At the underground of Ikebukuro West Exit, there is a standing sushi bar in Tobu Hope Center. I have been visiting this place for about 10 years, and the rating has been gradually decreasing from "4.6", but this time it slightly went up. By looking at the photos, you can probably get an idea. The quality of the fish this time was not bad. I won't go into details about each piece since I have reviewed them multiple times, but the highlight was the akami (lean tuna) of the hon-maguro (bluefin tuna) which has returned to the level of the good old days at "Sakura Sushi". The sushi-making also seemed to have become more meticulous. There was a period when the sushi was sloppy, but even for a standing sushi bar, this level of quality is desired. I repeated the hon-maguro akami and left satisfied. Thank you for the meal. (By: Kyonatsu Shuusora, 2022.10.26) (348 reviews/3.49)

I thought I could avoid lining up at Tachigui Midori before noon, but ended up waiting for one round. I gave up immediately and went to Sakura Sushi instead. It turned out to be a good choice. I like the atmosphere of this restaurant, so I had 2 pieces of grilled squid and 3 pieces of tuna, which were delicious. The appearance and satisfaction of each piece of tuna varied, but the medium fatty tuna was a winner from the look of it. The fatty tuna was a bit too white, but the taste of the fat was good so it wasn't bad. It was a good deal to have 3 pieces for 660 yen. The grilled squid had the usual firm texture and chewiness. I ordered another round of grilled squid and tuna. They added more when I finished the pickled ginger. I felt like eating a bit more. They served the large shrimp, grilled squid, and fatty tuna with extra wasabi. They usually serve the fatty tuna as is with soy sauce, but when I tried it with extra wasabi and soy sauce, it made me feel like I was going to fly for a moment. I closed my eyes and savored the taste. I will definitely go back and ask for more wasabi. I forgot to take a picture of the fatty tuna with wasabi. It was a satisfying meal. The total was 2530 yen. Paid with ANA pay ID.

I often go to standing sushi bars because the sushi pieces are big, cheap, and delicious! This time, the tuna was especially delicious. I planned to have a light meal of a beer and 5-6 pieces of sushi, but the akami tuna was so good that I ended up ordering more and before I knew it, I had eaten over 10 pieces. I found a good standing sushi bar, so I want to visit again. Thank you for the meal!

[Store Overview] I visited the restaurant on Saturday at 11:10 am, and there was one customer before me. A few more customers came in later, but they were all elderly individuals dining alone. [Order] Assorted 3 pieces of tuna sashimi 660 yen, striped jack (shima aji) 275 yen, surf clam (hokki) 275 yen, small skin (shinko) 165 yen, young sea bream (harusakidai) 275 yen, kelp with fish eggs (komochi konbu) 385 yen. Total: 2,310 yen. [Impressions] This is a place where you can enjoy authentic Edomae sushi without any pretense. The sushi rice is light and fluffy, making it perfect for those who feel unsatisfied with conveyor belt sushi or want a light snack while drinking. The restaurant itself is old and not particularly clean, so I don't think it's suitable for families or couples. They offer some unique varieties that you don't see often, like the young sea bream with a strong vinegar seasoning and firm texture, and the kelp with fish eggs which has a lighter flavor compared to flying fish roe or salmon roe. The fatty tuna was also satisfying with its large cuts. Thank you for the meal!

First, we had a sushi appetizer at Sakura Sushi to fill our stomachs. They offer a great selection of tuna sushi at reasonable prices. Standing and enjoying the sushi is their style! This sushi restaurant is definitely worth a visit for its high cost performance. It was delicious. Thank you for the meal.

