Slog

News & Arts

Line Out

Music & the City
at Night

« This Is Laura | Looking for a Place to Watch Tonigh… »

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Chow A Restaurant Recommendation for Sushi in Seattle

Posted by Bethany Jean Clement on Wed, Aug 29, 2012 at 3:11 PM

WITH A SPOT PRAWN Shiro Kashiba and Daisuke Nakazawa behind the sushi bar at Shiro's.

Kelly O
WITH A SPOT PRAWN Shiro Kashiba and Daisuke Nakazawa behind the sushi bar at Shiro's.

Sometimes people email me for restaurant recommendations. I always answer! Here's one for Jim.

Hey, I had a quick question for you. Some friends from back east will be visiting me and want to go out for sushi. I usually stick to Maneki and a few other regular places but wanted to ask if you had any recommendations for an outstanding sushi place I've likely never visited or even heard about. I enjoy reading your work and know your judgment is sound.

Thanks!
Jim

Hey Jim,

I have an unquick answer for you. Maneki is a good choice—I love the tatami rooms there (which, by the way, is the only way to get a reservation there, and the wait is often dreadful, so get a bunch of friends together when you go, which is more fun anyway)—but good for you for branching out.

Right around the corner from Maneki is the tiny, a little bit divey, and totally delightful Tsukushinbo (Ichiro used to go here before he abandoned us).

Over on Eastlake, for good sushi in fancier surroundings with lots of sustainable fishes...

...there's Sushi Kappo Tamura.

I've always heard good things about Kisaku near Green Lake, but I've never been there.

If you like gigantic rolls with lots of items stuffed in or stacked on them that are also anointed thoroughly with sweet and sticky sauces and/or mayonnaise-type action, all deployed in an upscale atmosphere, you should go to Umi Sake House, Japonessa, or Momiji (and all of these have very popular, cheaper happy hours).

O'Shan in Ballard is friendly and good.

But the king of sushi in Seattle is Shiro . He wrote a pretty wonderful book, and he now has a famous assistant. Above is the best photo ever taken, which happens to be of them.

As far as cheap sushi goes, I do not believe in it.

Let me know where you go and how you like it! And thank you for your nice compliments.

Best,
Bethany

FacebookShare

Comments (24) RSS

Oldest First Unregistered On Registered On Add a comment

With views that strong, you should check out Anthony Bourdain's Get Jiro graphic novel.

http://www.amazon.com/Get-Jiro-Anthony-B…

Posted by biffp on August 29, 2012 at 3:19 PM

What happened to the email to a friend button? I don't want to login to facebook at work!

Posted by nicholaus on August 29, 2012 at 3:39 PM

In NE Seattle, the best sushi is Toyoda Sushi. They are in a rotten location, but the sushi is great. Lake City Way just past 125th.

Posted by Reverse Polarity on August 29, 2012 at 3:43 PM

Shiro! Shiro! Shiro!
There is no other! Sit at the bar and watch them make it.

Posted by crone on August 29, 2012 at 3:58 PM

@3, Toyoda is terrific. So is Kisaku. My vote goes to Kisaku, personally. Worst: Blue C in U Village.

Posted by Fnarf

on August 29, 2012 at 4:12 PM

Mashiko - West Seattle

http://www.sushiwhore.com/

Posted by xina on August 29, 2012 at 4:15 PM

@1 huh? That's pretty darn cool. Bourdain usually turns me off with his worldly arrogance (jealousy?). But I did see one of his episodes which I thought was really really great.

Posted by dnt trust me on August 29, 2012 at 4:17 PM

Sashimi from Uwajimaya (and you can then buy pre-made sushi rice and make your own nigiri sushi easily) is great, very fresh, and inexpensive. I do that all the time.

Posted by Greg and Greg on August 29, 2012 at 4:22 PM

Another vote for Mashiko! Best sushi I've had on either coast.

