Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Restaurants The Atlanta sushi void
Posted by Besha Rodell @BeshaRodell on Tue, Feb 7, 2012 at 9:25 AM
- James Camp
- Sushi House Hayakawa
I got an email yesterday from a reader asking for a restaurant recommendation. It was probably the first of a few I'll get like this - where should we go to get sushi? In my almost six years here I've never had that particular email before, mainly because everyone knew that if you wanted good sushi, you should go to MF Sushi.
I rarely ate at MF Sushi, and I wasn't the biggest fan of their Buckhead outpost, but the restaurant filled an important role as the fallback, the standard bearer for easy intown quality. Now that both locations are closed, many people are searching for a sushi alternative.
What is there now? My favorite remains Sushi House Hayakawa, which is where I sent the reader who wrote to me yesterday. This morning I got an email saying "It was a bit expensive, but we got the chef's recommended selection and it was the by far the best sushi we've had in Atlanta — and it matched our memory of the best ever that we had six years ago in NYC." Good to know, but sometimes I don't want to drive all the way out to beyond-285 Buford Highway.
Many people I know swear by Taka in Buckhead, and I've had some fantastic meals there over the years. (Taka, the chef, deserves our love and admiration for his blog alone.) And while many people think of Nakato on Cheshire Bridge as a Japanese steakhouse, the non-steakhouse side of the restaurant serves up some of the best sushi around, particularly if you ask for what's special that day.
What am I missing? Is there anywhere a little further south that holds up? I'd love to say Miso, but I'm afraid their sushi has never lived up to the quality of their other food. Zuma is fine, but hardly mind blowing. Anyone have a favorite I've looked over?
Comments (29)
Showing 1-29 of 29
As an outsider, I generally feel Atlantans are a bit of self-loathers, and unnecessarily harsh on their city when it comes to the food scene. Having said that, sushi is the one area the city is really sub-par. Taka is fine, Hayakawa is great, but Nakato is really nothing special. With the amount of fish that is flown in fresh from the Tokyo fish markets to restaurants in NY, LA, SF, etc., there is really no explanation for it either.
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Taka, Tomo (haven't been to the Ritz location - but loved the former Cobb Parkway location), and Hayakawa.
Sorry, never put MF in that category as they were just not customer friendly. I don't want to go somewhere I'm paying my hard-earned money and end up feeling like I should be so honored just to step foot inside. Then we turn to the ungodly high prices. Just read their article about the closing for their continued arrogance (It was due to the lease - yeah right, heard that one a million times. They will be opening soon somewhere else - sure, after blowing a few million on two different places that closed and after going b/k. Who would lend to them again?).
I told my wife that MF was closing, and her comment was "What took it so long? They were always so arrogant and treated customers badly." And here my wife is usually the nice one of the two of us...
So no, I don't think we took MF for granted it all. Quite the opposite, I think MF took Atlanta for granted and expected us to praise their poor service. It's really not that hard, but some places just think they are better...
Oh and actually Sushi Huku at Powers Ferry and Northside has come back pretty well after a rocky period after what I think was an ownership change. It will not win any top awards, but it's good and relatively affordable.
You know I love Sushi Huku.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eatitatlanta/…
Ate at Hayakawa the other day. It's worth going for the uni ikura don alone. But I wasn't stoked about the nigiri I tried.
Nakato is most definitely in the running for best sushi, happy hour and overall hospitality. Sushi Huku, despite the ownership change, is still competitive. And if you're in Decatur, try out Sushi Avenue, a very comfortable and consistently amazing neighborhood favorite.
Bishoku on Roswell Rd. Jackie (owner) is the sweetest woman. She will make sure you have a nice meal. No MF snobbery here!
Starfish in SoBuck is very reliable. A bit on the pricey side, but you get what you pay for. It is in the same building with Holeman & Finch. Very nice atmosphere and a wonderful selection of sake.
Taka is what I like in my sushi restaurants. Small, intimate, and an actual Japanese making your Sushi. Oh yeah, the fish is incredibly fresh.
Minato Japanese Restaurant
By far the best I know of and it's hidden. I have never been disappointed in them. Never cared much for MF...
I am surprised no one has mentioned Sushi Mania in Cherokee Plaza off Peachtree Road. An unassuming location this place offers some high qual sushi. MF=overrated.
