Amakara Japan in St. Catharines

Went in to eat 430. Restaurant was empty. Was told they have people coming in at 500 and would not seat us. Nice

Best sushi in St. Catharines hands down

Beautifully prepared and presented food at reasonable prices. Will definitely go again.

Excellent once again. So fresh!

Typical traditional Japanese food restaurant. All the food are served as expected. Although it also serve the american style sushi roll, but the nigiri sushi was spot on. Not too hard, not too soft. Parking: Limited parking space

Amazing service. Called on a random Tuesday night and my service was fast fresh and delicious. I order the T3, miso soup, avo & yam rolls and it was delicious. More than I could eat in one sitting. They were very friendly and reasonably priced too. I hope to go again soon.

Intimate dining experience. Staff was very friendly and the food exceeded expectations. If you love sushi this is also a great place for it!

Without a doubt, this is one of the best Japanese restaurants weve ever visited. We ordered Chicken Kara-age, Miso Soup, Tiger Shrimp, and the Dynamite Shrimp Roll, and each dish was very good. The service was also very friendly. We highly recommend this place!

Place does not exist

First, but not last visit. Sadly they were at capacity and the server was run off her feet, but I cant compliment them any more for the delicious food and very reasonable prices. Definitely need reservations as approximately 24 seats are their capacity, but very cosy and intimate little gem of a restaurant. I highly recommend Amakara!

Absolutely delicious sushi/ sashimi platter tonight. Best ever. Thank you!!!

Food is average, and service ir great. But the place is not pleasant. Very bad odour in the reception, dirty floors, exposed food over the counter mixed with dirty dishes.

The food is top notch!! The servers are so nice and they are so friendly!! You should visit once if you wanna try Japanese food! They said Fridays and Saturdays are busy so you might need reservation:) The most delicious Japanese restaurant in St. Catharines The fish is fresh and the ingredients are sourced from Japan, so you get an authentic Japanese taste Dont miss it! ! The servers are very friendly, so its easy to go even by yourself!

the servers are always sweet, the portion sizes are large, and everything tastes fresh and delicious! i love coming here!!

Perfer to call ahead for take out, usually the kitchen is busy during dinner hour. 5% cash discount for take out order. Closed on both Sunday and Monday.

I went to dinner today and it gave me a very uncomfortable feeling. At that time because I didnt listen to what was being said they packed the food, but I wish I had eaten it at the restaurant. I apologized for my behavior, but they came over to educate me. Told me that if you eat, you cant stand in the doorway and order. But theres no one to take me to my seat, and there is no one to prepare a menu for me. But I dont think its a big deal. And then to my shock, they said you cant stay too long. (commanding tone) The premise here is that their food is not ready. On days when I dont have a job I just want to go out and relax, not get schooled. It takes away from my good mood for the day.

Great intimate feel....terrific server...delicious food..habachi grilled scallops....ample salad....flavorful miso...entre C combo.....a treat for both your eyes and palate.

The sushi here is easily the best in the city. Absolutely spectacular. Have eaten several things off the menu and thus far nothing has disappointed me. Will continue to eat here for a long time

The food is amazing. Awesome experience and delicious food.

Bad, I dont recommend anyone to go there, the place, food and services was bad dont waste ur money

First time at Amakara, stopped for takeout to bring at my hotel nearby. Restaurant was full, very nice ambiance. Staff were very kind and proactive even tough they were clearly in a rush. Waited a fair 20 minutes since some maki were deep fried. Everything was fresh, beautifully presented and very tasteful. Will go back when in the area.

Just experienced the epitome of Japanese cuisine in St. Catharines! The food was simply divine, easily the best Japanese in town. A culinary masterpiece that tantalized our taste buds with every bite. 10/10, would recommend to any food enthusiast! Great food great service!

Good food, great little place with a good atmosphere.

This place is so cozy. The rolls were amaz8ng and the tea was perfect to warm up on a rainy day.

Sushi was amazing! So fresh and a great price! Just wouldnt order shrimp tempura as it only comes with 2 pieces of shrimp for $10.

Weve been going to Amakara for 20 years. Weve always loved the authentic cuisine and atmosphere, but stopped going when it hanhed ownership a few years ago. Since then, the service has significantly lapsed. Food service is extremely slow and sporadic. My husband got his main course first, about 20 minutes after ordering. It took another 20 minutes for the next persons main to be brought out. Some of our appetizers were brought out as we were paying! The high reviews speak to the quality of the food, but the service is terrible.

This place is an absolute hidden gem. It has by far the finest and tastiest food in the region at very fair prices. Loved this food for many years. The flavour of his food is amazing.