Posted by threnody on August 29, 2012 at 4:29 PM

Shiro, really? It was marginal sushi at best and extremely overpriced. The best sushi in Seattle is Nishino in Madison Valley. All those Belltown spots are overrated.

Posted by jomamasmama on August 29, 2012 at 4:36 PM

musashi's, dumbos! hella cheap and good!

Posted by mhulot on August 29, 2012 at 4:40 PM

Go to Shiro's yes, but be aware that the Master is no longer there every night, having sold his restaurant to the I Love Sushi guys.

Posted by Cornichon

on August 29, 2012 at 4:51 PM

@10 Nishino is excellent, but it'll cost you way more than Shiro's.

Village Sushi in the U-District (yes, the U-District) is this city's best kept secret. Until now.

Posted by levide on August 29, 2012 at 5:05 PM

great advice sending someone to maneki...they are great! worse advice sending someone to maneki, jean-san and oka-san (the two wonderful ladies that run the joint) will make them wait since they don't have a rez. so, tsukushinbo is a great idea...oh and they will have to wait.

and for the record, a website called sushiwhore is just plain stupid.

Posted by birdy num num on August 29, 2012 at 5:07 PM

@12 Say it ain't so!! I have to confess I haven't been to Shiro's in a couple of years, though I used to go a lot.

Posted by crone on August 29, 2012 at 5:29 PM

I go to Hana on B’way .. Shiro eats there too.

Posted by olive oyl on August 29, 2012 at 5:36 PM

Mashiko in West Seattle. So good.

Posted by icouldliveinhope on August 29, 2012 at 5:52 PM

Jiro Dreams of Sushi is now streaming on Netflix btw.

Posted by kinaidos on August 29, 2012 at 5:55 PM

maybe the best single piece of sushi i've had in seattle was last summer at Mashiko, local seasonal iwashi (sardine).

but... i had it again this summer, and it was nothing special. in fact, the whole meal (and the next time i went there, also this summer) it was really disappointing. at this point, i don't think i would ever go to Mashiko's again. the equivalent of dollar sushi in Japan is *far* better than what i had there recently.

is it really that great, @6, @9, @17?

Posted by aiff on August 29, 2012 at 6:56 PM

you love sushi and you haven't been to kisaku? you are stupid.

it's my favorite sushi place in seattle, but i don't go any more since i now live in Japan.

Posted by soneonesomehwere on August 29, 2012 at 7:28 PM

don't believe @3 & @5! toyoda is terrible! stay away! i need to be able to get a seat at the bar.

Posted by Max Solomon on August 29, 2012 at 8:05 PM

Mashiko's in West Seattle, for sure. I was there last night. Amazing every time.

Posted by jedifarfy on August 29, 2012 at 8:46 PM

Sushi Kappo Tamura is amazing and worth every penny.
Kisaku is totally fantastic.
O'Shan is homey and reliable, if rarely extraordinary.
Tsukushinbo is super fun, but is really more about the non-sushi stuff than about the sushi.

Momiji actually buys great fish, then ruins it with a high-volume production-line approach that saps the results of any trace of artistry. Also, if I wanted to go to a douchey nightclub, I'd go to a douchey nightclub, not a sushi restaurant. What a waste.

Shiro's was resposible for the limpest, lamest, least interesting, and most ridiculously overpriced sushi meal I've ever had in my life. That was five years ago (I've never been back), but it sounds like I'm not alone. I'm dying to try Daisuke Nakazawa's tamago, but hesitant to spend another dime at that laurel-based establishment.

All that being said, the "best kept secrets" of Seattle sushi remain Village Sushi (tip of the hat to @13) and Wallingford's Shima. You'll be amazed how little money you'll spend at the latter for some of the best-prepared sushi in this town!

Posted by d.p. on August 29, 2012 at 10:08 PM

I really like Chiso in Fremont -- their happy hour is a great deal, too.

Posted by Cornellhockeyfan on August 30, 2012 at 10:36 AM