by Elizabeth Slonim Macanufo
SEKISUI
3024 South Grand Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63118
Diners at Sekisui are treated to one of the most unique features in all of St. Louis restaurants – a calming waterfall dividing the restaurant into two parts. The waterfall forms an open and relaxing atmosphere for sushi lovers to enjoy chef Kenji Nemoto’s creations. Chef Nemoto is notorious for his devotion to St. Louis Cardinal’s player So Taguchi, and has created a Cardinals Roll (smelt roe avocado, smoked salmon, cream cheese, and cucumber) in his honor. Sekisui’s menu includes a section of “Chef Kenji’s Specialties,” listing varieties of Sashimi Salad to squid and octopus with miso sauce. Chef Nemoto is known to wander among his diners, inquiring as to how they’re enjoying his rolls. The answers are inevitably positive.

by Magda Nakassis
Kaz Sushi Bistro
1915 I Street NW, Washington, DC 20006

Kaz Okochi was head chef at Sushi-Ko for 10 years before starting up his own restaurant, Kaz Sushi Bistro. At this I Street eatery—bustling with World Bank employees at lunch and Washington foodies at dinner—Chef Okochi offers his unique blend of “Free Style Japanese Cuisine.” More than just your traditional Japanese fare, the sushi at Kaz’s bring Western ingredients and techniques to the table in an “east meets west” menu that has won over nearly every DC food critic. This is the place for adventurous sushi fans who demand top-quality fish, presentation, and sake selection.

by Steve Goodman

Matsuri
5759 Bird Road
Miami, FL 33155
Matsuri is a little off the beaten path, however most gems are little hard to find. But, don’t worry you won’t need a treasure map to guide you to one of the best Japanese Restaurants in the area, if the large crowd of Miami’s Japanese Americans you find dinning there every evening does not convince you of that, the tempura and sushi certainly will. While Matsuri does not have the trendy flair of its South Beach cousins, locals swear it offers the freshest sushi and sashimi you can find, and you can dine in a casual, family friendly atmosphere. So for good fresh sushi, and other scrumptious Japanese fair that is tempting on your palate and easy on your wallet, leave the beach and “go west young man” (and take the wife and kids too!)

SUSHISAY
38 East 51st Street
(212) 755-1780

How do you choose a sushi restaurant? There seem to be three deciding factors. First and most important is the freshness of the fish. When your entire reputation rests upon the flavor of an item resting on a basically flavorless rice ball seasoned with a little vinegar, freshness is make or break for most sushi parlors. Second is selection. There is certain seasonal competition for the rarest of seafood and these usually go to the highest bidder — and the most expensive of restaurants. Third seems to be overall presentation — though there are fantastic sushi restaurants with very little in the way of décor, others create a spectacular setting for their spectacular food (and the prices are often spectacular as well.) Why the primer? Because, after Nobu, there are three or four candidates vying for New York’s top sushi honors, and one of them is Sushisay. Special appetizers include Salmon Caviar with grated Japanese white radish and steamed monkfish liver pate. Sashimi platters range from “regular” to “deluxe,” there’s a gorgeous Bento box of sushi, sashimi and special appetizers among any number of delightful a la carte and combination selections. Sushisay even serves its own exclusive brand of sake, called Junmai Sushisay — a pure “microbrew” sake made in very small quantities by hand. Though you can stop by for an appetizer or two, the entire dining experience at Sushisay is worth the premium cost and wait for a table.

by Eleonora Boreyko

EN
11651 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 477-1551

West Los Angeles is bustling with great sushi eateries, each offering fun atmosphere along with fine Japanese cuisine. The several months- old En, has its own appeal. Above the bar area, an enormously large red symbol of En (sushi party) restaurant welcomes numerous guests. If you’re looking for an intimate feeling, several tables near the windows could be the right choice as the artificial waterfall adds peacefulness to the modern décor. A large variety of sashimi, hot garden, cold ocean, and land appetizers are for you to enjoy. Their Tofu salad (sweet fried tofu & tofu with sesame oil dressing) is creatively presented and exceptionally flavorful. A neat martini menu is a welcome surprise at the sushi restaurant. Premium cold sake is available as well to accompany any delicacy you desire. Are you ready to party?

by Barbara Kasser

Japan Inn
1781 North University Drive, Plantation, FL 33322
(954) 424-8855

1798 Market Street, Weston, FL 33326
(954) 659-7847

With two locations in South Florida and two more in the Washington, D.C. area, Kaye & Hori, the owners of the popular Japan Inn, have figured out the recipe for success. The ingredients are simple: fresh food, beautiful presentation, pleasant surroundings, and great customer service. Throw in a dash of reasonable pricing and convenient hours. Make sure portions are oversized and it’s no surprise that the Japan Inn pleases crowds in both South Florida locations! The Inn’s sushi and sashimi appetizers are a great way to start a meal. Innovative rolls like Dynamite in the Shell (white fish and flying fish eggs and quail egg) and Sunomono (conch, octopus or crab or mixed with cucumber) are beautiful and tasty. Cooked food and hibachi items are also available at both restaurants.

by Amanda Knoles

BAMBOO TERI HOUSE
3391 Atlantic Avenue
Long Beach, CA
(562) 595-6049

Located in a small strip center in the Bixby Knolls area, this locals’ favorite began as a take-out sushi place but has expanded to offer a comfortable dining room and extensive catering services. Servers are attentive and friendly, and the menu offers an impressive variety of sushi, sashimi and specialty rolls as well as salads, soup, noodles, and teriyaki dishes. House specialties are shrimp tempura, crunchy spicy tuna rolls, and sesame chicken. Reasonably priced party platters feature generous assortments of California rolls, sashimi, chicken katsu, gyoza, futomaki and inari.
�

by Andrea Stolarczyk

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.

�

by Lynn Marshall

SHIRO’S
2401 Second Ave., (206) 443 9844
Seattle WA

Since opening in 1994 sushi chef Shiro Kashiba’s restaurant has been at the top of every sushi list in Seattle. He and the restaurant have garnered national press for the way he combines traditional Japanese ingredients with the abundance of fresh local seafood available in Seattle. Kashiba trained in Japan and has been making sushi in Seattle since 1967.
Sitting at the sushi bar here is a treat, and may be your best bet on a busy night when all 17 tables are occupied – the spider rolls are the best in Seattle, and the chef’s choice sashimi options are always exquisite.