienced such bad service at a restaurant ever. Abbe looked to be in her mid 40s so she was not a young novice waitress. I would have given "grace" to a teen server. I wish we had been seated in the other section of the Hispanic waitress.

The decor is nice. My sushi was good. There's that. My husband's basil chicken was not good and looked like a huge glob. See the photo I have included. He could not finish it and took it home. He threw it away after 2 days. You're better off going to Hong Kong Ruby for Chinese food for cheaper. The other tables' Chinese entrees also looked unappetizing. Another table left most of their sushi on the plate after they left. One of the 5 chefs had shown them their sushi and they just left it on the table. This is a pricey restaurant for Harrisburg to throw away that much food. If you're willing to risk throwing away $50- 200 then go for it. The chefs also looked like young Asian guys. No one looked like a seasoned pro like at my usual Asian restaurants.

To Bradbury451🐷, I rarely leave 1 star reviews on Google so for me to leave 1 star reviews speaks VOLUMES. Who are you to discount my experience & review? I doubt you waited 20 minutes for water in an empty restaurant! I have never had another reviewer critique my review. You're a probably 75 yo man who has had privilege his entire life so, whatever! I love writing reviews so I have over 180 reviews. On Yelp I have 300 reviews. I speak the truth. Most of my reviews are 5 star reviews here. We generally have excellent service from McDonald's to NYC steakhouses. I have traveled all over the world so this experience at this restaurant was pretty bad based on Abbe's service otherwise I would have left a 3 star review based on my husband's basil chicken. We'll be eating at Miso Sushi for sushi and Bangkok 56 for basil chicken. Thanks to my review, Abbe is now on top of her game with every diner so everyone can have a better experience. It was literally my worst restaurant experience ever in my life, lol. I'm not delusional. You can also go bash the other 1 star reviews that the other 4 Freshido locations have. Thanks to those other reviewers I will never try any other Freshido location. By you critiquing my review, I have made my review even more comprehensive, adding more details and making it longer. It's as if Brad 🐷with all his 5 star reviews is the boss of reviews. Um, no. This is America. We have freedom of speech here. I'm entitled to my opinion just like the other Freshido 1 star reviewers in Hbg, Hershey, &...

Wanted to check out this place during their soft opening. They just opened about 10 days ago, and it is my new favorite restaurant in town for quality Asian food! They are still tweaking the menu, but the fact that you can get some traditional Chinese dim sum as well as omakase sushi, 24 hour ramen, and traditional stir-fry dishes in one place makes it unique. It is part of the Freshido brand, but far different from the poke bowl, fast-food version in the Hershey area or the casual dining version in Mechanicasburg. There were so many things I wanted to try all at once that we decided to order several small plates and share! The flavor of the shu mai and bao reminded me SO much of my mom's cooking. The soup dumplings were a delight, and the Asian BBQ ribs were meaty and well-flavored. I've never enjoyed a roasted Brussels Sprout appetizer as much as I did the Kung-Pao version served here! Loved it! We also did the Shiitake Salad, a beautifully presented dish of greens and various mushrooms sitting atop a passion fruit vinaigrette and then drizzled with a light honey mustard glaze. Advanced level sushi fans will know how special Toro is, and there was a Toro Yuzu Miso plating that was melt-in-your-mouth good. For a truly special experience, omakase sushi literally means you leave the choice up to the chef to decide what he will be presenting to you, based on the availability of ingredients and his expertise on how best to combine flavors. I don't think we have a place in Harrisburg yet that sources higher end sushi fish directly from Japan. If you have questions about any of the menu offerings, just ask the servers - they are more than willing to answer any of your questions! I hope this place develops a strong fan base because we need a place that offers some familiar flavors and fan favorites, but one that also allows a chef's artistic side to be showcased as well. There is a full bar with higher end spirits as well as some unique mocktails! In the words of the Terminator,...