Tiger Sushi

I love, love Tiger Sushi! The atmosphere is so fun, the food is fabulous… it’s fun to go with a group of friends for cocktails and a roll any time! My favorite app is the Tiger Shrimp… the flavor is out of this world, I get it every time. I can’t choose what my favorite roll is because I like them all. Also (if I am not drinking their sake) I am drinking a Surley beer because it’s a MN beer and surprisingly not offered at enough places, but it’s found here!
They have fun events too like «Sushi for your Poochie» and other fundraising events, just an overall great restaurant and experience.

This is one of the best Sushi places in Uptown. This is an all time favorite to dine in and take out. Staff is fun and the sushi chefs are creative with the plating for the rolls when the it’s slow. Screaming sauce is great on many of the rolls.

VEGETARIANS*. EAT AT TIGER SUSHI 2.
No, seriously. You gotta go. If you’re a long-​time vegetarian (see caveat 2 below) like me, you may never have had a big ol’ sauced up fusion-​style fancy sushi roll. Not really authentic, by any means, but delicious, right? At least, it always looked that way to me as I sat with friends eating my little cucumber or oshinko maki rolls, or inari if the place has them.
Well, no more do I have to envy the California rolls of my pescivorous dining companions! Tiger Sushi 2 has vegetarians more than covered with not one, but TWO all-​vegetarian special rolls: the Bam Bam roll, filled with tempura’d veggies and topped by avocado, inari (fried tofu skin), and strawberry sauce, and the Darkened Edamame roll, with sauteed veggies and mango (!) inside, topped with the eponymous darkened edamame, so called because it has been sauteed in a dark, sweet garlicky glaze.
So, OMG. I have had both rolls with fish-​eaters, and everyone all around has loved them. They are good. They are better than good, they are great. Delicious. If Unilocal would allow swearing on their reviews, I would be doing so in spades to punctuate how &$%*+@# delightful they are. For vegetarians looking to have some sushi-​fusion fun, or for meat-​eaters just looking for some additional fusion variety in their sushi, I can’t recommend Tiger Sushi 2 enough!
Now, here are the CAVEATS:
1) If you’re looking for an authentic sushi experience, vegetarian or no, Tiger Sushi is not your place. Tiger Sushi is definitely, as I mentioned a few times above, fusion, Americanized sushi. Which, I declare to everyone, is great! If that’s your style or if that’s what you’re in the mood for, go enjoy it – I certainly do. Just don’t go in with the expectation that it will be even close to a «real» sushi experience (which are hard to have so far from the coastline, anyway), or go here and think that you will get similar dishes at other, perhaps more authentic sushi places. (For that, I highly recommend Midori’s Floating World: traditional, authentic sushi which – yes, it’s true – includes a variety of dishes suitable to the vegetarian/​vegan set.)
2) * (Here’s the asterisk from above) VEGANS AND STRICT VEGETARIANS: you’ll need to call ahead and check what’s up. I’m fine with the potential of eggs in my tempura batter, and I will on occasion choose to deal with things like the potential of fish powder in the seasonings. I keep meaning to ask for specifics on their dishes so I can share the wealth with others who have stricter diets than I do, but I haven’t yet. I’ll try to do that next time I go in and post an update.