Best sushi place by far. Highly recommend.

Delicious food always, staff helpful and we can count on a great dinner every time.

It was our first time dining here. The food was very good and the portions are very generous. Could not ask for better service! Will be going back.

Always excellent service and great food.

Amazing restaurant! Reminds me of being out while I travelled in Japan. Amazing food quality, great service! Note, this is not an all you can eat Japanese restaurant.... Prices are reasonable for the great quality of food. I look forward to coming back

First time we order here, ver tasty and staff were very friendly. Coming back for dine in.

Best Japanese this side of Toronto...

I love sushi and stopped here while passing through st Catharines. I had pretty high hopes for this place given tha ratings but wasnt impressed with the food at all. The presentation looked very nice but the food itself was just bland. The rice was so plain and the variety of Maki rolls I had were flavorless and absolutely needed to be drowned in soy sauce to be eaten. The quality was good but the flavor profiles were completely bland on everything from the salad to the rolls. I think this place got good ratings from people who havent had good sushi before. Pretty food but boring taste.

The atmosphere was the first thing I noticed - its very warm and cozy. The staff are super friendly and recommended dishes when what I wanted wasnt available at the time. Food was overall good, Ive had better and Ive had worse. Overall my partner and I had a great experience!

Best sushi I ve ever had. Amazing food!

Great value, small restaurant. We really enjoyed the sushi and udon stir fry and the waitress or owner was super friendly. Definitely will be coming back though it seems like you need a reservation

You cant beat the quality of their amazing sushi. Chicken karaage and shrimp tempura are great entrees with huge portions. Intimate setting. No wheelchair accessible bathroom. Wheelchair accessibility: Stairs to washrooms.

Great little sushi joint. Hard to find places that arent all you can eat nowadays but this one is a classic. Highly recommend.

Out of all the sushi places in St. Catharines, Amakara is definitely a top contender. The atmosphere is warm and hospitable with delightful service. The sushi is beyond delicious and reasonably priced. I would recommend getting the 50 piece sushi + sashimi boat for a group of 4 as it is well portioned. The parking lot beside the restaurant is usually full, so be prepared to park on the street.

Done in or takeout, Amakara is the king of a Japanese food in Niagara. I have never been disappointed...ok...well maybe a little when Im finished eating and dont have anymore delicious food left . I highly recommend!

It was very crowded, and noisy. The food was so so, the tempura we ordered was pretty oily. Nothing to recommend, won t go back again.

It was awesome! I ordered carry- out. Unagi bento comes with little tempura as well Food

Best sushi in the city in my opinion. Spectacular quality, excellent and attentive service. Love the small and cozy atmosphere. Excellent place to eat in and take out from worth the hunt for a nearby parking space!

Very tiny sushi all rice very little food. Also shorted me out of 8 pieces of sushi. Paid 40$

By far the best sushi i ve had in Niagara, if not southern Ontario. I m incredibly impressed and will be back again. The dragon roll was unlike any i ve had. Ditch WIND AYCE and come here instead. It s well worth it.

Best sushy

Hands down best sushi in town!

Amakara has been my preferred sushi joint for many years. Humble, cozy, intimate, reasonable prices, and excellent food. Never disappointed. Seating is limited so make reservations or go at odd hours. Takeout is always an option. Vegetarian options: The vegetarian sushi set was amazing, and the avocado was perfectly (and I mean perfect) ripe.

It is absolutely not an authentic Japanese Restaurant. There is no way to serve fried vermicelli as appetizer in Japanese Restaurant. The Udon is not Udon its Chinese Noodle. Sashimi are not fresh. Sushi are not tightly gripped. Disappointed. Food

Excellent sushi and sashimi and the beef was so tender! The menu is so extensive, you will want to study it before going. I recommend going early as there are not a lot of tables and it gets busy at dinner hour. Definitely going back as there is so much more on the menu that I want to explore.

If you enjoy sushi Amakara is a great place to go! It is a small place but it has a delicious menu and the food is amazing! If you havent tried it yet, you should!

Best sushi in St Catharines

Hidden gem in St Catharines, east end of downtown - this is an excellent little restaurant with a rather large menu of sushi and other Japanese classics . We stuck to Sushi and Sashimi combos - took a few minutes but the freshness, taste and preparation were all top notch. We just loved the experience, all the more than prices are very reasonable. Totally recommend!

Good sushi. Parking is a pain.

Really enjoyed this place! The squid appetizer in particular was delicious. Really nice staff. Would definitely return!

