Sakura Japanese Restaurant   

The granddaddy of Indy's sushi bars, Sakura continues to be the favorite of sushi aficionados. It's not fancy like the slick, newer places that have opened around the city, but the food is still great and the atmosphere, though crowded, is comfortable and welcoming. Great food, not fancy digs, is the emphasis at Sakura, one of the city's first sushi bars. It's usually packed for lunch and dinner with Indy natives and visiting VIPs. Our favorite spot is a stool at the sushi bar where smoking is not allowed, and you have a prime view of the bountiful seafood. The signature Sakura maki is a piece of art with the colorful, thin slices of fish encasing the mega roll. Begin with a seaweed salad and sip a bowl of miso soup while pondering the list of entrees and sushi selections. Chopsticks replace silverware here, and no one will frown if you happen to slurp while trying to navigate slippery soba noodles out of a savory broth.