Due to my snobbish-​ness with Japanese food, particulary sushi, I honestly wasnt expecting to like Tiger Sushi. Groupon influenced me to give it a try though… And while I wasnt blown away by the food, it was satisfying.
The location is good. It is located on Lyndale near Lake Street, just down from Moto-​i and World Street Kitchen. It can get super busy in this area, as many of you known, but the bonus is that you can use the Egg and I parking lot for free after 3, I believe. This makes it a much more user-​friendly situation.
The restaurant itself is spacious and has a large outdoor patio. I didn’t get to experience much of this as I was dining alone and got sat in the very back corner of the restaurant by the bar (I think this is their policy for people dining alone… The only person near me was another single). My server’s duties were passed off to the bartender – she was quite nice. However, since she had her bartending responsibilities to attend to and it took quite awhile to order, get my food, get a check, etc. Not her fault, by any means, though. My recommendation would be to sit at the sushi bar or get patio seating if the weather is nice… And dont dine alone.
I only sampled one roll, but it was tasty. Those of you who know me know I usually stick with nigiri (these dragon and catepillar-​looking rolls drive me insane), but I wanted to try a spicy tuna roll for sake of comparison. It was actually quite good even if it was $ 9. I had the tempura udon as well – very nice broth and crispy tempura ebi. It came with a giant, superfluous blob of fried veggie though which I didn’t think was necessary. I finished with a recommended dessert of tempura fried cake that had chocolate and fruit in the center. Not a fan. I defintely would not recommend spending $ 8 on this – save your money and got to WSK for soft serve or even Moto-​i for the Okinawan donuts.
My main gripe about this restaurant is the price. I had a Groupon, otherwise I probably wouldnt have even stopped here. Sushi places seem to be getting more and more expensive and it makes me yearn for the Tokyu department store basement where you can eat fresh, authentic sushi until you are full for under $ 10. But, this isnt Japan, and sadly, even with my Groupon, my meal wound up costing me an additional $ 13… For what I had, I’d call that TAKAI.
Overall, it was satisfying food for the most part. I also found it to be expensive and considering it wasnt blow-​you-​away tasty, I probably wouldnt recommend it, particularly when Fuji-​ya and Moto-​i are literally down the street. As far as sushi goes, Id still recommend Sakana and Origami. In terms of value, more places seem to be offering AYCE sushi, and while quality may not be up to a Japanese standard all the time, it represents a way to get your fill without breaking the bank. Kyoto in Rosevile, for example, does a $ 15 all-​you-​can-​eat sushi lunch.
Pros: free parking in an actual lot, good sushi rolls, spacious interior and patio, location, Groupon, free wifi
Cons: expensive, rather slow service, food was satisfying but not memorable, wifi is slow and spotty

Maybe it was complete coincidence, but my sushi dinner here made me feel a bit queasy.
Volcano salad– Pieces of raw salmon, sushi, strawberries, mango, cucumbers, and little greens. A good value given the amount of fish. Tasty at first, but I think the spicy mayo «dressing» the salad was smothered in got a bit gross after the first few bites.
I stole some pieces of sushi roll from my bf…
California roll-​maki style; pretty lame.
Caterpillar roll-​eel/​avocado. Not too spectacular. The eel in this roll tasted different than any other eel I have had in sushi, and not in a good way. Maybe it was overcooked or just prepared differently. The eel sauce was super sticky/​sweet. Again, I think this got to my stomach after a while.
Tiger Sushi strives for a trendy atmosphere, but I think it really falls short and comes across as cheap-​looking and lacking intimacy.
I did appreciate the service.

First of all, let me start out by venting… if you say «I came here 2 years ago and…» you aren’t writing a legitimate review by any means. 2 years ago Tiger Sushi 2 was just getting it’s feet wet as a sushi restaurant. Let’s be honest, when you’re the first sushi restaurant around in the Mall of America and then find yourself in Uptown surrounded by many many other sushi restaurants… there is TONS of competition.
The things I love:
I love that the sushi is creative. Of course some might complain and say that it’s full of «sauces and fried stuff» yes, my friends, this is America. We do get a little freaky deaky with our sushi to the point that some might not even call it that… but it is DELICIOUS. Second of all, people claim it’s expensive? Since I am obsessed with Sushi, I am not afraid to try other places. Last week I ordered takeout from Sushi Tango in woodbury, I got 2 rolls and a hand roll — they were TINY and it was $ 32. Tiger is NOT expensive for the size of the rolls and the freshness of the fish.
Things I highly recommend:
1. Black Miso Cod — don’t order the half order, you’ll be mad when you inhale it and want more! Perfect for non-​sushi lovers.
2. Lucky 13 Roll — served «LISA» style. You can say that and they will know what you mean! It’s delicious!!!
3. Sock it To me: Have Victor make you something delicious! Now, of course, when it’s really busy it’s hard for the sushi chef’s to keep up so make sure that you are aware that it might take longer than average.
I’ve been to Tiger more times than I could ever count, and after I have tried at least 15 other sushi restaurants around the cities, it will forever remain my favorite, I highly recommend disregarding the bad reviews and go give it a try on your own.
Oh and try the Thai-tini…I invented it :)

