Japonee Express

I love Japonee and most of all I adore Sake Bar (all operated by the same people), but Japonee Express is just so gosh darn expensive. I’m aware they have deals, and some even better deals than the easier ones to find, but it is just too expensive to have it delivered to me. It may be better just to go to the restaurant, sit down, and enjoy the welcoming atmosphere that they usually provide at the other restaurants.

I had to stay on campus all day, and thought I would have a quick lunch at Japonee Express. This was my first dining experience at Japonee, and my last. Here is why:
Because I didn’t have much time to eat, I ordered their lunch special: three 6-​piece maki rolls for about $ 10 including taxes + tip. Their sushi prices are okay. You will pay about the same (minus tip) for this amount of sushi at any grocery store or at the Union.
The quality of their sushi is comparable to the ones sold at grocery stores, which is disappointing. I ordered salmon, eel and cucumber, and spicy tuna rolls. I wasn’t a fan of the rice they used, it was too dry for my liking. The salmon roll was the tastiest out of all three, it had the most fish too. Eel and cucumber roll consisted of 85−90% cucumber and 10−15% eel, I would’ve preferred a ⁶⁰⁄₄₀ ratio. Spicy tuna was the worst. No doubt that grinding fish for sushi is very economical (cheap). It is also criminal, in my book! Why, oh why would anyone want to grind up the beautiful reddish flesh of this delicious fish?!
But as «criminal» as grinding pretty bits of fish with some left-​overs is, it doesn’t compare with the horrid smell that penetrates your clothes and the pores of your skin as you dine in this place! It’s been several hours now that I have eaten there, and I can still taste the bitter smell of some burnt oil in the back of my mouth. I have to wash all of my clothes as well as my bag, as it is made out of fabric and also reeks of this horrid smell.
Because of this bitter oily stench that seemed to have taken on a life of its own, I was unable to attend a meeting this evening as I had to go back home and burn my clothes!
I am tempted to give this restaurant a one-​star rating based on the smell alone, but I have to be objective, so two stars it is. Their sushi rolls, after all, are edible.
Two hours after having published this review, I am back with an update on the stench. Have you watched a Seinfeld episode about the BO (body odor)? Well, it appears that we have a case of BOO (burnt oil odor)! I am rewashing my clothes and my bag for the second time. My plastic/​leather smart gadgets covers have been washed as well, but they still have traces of the horrid smell. I also wiped the gadgets with some alcohol. They might’ve burnt the oil accidentally when I was there, I have no idea, but this stench is unbearable! If you calculate the time I have already put into ridding myself, my clothes, and my apartment of this smell, this may very well be the most expensive and the most terrible lunch I’ve ever had!

It’s been a while, since I’ve eaten here and I’ve noticed no changes at all. Mediocre food and service.

I have been eat here since they open, always dine in, never order delivery once, because I have exam one day so I want save time for reviewing exam, so I order online, get it delivered. It’s a little disappointed, the amount they give in lunch box is less than usual when I dine in, and less salad too, probably won’t consider order delivery next time

Oh man. The scenery, confusing. Posters covers all over the windows and the doors. Can’t see a darn thing of what’s inside. When I walked in, there’s a flat screen installed on the wall. This time they’re showing the Croods. And there’s oriental rock pop music playing at the same time from the speakers. Umm, okay? The feng shui in this place is completely way off. I couldn’t focus on the menu because the lights are too bright. I bought Salmon Teriyaki. The fish tasted frozen, not fresh. Makes me wonder where they get the rest of their meat from. The proportion of the rice was too much for a skinny flat fish covered in sweet gravy sauce. I should’ve just walked over to Chiptole but the bums and drunks crowd the entrance and thought they would probably ruin my appetite. This place though, woah. I like to eat peacefully and have small conversations with friends about plans for the weekend and such. But this place makes you want to eat outside where you’re not crowded with advertisements and loud music.

I love the lunch bento boxes. For the price, I’m not sure where else you can get that much food at lunch time! They also have free miso broth.

I had bulgogi lunch package. I was not satisfied. The price is not good. Unless you are very hungry and wants asian near the IU gate then u can try this place. If not, go somewhere else

The rolls here are much better than at Ami, Sushi Bar, or any of the other fake Japanese places around.
Still, its expensive, mayonnaise covered rolls with subpar ingredients. California rolls are terrible enough, but California rolls with bargain bin avocados?
Rolls: ¹⁄₅
Teriyaki: ²⁄₅
Tuna: ⁰⁄₅
Salmon: ⁰⁄₅
Avocados: ⁰⁄₅
Presentation: ²⁄₅
Service: ²⁄₅
Diversity: ³⁄₅
Price: $$/​$$$$
Satisfaction:Price– ²⁄₅

Except the bubble milk tea. I should have bought a latte elsewhere.
The sushi and curry rice are good. And I recommend some fish sushi or roll, like sun roll.

