Sakura which is located in the location of a former Annex favourite J-Time Sushi is sadly hit and miss. The restaurant is long and narrow with a small window looking south onto Bloor Street. There is a long banquette with NYC styled seating and a few tables for four along the opposite wall. The decor is to say the least, electric-urban. An odd arrangement of lighting that crosses the ceiling and down the walls bathed in odd glows of pink and purple (not the best colours for food). This odd choice in lighting and decor is often reflected in the music which suffers from an identity crisis, often too loud, dancy and boisterous for a restaurant.
Sometimes the food has been OK, never stellar, but it is local. So we opt for it when we don't want to walk to far. Like so many Annex sushi places the sushi is laced with mayonnaise in the Korean/Toronto style (not my favourite). They are always busy, with a younger clientele drawn by the cheap all-you-can eat options. All you can eat is never that appealing and even though we ordered from the menu, everything we came out bland. We had different dishes from the kitchen and yet the dishes featured the same bland and flavourless vegetables. It left us scratching our heads how such quality leads to so many people?