Reviews for Royal Sushi & Izakaya in Philadelphia, PA
I'm particularly not a big fan of the sour and bitter flavors but this place seems to serve surprisingly upscaled food from your... typical bar. The atmosphere was fun with anime being projected and services were great. There isn't much signage but a Japaneselantern outside the blue door. I rideshare to the location, those who plan to park may have a challenge. If you like to sit atthe sushi bar it is reserved only as well. The bar itself is very dim and is a pretty small area. There are outside sitting butlimited. Read more
Many isakayas don't really have the dishes or flavors that I love from Japanese. This one genuinely did with a modern western... approach . my top 4 dishes were the chicken karaage, braised short ribs, sweet miso glazed egg plant , and sesame pannacotta. Every dish was rich in flavors and genuinely approached with love - crispiness & melt-in-your mouth textures were allpresent I was mainly most surprised about the eggplant. I could pop them in my mouth all day; I don't generally love egg plantsbut this one was roasted to perfection with a nice umami sweet miso glaze. Light enough to balance the flavors but notoverpowering That was the same with the pannacotta. Super sesame nuttiness by itself but also nicely paired with fresh mangoand caramel on top Can't wait to try some new items next time I'm back. Even their omakase at the back that has 8 seats(normally very hard to book and apps usually open up bookings for the following month every month) More on Instagram:@midwestmunching Read more
The fish quality here was solid. I though it was great concept to have Izakaya, Japanese street-style bar, next to omakase... counters. It made me trust all sushi and sashimi quality even before arriving there, and they were indeed all good. At the sametime, they incorporated a lot of graphics from street-style Izakaya, which made the place comfortable and reachable. WithChirashi, assorted sashimis over sushi rice, I especially liked Saba, mackerel and tuna. Also, try Tuna Guac from theirappetizers. Serving tuna and avocado together may not be that unique, but this dish was completely different from other usualtuna avocado combinations. I must say, this might be the best street-style Izakaya that I tried in the US. Read more
Amazing experience all around. Bar is very cool, albeit a bit crowded. That’s expected for a small place like this. We went to... Omakase, there back table and it was fantastic. Each piece of sushi made was individually and intentionally crafted. Really coolexperience. Read more
This is a special place for Philadelphia. We’ve eaten in the front and have been fortunate enough to be seated for omakase... twice before. This is my frame of reference. Jesse does a brilliant job of ensuring that guests can try authentic Japanese,Korean, New Zealand, etc. fish on the east coast of the US. It blows my mind that I can eat this fish the same day/next day thatit was caught. Maybe other folks don’t fully understand the magnitude of what Jesse is giving his community, but it’sspecial. Read more
This is hands down our favorite restaurant in Philly. There is not a single complaint I could ever make about the food, drinks,... service or atmosphere. The food is the highest quality of sushi imaginable and the bar is full of all types of saki as well ashandcrafted cocktails. It is truly a one of a kind experience whether you are dining in the front or if you are lucky enough tosecure a seat for Omakase. I could not recommend Royal Sushi & Izakaya more! You will not be disappointed!! Read more
I have been drooling over Royal Sushi and Izakaya's Instagram posts for a while. I would see the Japanese-imported fish, the... live softshell crabs, the tuna etc etc and I have been planning to visit for a while. Only thing holding me back was that youcant put a reservation, you simply have to show up and see what's available. This restaurant did not disappoint. The place wasfull and vibrant on a Saturday night and we only had to wait for 15mins before we were seated. Concerning drinks, I decided notto go with their Sake, and I went for their Japanese-influenced cocktails instead. My Okinawan rum cocktail was very-wellbalanced and very tasty. We then proceed to try an assortment of different dishes and flavors. Our hot pickles showed up firstand they were crunchy and tasty, the slow braised pork belly came up next, and the bun was fluffy and the pork belly tender andcomplex. The kewpie mayo made a difference here, adding playful notes to the palate. The Japanese eggplant was another plate weloved Of great interest was the hanger steak that I have actually read about in one of the Philly Inquirer's articles on someof the best steaks in Philadelphia. The steak is marinated for hours before served and you can taste this japanese-inspiredflavor profile. Our menu then proceed with the sushi part of the menu: Two rolls of sushi and the Chirashi bowl. The shrimptempura roll had one of the best tempuras I have ever tried, and the soft-shell crab was very interesting as well. The Chirashibowl was so fresh you could smell the sea in every bite. An assortment of fatty tuna and lean tuna, king salmon, japanesemackerel, California uni and salmon roe, the Chirasi has an amazing value considering how tasty and fresh the fish is. Weconcluded our meal with the black sesame panna cotta with the black sesame adding a compelling saltiness and complexity to thisdish. I would surely go again and again to try other elements of their menu. Read more
The omakase experience was worth the month-plus of trying to get a reservation. It was an unforgettable meal supported by great... service. We definitely will be back to try out the normal menu and hopefully at least one more omakase dinner. Read more