The days of the California roll are numbered. Do you really want to eat a run-of-the-mill maki roll stuffed with flimsy strands of tasteless cucumber, dried-out imitation crab, and mushy avocado? Ordering one at any respectable sushi restaurant is like asking for buttered pasta at a four-star Italian restaurant.
Today, the American palate is more sophisticated than ever, and as a result, sushi’s popularity continues to soar. Ingredients once considered too hard to find are now commonplace at sushi restaurants from Manhattan to Minneapolis. Just one peek at the recent documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi, which follows one of the most respected sushi masters, and it’s clear why diners love eating everything from raw clams to rice topped with precious caviar. Sushi is not only healthy, it’s also the cuisine of choice for Hollywood celebrities. Our selection of seafood has never been better.
See the best sushi restaurants in the U.S. >
But it wasn’t always this way, says Tim Zagat, who with his wife, Nina, founded the Zagat Restaurant Survey back in the 1980s. What was once considered exotic is now everyday fare for even young children. Zagat included the ratings of 34 Japanese restaurants across the country in 1990, but today there are 221 in that category.
“The idea of eating raw fish? Most people thought that would be a fraternity prank,” says Zagat. “Now there’s a sushi bar on every corner.”
At Brushstroke in New York City, chef David Bouley collaborated with the Tsuji Culinary Institute in Osaka, Japan, to create tasting menus that let diners experience a range of flavors. One moment you may take bites from a chirashi bowl, a mound of rice topped with shimmering pieces of sashimi, and the next you’ll dip a tender lobster tail into white miso sauce.
Our list of the 20 best sushi restaurants includes a range of options. In Atlanta, the popular spot Tomo serves simple Japanese snapper with shiso and a squeeze of lemon, or for those who aren’t purists, a popular spicy scallop roll is a must order. Another favorite of ours includes Urasawa in Los Angeles, where the dining experience is equal parts theater and art.
While the price tag can be steep to experience some of the country’s best sushi, as much as $500 for dinner, our list below is aimed at all budgets, with each experience worth the trip.
More articles from Travel + Leisure:
- World's Best Wine Resorts
- World's Most Bikeable Wine Regions
- A Wine Tour of Chile
- Best Starchitect-Built Theaters
- Great Golf Courses In California Wine Country
Soto, New York City
Soto remains under the radar among notable sushi restaurants in New York but is consistently ranked among the best by guidebooks like Zagat and Michelin. One reason is chef Sotohiro Kosugi. The menu features several varieties of sea urchin — all worth ordering. In the small, serene dining room the best views of Kosugi working his magic are best had from the bar. There’s also a menu of fine sakes — great for pairing with your kampachi tartare, diced bits of yellowtail fish, or thinly sliced Long Island fluke dusted with sea salt and a touch of yuzu zest.
357 Sixth Ave.; (212) 414-3088; sotonyc.com
Brushstroke, New York City
TriBeCa’s resurgence has attracted a number of well-known restaurant openings to the downtown neighborhood, but none rival the nearly 10 years of planning that went into Brushstroke, where chef David Bouley tapped masters from the famed Tsuji cooking school in Osaka. At this warm, minimally designed restaurant, the sushi is first rate: lobster may be studded with bits of salmon roe, but most of the items focus on very pure, traditional nigiri. For instance, the fatty tuna or mackerel atop a bed of rice shows off the taste of the fresh fish. The rice is cooked to the perfect temperature, and the slices of fish are meant to be consumed in a single bite.
30 Hudson St.; (212) 791-3771; davidbouley.com
Makoto, Washington, D.C.
Makoto means “harmony” in Japanese, and that may be the best description of the food at this well-known D.C. favorite. Ordering omakase in this quaint restaurant is the way to go here, as a procession of pageantry unfolds before you. A variety of fish, whether raw or flash grilled, is accompanied by courses ranging from silky layers of tofu topped with grated ginger to delicate vegetables lightly fried in a tempura batter. The dishes at Makoto roll out at a steady pace, and while you can order à la carte, it’s best to let the chefs make the decisions.
4822 MacArthur Blvd. Northwest; (202) 298-6866; makotorestaurantdc.com
See the rest of the story at Business Insider