The sushi offerings in Phoenix are plentiful. by Christine Wolfe
While the hardcore sushi lover who wants their rolls raw will not go unsatisfied, the bulk of the sushi offerings in the Phoenix Metro area definitely lean toward the cooked. However you prefer your roll or wrap, the key is how fresh the ingredients and how adventurous the chef. From budget rolls to pricer, showier models, there is enough sushi to go around for everyone. Even if your dining companion thinks raw fish should still be swimming in the sea, each restaurant offers a variety of Japanese-based foods that are thoroughly cooked and equally delicious.
HIRO SUSHI 9393 N. 90th St., Scottsdale, 480-314-4215 Hours: Lunch: Monday - Sunday 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. Dinner: Monday - Sunday 5 - 9:30 p.m. Specializing in ingredients straight from Japan, Hiro Sushi offers diners delicacies such as Stripped Jack, an expensive whitefish, snapper and Bluefin tuna. The Crazy roll, featuring spicy tuna, avocado, cucumber and rice wrapped around a deep-fried shrimp, is a pairing featuring the creamy texture of the raw tuna paired with the crunchy-sweet of the shrimp. Prices are moderate and the atmosphere relaxed at Hiro, so grab a saki and a seat at the sushi bar and dig into some of the best specialties of Japan.
Estimated cost per diner is $25-$35.
Hiro Sushi is closed most major holidays.
ICHIBAN RESTAURANT 3333 S. Rural Rd., Tempe, 480-345-9848 Hours: Lunch: Monday - Friday 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Dinner: Sunday - Thursday 5 - 10 p.m. Friday - Saturday 5 - 10:30 p.m. This Tempe mainstay, located away from the hubbub, commercialism and college hangouts of Mill Avenue, is an intimate, friendly place to order your favorite Japanese dish. From tuna rolls with their red flesh stark against the white rice to lobster rolls to the always-popular Ichiban spicy roll, a white-fish creation drizzled with spicy soy sauce and broiled, the sushi lover won't go hungry here. Some specialties change daily; ask for the chef's special and you'll be pleasantly surprised with the freshest fish available.
Estimated cost per diner is $25-$35.
Ichiban is closed most major holidays.
KANEYA SUSHI EXPRESS 6334 W. Bell Rd., Glendale, 623-979-3405 Hours: Monday - Saturday 11a.m. - 9 p.m. If you're in a hurry, and you want quality, fresh sushi, then Kaneya Sushi Express is the way to go. By calling ahead, 20 minutes later you can pick up delicacies such as octopus rolls, fresh water eel or orange clam, then enjoy them at home. Or stay and belly up to the sushi bar and watch the chefs prepare raw spicy salmon rolls, futomaki, a roll featuring Japanese squash, avocado, cucumber, egg, crab stix and spinach, or the soft shell crab, a bargain at only $5.95 for an eight-piece roll. Noodle and rice bowls (including a vegetarian selection with sweet potato noodles, vegetables and black mushrooms), tempura and soups/salads round out the experience, where you and your non-sushi eating friend can eat like kings for under 20 bucks.
Estimated cost per diner is $15-$25.
Kaneya Sushi Express is closed most major holidays.
MR. SUSHI 8041 N. Black Canyon Hwy, Ste. 112, Phoenix, 602-864-9202 Hours: Lunch: Monday - Friday 11:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Dinner: Saturday - Friday 5 - 9:30 p.m. Feel like a sushi lunch that's quick, the right price, and fresh? Mr. Sushi is the answer. Lunch specials, which include a hand roll as well as a California roll and a side will set you back only $7.75. The bustling wait staff are prompt and efficient, and the spicy tuna hand roll features tender red tuna that is firm and sweet. From tempura to smoked salmon to teriyaki, it's fast, fresh and furious at Mr. Sushi.
Estimated cost per diner is $20-$35.
Mr. Sushi is closed most major holidays.
ORIGAMI'S 7366 E. Shea Blvd., Scottsdale, 480-922-8824 Hours: Sunday - Thursday 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. Friday - Saturday 11 a.m. - 11 p.m. Owner Nick Kahn and his chefs' work all day over a hot stove to give diners from-scratch sauces, innovative rolls, and what Kahn calls the "most sushi rolls" in town. And with a menu that boasts 65 rolls and counting, it's not just bragging. The only trouble you'll have here is deciding what to have. There are spicy rolls, crab, shrimp, salmon and eel rolls. There is soft-shell crab, tuna, vegetarian, Philly and even rolls for the kids, in the form of a Teriyaki chicken roll. A lively atmosphere, attentive waiters and chefs who will make you what you want are enticing, but it is the modest prices and the fresh fish from four different sources that make the experience here memorable. Don't like sushi? Then choose from more than 40 other menu items that won't give you the heebie-jeebies - but contain the same fresh ingredients and attention to detail.
Estimated cost per diner is $20-$30.
Origami's is closed most major holidays.