The BEST! Hands down

The best Sushi in Niagara and Ive been to Dannys in N.F

Amaizing food. Excellent service.

One of those most fresh & authentic sushi places you could come across in niagara. The quality is outstanding and the service is wonderful. Deffinitely recommend this place. The soft shell crab, and sashimi cuts are to die for

Best Japanese restaurant in the city

Food sometimes takes awhile, but worth the wait, great food and service.

Absolutely love coming here!

I came to this place because my wife was craving some sushi and I checked the reviews and they were good. They have lunch options which are really good. They had soup or salad, the soup was amazing (not sure who would choose the salad but I would give it a try the next time if its half good as soup). Got the lunch B, C and D. The B had a lot of tempura, C had suchi and nigiri, and D had only sushi. The portions are great and the service as well. Prices are reasonable and the place is small but nice. I was not amazed by the flavor but its good. Give it a try!

The whole family loved it. Great food and a reasonable price point.

Easily the best sushi I ve ever had, I highly recommend getting one of their combos. With the combo, you pretty much don t stop eating as they bring out items at the perfect pace until the main dish arrives.

Been ordering out for about 15 years from here. Usually large orders. Rarely any mix ups. Odd time sometimes lose, sometimes gain. The only time I dont get to do an order, is when its too busy to get an order in. Mainly for waiting too late. Great service, portions and price otherwise. My go-to sushi place.

Food is very good but service is really bad. Rude owner.

Great restaurant! Service was fantastic.

Sushi was really fresh. Miso soup was hot & tasty. Many options to choose from. Good value for money.

Good food, yummy yummy 64 peice sushi tray is the way to go

Some of the best sushi I have had ..stick to the basics they do it right.

Hit n miss

Longtime family favourite. Looking forward to dining in once again (hopefully). Take out during the pandemic has been amazing! Yum

Been going here for 25+ years, some ups and downs over that time however, they have been fairly consistent for the last 5-10 years. This is our favourite Japanese take-out, very fresh and highly recommend. Indoor dining is very small and I m sure is a special experience for a date night. We prefer the takeout option as we can pair it with our favourite drinks and be in a casual environment. This is not fast food so be prepared to wait after placing your order, especially during peak times. I ve tried other local Japanese options and this is my personal favourite still (especially for sashimi). Staff is friendly and don t forget to pay in cash for some slight savings.

Going to eat the food at the hotel

Favourite Japanese restaurant in St. Catharines. Always fresh, delicious, authentic! A true jem!

Place was hard to locate since the sign just says Japanese Restaurant. God bless Google maps Got takeout for lunch today - combo A, the beef teriyaki. Came with sticky rice, a piece of broccoli, piece of veg tempura, tofu and bean sprouts, 8 piece salmon sushi, salad and miso soup, all for only $22.50! Was my lunch and dinner! My first time trying tofu, lol not a fan. But everything else was amazing! Beef tender, sushi fresh, and the salad was chopped up like how I like it, with an awesome dressing! Lived here in st Cath all my life but never tried it. Will be back!

Delicious and authentic.

Hands down favourite restaurant, ever! Amazing food!

Our favourite Japanese take-out restaurant in St.Catharines. Always fresh and very delicious ! Love the sushi pizza with BBQ salmon! These pictures are from next day and food is still amazing!

Great place to eat! Not a lot of seats so it s super intimate, great place to go for a date, I really enjoyed my dinner, definitely going back

wow, I did not expect to be so impressed by sushi in the niagara region, but this place is really great. I ordered a chirashi bowl and a teriyaki beef dinner and they were both incredible! I drove from niagara falls cause i was not enjoying the food there, and it was 100% worth the drive. Their high rating is completely deserved. Being from out of province I was a little surprised by its location, but dont let that deter you from ordering from here.

Excellent and consistent food and service.

Great prices and we really liked the atmosphere. Food was super tasty. Wed come back again

Delicious food at a great price point.

Delicious as always!

Price is very reasonable and fair; majority of the appetizers your looking at 8-12 bucks. Miso soup was pretty salty but flavourful. Chicken Karaage was served with any sauce only a slice of lemon; I think the dipping sauce is pretty important for this dish. Salmon teriyaki was great, it was a very generous portion for 8.95. The eel teriyaki had way too much sauce, I would probably recommend asking for the teriyaki sauce on the side. The sashimi tasted pretty fresh and for 30.95 you get 20 pieces. The sushi however was a turn off the rice was very mushy and slimy. Most of the sushi places I ve been to the rice is pretty firm.

Ive been coming here for over 10+ years. The staff are so kind, and nice. They put so much into into order. Love this place and its staff. The food is by far my favorite.

