Sakura!

[sihayadesigns]

I've found a restaurant on par with The Melting Pot for sheer fun. Ashley, Brock, Heather, Rac, & I went to Sakura this evening for some Japanese food. I should have known I'd like it, seeing as "Sakura" translates to "cherry blossom," and cherry blossoms are one of my favorite things in the history of ever.

To start off, the service is really as bad as rumored. However, next time, we'll have come at a better time or made a reservation to avoid a 40-minute wait and an additional 20 or so because they forgot to call our table. But past that, it really is quite fun. A chef comes directly to your table to put on a show-- bouncing eggs on a spatula, turning onion rings into a tiny fire-spewing volcano, slicing and dicing faster than your eye can follow. It was a bit like watching the food equivalent of Cirque du Soleil. Ashley took most of these pictures, but since her journal is friends-locked, I stole a few for this post, resizing them for my journal.


The pink drink is called Sakura. It was creme of almond and cocoa flavored-- just heavenly. The brown drink was the Fujiyama-- rum, creme of coconut, pineapple. Also very good.




Rac, Heather, and Ashley.


Course one was a brothy soup with a small salad.


The chef prepared fried rice, shrimp flambée, steak, chicken, and veggies on the flat grill-- with the aid of water, ginger sauces, and of course, gasoline.


This is me failing at Chopsticks 101.


Ashley, why the hell are you so photogenic?


$25 well spent. The food was fantastic-- exquisitely spiced and flavored, deliciously textured. Mmmmm.

So there you have it. I can't wait to go back. And between this, the tiramisu Bridget brought, and the espresso brownies Anna brought, I'm in serious trouble! :)

Comments

[sohaliagrimorie.livejournal.com]

Oh those drinks look heavenly! And the food..! Oh gosh I'm so hungry!

[tsumik.livejournal.com]

Man that food makes me hungery! Ashley is quite prety and photogenic but you still are the pretty friend. =)

[sihaya09.livejournal.com]

Dude. It's not a competition! :)

[tsumik.livejournal.com]

You can say that again lol ;) I hope your show went well =)

[http://users.livejournal.com/_titania_/]

Actually, sorry to burst your bubble. I know it doesn't look like it from the pictures, but Chris used alot of defensive photoshop on the chef. Hands down, he was hotter than Chris and Ashley combined.

[sihaya09.livejournal.com]

You win the internet!

[evergleam83.livejournal.com]

What bugs me is that I totally used chopsticks! And that pic catches me with the fork cause I couldn't eat the rice! Grrr! :P

I wanna go back. Also, we should make sure to rub it in Kyle's face tomorrow. ;)

[virginhuntress.livejournal.com]

Wow, that place looks amazing! Where is it located?

[sihaya09.livejournal.com]

It's on 140 in Westminster-- actually walking distance from McDaniel.

[ifitsinyou.livejournal.com]

my sophomore year i had a class with the then president of western maryland college. it was a course on 20th century literature from japan and the south. so we would read something like oobe's the woman in the dunes one week and then wise blood the next. anyway, the capstone experience of the class was a trip down to dc to view a meiji era exhibit at one of the galleries on the mall. afterwards our merry band of 13 went over to a traditional japanese restaurant in georgetown and stuffed ourselves and drained tons of sake. the president footed the bill. the bill was over 500. which, seemed like a lot in those days but now since i am in the consulting world . . . that is pretty reasonable.

[autarchex.livejournal.com]

That drink tickles my inner alcoholic. I must find and consume.

[hagakaze.livejournal.com]

That rum drink looks awesome. Mmmm, rum goodness.

Sakura rocks, for sure. Glad y'all had a fun evening.

If y'all make it to DC for Cherry Blossoms this year, please give me a shout -- be fun to finally meet you!

What?!?

[sbrungardt.livejournal.com]

I can't believe you've never been to Sakura before, seeing as you live so close!

Oh, my dear, this is something we definitely shall remedy. Yes, going on the busy nights isn't the best. But a weeknight! Dahling, it is mahvelous.

[roxyoi301.livejournal.com]

Sakura is officially my new favorite restaurants in Westminster
We sooo have to do this again sometime :)

[bellybalt.livejournal.com]

I've only been to the Sakura in Bethesda. Its probably better on service, but is WAY WAY WAY more expensive.

Speaking of expensive... I went to the Melting Pot in Towson once... WHOA! It was kinda fun, but not fun enough to justify the price, IMHO. Though my gf at the time reallllly enjoyed it. Maybe dipping things in cheese is a "girl thing"? :)

I don't know why, but it surprises me that you don't know how to use chopsticks. I just assumed you knew how to! Heh.

The Fujiyama is probably named after Mt. Fuji... though Mt. Fuji in Japanese is actually Fuji-san. The salad (called sunomono) has a REALLY tart-orange dressing. That, and you should try sushi sometime (if you haven't already). :)

[bellybalt.livejournal.com]

Also, yay for losing the Jaunty Fake Nails of DOOM! (TM)

[sihaya09.livejournal.com]

God, I luuuuuurve the Melting Pot. Also, I owe you an email.

[sihaya09.livejournal.com]

Also, leik I TOTALLY know it was called after MOUT FUJI>. Wut do u think I m? AN IDJIT>?


:P

[bellybalt.livejournal.com]

Well sometimes... I mean NO! no no no I don't! not even for a SPLIT second!

u r sooo 133t itz ! funi...

[sihaya09.livejournal.com]

ph33r t3h l337 p0w3r 0f MY SMRTN3SS!

[ex-grow542.livejournal.com]

we have a place like that here called Shogun. I don't think it's quite as elaborate..... but still mighty entertaining and fun.

You've gone and made me hungry for oriental food with this post!

[wickercabra.livejournal.com]

Ooh. Teppanyaki gooo-ood.

[pawsfurme.livejournal.com]

I don't remember if it's Sakura or Kobe, something tells me it was Kobe, but it's just like where you went. Expensive, but showy and fun. :) There's one in Whitemarsh and one in Bel Air.I wouldn't mind going with you on one of your trips. :)

[sihaya09.livejournal.com]

Oooh, you should come next time.

[larkredblade.livejournal.com]

YUM. It has been too long since I had Japanese. Looks like you guys had fun! I wish I was there. :)

[sunflwgal.livejournal.com]

oooo, I LOVE Sakura's...now I'm hungry :D