Reviews & Ratings for Fujiya Japanese Garden Restaurant
11 reviews
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My favorite Japanese restaurant in SA
by SergeyF
January 26, 2009
In every restaurant there are hits and misses. Sometimes you need to know what to order to enjoy the best side while avoiding the other one.
The best thing in Fujiya are the rolls. They have a huge selection of rolls, starting with cheap and simple ones and ending with such rich creations like Philips and Twin Dragon. Not everything is in the menu! Check the suchi list for the complete selection. The other thing that usually excites me is the large sashimi set. The ingredients are freshest and rich in taste. They also have a couple of salads (Tsunami and Fujiya) that they call Japanese style seviche and those are truly beautiful.
On the other hand, I was never impressed with anything that they do with meat. I tried some teriyaki, and sukiyaki, and shabu-shabu, and many more. This stuff was always okay at best.
So, in Fujiya go with the seafood, preferably raw!
- Pros: rolls, sashimi, YUMMY!
A San Antonio Tradition!
by Kimonosan
May 24, 2008
Established over thirty years ago, the Wester family (Japanese-American) paved the way for Japanese cuisine in San Antonio. "Mama" Wester's spirit and legendary homestyle japanese cooking has kept multiple generations of regular customers coming back year after year after year. This locally owned restaurant stands the test of time in the midst of trendy sushi joints that mislead the general public into thinking that sushi is fast food. Trends, especially in the restaurant industry, tend to go out of style, but Fujiya will always be there and will always be the best! With a strong Japanese customer base, you can rest assured that Fujiya's menu and fresh fish are considered to be the next best thing to actually dining in Japan. If you're sitting in the Tatami room (aka Japanese dining room) you may actually feel like you're in Japan when your waitress comes to take your order and you see that she is wearing a kimono. Are they real kimonos?...Yes! Fujiya is also one of the few Japanese restaurants that still has it's waitresses wearing real kimono! While the casual diner may automatically order teriyaki of some sort, the brave and saavy can test their palate with the many more traditional items like donburi(try the katsudon) or nimono. I'm one of those who has been forever jaded to the sushi scene. Every sushi bar after Fujiya has high standards to meet.
To the person posting as Misawa: To answer your questions about the soup...Your soup was a different soup than your companions' and is not the house Fujiya soup. It is simply called the #1 soup. What your friend had- Shabu-shabu and didn't come with another soup, but a special broth to either pour into the main dish or dip the pieces of meat in. If you ask for tea in this place they will give you iced tea because we live in hot texas and it's the common drink of choice, but if you ask for "ocha" you will get hot green tea. If it's not hot enough for you, why not try asking them to make it hotter.
- Pros: Totemo Oishii desu! practice your japanese skills, kimonos, good prices for EXCELLENT SUSHI
- Cons: sushi may take a while if the restaurant is busy, but GOOD SUSHI is ALWAYS WORTH THE WAIT!
My second visit was much better.
by misawa
June 01, 2007
I am the person who entered the previous review as McGrew and I have revisited FUJIYA. Unlike my previous visit which was made on a holiday weekend, this time I visited on a quiet Sunday noon. While the tea was the same as on my previous visit, the rest of the meal was much better. I had the Bento box sushi meal, while one of my companions had a sushi selection with one or two additional a la carte Sushi pieces. Both of these meals were quite tasty. My wife ordered a meat dish which she found to be very good and which she compared to the Korean dish "Bulgogi." Our fourth dining companion probably had chicken teriyaki, but what ever it was she, too, found it quite delicious. My conclusion is that I may have been slightly too harsh in my original review. As with any restaurant, some things are done better than others, and I think FUJIYA's forte is sushi. I'd recommend it.
Average at best
by mcgrew
May 13, 2007
Good enough for what passes for Japanese food in Texas. Much of San Antonio's dining out consists of enless numbers of franchised eateries, so I wanted something privately owned. In this case, there appears to be no much difference between chain restaurants and a private one. If you're new down here, be aware that in Texas "tea" means iced tea, even in a Japanese restaurant, so be sure to specify hot tea if that's what you want. I ordered hot tea, but when it came it was luke warm, and by the end of the meal it was practically cold. The teapot was Japanese "style", but it was made of plastic.