Tiger Sushi gets my vote for the best sushi in Minneapolis! I live nearby and have been to every sushi place in town.
Tiger’s Happy Hour is unbeatable with Nigiri for only $ 1.75, Maki, and $ 3, $ 4 and $ 5 choices! With $ 4 hot sake, you can’t go wrong!
If you’re heading there for dinner, I strongly recommend the Tiger Ceviche as an app accompanied by my favorite specialty roll, the Bandito Roll… it is TO DIE FOR!!!

In the minority. Surprise, surprise.
I’m really amazed to see so many negative reviews about this place. It is definitely not the best sushi in Minneapolis (*ahem* Origami *ahem*) but the service is great, the interior is adorable, and… well…the service is GREAT!
Some things to try on your trip here:
— Scallop purses — I find it VERY difficult not to order these every time, although 5 to an order ends in that awkward staredown for the last one when sharing…
— Edamame — priced well with plenty to share
— Seaweed Salad — this is something that Tiger gets VERY right! Beautiful consistency, while still getting that stuck-​between-​your-​teeth authenticity
— Miso Soup — Tiger has THE BEST miso soup in the TC courtesy of the coup de grace tempura parsley flakes.
— Sashimi (I usually get hamachi) — solid quality with great texture
Number 10 roll — SO zen!
Things to steer clear of:
— Softshell Crab Appetizer — not bad, but way overpriced for the quality. Did I mention Origami?
— Maki Favorites — these rolls usually run from $ 3 – 6 anywhere else. Basic run-​of-​the-​mill sushi rolls should not cost $ 8.50
— The «Volcano» — a schizophrenic mess of a salad too spicy for its own good
— Rainbow Roll — VERY mediocre for $ 17
Tip: The Egg and I parking lot across the street can be used for Tiger Sushi patronage after 4pm every day.
I basically come here to get the same thing over and over again. I do not come here for the most authentic and price-​appropriate sushi experience (see: Origaimi), but I do love the atmosphere and can’t EVER get enough of that miso soup!
All in all, if they keep throwing Groupons at me, I’ll keep coming!

Too expensive and mediocre quality, although it is a very modern and attractive setting.
I came here for a birthday party and was stunned by the illuminating décor. The sushi bar is beautiful. However, when I looked at the menu, I noticed how extremely costly the food was. It was so costly compared to other good sushi places. The first roll I got was delicious with the creamy mango mayo sauce, but everything else I got was mediocre and my bill just piled up, despite just a few items.
Our waiter was extremely friendly but he didn’t not tend to us entirely or on a timely basis. He appeared forgetful at times. Overall, this place is too pricey and glammed up. I would not go here again.

I’ve been to the Tiger Sushi at the MOA and have been to the Uptown location a couple of times. The setting is very cool, clean, and the outside patio is lovely on a warm day. I am not a big sushi person, but I’ve changed thanks to Tiger Sushi. I think even picky eaters might find a dish they’ll like.
My favorite dishes are the Thai Noodles with tofu and a few of their specialty rolls are great: Caterpillar, Crispi Crunchy, and Number 10.
Service: Service is overall great. Some of the waitresses are really nice and sweet. Only once did my friends and I have a problem. One of our rolls took forever and when it did come, the waiter didn’t apologize and was a jerk about it.
Price: I guess this is subjective. As a grad student, I can’t afford to eat here regularly, but for the quality of the place, food, etc. is worth it. I like going and sharing a few of the dishes with friends, which allows me to save money but also try different things on their menu.
Verdict: Good place, good ambiance, and great food! :)

My friend and I ate at Tiger Sushi 2 for lunch. The restaurant is clean and the service was great. I ordered the spicy tuna roll and miso soup. I should have skipped the soup as it was bland and really lacked any sense of flavor. The spicy tuna roll was delicious. So delicious that I ordered a second roll.
Overall, I really liked this restaurant but I would say that it was a bit pricey (I read that they do a lot of Groupons though). I especially thought it was pricy for lunch (I spent about $ 25 for soup and sushi).

