Sakura Asian Express

What can I say? I recently moved to Wilmington where the restaurants are infinitely better than Greenville’s yet I still cannot find a Thai restaurant that even comes close to Sakura. To this day, it’s the only Asian restaurant I would go to multiple times a week and I’m not much of an Asian food lover. Everything I have ever got there was a damn spiritual experience, from the Bi Bim Bap, Curry Noodle Soup, Asian Turkey Dumpling Egg Noodle Soup, Chicken Pad Thai and my ultimate favorite… Bulgogi Steak. That damn dish right there is like a hitman to your taste buds. They stand no chance on the flavor coming out of such simplicity. The only reason I’m even writing this review is because the bulgogi I got last night at a highly rated restaurant in Wilmington wasn’t even a ¹⁄₂₀^th of Sakura’s. I actually got pissed off cause I knew what I was missing.
Like one poster said, you will get yelled at if you insist on spice for any dish made on the grill. This is especially true when it comes to the Bulgogi. Do not ask for it!!! Although the owner is very sweet, this request will make her lose it! The very last time I asked, she blew up on me and refused. 10 minutes later when the dish was done, she was calm and sweet again.
All this Sakura talk makes me miss it even more. They just need to expand into Wilmington and stop this nonsense.

I love it when you find a little hole in the wall Asian restaurant and have a fantastic meal! Went to Sakura Asian Express in Greenville NC and had something called Bi Bim Bap, which sounds like a black eyed peas song but is a rich combination of steak, vegetables, and rice that was just delicious! Also had homemade Kim-​chi on the side which was excellent! Highly recommend!
Buddy at the counter is a nice guy too!

My wife and I had the kimchi soup and was warned about the heat. I wasn’t disappointed. I love phở noodles but the spice and the full flavor of the broth was delicious. What topped it off was the sweet potato noodles that was totally new to me. Highly recommend this place when in Greenville.

I have gladly left Greenville, but if could bring one thing with me it would be this woman and her cooking. OMG, she is amazing. Her personality can be gruff, but I have been there more than 20 times and she comes from a place of pride in her food and love when she speaks. Yes she will tell you how her food will be prepared, no you cannot modify it… But, she knows best. Don’t be put off, open your ears, and trust her suggestions. This is Malaysian food with influences from japan, china, india, thailand, etc. It is probably unlike anything you have ever had. It is extremely authentic and of high quality. Sakura I miss you so…

Every time I come to visit my family back home we come here. All of the food is good, it is spicy, and there are new things frequently if you decide you don’t want your stand by. It is a small operation so sometimes it takes a while. Sit back, be patient, don’t go if you are in a hurry and enjoy the experience.

I loved this place so much, that I went at least once a week. Amazing food. However, when I asked for a certain level of spice, the sweet waiter came out to tell me they weren’t able to make it that spicy since the specific dish was made on the grill rather than a wok. I replied very nicely asking if it was possible to get chili peppers on the side when all of a sudden, the crazy lady who cooks came out out the kitchen and started YELLING at me about how it was not possible… in front of the whole restaurant for absolutely no reason. Everyone was staring and even the waiter told her that it was unnecessary because he had already explained it to me.
My friend (who was visiting) and I were so shocked that we asked for the food to go. The crazy lady started being extremely nice and ended up putting chili peppers on the side of my dish anyways so I’m not sure why she had a fit. Sadly, this wasn’t even the first time. She yelled at me once before when I asked a question about the menu too. I was a loyal and regular customer there and sadly now, I never want to go back again.

JUST GO! Cook is Malaysian & can cook things from many countries. GLUTEN FREE OPTIONS ABUNDANT HERE but let them know. Give yourself at least an hour to order & eat as the food is cooked-​to-​order and fresh. First time you should get «no spicy» to gauge this because asian food typically has a little kick just with the «regular» ingredients. These people are working very hard and doing a great job! This is our favorite restaurant in Greenville.

Wow this place is good!
I walked in at 8pm on a Tuesday and nobody was in the restaurant. However, while I was perusing the menu they took 2 phone orders.
I ordered the Thai Red Curry and asked for ‘3’ on the 1 – 5 spicy scale. She said ‘Are you sure?” And I said I think I can handle it.
When my food was ready (in less than 10 minutes) she insisted I try a bite to be sure I wasn’t going to burn my face off.
So I passed the ‘try the spice’ test, and she sent me on my way. When I got back to my hotel and started in on the food, it was very tasty, fresh, and #3 spicy was INTENSE!
I’ll definitely come back!

