Tsukasa Restaurant

We were thrilled to find an authentic Japanese restaurant with reasonable prices in the Princeton area! The selection of true Japanese restaurants is very slim around here, and I, coming from a Japanese family, have regular hankerings for the real deal. So after hearing thru the Japanese grapevine that Tsukasa opened, we decided to check it out.

First off, we were completely charmed by the downtown location in Bordentown. We had never been there before, and the downtown impressed us with with its quaint and historical charm.
We walked into the restaurant to find a simple and spartan environment. It was clean, and the atmosphere was befitting for creating the easily accessible and casual atmosphere they are probably going for. It might be a nice touch to add some quiet Japanese music in the background just to add to the atmosphere, but we appreciated not having to yell at the top of our voices to hear each other.

The service was professional and friendly without being in your face. They were true Japanese, and very respectful of your privacy.
We ordered a vast array of dishes ranging from gyoza (pan-fried pork dumplings) to tatsuta-age (marinated fried chicken pieces), kushi-katsu (fried breaded pork on a skewer), beef teriyaki, sushi/sashimi combo, and ramen. All of the dishes were tasty and excellent. Even my son, who is 2 and possibly the pickiest eater on the planet, LOVED all of the food and ate so much, that I was worried he would explode! The gyoza was pleasantly light with shredded cabbage and pork and a peppery zing to it, the tatsuta-age had a rich ginger/soy essence that filled your mouth with flavor and in contrast had a light crisp fried texture on the outside. The kushi-katsu was fried with panko breadcrumbs on the outside and the pork was flavored with a rich, dark sauce. We were pleasantly surprised that the beef teriyaki consisted of a high quality steak cooked to medium rare perfection and sliced into juicy slivers so that the homemade teriyaki sauce could soak into the meat. And last but not least was the sushi/sashimi combination which was fresh and delicious. The rice had the right level of vinegar flavor, and the fish was delightful. Even the rolls were very pleasantly assembled...rice packed with the right pressure. This is true Japanese home-style cooking, and reminded me of food like " my mom used to make."

We give this place 5 stars and will be back often with every intention of becoming regulars. With the bargain prices (esp in this economy), this is truly a fantastic find!

The food here is delectable. I eat here on a weekly basis, never have I tasted a piece of fish with even a hint of being off. They have a great variety of authentic soups, great for anyone looking for Japaneese fair without fish (though I strongly suggest the fish). The couple who own the show are sweet and I'd like to see this place survive. Give it a chance, you won't be disappointed.

I am an Air Force reservist from New York and I was looking for a good place to have dinner. Their prices were great and so was the food. I bought a bottle of wine on base and brought it in (good way to save money). And they had a military discount as well. A+++