While the service in Fujiya is friendly, the food I had was only so-so. In our party of three all of us ordered something different. Each meal came with the same type of soup, but because I had ordered the #1 meal (a varienty of different dishes), for some reason I got a much larger bowl of the soup than my companions received! Why a larger bowl of soup? By the time I finished the soup (a slighty salty onion and noodle soup) I was practically floating and had already lost my appetite for the entree!
The medley dish I had - terriyi beef, some chicken on a shish-stick, and some shrimp tempra - was ok, but all the meat tasted more or less identical, i.e., bland. The shrimp tempura was light and tasty, and if I got back to Fujiya again that's what I'll order. One of my companions had the smaller bowl of soup which I mentioned earlier. For an entree she ordered a "healthy" version of something that came in a broth with beef, mushrooms and cabbage - and to top it off, even that entree came with another bowl of soup! Our third diner had chicken terriyaki and said it was good.
I'll visit Fujiya again, but my expectations will be much lowered.
Outstanding sushi
by rgtappan
November 15, 2005
I travel all over the US and make a cognitive effort to try the best sushi from each visited city; including cities that you would think would have incredible sushi - Miami FL, Los Angeles CA, Houston TX, etc. Fujiya is without a doubt the best sushi I have ever tried. My wife and I have become somewhat regulars, even though we live over an hour away. We celebrate anniversaries, birthdays, holiday's there. I highly recommend this restaurant to all of my visiting friends and would strongly recommend it to any neo-sushi eater. Just ask Juneko - the sushi chef, for any combination, and she will make an incredible meal.
We have eaten at most of the sushi restaurants in San Antonio; and without a doubt this is the best!
- Pros: highly attentive staf, consistantly great , high quality meal
- Cons: NONE WHAT SO EVER
Authentic Japanese Food-Great!!
by dharmita22
October 19, 2005
A family owned restaurant that has been passed down over generations, open since 1970, you really get a sense of friendliness when you go there. I remember when the original owner, Mrs. Wester asked everyone to call her mama, and was originally from Japan. They have a great ambience and excellent service. Excellent sushi and the best soup I have ever Tasted (Fujiya Soup "TRY IT!!"). The new manager, Mrs. Wester's second son, George Wester is from Hawaii and really brings the Aloha to the Restaurant!! I would recommend everyone to stop by and try a little something.
- Pros: Good Parking, Super Friendly Staff, Impeccable Cleanlines
- Cons: Are you Kidding?
Truely Japanese
by jenn1101
October 13, 2005
I used to live in Japan and let me tell you that Fujiya is the best. I took a Japanese acquaintance and he loved it! I even get to practice my Japanese since the owner is from Okinawa. They also make the best yakisoba in the U.S. I love the plastic food in the front, reminds me of Japan.
- Pros: Authentic, Friendly
Great sushi!
by capnnawg
February 23, 2005
This place is awesome. I am a transplanted California sushi snob, but this compares with the best of them. Great ambiance, excellent service, and high quality sushi.
Fine Presentation and Taste
by addictedtosushi
January 09, 2005
Fujiya's is one of the best Japanese restaurants in San Antonio opposite of what the last poster stated. The sushi is very fresh being that sushi does not come straight from the ocean and onto your plate. An educated person would know that. Obvoiously he's not. I highly recommend to try the other menu items, as they are extensive. Not sure what sushi to try? Here's some ideas: flower roll, crunchy roll, hand rolls, and maybe some smoke salmon nigri.
- Pros: affordable, large portions, near authentic
Dinner for 3 lovers?
by trump_5_to_1
August 02, 2002
My girlfriend and I went to Fujiya this last monday. Niether of us sushi experts, we ordered the "Famous Dinner for two lovers" (against our waitress's advice). That dinner is too much food for any two lovers I've ever met. But it was all so excellent! We left the restaurant with full stomachs and a take-home box to the brim with fried pork, shrimp, and steak.
