Ayaka

Although it has the ambience of more of a lunch place than dinner and drinks the food is good and the service was quick and friendly. We came here mid afternoon on a Saturday and immediately ordered appetizers. We began with the wasabi dumplings and the steamed spinach (served cold). Both were fantastic, the spinach had some sort of sweet and spiced almond cream sauce and it was amazing!
For my main I had the crunch munch 2. It was filling without leaving me feel huge and had great flavor. Prices were fair and overall I would definitely return.

The waiter is nice, so the service is great! Not many people come here for lunch so it’s not crowded. Lunch special is of good value, worth trying :)

I should have known better when I walked in near dinner time and no one was inside. I ordered 3 different roles. However each roll was filled with the same artificial crab mix. and tasted relatively the same. It was very disappointing. My bill cost $ 41, which I feel is on the pricey side for what I received. It wasn’t much, but the highlight of my food was the Miso soup. I did enjoy that.

Stopped into this place for a quick bite and was pretty much blown away. Tastes AMAZING and you can’t beat the price! It has fantastic vegan/​vegetarian options as well. Definitely check this place out.

Ew. I’m surprised that this place has three and a half stars.
I’ve been here a handful of times and I am still extremely underwhelmed.
My most recent trip was the most disappointing. The hostess sat us down, then the waitress came by with menus and didn’t ask us what we wanted to drink. Another party comes in and they get their beverages while we are still waiting. We finally order and that’s when she decides to ask us what we want to drink.
So, the tempura udon was not so great. Most places put the tempura on the side so it doesn’t get mushy by the time it’s served.
The rice bowls are 70% rice and saturated in liquid. I don’t recommend it.
The sushi is overpriced for what you’re getting. If I wanted rice wrapped in seaweed, I could’ve made that at home. They put in a negligible amount of salmon. Where do you draw the line between saving money and ripping off your customers?
The lunch specials are not special at all. It’s still pricey for the quality and amount of food you are getting. Definitely try Totoro on State or Sadako instead!

Go to Sadako (down the street) instead. this place is not fresh or worth the price. They staff is horrible ad unfriendly and slow. the ginger dressing is really bad.

Disclaimer: This review does not apply to their sushi selection.
I went to this place for lunch. Since I’m not a person with lots of cash shoved in my wallet, I decided to go with the cheapest food they got: Udon.
This udon was nothing but a stomach filler. Like I said above, I went there to supply myself with food, and this place served its purpose. However, would I go to this place again for the same purpose? Most likely, NO.
The broth itself did not have faintest hint of kombu, niboshi, or just generally fish. It almost tasted like a chicken broth instead, however, even if they actually had made it with chicken, this broth lacked depth. It almost seemed like they simply used salt to taste, not soy sauce or other ingredients that gives the broth depth.
Salad was this stereotype Japanese restaurant salad, dipped in this orange-​colored paste. I expected some refreshing, citrus and mildly sweet taste from this salad. However, it was salty (what?)
Due to the fact that the most basic food in their menu did not even meet the decent standard, I’m not really sure about their sushi quality either.
In my opinion, a good restaurant should give happiness and satisfaction to customers regardless of how many dishes they have in their menu or what dish the customer orders.
And Ayaka failed to do so.

Decent sushi. The quality is not great compared to sadako for the price, but it works. It’s really interesting that they grind up the fish in the spicy rolls.
Not the best place for big groups because of the small space, or you’d have to reserve. It has a nice intimate atmosphere though if you’re looking for that.

A-​ok is definitely a good rating for this place. Looking through my reviews, I go to a lot of sushi spots! This place was good because they gave us soup & ginger salad which I always enjoy. They unfortunately do not have a liquor license, which is surprising in the middle of college hangout zone in A2. The service was okay. I just wasn’t that impressed. Not sure we will be back.

Actually terrible service. Not that great food quality. Do yourself a favor and go to totoro or miki instead!