This is the best asian cuisine i have ever had outside of Asia! I cannot say enough great things about this food. It is in a small mall on the side of the road and when I first walked in the ambiance leaves something to the imagination but trust me and try the food! It is so good! I travel between Durhan and the coast all month and eat out a lot and never write a review unless its a memorable meal. The food here is a memory worth coming back for. I had the spicy basil beef noodles and it was incredible. You can tell that the chefs here learned cooking abroad from authentic asian recipes. The ingredients were fresh and cooked as i ordered not pre made or frozen. You could taste the difference. The lunch portion was huge and will easily be my dinner as well as my lunch. Dont let the exterior of the building fool you, go in and eat here. I know i will be a regular from now on.

This place creates amazing food. It’s a bit dicey looking from the outside and not much inside the dining area but the food is worth it. We come to Greenville once a year and this is the place we go to eat.
Tonight we arrived at 8:34. They said take out only after 8:30. There Unilocal and online info states open until 9:30. Weary travelers just wanted to sit and eat. We were told again. As three tables were sitting there eating. Take out orders only. 4 minutes late. We won’t be back. They didn’t recognize us or make an exception for long distance repeat customers. Only two of us. Very poor service. This was a Friday night too. Disappointing

This place is amazingly delicious! Bi Bam Bop is awesome. Service was with a smile. Clean atmosphere. Food is cooked fresh at the time of order. If you are in a hurry, I recommend calling in your order. The wait was well worth it to me and I did not mind. Did I mention how appetizing the fried potstickers were? Uhm… yeah! Go get some!

They had no problem making my food to order. Quick flavorful food, OK but friendly service. Will be returning for another heathy meal.

This place never disappoints. The owners are so genuinely welcoming. I’m a creature of habit so I always have the green curry with chicken. If I’m feeling adventurous I go for the red. Yum!

This place was so good. I had the Bi Bim Bap (spelling) it was perfect. I had spicy #2. The place is owned by a couple and they both prepare the food. Make sure you either order ahead or have a little extra time because it did take some time to get my food. The wait was so worth it. Very delicious and authentic.

Having lived in Hawaii for years and being use to eating authentic Asian food, it’s nice to be able to go to a local Asian restaurant in Greenville that is authentic. The owner refuses to make it American-​Asian which to me is too bland.
Atmosphere is great and the owner is very friendly. Try it and remember it’s authentic Asian. Don’t expect faux Asian aka Americanized Asian.

One of my favorite spots in town, the eclectic mix of southeast Asian is a hidden gem in a town that seriously lacks ethnic food options.
The curry potato wontons are amazing, as is the rest of the menu. The Korean dishes aren’t as authentic, but aren’t bad by any means. Everything looks and tastes homemade.
The spice level can be a bit high even for those very accustomed to high-​level spice in Asian cuisine, but staff gives ample warning.
Prices are fair and service and staff are great, dine in or take out. The owner is sweet, talented and always accommodating.

It’s rare to find authentic no franchise ethnic food in greenville but Sakura does it

Wow, Unilocal you totally let me down! This was the worst «Asian» food and food in general that I have ever eaten. Would have given less than 1 star if I could. My boyfriend and I got the spicy basil flat noodles w/​chicken and the bun w/​steak. They were both horrible dishes. Mind you we were looking for mediocre Asian food :/​
It tasted like both dishes were made then splattered with chili powder to get the desired «spicy level.» The spicy noodles was too spicy to eat and the bun, while mediocre at first, quickly became a soggy, cold mess! After all, the server did dump a ton of sweet sauce into my food without asking me or letting me do it myself.
We should have known when we saw their «eclectic» menu featuring Thai, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Malaysian, Singaporean, etc. dishes. Next time, if a restaurant features dishes from more than 3 countries I am staying away.

Humble goodness !
Was in greenville on business twice. Both times a tried to get to this place (because it’s so highly rated) and both times they were just about to close or not open yet…
Well, after I told them this, the owner chef told me to sit down and order what I want ! (mind u the restaurant was officially closed) so I got the yummy crispy pot stickers in Thai sauce and the Bun.
Both where great!
So I got a great lunch and a fun conversation with the owner/​chef .We joked about how high the rent is in NY and NJ.
Will defiantly come here again when I’m
In town.
Just good.

The best Asian food in Greenville, HANDS DOWN! This is a frequent stop for my wife and I, and everything we have ever had has been outstanding. The potsticker appetizer was delicious and a good portion for the price — 9 potstickers with sauce for $ 5.99 I believe. For the main course, I highly recommend the Bi Bim Bap, Curry Noodle Soup, and Pad Thai (probably in that order). I had the Curry Noodle Soup tonight and it rocked my world!
This place makes some spicy food if you are into that sort of thing. We usually get our food at a level 2, which is hot enough to clear the sinuses and definitely «feel the burn.» I probably wouldn’t get it any hotter than a 2. I am looking forward to trying the Kimchee Noodle Soup and Ginger Noodles with Chicken really soon!
The only con to this place is that it is right next to an adult video store, and they apparently are very strict on their parking so make sure not to park in spaces designated for the video store. I am already looking forward to going back to Sakura in the very near future!