Sawa Asian Bistro

Great lunch specials, it’s hard to spend $ 20 for 2 people.
Dinner has a great variety for all tastes. The sushi is delicious

We had a group of ten there for dinner which included one gluten-​dairy free diner, and several vegetarians/​vegans. The server was most attentive to our needs and the food was delicious! The drinks were tasty too! I loved that the General Tso’s Shrimp was not drowning in sauce, and the vegetables were not overcooked.

It took me some time to actually go into the Sawa in Timpany Plaza simply because it was unimpressive from the outside. It was in a strip mall, and I just wasn’t expecting much. A friend referred me, so my boyfriend and I arrived for lunch one day, and I have to say that I was very surprised with how nice it is inside! It was great that there wasn’t a huge wait either. We took advantage of their lunch menu which is very reasonably priced. We ordered Honey chicken, hot and sour soup, green tea and a few sushi rolls. Everything we had was delicious! I live close by, and whenever we can make a trip to Sawa, we go. I highly recommend it if you are in the Gardner area.

Tried it a couple more times. This is my second review. My wife and I went for lunch. The lunch specials make the cost of eating here much lower. We got a specialty sushi roll and each got a lunch plate. we drank beer not mixed drinks. I was never happy with their mixed drinks. I’m going to go out on a limb here ans say that 22 – 25 year old asian girls don’t drink mai tais. It shows they are not very good. They got the bitter and sweet thing all screwed up. They need a professional bar tender to come in and fix the drink menu, standardize the recipes and document it. This is a big problem in asian restaurants. In contrast Singapore in Fitchburg has much better recipes for their drinks. You have to remember this restaurant is Asian Fusion. I don’t know the ethnicity of the ownership. Fusion restaurants can screw up a lot of classics. I think this place is hit and miss. You need to try a few things and see if you like the way they do it. If you like it buy it again. If not don’t. I got pad tai. was it real pad tai? Not really but is was pretty good if you’re not a purist. I think that is the way a lot of the dishes are. well prepared but they are not always what you expect them to be. The Fuzion thing makes them different. Next time I will ask the ethnicity of the chefs. That may be the way to find the sweet spot.

The one thing keeping Sawa from a 5 star review is the service. Sometimes when we go there the staff is on point, but at least half the times that we have gone they have been lousy. There is no middle ground, either you get someone who is attentive or you get someone who vanishes after the food arrives. On these latter occasions I’ve resorted to walking up to the bar to order more drinks, even if it’s just a glass of water. Last time we went a second waitress (not our current one) came along and asked if we needed anything. I ordered a mai tai but she never returned with it, however it did sneak it’s way into our bill.
So be warned, while the food and cocktails are very good, and the reason we keep coming back. Do not be surprised to find the service to be lacking.

I love this place. The wait time can vary from decent to slow, but the food is WORTH IT. I moved to Gardner almost 2 years ago, and until I discovered this gem, I would drive all the way to Leominster for good chinese food.
I often order vegetarian-​friendly maki rolls, specifically Idaho Maki, which is fantastic. I’ve also had their Hot and Sour Soup, General Tso’s Tofu, and a few other items… but one that I need to specifically point out is the vegetable tempura. I’ve had my fair share of tempura, but Sawa’s batter is lighter than most, fried in a very light oil, and is SO delicious, I’ve considered asking them to make me an all-​onion batch when I need to satisfy an onion ring craving sans the guilt!
If that wasn’t good enough, their drinks are delicious… and strong! Their waitstaff is very nice, and they’re always quick to seat customers. Every time I’ve visited Sawa, the house has been nearly full – meaning that they seem to have a lot of satisfied customers, but I’ve never had to wait for a table. Their prices are great, and honestly, I’d pay a higher price to not have to travel out of town for delicious Chinese and Japanese food.

No problem getting a table on Friday night. Sushi appetizer was okay and came fast. The entrée, Korean Spicy Pork Belly, was not bad, but was NOT spicy, and was certainly NOT Korean. So much so, I had to ask if they brought the correct dish. The flavor was more Sichuan, with snap peas, baby corn, zucchini, bell peppers, and a soy based sauce.
Service was attentive and courteous. The WiFi password is igotmaitai

I went there with my boyfriend it was crowded and the seating was tight we were practically on top of the people next to us– there was no privacy. The food was overpriced and so-​so. I recommend chopsticks in Leominster or Bangkok Hill in Lunenburg it’s better and more authentic for the price.

