AMA Sushi — Restaurant in Minneapolis

Extremely disappointed and put off with this place. We were excited to try it after reading the reviews. The 2 stars is for the food, because it was decent but nothing special. The lack of more stars is for the very poor and pointedly unfriendly service that I have never experienced before. We went last week as a party of 3. There were 2 of us that walked in while the 3rd parked, literally right outside the restaurant so he was exactly 1 min behind us walking in. In that 1 min, we were immediately seated at a booth, and were very pleasantly surprised and in a great mood. Once seated, a lady comes up to ask where the 3rd member of our party was and we explained he was just outside the door walking in. She stated that there were other customers waiting and we had to get up and give up our booth. We looked around for waiting customers and didn’t spot anyone by the door. We did see a couple sitting at the bar and wondered if that’s who she was referring to. This was just as the 3rd member of our party started walking in. She insisted again and we explained that we didn’t just come and sit as we pleased, that someone told us to sit there. We asked for the manager to sort all this out and she informed us she WAS the manager. Then when she finally spotted the 3rd member of our party standing by her, she backed off and allowed us the booth we were seated at. Unfortunately that’s not all. We brushed it off and ordered apps and then also placed the order for the sushi entrees. After waiting over 30 min, our entrees arrived AND THEN the apps and the complimentary miso soups, which we had to ask for. We would’ve have expected at least the soup to come up first, but ended up not even enjoying the soup due to a sweet flavor that we’re not accustomed to tasting in miso soup. The app was veggie momos and they were just okay. The hand rolls were also average. Oh, and we ordered 5 rolls and only got 4. There was more back-and-forth on the 5th roll than there needed to be between the staff but we ultimately got it. Other customers appeared to be well-served, so we wondered why we were being singled out to deserve this treatment. I would’ve thought that they just had a bad day and would typically be inclined to give them another chance due to the other positive reviews, but because to the extremely disrespectful treatment we received, I will not be returning to this restaurant again and giving...

If I could give no stars for service, I would. Reading the other reviews, it seems that others have experienced the same poor service as I have and makes me wonder why this action has not been corrected/addressed. When I went with my friends, there was little to no service (only took orders and gave it to us, didn’t even fill our waters). Because of this, I didn’t feel that there was any service worth tipping and I clicked the “no tip” option when paying. Immediately after I did so, the server rudely proclaimed “No tip? Do you have cash tip?” and when I responded that I didn’t have any cash on me, she retorted with “How are you gonna tip?” I was at a complete loss of words, but I offered to tip as I didn’t want to make a scene. The server seemed annoyed that she had to reverse the transaction to add a tip (that I didn’t want to give in the first place). While she was in the back figuring it out, I headed to the restroom, but she stopped me to add the tip right as I opened the door. I was completely astonished at her behavior and humiliated as the restaurant is a small space and this happened in front of the whole establishment. I only tipped 10%, but it was 10% that I felt was undeserved and that I was robbed of. When I returned from the restroom, my friend informed me that another server approached our table and tried to explain the actions of her coworker. Apparently, the tip here is shared amongst the servers and kitchen staff. The food is relatively inexpensive and they don’t charge a credit card fee. Therefore, the tip would be used to cover the deficit created with the lack of the credit card fee. However, if the tip is mandatory, they should inform the customer beforehand instead of chasing them down and forcing out a tip. Additionally, tipping is usually only for service and, although expected, is optional. As I stated before, a tip was not something I felt was deserved in this scenario. This was my first time eating here and it will definitely be my last. I would not recommend this establishment to anyone and instead be turning them to other sushi restaurants in the area with better service and...

We had an absolutely delicious dinner outside on the patio at Ama Sushi. The restaurant is small overall, with only four tables outside, resulting in a very quaint, cozy dining experience. The service was excellent. We barely sat down and water + complimentary miso soup was delivered to our table. I’ve eaten a lot of sushi in my day and what I appreciate most about the menu at Ama is that you can order traditional sushi, sashimi or rolls; or you can explore a wide range of dumplings, tempura, soba/udon noodles, Tibetan dishes and more. It will take me awhile to eat my way through the menu, but so far I’m incredibly impressed.

We started with the shumai (steamed shrimp dumplings) and they basically melted in our mouths. We also ordered the Sweetheart roll, shrimp tempura roll, salmon sushi, and the broccoli tempura. Given the breadth and depth of Ama’s menu, we wanted to try a few different types of dishes: dumplings, rolls, sushi and tempura. Everything was outstanding and, as you can see from the photos, beautifully plated/presented. Not to mention very affordable. My only small negative comment is that my roll was a little heavy on the sauce…but I usually ask for light sauce when I order specialty sushi rolls and I probably like less sauce than most other people.

Bottom line: Ama quickly became one of my favorite sushi restaurants in the Twin Cities. And I’m not even sure it’s fair to label them a “sushi restaurant,” given the wide range of Tibetan and Japanese offerings. It’s rare to find a restaurant with that unique combination of delicious food, excellent service, beautiful plating/attention to detail, and affordable prices. I can’t wait to go back and try more of the menu. Highly...