A friend suggested Ayaka for lunch, so we ended up here at 1pm on a weekday. It was busy, and between the small room with everyone crowded in and the loud pop music, it was a little hard to hear. But the ambiance was otherwise fine. The cushioned backboard has orange felt sticking out of it that was fun to look at.
The food was nothing amazing. I had two rolls – salmon and sweet potato tempura. The salmon was a smaller roll, but the fish was nice – very fatty. The sweet potato tempura roll was HUGE, to the point that it was difficult to eat and I had to hold my hand over my mouth to not gross out my friend. It tasted a little bland but nice and warm. There was just so much rice! No one needs that much rice.
Because we spent over $ 8 each, we got free soup and salad. Standard.
Oddly enough, I really loved their ginger. It was a little sweeter than I’m used to. I could have eaten a cup of that stuff.
The service was eh. I don’t think anyone came to check on us until we were done. I’d drained my water glass long ago, and had been hoping for a refill. The glass had smelled soapy, though.
By the time we left the place was much more pleasant – quieter without as many people in it, and they’d definitely turned down the volume on the music.
If you’re a student here at UofM, Ayaka is an okay place to eat (nothing impressive, but okay). Not too expensive, very convenient location, and a wide selection of choices. I prefer
for creative rolls, though. If you’re older, I’d definitely recommend otherwise. The place feels very studenty, and again, is just not that impressive. Try
(still a little studenty, granted) or Totoro.

This place has decent korean style sushi. The rolls are massive and filled with too much rice. Speaking of their rice, it’s very bland and needs more vinegar or something. I don’t really care too much for their special rolls, but I will give them credit for making the volcano roll actually spicy.
This place is definitely not the place I go to if I am craving sashimi, nigiri, chirashi, or simple rolls. Maybe their hot dishes are better?

More like 3.5 stars, but rounded down since they don’t serve sake (or any alcoholic beverages, if you must know).
First time I was here I got the dragon roll, which consists of eel, avocado, cucumber and tempura shrimp. It was really good – Michigan 4 star good. I enjoyed the eel as always. But it wasn’t all that fresh. By Michigan standards it is on par in freshness (sorry folks, I’m from California, where they serve really fresh fish in sushi). Fish to rice ratio (which is one factor I use to rate sushi) was decent for this roll. Not too much rice that’d overpower the eel and tempura. Good stuff.
The second time here, I got the eel and avocado roll as well as the spicy tuna. Both were just decent. The eel wasn’t fresh and the fish: rice was disappointing. I could hardly taste the eel or the eel sauce. Spicy tuna was spicy and you taste the spiciness over the tuna. I’m more of an eel person when it comes to sushi, but I think the spicy tuna roll was better than the eel with avocado.
Your rolls come served with a salad and miso soup.

Why is this place hiding? It’s shrouded by other storefronts that look too similar to it in color schemes. It took me years to acknowledge its presence. Once I did, I felt relieved.
While it isn’t the best, the sushi quality is much better than other restaurants around the university campus. Their rice is seasoned just right, the texture is soft enough. It is the most consistent of the sushi places around campus. The salmon and avocado roll is a reliable, fresh dish. I once had a roll with chicken teriyaki in it, that was unexpected and it worked. Leftovers from here keep very well too, even without refrigeration. Shrimp dumplings are moist, flavorful, and tempura is decent.
Avoid going at lunchtime or before 6 if you can. The lunchtime waitstaff aren’t so good, they rush you to place an order even if you’re still obviously looking at the menu. The dinner waitstaff are much more relaxed and prompt.
Also, this is a very small place, with virtually no lobby.

Uh this reminds me why i do not frequently eat «real» sushi in ANN ARBOR. i was über disappointed. maybe its bc we got our rolls carry out — it probably woulda tasted better if we were at the restaurant.
** they do not take american express **
our ordinary rolls — cucumber, avacado, and sweet potatoe tempura (!! the best) were all really good, not really hard to mess those up
the 911 spicy roll was almost inedible, the spicy tuna on top looked and tasted old, no flavor, and the tempura battered roll part was soggy (again may be due to carry out), and when i tried to peel it off, just to eat the rest of the roll, it was stuck on and wouldn’t budge, weird. the jalepeno on top wasn’t a good one either.
gomahee was yum yum and our avacado and normal ginger house salads were good, this spot is rather on the pricey side for the nasty «fancy» sushi rolls.