One of the best sushi I ever had. Fantastic authentic Japanese food

I have never had such terrible sushi in my life

It is most definitely my favorite sushi in Niagara., Consistently good never had a bad meal in over a decade.

I wish Id remembered to take photos, but we ate everything too quickly. This is the best sushi in town. I thought Id been everywhere until now. Everything tasted perfect and the atmosphere couldnt have been better.

love this place! we go so often that they know us! everything there is so delicious, definitely recommend!!

Small restaurant with around twenty seats and rather intimate and family-friendly. The dishes are good and the sashimi slices are thick. Everything is well presented and the service is impeccable. We took a large boat for CA$73 plus a portion of California maki and two portions of gyosa as well as drinks. A little disappointed for the California maki which was with surimi instead of salmon... Perhaps we should have specified this when ordering. Good value for money: CA$178 for 5 people with 20% tip. We arrived without a reservation and were hesitant to enter due to the appearance of the storefront. And ultimately it was a very nice surprise! Parking: 3 spaces for the restaurant but there are large parking lots nearby, so no worries.

Food is so delicious and service is great!

Like being transported to another world. Very cozy atmosphere. The food was amazing as well. Some of the best rolls Ive ever had.

Enjoyed a lovely lunch with my daughter

Why order food? Why be patient and wait 1 1/2 hours for the food to be picked up only to have to wait to have them make it when you arrive? Absolutely the worst service for take out. It does not matter how good the food is. This is the Last time for your restaurant.

Ordered at 6:08, told wed have to wait till 7:45 to pick up take put order. Thats ok, its Friday night they are busy. Get there at 7:45 have to wait an additional 20 mins. Thats not so ok. We love the in restaurant experience but every time we do take out its like this. The edamame was cold, as were the warm rolls we ordered. Im not sure why this happens but this will be the last time I do take with you.

Quite intimate atmosphere with the freshest sushi in the city. Pleasant and thoughtful staff

Ordered pickup and although they were behind on the order and I had to wait an additional 30 mins, the sushi was very delicious and reasonably priced compared to other options in the neighbourhood.

A much more intimate dining experience with top notch sushi. Best sushi in the region. Everything goes great with a glass of plum wine.

Been coming here for years, wonderful dishes that range from fresh sashimi to delicious plant-based rolls. Kind service and great portion sizes, the yam tempura rolls and chicken katsu are my favorites. I absolutely recommend Amakara to all my friends and coworkers who are looking for a family run, authentic and wonderfully tasty sushi experience!

Honestly I have probably driven past this place many times as it is a remodeled house. Park on St Pauls as parking is limited. Loved the interior. The service was great. The gal was attentive and happily answered questions. Food was delicious.

One of the best sushi I ever had. Fantastic authentic Japanese food

Cute restaurant with good food

Ordered the Sushi Party Tray. The rolls were fresh and tasted delicious. Reasonably priced too. Highly recommend it.

Wow! I haven t had Japanese food in over a month and this really satisfied my cravings. As a Japanese, I completely love this place already and it was my first ever time ordering it. Thank you so much

Best sushi place in town by far

Great food, great service. We have ordered from Amakara over the pandemic at least 3 times and the food is always delicious. I highly recommend this restaurant.

Have been looking for a quality sushi place in the Niagara region and finally tried Amakara. Really good sushi

Good service and tasty food. Love the Yakiniku beef. Great portions.

I use to go here all the time when i still lived in the province. Glad to see they are still Round

Best sushi in niagara hands down.

Wow! Amazing sushi and Japanese food! Very accommodating for gluten free as well.

Great Sashimi, Sushi, Spider Rolls, Spicy Scallop Roll. All great. Service was prompt and professional. I recommend trying this place out

My go to sushi place in St Catharines!

Sushi and sashimi tasted fresh and the other rolls and noodles were excellent.

Best in town. Try the soft shell crab with your Chirashi set.

Reasonably priced sushi with lots of options. Sushi was fresh but not overly flavourful Was better the next day I feel !

Everything was great. Easily best Japanese in Niagara. Ordered Spicy Pumpkin, Shrimp Tempura, Green Dragon Roll, Ginger Kick Roll, Spicy Salmon Roll, Chicken Katsu Meal and Steak Donburi. Recommend it all, but especially the Spicy Pumpkin, Steak Donburi, and Spicy Salmon! Great work, Amakara!

BEST. SUSHI. EVER. I no longer live in St. Catharines, but always make the time to drive about an hour (from Mississauga) whenever I crave their sushi. It never disappoints!