RA SUSHI BAR 3815 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale, 480-990-9256 Hours: Lunch: Monday - Friday 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. Dinner: Sunday - Thursday 5 - 10 p.m. Friday - Saturday 5 - 11 p.m. "Do it in the Ra!" The ad campaign for this restaurant matches it's atmosphere - lively, engaging, and loud. This is definitely not your father's sushi bar. This unique restaurant features special rolls - like the ultimate shrimp roll, topped with tuna, the Tootsie roll, a crab/shrimp mixture encased in rice and drizzled with sweet eel sauce and tempura bits, or lobster rolls. Chef Tai Obata opened up his own shop after working at Sushi on Shea, and the result is a restaurant that will make everyone happy. Traditional sushi, specialty rolls, fresh fish, (and even a steak for you meat lovers) make Japan's native Obata the place for fun and diversity. Want a veggie roll or veggie noodle dish? You won't be disappointed. Don't see something you want? Describe it and Obata will make it for you.
Estimated cost per diner is $25-$35.
Ra Sushi Bar is closed most major holidays.
SAKI'S PACIFIC RIM CAFE 740 S. Mill, Tempe, 480-968-7300 Hours: Sunday - Thursday 5 - 10 p.m. Friday - Saturday 5 - 11 p.m. If you want presentation with your sushi, this is the place to go. Deliberate placement of each ingredient, and each roll on the plate, make this a memorable experience. The Rainbow Platter, with its contrasts of red, yellow and white, are laid out to resemble the spectrum of color. Cooked specialties include the Tiger Eye Platter, complete with salmon, squid, and an omelet, rolls like the smoked salmon and California, or baked sea bass with miso sake marinade. Fresh yellowfin tuna, eel and shrimp are used to create raw specialties that will please the eye as well as the tummy. Entrees here may be more expensive, but when considering the show value, it's well worth the trip.
Reservations Recommended Estimated cost per diner is $25-$45.
Saki's Pacific Rim Cafe is closed most major holidays.
SHOGUN 12615 N. Tatum Blvd., Phoenix 602-953-3264 28234 N. Tatum Blvd., Phoenix/North Scottsdale 480-563-8608 Hours: Lunch: Monday - Saturday 11 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Dinner: Sunday - Thursday 5 - 9 p.m. Friday - Saturday 5 - 10 p.m. Taking the usual a step further, as well as innovative chef's specials, is a trademark of Shogun. Sunshine rolls, a variation of the California roll, includes luscious fresh tuna in a spicy sauce as a topper. The crunchy roll, a shrimp/crab mixture wrapped in rice and seaweed, is topped with an avocado slice and crunchy chow mein noodles and sweet sauce. Broiled mussels are topped with a creamy spicy mixture, a love-hate affair that pleases both sides of the mouth. Try hand-wrapped eel sushi, or any of the spicy tuna, shrimp or salmon selections, and you'll be ordering entrees that feature fresh fish that tastes like it just jumped out of the ocean. Order these rolls with a side of Sunomono, a marinated Japanese cucumber salad, and you have a full stomach for around $25. Both locations offer a sushi bar and dining, but the North Scottsdale location has more room in both.
Estimated cost per diner is $25-$35.
Shogun is closed most major holidays.
SUSHI ON SHEA 7000 E. Shea Blvd., Scottsdale, 480-483-7799 Hours: Sunday - Thursday 5 - 10 p.m. Friday - Saturday 5 - 11 p.m. The difference is quality at Sushi on Shea, and you'd better believe it. Seabass, Torofin, halibut, sea urchin - all so fresh you think you were eating it on the boat right from the net. And when paired with spicy wasabi sauce or sweet eel sauce, the results are spectacular. Have a taste for some quail eggs, or smelt roe, done up sushi style? Go ahead, make mine raw. There is a Yellowtail with scallion roll that melts in your mouth. Like eel? Sushi on Shea features two kinds - freshwater and sea. Elegantly presented in a comfortable atmosphere, the sushi here is fresh, good, and innovative.
Estimated cost per diner is $30-$50.
Sushi on Shea is closed most major holidays.
ZIPANGU BISTRO 1006 E. Warner Rd. Tempe, 480-839-3924 Hours: Lunch: Monday - Friday 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Dinner: Monday - Thursday 5 - 9:30 p.m. Friday - Saturday 5 -10 p.m. The smell of an honest-to-goodness Yakatori grill fills the air with ginger and grilled meat. Comfortable and friendly, Zipangu Bistro features real ingredients in all of its rolls - yes, even the crabmeat is real - setting it apart from many sushi restaurants in the Valley. The Seafood Sunomono, a raw set of snow crab, shrimp and octopus splashed with vinegar and almost too pretty to eat, is only $7.50. Eggplant and asparagus rolls are a tasty change of pace, as is the seared tuna with onion sauce. Some entrees are served in elaborate Obento boxes - traditional Japanese dishes that have compartments separating the ingredients. For presentation, price and ambiance, you can't go wrong with Zipangu Bistro.
The Top List of Sushi Restaurants - Phoenix, AZ