There are two things I can say were fantastic about Japanee: the decor and the presentation of the food. The design of the restaurant, especially the private rooms, has me thinking about coming back and bringing a group of friends, very soon. The presentation of the food, especially the maki, is beautiful. The rolls vary from $4-20, with many of the house specials running around $13. So the prices I felt were decent. So was the taste. While I would not say this is the best sushi in Bloomington (there is one modest little restaurant on 10th that would take that title), Japanee offers a nice sushi "experience."
In fact, they have a very nice looking sushi bar, which made me think of my brother who is a big sushi fan. I'm not sure this place would live up to his taste, but it would definitely make a good first impression visually. :) For me, ambience matters, especially as it can effect whether or not I actually enjoy the dining experience. So, I recommend the place if you want to go for sushi with a group of people and are looking to enjoy a little ambience and presentation. If you just want excellent sushi, and you're looking for the best in Bloomington, it's not here.
Okay for sushi.  A little overpriced for dinner.  I hear they have great lunch specials though.  Slow service.  I've been here several times.  Once we ordered the chef's special (labeled as an assortment of sashimi and various sushi rolls) and  we got an entire plate of sashimi over an hour later.  Not one grain of rice, even.  How long does it take to chop up some fish and throw it on a plate?
Review Source:Japanee has a decent variety of roll options for any sushi lover. I'm a fan of Hector's Special roll or the Sex in the City roll, even though i feel like a girl when I order it.
Prices are reasonable when it comes to sushi but dinner combinations are expensive for what you get. Figure you're going to walk out spending over $20 to feel full unless you eat like a bird.
It's the Midwest, the freshness of the fish at Japanee is hit or miss. I've always had good luck with the Hoosier roll and they have some pretty good spicy mayo.
The decor is modern and trendy and they play some pretty good music. If you decide to go later in the evening you'll most likely be subject to some karaoke noise pollution.
The sushi is good most of the time...but when paying sushi prices I prefer consistency no matter the day or hour. I know that goes without saying but it is even more important with sushi in my opinion. Also the last server we had was not very knowledgable and that can be big minus in my book. Hector Roll is good and I always love a good seaweed salad. The wine is 1/2 off on 2 nights of the week too.
Review Source:Trying to find decent sushi in Bloomington is a futile endeavor, so I am giving this place three stars based on the context of its location. Â I've eaten dinner here a handful of times. Â The rolls are decent; the sushi has never been rancid or fishy or anything that would make me not want to come back.
That being said, having eaten many of the rolls on the menu, they all kind of taste the same to me, and they all seem to be served atop spicy mayo with bits of crunch pieces on top. Â They're okaaay, but they don't really quench my lust for sushi, either. Â They do have some reasonably priced bottles of wine.
The dining room is darkly lit and has a vague lounge-like quality to it.. Â The TV's are high enough that they don't detract from the atmosphere, but I appreciate them being there as they are usually tuned to sports. Â
I'd probably give Japanee two stars in California, but with the lack of options for sushi out here, I will be back.
I don't know how this place has so few stars. I've eaten at every sushi place in Bloomington, and this one is by far the best - a little pricier, but worth it if you want really good sushi. The atmosphere is great, too, and you can sit at the sushi bar if you want. I live on the East coast now and sushi is even pricier, but for Indiana prices this place is still a little steep. Higher quality sushi than Ami and Sushi Bar, however. LOVE it!
Review Source:We went to this restaurant for a birthday celebration with about twenty people. We received hot items from the kitchen about an hour after ordering but the Sushi items did not arrive until 35 minutes after the kitchen items. So half the party had their meals and the other half did not.
After mentioning this to the management, they were unapologetic but finally offered to discount the dinner. I was repeatedly offered excuses for the errors, but was never offered an apology. When the final bills arrived, the amounts were incorrect, and did not reflect a discount.
I was appalled that a service business did not work harder to make our experience better, or at the least apologize.
The service, the attitude, and the overall feel of this place is out of line.
Took my daughter to lunch here on move in weekend at IU. Â So far best sushi gig in Bloomington. Â Service was prompt, accurate and polite.
Had the crunch roll and the awesome roll. Â Both were made well and had great taste and perfect spice level (look at pics for better description)
Overall 3 star vs best if the best in the USA but a 5 star for Bloomington
My bf and I came here on our first date so  this place will always be special in my book...
I came to lunch here with some I hadn't seen in ages while my bf and I were in town for the day. I ordered the shrimp teriyaki bento box which came with the aforementioned shrimp, rice, 4 pieces of a california roll, and 2 pieces of gyoza. Everything was ok nothing jumped out at me. My friends raved about the chicken fried rice and my bf was none too impressed by his udon soup. He had also never had udon so he didn't know what to expect.
We got there at noon and the place was pretty empty but by 2 when we were leaving the place had picked up. The service was good, our waitress was very patient with us as we took what must of felt like forever to order. This place isn't too expensive. Lunch for myself and bf wasn't pricy and considering we weren't rushed through our meal, we had a great time and it was fun to catch up with my friends.
This place is a hit or a miss, really. Went for dinner once and had a wonderful time. The server was enthusiastic, sushi was tasty, and the environment was quite hip.
On a second visit for lunch, we experienced fish that was turning, avocados that have obviously been left out and were also turning, and extremely slow service. The experience was so terrible that we don't think we will be coming back unless we're forced to. Pricing is a bit high as well.
(Was called Japonais, but they had a clash with a restaurant chain in Indy by the same name). Â I love their bento boxes, sushi, music, decor, and the wait staff usually. Â Most of the time everything goes swimmingly but the hostesses can be really incompetent and confusing. Â It seems like the waitresses do the hostesses jobs most of the time. Â
They have a pretty good wine, sake, and beer selection. Â And they have an impressive sushi selection with some great rolls. Â I like the ones they set on fire, b/c it makes me happy. Â I much prefer Japanee over Asuka in service and quality of rolls. Â They just need habachi now. Â
They also have private karaoke rooms available to rent on the weekends.
Japanee (as it's now called under idiot new owners) is a travesty. The only reason I give it two stars is that there is a selection of rolls which do surpass others in Bloomington. HOWEVER, the service, the attitude, and the overall feel of this place is completely out of line. Yes, the decor is nice, but not nice enough to charge what they charge for the mainly mainstream sushi. You cannot consider a place to be good on the basis of two good rolls. The most despicable thing about Japanee however are the new owners (the one who for some odd reason have no idea what Japonais even is). My roommate and I came in here at 11 on a Saturday night, when they are open until 230 and was asked by the owners how many we were. When we told her it was just the two of us she replied to us that the restaurant was closed. Funny. There were two other parties seated in the waiting area for tables, the restaurant was full, bussers were bussing tables, and orders were clearly being taken to the Sushi Bar. Interesting also, every table was of an Asian extraction, us being the only exception in the restaurant. Upon realizing this we refused to leave and demanded a table at which point we were told the police would be summoned.
JAPANEE: FUB
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