A lot of tourists from Japan and also Japanese-Americans want to be at Phoenix for their family vacation, at least one in a quarter of a year. Forget Phoenix’s auto theft records for a moment. Eating the best meals, ice cream, donuts, Huicho, and wings will make you fall in love with this amazing city.
Whether you want it right inside your well interiorly-designed luxury apartment or in a coolly decorated and serene restaurant, bar, or shop, eating the best sushi in Phoenix is an experience that lasts for a very long time.
Sushi has become one meal Phoenicians won’t joke with. If you’re not familiar with sushi, let’s take some Vinegared rice all rolled up that’s sushi. Then along comes the interesting extras. We mean extras that must always have raw fish, raw vegetables, and a creamy sauce to tie it all together.
Sushi must be one of Japan’s culinary love gifts to the world and in warm, sometimes windy Phoenix, Arizona, this love is served with joy in its bustling expansive restaurant scene.
Are you feeling like having a taste of sushi, already? Not yet. Your taste bud and nutritional health deserve the best sushi. Here are the 10 best sushi restaurants in Phoenix.
1. Yasu Sushi Bistro
Chef Kazuto Kishino has a long list of successful restaurants he has birthed and nurtured across Japan and the US. Yasu, situated in north Phoenix, is a family-run, family-friendly restaurant he now oversees with his wife and kids.
It is almost always top of the list for Sushi lovers in Phoenix, Arizona. Red Roll, the star of its menu, is a marriage of creamy and crunchy tender and tangy tuna elegantly rolled and stuffed with tempura-battered shrimp. Nigiri, sashimi, and sushi paired with wild ocean trout and perfectly textured rice also grace its carefully curated menu.
You won’t have to part with so much USD because Yashu Sushi Bistro offers the best sushi and service at an affordable price.
2. Shimogamo
The second item on our list of the best sushi restaurants in Phoenix is Shimogamo. For the records, Aoi Matsuri festival is never celebrated in Kyoto, Japanese communities in the US or elsewhere without eating sushi. So, if you want it in wholesale, Shimogamo won’t bulge. This is the home of real sushi and lovers.
With bookings easily snatched up for the weekend, a reservation is your best bet for a spot at Shimogamo. Its signature self-named Shimogamo Roll is a culinary show stopper. Accentuated with citrus, this roll paring of panko shrimp and tobiko is a taste bud delight.
There is also a zen roll and nigiri topped with sea urchin and escola. The upscale restaurant is located in a shopping mall at the intersection of Dobson and Warner roads in Chandler.
3. Tokyo Lobby
Won’t you appreciate a sushi restaurant in Phoenix that takes you back to Tokyo just within minutes of tasting a well-prepared sushi meal? You should? Tokyo Lobby will and for as many times as you would love to take the tour. What’s special about this sushi restaurant? A lot is.
Tuna and spicy crab rolled in creamy spice sure deserves the name, What The Heck Roll. That is one of the creative items you’ll find in an unusually long menu for a sushi place at Tokyo Bar.
With chefs dramatically displaying impressive knife skills to the view of diners, this casual, laid-back dining experience also features bay scallops and exquisite nigiri. The Tokyo Lobby is a must for locals and anyone exploring the sushi scene in the Phoenix area.
4. Hiro Sushi
Hiro Sushi won’t miss out on the list of the top 5 best sushi restaurants in Phoenix due to its incredible services, prices, but most importantly the special sushi meals.
Chef Hiro Nakano’s daily specials are boldly written daily on a board which is impossible to miss as you step into Hiro Sushi. These specials are always a must-try. However, the menu also packs an interesting lineup: spinach shiitake, yakitori platter, miso soup, and lots more.
5. Nagoya Sushi
If all you want for your night before bedtime is a plate of well-prepared sushi, Nagoya Sushi gets you covered. It is the best spot for any sushi.
Newcomer Nagoya, neatly tucked into a strip mall, is a friendly family-run sushi spot gaining ground in the Peoria, Phoenix area. It is really hard to compare the sweet shrimp this restaurant offers to any in Phoenix. This stands out in addition to an equally impressive nigiri menu.
With modern twists like popcorn lobster, Nagoya’s affordability, topped off with consistent fresh cuts, earns it its spot on the top 10 list of sushi spots in Phoenix, Arizona. The price is affordable and the service top-notch.