Had a California roll that was so gross, it turned me off from eating sushi for months.
It’s a dark/​dim place just FYI.

Ayaka has solid sushi for the price. Today in between class I ordered miso soup and the spicy yellowtail roll for takeout. (Side note: miso soup is $ 1.50 for one tiny cup of broth! No seaweed or tofu or anything. Tasty, but still, $ 1.50?!) Both were good– but I’ve been here before and I have to warn you, when they say spicy, they mean spicy! I enjoyed my roll today but I was really surprised by how fire-​y it tasted! I’ve been here once before and I remember my roommate exclaiming how her spicy tuna was so unbearably spicy that she couldn’t even eat it. I thought she was being fussy but I found out what she was talking about today!
I guess it all depends on your preferences.
One last thing about Ayaka is that this is they mince their fish into little pieces and mix it with the spicy sauce – I’ve always been kind of picky about this and prefer to have a whole chunk of sashimi in my rolls with a little dab of spicy sauce on the top. I just felt like I needed to include that detail…
Anyway, give this place a try. It offers similar quality sushi as Sadako but a totally different atmosphere. Ayaka has more of a quiet, romantic feel, so if you are looking for a cheap date this isn’t the sort of place where you will need to having a screaming conversation so the person you’re with will hear you. Not bad!

The reviews for Ayaka were schizophrenic, so we decided we’d chance it. Here’s my take: it’s pretty good for the S. University neighborhood, but it doesn’t have to be much better. I’d give it a 2.5 if I could.
Some background on me:
— I count Japan among the places I’ve lived.
— I have a degree in Japanese studies.
— I’m really picky about Japanese food.
— I usually don’t trust Japanese restaurants I’ve never been to, so Unilocal is my friend.
Specifics:
— Environment: the interior is snazzy, and sophisticated for a student hang out.
— Service: many of the reviews here talk about the lack of attention from the staff, and I can verify that. They’re not rude, but they’re aloof. When we entered the restaurant, we were one of 5 or so active tables. We got our drinks and order in and back fairly swiftly, but after that, we didn’t see anyone until it was time for the bill. Mind you, we didn’t need to, but we were the last table and wondered if anyone realized we were finished. Once it was time to pay the bill, swiftness ensued. I prefer aloofness to obsequiousness, so I didn’t mind. You may have to make fart noises to get their attention over the clattering in the back when it comes time to leave, however.
Let’s talk about food. We ordered a number of personal staples:
— agedashi tofu: it’s average, but on par for my expectations at a place like this.
— gyoza (pot stickers): they seem like they came from a bag, served too hot, dry and the tare sauce was overly salty. There are different styles of gyoza, and these seemed more like they might be Chinese rather than the lighter Japanese style. I would pass on them.
— the ginger salad dressing is OK.
— the miso soup might be what Oliver Twist was asking for more of.
— the California roll is OK, a bit heavy on the avocado, but paired with soy sauce and wasabi are very satisfying. This is my equivalent of stuffing my face with Fritos. I prefer the imitation crab meat to the sticks of crab, though.
— the salmon sashimi and nigiri sushi were very good; fish quality was good.
— the yellowtail sashimi and nigiri sushi were also good, same fish quality.
— the tuna nigiri sushi had a slab of tuna that was stringy, and the sashimi wasn’t any better. My assumption is either the chef doesn’t know good tuna, or they assume most people who go here don’t know WTF they’re eating anyway, so they don’t care.
— the ikura (salmon roe) tasted like it would have been good several weeks ago. I’m not sure if this is just a grade (low quality) or an age (look what we found in the back of the fridge) issue, but it’s a treat when it’s good, and it’s something to choke back the tears when it isn’t.
— tempura udon was good, but comes with a LOT.
Overall, it’s an okay restaurant in the student part of town. If you want a fine dining experience with sushi, however, there are other places to consider.

