Sushi's just one of those kinds of foods that you love or hate. For those of us who love it, Las Vegas is an ideal city for this exotic cuisine. From beginners to connoisseurs, there are a prodigious number of great sushi restaurants from which to choose. And for those who may have issues with raw fish, all of these destinations offer fantastic Japanese dishes that extend way beyond oceanic options. In fact, many places on the list offer Tatami rooms, where you sit cross-legged on a cushion with shoes off, or Teppan/ Hibachi grills, where the food is cooked at your table by a highly skilled and entertaining chef. With the following list of great sushi stops, Las Vegas continues to prove that it is indeed an international dining sensation.
DRAGON SUSHI 4115 Spring Mountain Rd., Las Vegas, NV 89102 (702) 368.4336
Hours: Open seven days a week, 11am 11pm
Consider it Sushi 101. This is a great place for the sushi novice because the dishes are simple and don't require too big a risk, and it just goes to show that basic can be blissful. The entrees are simple and allow you to try the essentials: California roll (crab, avocado, cucumber, and rice), Kappa Maki (cucumber and rice), and Tekka Maki (tuna and rice). Sushi tends to be quite expensive, especially if you crave a variety of tastes for your meal, but Dragon offers reasonable prices and good lunch specials.
Price range average: $7-$20 per person.
HAKASE JAPANESE CUISINE 3900 S. Paradise Rd., Las Vegas, NV 89109 (702) 796.1234
Hours: Monday Friday, 12noon 2:30pm (lunch) Open seven days a week, 5pm 10:30pm
Only about half a mile east of the Strip, Hakase offers a very bare and authentically Japanese ambience decked out with maple wood, pinewoods and Oriental screens. Their fish is always fresh and cut to perfection, and the Miso soup is fiery and delicious. The Teppan grill does require reservations if you want to have a chef cook at your table. For those craving the authentic sushi experience, a Tatami room is available as well.
Price range average: $15 $25 per person.
HAMADA OF JAPAN 365 Howard Hughes Center Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89109 (702) 733.3005 Hours: Open seven days a week, 5pm 3am
2000 South Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89014 (in the Stratosphere Hotel & Tower) (702) 380.7766 Hours: Open seven days a week, 5pm 11pm
221 N. Rampart Blvd. (Inside The Regent Hotel in Summerlin) Las Vegas, NV 89128 (702) 869.7710 Hours: Open seven days a week, 5pm - 11pm
3745 Las Vegas Blvd. South (inside the Polo Towers- Sushi & Dining Room Only) (702) 736.1984 Hours: Open seven days a week, 11am 12am
3555 Las Vegas Blvd. South (inside the Flamingo Hilton) (702) 733.3455 Hours: Open seven days a week, 6am 10:30am & 11am 2:30pm & 5pm 12:30am
Hamada of Japan is simply the best place for sushi in Las Vegas. As you can see, they have several convenient locations throughout many of the major hotels, but their original and main restaurant is a huge dimly-lit series of rooms with great exotic beauty. There's a full Japanese menu, Tatami room and Teppan grill, and an enormous bar area, which is a very popular singles hangout during happy hour. The Chirashi is the pinnacle of happiness for the raw fish lover and the sashimi and tempura (fried shrimp and vegetables) combo is both generous and delectable. Try the Japanese parfait for dessert!
Price range average: $20 $50 per person.
INACA SUSHI 8665 W. Flamingo Rd. #106, Las Vegas, NV 89117 (702) 367.8897
10100 S. Eastern #130, Henderson, NV 89012 (702) 616.8378
Hours: Open seven days a week, 11:30am 3pm & 5pm 10pm
Another good place for the Sushi beginner; Inaca offers fantastic specials, including a lunchtime sushi plate with California roll and five varieties of sushi for just $9.95. This special also includes Miso soup, salad, and steamed rice. The atmosphere is as casual and laidback as the prices, but the foods always fresh and made to order. Once again, there are cooked chicken and beef teriyaki dishes for the wary.
