Review
My husband and I go out for sushi as much as we can, so we were both thrilled to be eating together at Sapporo for the first time. I'd eaten at Sapporo years ago before I discovered my love for sushi, so the experience was like new for me. Sapporo is a frequent winner in both the Louisville Magazine "Best of Louisville Awards" and the LEO "Readers' Choice Awards," so we certainly had high expectations going in.
I was kind of taken aback when we first walked through the door at Sapporo. The walls are brightly painted and adorned with neon lighting, and Japanese pop music blasts over the stereo. This is certainly not the place to go for a romantic dinner. Half of the restaurant is devoted to grill tables and the other half houses the drink bar, sushi bar, and general seating. The general seating is pretty cramped, but it's still better than sitting by strangers at the grill table.
We didn't order an appetizer because we didn't want to ruin our appetites with anything other than sushi, but the couple we were dining with started their meal with the shrimp tempura, which was pretty much just oversized fried shrimp. They were very tasty, but it's hard to screw up fried shrimp.
For our meals, my husband and I ordered seven rolls. We shared some of our general favorites (Avacado Roll, California Roll, Dragon Roll, Yum Yum Roll, and Spicy Tuna Roll), but we also tried two rolls that are unique to Sapporo: the Fried Shrimp Roll and the Dynamite Roll. Neither of us had ever tasted fried sushi, so we were definitely excited about finding something new to enjoy.
Our traditional favorites were okay. They were nothing to write home about, but they were certainly edible. As for the Fried Shrimp Roll and the Dynamite Roll, I found both a little rich for my tastes, but my husband enjoyed them quite a bit. The sushi was served in large portions and prepared beautifully, and the prices were comparable to other local sushi restaurants. On a side note, I ordered some vegetable fried rice to eat with my sushi, and it was the best fried rice I've ever eaten.
Overall, I wasn't terribly impressed with Sapporo. The atmosphere was a little too club-like for my tastes, the sushi was just mediocre, and the grill tables are so close to the regular tables that you have to listen to all of the hoopla going on at them. It wins lots of awards, but, in my opinion, it's overrated.
Recommendations
- Vegetable Fried Rice
- Dynamite Roll
- Fried Shrimp Roll
Pros
- Large sushi menu
- Atmosphere fits the Bardstown Road lifestyle
Cons
- Sushi is nothing special
- Atmosphere is not romantic or private
- Parking is a nightmare
