Shogun Japanese Restaurant

Doesn't Recommend

BuildTheRobots

Joined 3 years ago

Tasty but a gamble. In general the service is good and you get your food relatively quickly, especially during lunch time. Their food is also quite good. Their teriyaki chicken is tender without being under done and usually makes it to you without being burned around the edge. The miso soup is about standard and they are generous about their miso dressing on the salads. Their sushi is aesthetically pleasing and made fresh by sushi chefs at the sushi bar, which you can sit at and watch. The prices are also reasonable, running around $9-15 for a standard entree.

This used to be one of my favorite Japanese places... At least until I got food poisoning on my birthday from eating there. Their unagi (fresh water river eel, usually served cooked) is tender and delicious but is also prone to either going bad or suffering cross-contamination at the sushi bar from other raw foods that have larger batches of bacteria growing on them or were not properly refrigerated. Confirmed by a friend who also had the unagi that night, we both got a standard batch of food poisoning complete with vomiting, diarrhea and cramping that lasted about 24-36 hours. This was reported to the health department.

Either way, it's a good place with nice people and looks relatively clean but I'm not planning on eating there again any time soon.

Doesn't Recommend

pirate_mafia

Joined 6 years ago

Horrible Service, Horrible Cuts, Horrible Sushi.... I ordered takeout because i was running low on time and I needed to get home, so i ordered Sake (Salmon) Nigiri, A tekkamaki Roll, and a spicy tuna roll and some roll with unagi, macadamia nuts, and mango. I got home, the presentation looked well enough, but when went to take my first bite , it appeared as though they had stuffed an entire wasabi ball between the fish and rice effectively making the fish taste like nothing more than wasabi... Hooray expensive wasabi! On further inspection of my rolls I found that ll except my tek roll were pretty much falling apart. i ate one of the Unagi rolls and low and behold they are flavorless and bland. The mangos were lackluster and the small cut of unagi couldn't be tasted in the roll. I called to inform the of the poor service they gave me and a rude waitress left me on *hold* for 10 minutes (apparently hold to them is setting the phone down on the table and walking away from it because i heard all of the conversations they had....) When she picked up the phone because I was yelling into so they could hear me this girl was laughing and offered no apology for making me wait 10 minutes, I proceeded to speak with the manager who again wouldn't apologize, but instead said that I should ask for no wasabi on my nigiri next time I am there. There will be no next time, I'm going to mobos where they treat customers well at least and they don't try to destroy the flavor of their fish. The $2 I saved is not worth the bad mood and bad sushi sitting in my fridge.

Recommends

zcounselor

Joined 6 years ago

Awesome sushi, relaxed atmosphere, friendly staff!. After trying countless sushi bars throughout the Central Coast and Bay Area, Shogun is the consistent winner for fresh sushi, ambience, and service. Shogun is located on Pacific Avenue in Santa Cruz, an awesome place to relax, people watch, and shop. Prices at Shogun are very reasonable. My wife and I usually stuff ourselves for about $60 (including tip)! If you get there before 6 PM, you'll usually get seated straight away no problem. Those that make the sushi are Japanese and are very friendly and welcoming. The decor is warmly traditional and simple but elegant. The best part, of course, is the food. Shogun's maki rolls are outstanding, particularly the Downtowner, Philadelphia, and Rainbow rolls to name a few. The raw fish is always fresh and of the highest quality. The green tea, served in a teapot, is the real deal...not the tea bag stuff or the chlorinated tasting green hot water that other places serve. The miso soup and ocean salad are top notch, always fresh tasting and not too salty or sweet. Tempura here is very good, as is the fried green tea dessert. Sashimi lovers will be impressed as well. Cooked items, such as Teriyaki salmon and beef are nicely done here too. Wash it down with a Japanese beer, sake, or a glass of plum wine, and you'll be happy!

Recommends

allisbeautiful

Joined 6 years ago

good quality, but americanized. dishes (and sushi) are tasty, but very expensive. if you're a picky sushi eater like me, meaning you like real, authentic japanese food, then this place is not for you. although the quality of the food is very fresh and very good, menu items feature names and dishes that have strayed far from japanese tradition. menu has been altered to suit western customers. that aside, it's a great place to start if you have never had sushi before.

Recommends

mollybeans

Joined 6 years ago

Quality meat and fish, good flavors.. I really like Shogun. I think the fish and meats are much better than most Sushi places around here, the flavors are really tasty, and the servings are ample.

The service on the other hand, is not the greatest. We waited a long time for pretty much everything, starting with the water. This place is pretty busy, so I guess that should be expected.

Anyway, this place is worth a shot. The food is definitely worth it.

Recommends

eigervue

Joined 8 years ago

Best sushi in Santa Cruz. While this isnt as good as some of the sushi you can get in S.F. it is easily the best sushi in the Santa Cruz area. It is a little more expensive than Pink Godzilla but the fish is better quality and overall it is a good deal.