I have never had edamame that I can’t eat the pod as well as the beans inside. Maybe I’ve just been spoiled across the street at moto-​i, which is a distinct possibility.
The service could also have been better. Typically, you bring both people’s order at the same time. Just not so. I watched my date eat for 15 minutes as I’m sitting there contemplating my hunger. When it came time for the tab, she mysteriously disappeared for yet another 15 minutes to come back with change.
I won’t stray again.

I’ve been here several times — usually order the sashimi platter — i’m a fan of sashimi — and it is decent — i like it. The miso is good and the salad that comes with it is also more than your run of the mill salad.
Last night we went there and got the miso cod — wow — that was impressive — very flavorful and juicy — would highly recommend.
The soft shell crab app is also a favorite.
We tried the crazy shrimp — and it was crazy! The sauce was pretty incredible — panko crusted shrimp with a spicy citrusy peanut buttery sauce? I don’t know, but i know i loved it!
We also tried the snow monkey roll — this was also very nice.
We strayed away from the usual sashimi and I’m very glad that i explored other parts of the menu — it was awesome!
Also the service was great — we sat in the bar and the bartender took care of us.

I can understand many of the criticisms of Tiger Sushi, but also feel that it has some qualities that merit overlooking some of its shortcomings. Yes, the service is often slow, but in my experience it has always been friendly. And yes, their specialty rolls leave a bit to be desired and are a bit gimmicky. With that said, polished service, or lack thereof, is seldom a big concern of mine and I have come to terms with the fact that the only authentic things to expect in Minnesota are lousy weather, lutefisk and passive aggressiveness.
From a sushi standpoint, I have always found the sashimi to be relatively fresh and generously portioned. The specialty rolls, as hinted at earlier, don’t really justify the cost for me, but would likely be up the alley of those that are not big fans of raw fish in general, as they are often masked by a number of sauces or utilization of the deep fryer.
It’s the non-​sushi menu that appeals to me the most though. The soft shell crab, a general favorite of mine, was tasty. However, the items I’ll gladly come back for are the hamachi kama (grilled yellowtail tuna cheek) and volcano salad (julienned vegetables, various sashimi, tempura flakes topped with roe all tossed in a spicy sauce).
The fact that they’re located on the Greenway and have a very affordable happy hour are also big selling points. Is it the best sushi and/​or Japanese restaurant in the Cities? No, but still worth trying in my humble opinion.

My brother and I stopped in for lunch one day after discovering I had an unused Groupon burning a hole on my fridge.
Was acknowledged right away. Server was friendly. We shared the Sashimi Combo dinner and the Hamachi app. I was a little confused as the Sashimi dinner came with a soup and salad… Here are the order of events…
Soup comes out (sans salad)
Sashimi comes out
Hamachi comes out
Salad finally arrives… weird.
Kind of uncouth as far as serving etiquette goes, but oh well… didn’t bother us much.
I found the sashimi to be perfectly fresh and tasty.
I’m seeing some bad reviews on their service and rolls. I don’t order rolls anymore… seems that many places around town have become lazy with them and the result is a conglomerate of mush. I miss Koyi Sushi… they had really good rolls. As for their service… better step it up Tiger… people dine out for a reason.

I went to use a coupon deal I had for dinner. We all shared some sushi rolls, which weren’t bad, but weren’t good. The service was slow and she seemed very rushed to leave. It took forever to get our drinks.
I will say that I had a DELICIOUS beverage. It was called Christmas in a Glass, which tasted like heaven in my mouth! I want to replicate this at home. I am always up to try anything whiskey and boy am I so pleased I did! This drink bumps up their rating!
At least go here for the drinks, 2−1s and happy hour!

Tiger Sushi 2 is one of my favorite restaurants in the Twin Cities. This is one of the few places in the Twin Cities that I crave! From their appetizers to their specialty sushi rolls, I can’t get enough! Tiger Sushi 2 is the once place I take my friends who are skeptical about sushi and make them believers of sushi! The one roll I suggest for new sushi eaters/​people unsure about sushi is the Crispi, Crunchi Tuna and Salmon Roll because the roll is great, slightly cooked and the sauce that comes with the roll is finger licking well! For appetizers I am in love with their Mo.Fu. Asparagus Sticks! The asparagus is seasoned and cooked well and the cream cheese that is deep fried around the asparagus sticks are great, let alone the sauce that comes along with it is delicious!
Their customer service is great the décor is great. Let alone, the items on the menu are priced very well.