Let’s get down to brass tacks; this a sushi place and all that really matters is the fish and the rice.
I ordered a pretty standard array of fish and overall was pleasantly surprised.
Unagi (fresh water eel) — great. Tasted fresh, served warm, flaky, just slightly crunchy on the edges, served with (not doused!) in eel sauce.
Yellowtail — looked ugly so I was hesitant but it tasted pretty good.
Tuna — disappointing. Mushy, not much flavor, not even that overly metallic flavor typical of bad maguro. I don’t know what was wrong, but it was wrong.
Salmon — good, vey fatty. Some might say too fatty but that’s how I like my salmon.
Salmon skin hand roll — pretty damn good. The cuts of skin were thicker than I’m used to. The outside was still crunchy and there was enough meat on the inside to make it squishy. The contrast in texture was nice.
The rice was a bit hard. It wasn’t bad but there is rice and then there is sushi rice. This was the former.
My one complaint was that when I ordered green tea they said they were out. What self respecting Japanese restaurant runs out of GREEN TEA? 30 min later a group of Japanese women were seated and served tea. I was)(this close to pulling the race card when one of them complained about it not tasting like tea and the waiter offered some excuse about it being chrysanthemum tea of something. I hate chrysanthemum tea so maybe him telling me they were out was a blessing in disguise.
We also ordered some rolls (spicy California, salmon something) and they were good, although I could tell the cuts of salmon used were of lower quality than what was served on the nigiri. In the California roll they added way too much avocado; the avocado flavor dominated everything else. I would have complained but it was the BEST avocado I’ve ever eaten. I was dumbstruck, seriously. And I eat a f*%&ton of avocados.
I’m originally from LA and had avoided AA sushi since moving here a year ago because everyone I’ve asked who has lived in California has told me finding good sushi here is simply impossible. Their advice has always been to just wait unti I go home. Ayaka is proof that they were wrong. It’s not great, and I’m still counting down the days until my next trip home (45) but this is a perfectly acceptable place to get your fix or to explore some semi-​authentic japanese food. If I had found this place on the west coast it would be a solid 3 star joint, but considering how far we are from the ocean, I give it an extra star for effort.
For price it is about what I would expect from a medium range place in LA. I suppose that means it’s probably higher than most in Ann Arbor but being my first trip I can’t be sure.

Ayaka NEVER fails to disappoint.
After months of avoiding it because of numerous negative experiences with aggressive waitstaff & hostesses and quite frankly subpar sushi, I was forced to fulfill my sushi craving by ordering takeout from here yesterday because Sadako is closed through the 9^th. What a terrible mistake that was. The guy who took my order on the phone was friendly enough, though. Here is what I got:
— spicy salmon roll: 5 pieces of structurally unstable, wide but thin sushi. The filling looked kind of gross, but I’ve ordered this before and knew what to expect.
— spicy california: 6 pieces, gross-​looking filling. Seemed heavy on the mayo. These were falling apart, perhaps before making a 2-​minute walk back to my office.
— tuna roll: 8 pieces (standard) with a somewhat stingy portion of fish and lots of slightly undercooked rice.
— yellowtail & scallion roll: 4 pieces. FOUR.
— 1 side salad, 1 side miso soup (see below)
— soy sauce packets… and no container to hold the soy sauce for dipping…
By the way, if you want miso soup & a salad with your takeout order, you have to PAY $ 1.50 for each. Sadako gives both of these free (I think as long as you spend at least $ 5 per person), both in-​restaurant and for take-​out. How does Ayaka get away with charging $ 1.50 for one of these items when the marginal cost of making more is mere pennies? They give them out for free for sit-​in orders, why not take-​out too?
I only received one pair of chopsticks for my takeout order, so my boyfriend had to eat with his hands. Not sure how they assumed this was all for one person, and they really should have asked how many chopsticks to include while taking the phone order.
I hate this place so much and have no idea how it has four stars on Unilocal.The only explanation I can come up with is that people have low standards for sushi or no taste buds. If you like being overcharged for crappy sushi (that’s your choice to make), then Ayaka is the place for you.