6. OBON + Sushi + Bar + Ramen
Next up on our list of the best sushi restaurants in Phoenix is this amazingly located restaurant that combines convention with modern style for a memorable experience and freshly tasty bud.
Certainly not your neighborhood sushi place, this stylish, modernistic restaurant boasts a menu of sushi, nigiri, and crudos pining to be sampled. Tataki Maki is OBON’s take on tuna tataki, a creamy crunchy roll bulged with shrimp tempura.
Salmon and tuna enlivened by spicy wasabi and ponzu blend are what Hafu roll is made of. These are just two of many on an impressive menu list. That the restaurant packs a lot of things into its services does not imply they offer poor quality service.
7. Hana Japanese Eatery
A visit to 5524 N 7th Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85013 reveals one of the best, coziest family-owned sushi restaurants in Phoenix. This beer, wine, and sake only (BYOB) joint is known for serving a lot of Japanese entrees and sushi.
With a decade under its belt at Hana’s, you are guaranteed thoughtful and artfully presented sushi rolls. Whitefish, yellowtail, crab, albacore, tuna, salmon, wrapped in crispy cucumber accentuated by pickled burdock root, and asparagus all come together beautifully in this awesome tasting roll aptly called, Hana Pride.
Conventional rolls on its menu often come with surprising twists like garlic chips and onions paired with seared tuna and dressed with house-made tataki sauce. Hana is going strong and always a delight for Phoenix locals and passersby. It operates no-contact delivery and curbside picks, but no dine-ins.
8. Moira Sushi Bar and Kitchen
Well, it is rare to find any sushi restaurant at McKinley Street, Phoenix, AZ, that will match what this incredible restaurant offers. At Moira, time-honored Japanese traditions are infused with bold new flavors and textures. The signature Japanese aesthetics is not compromised one bit but accented with new and refreshing techniques.
Eel and Cucumber, Kani Crunch are just two items on the impressive rolls section of the unique Moira menu. Kara-age and Niju Ishiyaki are part of the exquisite lunch menu offerings. Moira is undoubtedly a vibrant and refreshing fine-dining experience.
Although you won’t have the option for delivery, Moira Sushi Bar and Kitchen offers the best service as it offers you the freedom to choose between dine-in and curbside pickup.
9. Nori Sushi and Asian Dining
With the option of a patio dining experience, friendly service and impressive chef knife artistry on full display, Noris is quite the stand-out in the Phoenix sushi scene. With $25 boxset options like Sashimi + Nigiri, Nigiri+ Maki, Teriyaki Steak+Chicken+Salmon, Nori packs an explosion of Japanese colors, taste, and flavors for memorable meals.
Reviewers are always left with a heart-warming service experience to match its cut of the freshest seafood rolls and colorful rice. If you want the best sushi meal service in Phoenix, this is one of the places to gun for.
If you want a relaxed and trendy restaurant where colorful sushi, seafood ramen, and rolls are prepared, make sure Nori Sushi and Asian Dining is not missing on your list.
10. Yama Sushi House
Rounding off our list of the best sushi restaurants in Phoenix is Yama Sushi House. The taste trademark of Yama is all over the entire building that houses Yama at 750 N Central Ave #150, Phoenix, AZ 85012.
Yama’s signature is authentic Japanese and affordable. Affordability by no means skimps on quality. Its menu is almost exhaustingly varied but interesting. With rolls of the freshest raw fish cut and fragrant rice, Yama’s trendy and relaxing atmosphere is as terrific as its colorful meals.
Currently, Yama Sushi House doesn’t offer a dine-in but customers can either opt for curbside pickup or no-contact delivery. You can place your order via several platforms including doordash.com, grubhub.com, and yamasushiphoenix.com.
Final Thoughts
If you want to feel as though you were in Japan while you’re physically right in the heart of Arizona, you should visit any of the best sushi restaurants in Phoenix. You won’t come back asking for a tour to Hiroshima, Kyoto, or Osaka.
Phoenix sushi restaurants rival any others from California or upscale New York. It continues to grow, evolve, and offer authentic Japanese cuisine with a natural but modern taste, flavor, and outlook.