Sawa is my go-​to restaurant. I don’t eat seafood but their vegetarian sushi is DELICIOUS. I always get an avocado roll and a sweet potato roll (MUST TRY. It’s crunch and warm and delicious.) Their chicken and vegetable dish is delicious and the Sawa Pu-​Pu appetizer is unique and a great meal for two. The chicken fried rice is a big bowl of deliciousness. All dishes come out hot and portions are very good. The service is decent, the waitresses are quiet but very sweet, attentive and the food comes out in a very decent time manner. I definitely recommend it!

My wife and I were in town visiting family. My wife and I ate here for a late lunch. We ordered a spicy tuna sushi roll to start along with chicken lo mein. Both were great. The noodles were cooked perfect and the spicy tuna roll was excellent. Six pieces in the roll and it was a larger roll size. I had the General tso chicken and my wife had chicken red curry for our main entrees. Again, both were top notch. The red curry was one of the best I have had in a while. The General tso’s chicken was crispy with just the right amount of sauce. Both came with plenty of white rice. We took a good portion home and ate it later. I will visit this place every time I come to Gardner to see my family.

Basic Asian fusion. Went there because it was only decently reviewed Asian place near great wolf lodge (15 min drive). Had lunch special. Good rice, wonton soup. Good service. Clean comfortable atmosphere, good portions. But Thai basil beef was overdone and too salty while pad Thai chicken was on the bland side. When I decided for giggles to mix the pad Thai into the Thai basil sauce it was actually good. Maybe I can suggest that to them. Had a nice harpoon iPa which was a nice surprise for an Asian restaurant. Affordable and probably the best Asian you can for this area but not up to our standards of near-​new York.

If you haven’t tried the Spicy Fish Stew, you’re missing authentic Chinese cooking at its best!

Went in for lunch with the family. The service was really good and the food was great. Only been here twice but both times had a great time.

One of my favorite spots for sushi locally. At the bar, customer service is excellent. If you dine at a table customer service vary based on how busy the place is. Food can take up to 30 minutes at a table. The food is decent for the price and, the sushi each time seemed fresh. It’s worth a try.

Their food is good. Their service is ok. Their drinks are weak. They get two stars because their soy sauce that they have out is watered down. WATERED DOWN!!! I had asked for the low sodium soy sauce and the server tried telling me that what they had out was the low sodium. I kindly replied and said I’ve had low sodium before and that definitely isn’t low sodium. Moments later she comes out with REAL, UNDILUTED soy sauce and says, «here, try this» and it was darker and better than the light brown watery stuff they had out. Sadly, she brought it out after we had eaten most of our sushi already.
So when you go and want some soy sauce, make sure to ask them for the real stuff. A place that waters down their soy sauce is disappointing.

Excellent place to eat. A lot of variations on the menu, including well prepared sushi. Food tastes great and the place is clean. Prices are reasonable and the food is plentiful.
A must go to spot for Chinese food!

Nice people, great food, and plenty of it! I went here for the first time the other night and I want to go back!
Their hot and sour soup is awesome!

My son and I go here several times a year, usually for luncheon specials. The pad thai here is the closest to authentic that I have found in a non-​Thai restaurant, so most often I will order that. My son is fond of General Gau’s, so that’s his go-​to meal.
Luncheon specials come with soup and one appetizer. They also have sushi luncheon specials, but be aware that they do a booming sushi takeout business (it’s the only sushi place in town) so there is usually a wait for sushi. (We once made the mistake of ordering off both the sushi and the Chinese specials, and my son was done his Chinese food before my sushi had even reached our table. We won’t make that mistake again!)
We’ve tried several dishes and never been disappointed. Prices are reasonable and the service is 3 star. Looking forward to the next time we go and get pad thai!

We went to Sawa for the first time a couple of weeks ago with fairly low expectations and were pleasantly surprised! It was at prime dinner time during the middle of the week and I think they only had one bartender and one server on. It was kind of busy but they did a good job balancing their guests and keeping everyone happy. We started with crab rangoons, and they weren’t the best I’ve ever had, but they were fresh & hot and we ate every single one. We ordered 3 or four different kinds of maki — a spicy tuna and a couple of the specialty rolls with eel and crab and mango and all that jazz. Every single one was delicious! I had a glass of Pinot Grigio. I
Best part was the bill — under $ 40, if I am remembering correctly! Quite the deal.

The food here is okay, certainly better than most of the other options in this area.
I tried the Thai drunken noodles and the Pad Thai. I found the drunken noodles to be rather dry (I asked for soy sauce) and the Pad Thai was too sweet tasting for my liking.
Service was pretty average. Basically the guy takes your order and plops the food down, that’s about it. Plastic plates too, what’s up with that?