Price range average: $5 $15.
OSAKA 4205 W Sahara Ave. Las Vegas, NV 89102 (702) 876.4988
Since 1967 (which is really the olden days for a new city like Las Vegas), Osaka has offered one of the best choices for the sushi fanatic. Complete with Hibachi tables, Tatami rooms, sushi bar, catering service, and more private rooms, Osaka is a city treasure. Combination #5 is a sashimi and tempura dinner that's not to be missed. Their cucumber salad and salmon rolls are mouthwatering as well. They serve Republic Iced Tea the most delicious flavored iced tea on the planet, and of course, there are several varieties of sake and Japanese beer to choose from as well. Be sure to top off your meal with their red bean ice cream; it's the best.
Price range average: $15 $50 per person.
SUMO JAPANESE RESTAURANT 2861 N. Green Valley Parkway, Henderson, NV 89014 (702) 451.7866
Sumo is a good place to go if you have both sushi enthusiasts and sushi skeptics in the same dinner party. There are plenty of other Japanese dishes to choose from including sushi platters for newcomers (they recommend the sashimi, which is very mild in flavor, but excellent for getting used to the texture), and rolls and sushi/sashimi combos for the most worldly of raw fish experts. They offer cooked fishes such as salmon, sea bass, and cod, too. The salmon and cream cheese rolls are worth a try, and if you're really feeling daring, taste the spicy yellowtail or grilled eel.
Price range average: $7 $20 per person.
SUSHI FEVER 7985 W. Sahara Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89117 (702) 838.2927
Don't let the name fool you. Danny Terrio won't be entertaining and you won't feel like you've stepped into 1975 when you enter this great restaurant on the west side of town. In fact, the atmosphere is quite authentic and the expertise by which they cut the fish really accentuates all the strands of flavor. They have a complete sushi bar and hot sake is readily available to can cleanse your palate.
Price range average: $15 $30 per person.
SUSHI ON TROPICANA 2625 E. Tropicana Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89119 (702) 898.8835
Hours: Open daily from 11:45am -- 10:45pm (Lunch served until 4pm)
You didn't really think a sushi list for Las Vegas would be complete without an all-you-can-eat sushi buffet, did you? During lunch, you can grab all the rolls and sashimi you want for $20.95, and you get 45 minutes to do it. For dinner, you have the same option but it costs $23.95 and you get an hour to do it. This time constraint may seem strange, but remember, sushi is an expensive delicacy. If you don't feel you could eat your money's worth, they do offer a regular menu where you can take all the time in the world to enjoy your meal.
Price range average: $8 $25 per person.
TSUNAMI 3377 Las Vegas Boulevard S, Suite 2285 (inside the Venetian), Las Vegas, NV, 89109 (702) 414.1980
With the fantastic contemporary and art deco design, this is the kind of place that makes you feel as if you're in L.A.; it's chic, trendy, and beautiful. The good news is that the prices are no more expensive than most sushi restaurants and the menu is extensive. The better news is that the quality and presentation of the food is as alluring as the restaurant itself. The hand-rolled sushi and combination sashimi platters are both enticing and generous. Yes, it may be super cool, but the staff is friendly and unpretentious. You must try the chicken coconut soup!
Price range average: $15 $40 per person.
NAKED FISHS SUSHI AND GRILL 3945 South Durango, Las Vegas, NV 89147 (702) 228.8856
Naked Fish is the Las Vegas destination for those ready to take the plunge to more exotic sushi cuisine. It is here you can order quail egg shooters, uni shooters, and tako wasabi (which of course has that familiar Japanese bite , or maybe octopus, salmon eggs, inari, and egg omelets from the nigiri section of the menu. If that all sounds a little too edgy, there are tamer options like California rolls and crab cakes, and for every restaurant-goer there is great atmosphere, friendly staff who are all sushi experts, and a presentation that is both colorful and gourmet.
The Top List of Sushi Restaurants - Las Vegas, NV