Had an early dinner here as it was on my way to the hotel and I was starving. Ordered the bento box with pork katsu and chicken teriyaki and a taro bubble tea. The bubble tea was bland. Not even the tapioca bobba were sweet! The food was also bland. The chicken teriyaki had no flavor to eat, the chicken was rubbery and the vegetables did not look fresh. The pork katsu was a little bit better tasting and the flavor of the sauce was okay. The gyoza was good. The rice was mushy, not sticky. The salad was bland. The california roll did not taste fresh either. At almost $ 20 with tip, this meal was very overpriced. Would not go back nor recommend.

Quick, reasonably priced sushi ala carte! Sashimi is a reasonable upcharge, except for the salmon roe. Very expensive here. Rolls are mostly ingredients, not mostly rice. Will go there often!

Food here is pretty tasty and a good fix if you can’t make it to the actual Japonee restaurant.
Be forewarned:
If you order the bento during lunch (11am — 345pm) they may charge you the dinner (4pm-​945pm) bento prices. That’s a $ 4.41 difference! Just something to watch for.
Otherwise the food is delicious!

This place was delicious I had a fried sushi roll and the chicken Udon and both were as good if not better than what I get back home in California. The people working were so generous and friendly and the food came out very fast. Highly recommend!

The sushi and lunch box here are so so, but if you are rushing for class or meeting, this is a good place to have lunch and you will also unlimited miso soup!
Tried their seafood udon and it even comes with cabbage LOL
lunch box with pork katsu is always my choice, it also comes with gyoza and California roll

it wasn’t bad per se, but i LOVE miso soup so i ordered extra & they were literally just broth. no seaweed, no tofu. literally nothing but broth.
i would have ordered from asuka had it been open for delivery.

This place is always one of my go tos. The reason I like this place so much is because of the bento box. It comes with a ton of food, which all is pretty delicious in my opinion. It comes with a sald (that has great ginger dressing), fried potstickers (with tangy dippy sauce), miso soup, 6 cali rolls, white rice, and a choice of two proteins. I usually go with beef teriyaki and chicken katsu. Clearly a unhealthy, but this really hits the spot when youre looking to get a lot of food for a good price.
Only downsides is that the employees don’t speak english well, but who really cares if the food is good and quick. The quality of the meats could be better.
Definetly better than its parent restaurant, Japonee in my opinion.

The sushi was okay but the standard rolls hardly had any rice on them at all. The free miso soup was only broth. Also, the TV menu didn’t even include their special rolls or udon which was annoying cuz I realized this after I ordered. The prices are very fair so I guess you get what you pay for.

Positives: If you work on campus or in the Kirkwood/​Indiana area, this is extremely conveniently located — very close to Starbucks and the Indiana Store on the corner. The pricing is very affordable and they generally have either a lunch or dinner special going on. The big glass windows are nice, allowing for good people watching while you wait for your food. The miso soup is free.
Negatives: During lunch rush, this place takes forever to get your food ready. And the food itself isn’t very good. I generally only get the sushi, and it has two primary problems. First, it’s not assembled very well — I’ve had pieces which have fallen apart far more easily than they should. Second, the flavors are unremarkable. Whether it’s raw or cooked rolls, they all pretty much just sit there on the palate blandly.
Disappointing, in that I’d really like a legitimate sushi option within walking distance of the west side of campus. But compared to the other sushi options in Bloomington, it’s just not worth the effort.

This is my second time here, and while this experience was better than my last time, I’m still not a fan.
I actually do wish I liked this place more than I do because these are the positives:
–affordable menu with lunch specials
–nice atmosphere inside
–free miso soup
–right across the street from the Westside of the IU Campus
But here are the negatives:
–average food (my Vegetable Kimbob was much better at Crosstown Café)
–paid parking (it would be a hassle to come here if you weren’t already walking around the Westside of the IU campus)
So yeah, I won’t really bother coming here again since the food is better at other places in town (Red Chopsticks, Do, Crosstown Café, etc.)

!!!
Finally. Delicious sushi in Bloomington. I gorged myself with sushi all summer fearing I wouldn’t get any (edible) sushi here.
I tried the sashimi today — it’s how I gauge a sushi place — buttery, fresh, delicious.
I will be back… A LOT.
(Minus one star for no alcohol — great location for a pregaming dinner!)