Top 10 Sushi Spots

Andrew Knowlton, BA Foodist, Bon Appetit Magazine

More and more sushi restaurants around the country are taking freshness, creativity, and Japanese culinary tradition to delicious new heights. Here are our latest picks.

By Andrew Knowlton

Photograph by Nils Juul-Hansen

  1. Soto
    New York
    Sotohiro Kosugi is one of America's sushi masters, especially renowned for inventive composed dishes-fatty tuna with avocado coulis and caviar, geoduck clam salad, steamed lobster with uni mousse-that lift this Japanese restaurant above all the rest.
    357 Sixth Avenue; 212-414-3088

  2. O Ya
    Boston
    Owners Tim and Nancy Cushman's 37-seat South Boston jewel has a smart wine and sake list and riffs on traditional sushi and sashimi-spot prawn with garlic butter, preserved yuzu, and white soy, as well as salmon belly with cilantro, ginger, and hot sesame oil.
    9 East Street; 617-654-9900

  3. Sebo
    San Francisco
    A hangout for local chefs, this no-frills Hayes Valley spot sources the highest-quality fish, most of it from Japan's Tsukiji Market, and then does little to interfere with it. Purists order shirauo (ice fish), saba (mackerel), and shiro ebi (baby white shrimp).
    517 Hayes Street; 415-864-2122

  4. Nobu
    Los Angeles
    Twenty-two years after he launched a raw-fish revolution with his restaurant Matsuhisa, pioneering chef Nobu returns to America's capital of sushi and opens another branch of his empire. Expect all the trademarks-Hollywood A-listers, cutting-edge design, and signature dishes, including yellowtail sashimi with jalapeño, black cod with miso, and rock shrimp tempura with butter ponzu.
    903 North La Cienega Boulevard; 310-657-5711

  5. Roka Akor
    Scottsdale, Arizona
    This glitzy global mega-restaurant brand hopes to do for sushi and robatayaki (grilled food) what Benihana did for teppanyaki (griddled food). The 11-course prix fixe, which offers items raw (Wagyu beef, butterfish) and grilled (lamb cutlets, scallops), is the best way to sample the menu.
    7299 North Scottsdale Road; 480-306-8800

  6. Not into raw fish? Check out some of these top seafood places around the country.

  7. MF Buckhead
    Atlanta
    The second sushi place from brothers Chris and Alex Kinjo spans 8,000 square feet, including a 26-seat sushi bar, an omakase (chef's choice) room, and three private dining rooms. It's not intimate, but the sushi selection and the new robata grill menu are outstanding.
    3280 Peachtree Road NW, Suite 110; 404-841-1192

  8. Kaze sushi
    Chicago
    Specialty rolls-many folks' introduction to sushi-are hereto stay. This Roscoe Village favorite specializes in makimono (rolled things), such as the hamachi ebi tempura (yellowtail, shrimp tempura, smelt roe, avocado, cilantro, and jalapeño).
    2032 West Roscoe Street; 773-327-4860

  9. Uchi (pictured)
    Austin, Texas
    Destination sushi in Austin? Since 2003, Uchi has received raves for avant-garde creations such as foie gras sushi with pomegranate. Look for chef Tyson Cole's upcoming Japanese-Spanish restaurant in Austin's W Hotel.
    801 South Lamar Boulevard; 512-916-4808

  10. Bar Charlie
    Las Vegas
    Chef Charlie Trotter's 18-seat spot offers tranquillity in a land of sensory overload. Kaiseki, a Japanese tasting menu, is served in either 8 or 14 courses with an emphasis on seafood, including crispy abalone with fennel.
    The Palazzo, 3325 Las Vegas Boulevard South; 702-607-6336

  11. Sushiko
    Chevy Chase, Maryland
    Sushi aficionados flock to this curvy 14-seat bar to watch expert sushi chefs turn fresh fish into edible art. They know the fresh wasabi (as opposed to the common processed stuff) is well worth the extra charge.
    5455 Wisconsin Avenue; 301-961-1644

Related: Sushi Etiquette 101: 5 things to know when going out for sushi.

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