Hayakawa all the way. Sushi Mania is passable and there's almost never anyone in there, but it's far from mind-blowing.
Hayakawa has been the best in ATL since it opened and still is. I confused them with a take out order on New Year's Eve, but got to sit at home with my ikura don, uni, and other goodies nonetheless.
@Jesse.Reed yes! I'm so glad you said that! Someone took me to Minato once - I really enjoyed it, but could never remember the name of it!
Circle Sushi in Dunwoody is well worth the drive from Midtown.
I have seen the comment a few times in here, but why do you put sushi places being empty as a good thing? The fewer people eating, the longer the fish is sitting there, and the less fresh it will be. If anything, I WON'T go to a sushi restaurant unless it is busy and the fish has a quick turnover rate.
Good point, Twatty Joe. I just dislike waiting, so I consider not busy/immediate service to be a positive thing. But this likely *isn't* the best logic, especially where raw fish is involved.
Point: you.
Ru Sans! Cant believe nooo one mentioned it yet!!!
Haaaave to try the all u can eat, altho i wont fit into my skinnnny jean lol
They have crazzzy rolls, u have 2 try them 2 believe them!!
Ru Sans? Well I havn't got sick eating there but prepare for the sardonic putdowns and questioning of your ancestry if you want to put them within a mile of the Best Sushi list.
Ja ever have redneck sushi?
Sardines and Ritz crackers. Yummy!
I second Gekko! Fresh fish, good service, and "everyday" (not special occasion) prices.
Personally Ive always had the best experience at Nakato. Great sushi every time and if I go with my friends who have kids we can always go to the hibachi side and the chefs go out of their way to entertain the little ones.
I was a Ru San's fan for ages, although the last time I was there both the portion sizes and the quality of the fish had declined severely. I had a hard time getting myself to swallow some of it.
Has it improved since a couple of years ago??
I am hesitant to reveal the name of a hidden gem up in Roswell, but Tanaka back in a little strip mall on Alpharetta Highway is as good as anything in the city. Tanaka-san is the ONLY sushi chef behind the counter--he works lunch and dinner 6 days a week and is an absolute perfectionist from the quality of his fish to the incredible selection of authentic Japanese delicacies he serves up. The staff is warm and service is efficient but unobtrusive. Sit at the 6 seat sushi bar and ask for Omakase and get ready for an incredible array of sashimi, nigiri and maki that would cost you $75/pp in NYC or SF. Kudos to Circle Sushi in Dunwoody as well--Yuki runs a quality establishment that can be challenging to find (no sign) but well worth the search.
I and several co-workers HAVE gotten sick eating at RuSan's. Since Soto left Hayakawa is the only place that comes close.
For not-expensive sushi, I like Hashiguchi Jr. in Buckhead and Kang Nam on Buford Hwy.
Nakato is one of the few restaurants in ATL that has reminded me of Sushi Yasuda in NYC. We have eaten there for close to 20 years and never bother with the menu,choosing instead to develop an intuitive relationship with Kakisan and eating whatever he thinks we should try, while knowing he will always impress with our favorites when they are at their peak. The best fish is rarely listed on the menu and their trad off-menu dishes are exceptional. Even though I respected MF sushi on ponce (never bothered with the buckhead outpost)'s fish and presentation, I have always been loyal to Nakato first and foremost.
Hayakawa reminds me of sushi at 7am in the old Tsukigi market meets some of the nicer "hidden" gems just outside of the touristy parts of Ginza. we have been going here for years and have never been disappointed. It can be expensive for some of the more unusual fish and crowded as well, and is a bit of a trek from DT. Exquisite presentations and excellent conversation from "Art."
Shoya is one of my favorite (relative) newcomers to the ATL scene. It combines the loud fun of metro Tokyo izakaya with a bit of the edginess of the old 90s St. Marks E Village izakaya scene (like Go, RIP!, or Kanka and its infamous red-eyed tanuki)--especially with the large chu-hi menu. The extensive small plates menu is one of the most impressive I've seen in ATL, and while it is not a sushi-centered restaurant, they do have remarkable sushi/sashimi specials that are rarely seen on other ATL menus and probably the most authentic izakaya atmosphere I've found outside of NYC on the east coast.
-Mal
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