Home » Sakura Sushi Bar, Kralendijk, Bonaire – our review

Sakura Sushi Bar, Kralendijk, Bonaire – our review

There we were again on our beloved Caribbean island of Bonaire. We love going there. A paradise for snorkelers and divers. For us, it’s a place for relaxation, tranquility, and delicious food. The island is bursting with fantastic food trucks like Kite City (amazing tuna!) and Pita Madre (try those delicious sandwiches!), and there are also sublime restaurants to be found (Pro Tip: Try to get a table at Chefs Bonaire). We saw on TripAdvisor that a new sushi restaurant had opened in Kralendijk, the capital of Bonaire: Sakura Sushi Bar Bonaire. Right around the corner from the well-known sushi restaurant Osaka, where we had eaten several times before. Naturally, we were curious about this new player on the market, so we quickly reserved a table!

Searching for Sakura Sushi Bar

We easily parked our Suzuki Jimny around the corner from Sakura and walked to the given address. We had to search for a bit… we saw a nice building with ‘Casa Bizarro’ on it, but no sushi restaurant. Or was there?! We suddenly noticed the Sakura logo on the restaurant’s front door. It turns out… Sakura is in the same building as Casa Bizarro. Strange, right?

Upon entering, it felt more like a cocktail bar than a sushi restaurant. Were we really in the right place? Thankfully, someone quickly came over to reassure us: we were in the right spot. Sakura is part of Casa Bizarro. Soon, we were led to our table at the bar and handed the menu with a friendly greeting.

The second surprise: The menu of Sakura Bonaire

The second surprise of the evening came with the menu at Sakura. Instead of a beautiful sushi menu, we were handed a laminated one. The menu did include sushi dishes, but there was also a piece of paper attached to the side with a completely different menu. A menu featuring dishes like burgers, tenderloin steaks, and ‘Carpaccio Classico.’ You wouldn’t expect that in a sushi restaurant, right?

So, we decided to order just a few sushi dishes to see if they were any good… and possibly order more later.

Sashimi, our standard appetizer

We almost always start with a mix of sashimi to get into the mood. It’s a way to gauge how the evening will unfold, tasting just the pure fish without any other flavors. It often sets the tone for the rest of the night.

And it turned out to be a prelude indeed. Knowing there are no salmon in the waters around Bonaire, it’s imported frozen. As a guest, you depend on the restaurant’s choice when ordering salmon. Fortunately, they made the right call, and the salmon tasted great.

However, the waters around Bonaire teem with fantastic, lively tuna. We’ve enjoyed super fresh tuna on this beautiful island so many times that we’ve become a bit spoiled by its incredible flavor explosion. Sadly, this time was different. The tuna sashimi tasted flat, lacking in flavor. Odd, considering Bonaire’s fishermen bring in fresh tuna daily.

Nigiri 'Red Tuna' with massago

For our second dish, we chose a nigiri with ‘Red Tuna’. The presentation was exquisite—a beautifully shaped nigiri topped with stunning purple/pink tuna adorned with golden massago and strips of nori. Truly a sight to behold. The taste was simply delightful as well. The massago delicately popped in your mouth, adding a unique dimension to the tuna and sushi rice. Highly recommended to order this one.

The special Sakura Bonaire sushi rolls

While choosing our sushi, we asked the waiter which rolls were must-try items. There were so many exotic and new sushi rolls on the menu that we were curious to know which ones were popular on Bonaire.

We started with the Sakura Tempura Roll, filled with banana (!), cream cheese, shrimp, avocado, spicy mayo, and fried onions. This roll is then rolled in tempura batter and fried.

We had never seen banana in sushi before, let alone fried, so we had to try it. Anything unique on the menu always piques my curiosity.

The taste? Well, it looks interesting, but honestly, it’s not my favorite. The melted banana provides a sweet sensation, but in my opinion, it doesn’t quite complement the spicy mayo and shrimp. Additionally, there are fried onions sprinkled on top, which feels a bit redundant since the roll itself is already fried. Perhaps this flavor is appreciated on the Caribbean islands, but unfortunately, not by me.

The Riceless Super Special Roll

Next, we pinned our hopes on the Riceless Super Special Roll! Sushi without rice, featuring flambeed salmon and scallops. Even labeled ‘Super Special’ on the menu at Sakura Sushi Bar Bonaire, it justified its $35 price tag, the most expensive sushi on offer. “We must try it,” said the waiter. And so we did.

I was drawn to the concept of this roll. Flambeed salmon and scallops seemed like a promising combination. However, I hadn’t anticipated the excessive amount of sauce that accompanied it. This overwhelmed the delicate flavors of the ingredients. A missed opportunity, in my opinion.

Nevertheless, the concept behind this dish continues to intrigue me, and I plan to experiment in my own kitchen soon to create a version that highlights these beautiful seafood ingredients in their true essence.

Lastly, we opted for a ‘standard’ Uramaki with salmon, which tasted fine. But as for ordering more sushi, we weren’t inclined. We decided to call it a night and treat ourselves to a delicious ice cream from the renowned Gio’s, conveniently located near Sakura.

Who is Sakura Sushi Bar suitable for?

After the meal, I got the impression that the owner isn’t quite sure about the direction of the restaurant. Is it a sushi restaurant? Is it a regular restaurant? Is it a cocktail bar? I have no idea what concept it’s trying to be. It’s a bit of everything now. What I do know is that I think we made the wrong choices on the menu. The sashimi was fine, the nigiri was good, and there was nothing wrong with the Uramaki salmon. I believe we should have skipped the special rolls and opted for well-known sushi rolls like the California Roll. Not only would that have been better in terms of taste, but also in terms of the bill at the end of our evening.

The location and the restaurant itself show promise. Situated in the heart of beautiful Kralendijk, it boasts an attractive decor and a great bar. Suitable for both groups of friends and romantic evenings for two. Sakura’s location is ready, now it’s the menu that needs refining.