Last year my significant other and I used to come here a lot; mostly because we didn’t know any better in terms of sushi places in Minneapolis.
Enter: Origami [ downtown] and well, our love affair with Tiger Sushi ended.
But we made good friends with the sushi chefs and still occasionally visited.
The sushi here is comparable to the sushi at AYCE — all you can eat places, and well two notches down.
Their happy hour is there only saving grace of this place.
The décor is contemporary hip; and the ambiance of the place is trying to be hip/​trendy with waitress with uniforms that say, «maki girl» or «muscle maki man»
It’s cute.
Today, my significant other and I went here again, because we bought groupons and they were expiring [ tomorrow]
Our server asked if we had groupons and then we handed it to her; enter the worst dining experience of my life.
The restaurant wasn’t busy, but our server became extremely rude. She chucked our waters, took our orders and then walked away. I really didn’t understand it, since we were «known» customers, I won’t say we were regulars anymore, but we used to be, and she clearly acknowledged that.
I had free edamame, a miso soup, some sashimi and udon noodle soup for my groupon deal. And I took a photo of the fact that all these dishes were sitting right in front of me, the entire dining experience. I was appalled
She didn’t pick any of them up, and dare I ask for a refill.
You know, I understand the plight of waitresses, that they depend on their tips, but I’m so over tipping for shit service.
Because, though I don’t waitress– I too work hard for my money, and I too made many sacrifices for my education to get my shitty corporate job.
End. I’ll never go here again.

I love, love, love the Tataki beef. Sushi was good (rice is dry) but this place is expensive for the amount or lack of of food you get!
I would give 3 stars if service was better.
The bad: My waiter was slow and the food was slow. I am hungry I want to eat and I think 15min wait just for your Appetizer is a little ridiculous. Also my drink wasn’t refilled until I was done eating. a little late dude!
Will I come back? It is a possibility just because I loved the Beef!

I’ve been to Tiger Sushi 2 twice so far. First I went for happy hour during a Thursday night and the second time I went during a Sunday night. It was understandable that Thursday night was busy but the Sunday night visit was surprisingly busy for 8:30 pm. And the under staffing of waiters did not help.
My first visit was only okay. I had seven different rolls from the happy hour menu. Some of the rolls ended up almost being the same thing, in composition and taste. So that was a little disappointing.
On my most recent visit, in which I used the Groupon $ 45 for $ 20, I had the mango-​strawberry-​seafood salad which was fabulous. It was like an explosion of flavor in my mouth, the sweetness of the strawberries contrasting with the spicy sauce. Next I had the Caterpillar, Snow Monkey, and Crunchy rolls. The Caterpillar is wonderful but my tastes are changing. I still love the roll though even if it may not be my favorite anymore. The warmness of the eel plus the smoothness of the avocado is a delight. And I absolutely cannot get enough of the unagi sauce.
The Crunchy roll has shrimp tempura in it, which is what I though made it the Crunchy roll. So I was surprised to find a crunchy layer on top. I think the texture really made me like this. Then there was the Snow Monkey roll. I think there were three kinds of fish in it and a scallop layer on top. I really enjoyed the scallop, it was definitely a change up I haven’t had in sushi before.
Overall, I enjoyed the sushi but I would be warned about the service. On the second visit I had called 45 minutes in advance to get reservations and the person who answered said it wasn’t a problem at all to get a table. Upon arrival, I waited 10 minutes even though I had a reservation, the hostess said she hadn’t found a table yet even by then. Eventually we were seated at the sushi bar, which is fine, except the sushi chef kept making me nervous. I enjoy watching sushi being made but the chef took it as my group was intensely waiting for him to make our order. I don’t mean to rush the chef and felt uncomfortable having him think that’s what I was trying to do, but that’s just me.