Ikebukuro Station Underground, Standing Sushi Bar Visit Report 3~The menu is all written on the blackboard, and ordering while looking at it is good. They also give you a button-like item to put in a small box in front of the counter. You pay by taking that to the cashier. It's an old-fashioned system. The standard sushi and rice at the standing sushi bar, "Standing Sushi Midori Etika Ikebukuro Store," were of high quality, with each piece served individually, which was nice. In particular, the three pieces of tuna were made with real tuna, not the level you would expect from a standing sushi bar. Apparently, fatty tuna can only be taken from real tuna or southern bluefin tuna, and not from other types of tuna like bigeye, yellowfin, or albacore, so I always wonder what kind of tuna the fatty tuna served at conveyor belt sushi places is. In that sense, "Sakura Sushi" offers reasonably priced and delicious real tuna, which is appealing. Furthermore, they have affordable lunch menus, such as 2nd @ 924-9 pieces + roll, 3rd @ 1,100-9 pieces including tuna and roll. However, the lunch menu is only available from 11 am, and you won't be seated until then. But if you order your preferences before 11 am, they will accommodate you, giving you a little feeling of superiority (laughs). Among the three standing sushi bars in Ikebukuro Station Underground, this is the smallest, but with three sushi chefs, even before 11 am when it gets busy, the briskness of them quickly making sushi is one of the charms of a sushi restaurant. ◾️Today's preferences ① Real tuna 3 pieces @ 660 each - Calculated at 850 yen if ordered individually ② Small skin @ 165 ③ Horse mackerel @ 165 ④ Conger eel @ 165 - There are often bad conger eel at standing sushi bars ⑤ Mackerel @ 165 ⑥ Cockle @ 275 - Cockles are said to be in season from May to July, but I still want to eat them out of season ⑦ Bottom sole @ 110 - It wasn't squid, but it was simmered *** Compared the standing sushi bars in Ikebukuro Station Underground. ① Ordering: Verbally ② Types of sushi: Many ③ Level of sushi: Good (Bad ~ Average ~ Good) ④ Rice: Good (Bad ~ Average ~ Good) ⑤ Value for money: Good (Average price per piece 189 yen)

The taste was good. However, considering it's standing sushi, the cost performance might not be that great. *By the way, the sushi in the image has less rice, so it may look smaller. It's convenient to eat at the station and the taste is good, so I might come back. Surprisingly, the shop was quite crowded, with a wait of about 1-2 groups.

Sakura Sushi, located inside Tobu Hope Center in Ikebukuro Station. I visited on a Friday night at 9pm, close to closing time at 10pm, so there were only 3 other customers already seated at the counter. I started with my usual order of a tuna sashimi platter, with medium fatty tuna and fatty tuna that were sweet and delicious. I also ordered squid, salmon, and cured mackerel one after another. The chef works quickly here. I also had shrimp, amberjack, saltwater sea urchin, minced tuna with green onion, fresh scallop, and I was completely full. It seems that many foreigners visit this place, and today there was a person from Spain. It's becoming an international restaurant now.

I was walking by and got sucked into the restaurant. They had a lunch special with 3 cans of tuna, which was a good deal (I think it was 1000 yen). I also added an extra 3 cans of tuna! Maybe it was because they were in a rush, but the sushi was roughly made with a lot of rice.

I visited with my son during lunchtime. There was another couple with small children, but the staff took good care of us, and we were able to enjoy our meal comfortably. It seemed like the restaurant had some trouble with their supplies, as they were unable to provide some items we wanted, but the sushi was quite delicious, and we were very satisfied.

As usual, after leaving the hair salon, I ended up in Ikebukuro due to the long line and extreme heat. It was around 1:30 PM and I was starting to get hungry. I remembered Sakura Sushi, a place I used to visit often, and headed straight there. There were three chairs placed outside the shop, and I sat on the third one while waiting, taking a look at the lunch set menu. I decided on the set with three pieces of tuna sushi. When I entered the shop and placed my order, I realized that I had eaten here before, but had completely forgotten about it. There were three lunch sets available, but it seemed like one of them was sold out that day, as others were also ordering the set with three pieces. Many people had their preferences, and in between, two chefs quickly prepared the sushi. The three pieces of tuna sushi had a generous portion and were delicious, providing a good value for the quality of the fish. The set also included three pieces of Tekka Maki, two pieces of Kanpyo Maki, large shrimp, salmon roe, squid, and tsubugai, all of which were tasty. The only disappointment was the horse mackerel. However, with a total of 14 pieces including the rolls, it was a good deal. The tea was also delicious, and the staff were friendly. I hope this restaurant continues to thrive for a long time.

I had sushi as a reward after work on Sunday. Despite standing all day, I started with standing sushi and beer. I had hikarimono, iwashi, aji, simmered geso, highball, maguro, akami, amaebi, akagai, himo shijimi miso soup, kanpyo maki with wasabi, and finished with change from 2,500 yen. It was delicious once again tonight. Thank you for the meal.

Both the cutting and the sushi rice are sloppy. The two workers at the counter won't stop chatting. The taste and price are not worth it. It would be better to go to another standing sushi bar in Ikebukuro. It's a shame that the skilled craftsmen from the past are no longer there to make the sushi properly.

