OK, bear with me while I explain the context. I am a critical care medical professional on assignment to a local hospital for COVID care. COVID isn't a joke and I can tell you that; but Sakura is due to be a new "nexus" of...cases, I guarantee.
Governor Inslee had given Washingtonians until Friday to start wearing masks in all social and group occasions where social distancing was impossible, and it was Wednesday afternoon. At Sakura, where the 'sushi line' was running full tilt and although tables were properly spaced, people were coming in between the tables - wa-ay too close - to get plates of it. And while all the servers were wearing masks, only two customers - myself and an elderly lady with a daughter(?) who wasn't - out of a dozen or 15 even had a mask.
The chef was wearing his, but only over his mouth, improperly as possible. Let me break this down for you, the chef was breathing on virtually ALL the sushi being made! i spoke to my server to comment about the health issues but they had no control. So would you be happy if he had just used the restroom and didn't wash his hands? Well, this is worse.
i made the best of it and ordered a Mack'n'Jack ale, some miso soup and the "Kobe" sashimi platter. The beer is good with more flavor than the Japanese choices; the miso was good and well seasoned but light on seaweed and tofu; the Kobe was excellent. I ate, using my mask appropriately, paid and left after a couple of pictures.
So the first picture is the sashimi - yum. The second is the chef with his nose out. After I read the earlier review noting the servers had to split their tips with management and this plague-friendly visit of mine, I had a quandry.
I wanted to give the food and servers a 5-star, I needed to give the place and the health issues a 1-star. Health issues won out. DON'T GO HERE until they start to observe - and you, too, sushi chef !- proper health concerns and stop taking the servers' tips.
Honestly, who cares whether they survive the COVID crisis if they can't do any better than this? I am furious! You should be too.More