Best Sushi Ive tried in the Niagara Region!

Horrible service for take out, ordered twice once in person and once over the phone considering the decent reviews but both times treated with no respect and put on hold/hang up or turned away, won t be back.

The best sushi in town. Fresh! Authentic! Great value!

Ive been a few times for lunch and ordered off the lunch menu. Food has always been great and seem high quality. Staff are pleasant and prices are good. Small restaurant on the inside, but we have always just ordered take out. I highly recommend.

Amakara, Japanese restaurant never disappoints!! Food is always excellent!!! We ve done large take out orders for two years now and always fresh and delicious. Love sushi, sashimi and tempura done authentically??? You must visit!!

Great food

Great food. Great service. Price was reasonable. Its cozy and such a great place. If you dont like seafood thats ok there is plenty of beef and chicken dishes.

We went to Amakara last night for my husbands birthday, and were blown away by the high quality of the sushi, generous portions, friendly service, and cozy atmosphere. Authentic Japanese cuisine, with dishes that are difficult to find elsewhere. The handrolls are a meal unto themselves! The fresh fish is sliced thick, and overhangs the rice, as it should. Excellent meal, and excellent service - we look forward to enjoying many more meals of fine Japanese cuisine here!

Amazing sushi, I recommend any to come try this place out, the food was so fresh and tasted amazing

Awesome food every time. The best in Niagara by far!

The food was great, and they were really good about my allergy.

Ive been coming here for over 20 years, and its still worth it. I realize that ownership and chefs may have changed in that time but it still has the same charm and delicious food.

I have no comment about the food, it was great. We tried the Udon and the Eel rice with a dish of salmon avo roll. However, we came at 8, order at 8:15 and the first dish come out at 8:40 which is the salmon avo roll. My Udon came quickly after that. However my friend has to wait for another 20 minutes for the eel rice. The store did not crowded, only have 4 tables. The table on the right of us order first us 5 minutes. The table on the left came after us 15 minutes and order after us 10minutes. They finished their dish is the time my friend got her eel rice? How magic? And there was 2 servers but only 1 server working after 8:45 and the other one sitting and having fun with the customers (maybe his friends). We are very mad. Even the food is great but this is the first time and last time we come. I did not take the picture of the eel rice because at that time we were so mad.

Best sushi in town

Awesome little place a true hidden gem

Just ordered pick up from here for lunch for the first time today. Top notch all the way. Will definitely be ordering again.

the sushi roles were rather soggy for my taste, and the rudest service i ve experienced in a while :( sadly my least favourite sushi restaurant in the niagara region

Amazing Sushi. Best in St Catharines.

Authentic Japanese cuisine. Best sushi and sashimi in the region.

Loved it!

The best

Great Sushi!

Best Sushi restaurant Ive been to. Staff is so nice, the food is great and well priced! Ive brought so many friends here and they agree. Couldnt recommend this place enough! Super cozy as well.

By far!!!! The best TRUE JAPANESE food available in St Catharines !!!!!

worse sushi ever

Best Japanese restaurant in Niagara region! Good quality and consistency every time

Delicious and wonderful people working there! Authentic!

Excellent

Authentic food, amazing customer service, and an amazing ambiance! 100% the best sushi in Niagara, and by far the best takeout option there is, for the price!

Good selection, good food and good service.

A small hole in the wall, really a small stand alone building, hard to find but worth the discovery.

Probably the best Japanese restaurant Ive ever been to. The food is fresh and expertly prepared. Highly suggest reservations if you plan on eating in as it is quite small.

I go here at least twice a week. Such high quality! I recommend the amakara steak, the dipping sauce is too good

Absolutely love the authentic Japanese experience at Amakara. Would love to go for my Birthday this year.

Good place for one of the few sushi places (a le cart) freshly made and a greater variety than the other well known sushi spots in st. Kits... Kinda pricy but worth it for the area

Amakara hosted my very first sushi experience years ago, so it holds a special place in my heart. Their quality is absolutely top-notch, service is exemplary, and atmosphere is calm. Be thee warned about their parking, though: there is VERY little. Often times its better to park on St Paul, than hope for a space on their tiny, tiny parking lot.

This was the best sushi and Japanese food I have ever had in my life. Highly recommend!!!!!

Fresh raw fish is usually hard to come by but my God am I glad my ex took me here because its the one place I would keep coming back and not get screwed over! I recommend the Chirashi, its enough to put you to sleep and feel good about it!

Absolutely awesome epic Sushi. Just do it, you wont be let down

Highly recommend this restaurant. This is a lot better than the AYCE Japanese restaurants in the area.