On holidays at 15:30, there is no waiting, the lean tuna and eel are delicious. They had pufferfish on that day. The atmosphere of the restaurant is lively, and the owner's hospitality is wonderful. Ordering the lean tuna and medium fatty tuna separately costs about 440 yen in total, so it might be worth it to spend a little more and get the 660 yen set with fatty tuna included.

Today I had to work in Kuki, but due to a festival, the bus was running on a special schedule and I had to wait 30 minutes. There was also a delay of about an hour due to traffic, so it took me longer to get home than usual. Feeling exhausted, I didn't feel like standing to eat, but I decided to treat myself at Sakura Sushi. I had my usual order: a small beer, followed by mackerel, sardine, kohada, and sardine sushi. They were out of horse mackerel, so I had a highball instead. Then I enjoyed red clam, jumbo shrimp, medium fatty tuna with pickled plum and shiso leaf, shrimp miso soup, and burdock root roll with wasabi. I ate a lot and it was delicious.

Recently, I haven't been here so I decided to come today. No alcohol for now since I'll be drinking later anyway. I had the spear squid for 110 yen, always reliable in texture. The 3-piece bluefin tuna for 660 yen, the taste varies slightly depending on the timing but you can tell by the appearance that it's delicious. This quality at this price is unbeatable. Today, the fatty tuna belly for 385 yen, not sure when it's in season but maybe it's tastier in winter. The jumbo shrimp for 220 yen, a new favorite when I want a different texture from squid. I learned that besides squid, I also want something with a good bite. I had a refill of the 3-piece bluefin tuna for 660 yen. It came back a bit disappointing (laughs), but it happens. Without ordering alcohol, I had 6 pieces of bluefin tuna and 3 other pieces, and it only cost me 2,000 yen.

I visited for a quick lunch in Ikebukuro. I ordered my usual tuna set, salmon, and negitoro roll. The tuna set here is really worth it. The other sushi is delicious as well. The turnover of customers is quick, so I want to visit again.

I came two days in a row. Starting with 3 pieces of tuna, toro, takowasa, fresh turban shell, big shrimp, red clam, himo shime saba, mirugai, hotate, and shrimp. Everything was delicious tonight too. Thank you for the meal.

Ikebukuro in the rain, of course, you can go without getting wet. I waited a bit as there was one person ahead of me at Sakura Sushi. Maybe it's because of the rain. When I entered, I ordered a small beer and 3 pieces of maguro (tuna), which were quite large, although not perfectly shaped. It was a nice surprise. Then I had iwashi (sardine), aji (horse mackerel), kohada (gizzard shad), and shimesaba (marinated mackerel) from the blue fish team, akagai (ark shell) and amaebi (sweet shrimp) from the red team. I switched to a highball and had umeshiso maki (plum and shiso roll) and yariika (squid) from the white team. I finished with ebi (shrimp) miso soup. Another delicious meal tonight. Thank you for the feast.

On a Saturday night after finishing various errands, I suddenly got hungry and decided to visit a restaurant I had been wanting to try. The location was a bit hard to find, nestled among a few other eateries in the Hope Center next to a clothing section. I waited for about 15 minutes before being seated, despite being the second group in line around 8 pm. I ordered the signature dish, a 3-piece tuna sushi set, which was surprisingly delicious for the price. I ended up ordering more sushi because it was so good. I also tried the recommended tilefish, which had a nice crunchy texture and was refreshing. The quality of the tuna was so good that I also ordered some marinated tuna at the end. The rotation of dishes was slower than expected, possibly due to people enjoying sake and the variety of appetizers available. I would like to visit this restaurant again during a less busy time.

After lunch, the restaurant quickly empties out. Sushi is delicious, and of course, the drinks are too. It's best to secure a spot at the counter so you can easily see today's recommended menu. The size of the sushi varies depending on the chef, which adds to the charm. They grate the wasabi right in front of you, and fresh wasabi is recommended as it is delicious. The lightly salted seared golden eye snapper is amazing. Sushi toppings can also be changed to appetizers. The steamed abalone appetizer was around 660 yen, and the fluffy clam liver with ponzu sauce is a taste that all drinkers will love. This place is perfect for avoiding the rain and wind at the train station. This is the place to be!