Sushi Neko once again is voted top sushi in Oklahoma City by the kids over at Oklahoma Gazette.

I realize those Gazette 'Best of' deals are mostly a popularity contest.....but do people seriously think Sushi Cat is the best in Oklahoma City? I realize we don't have the best choices to choose from (sort of like voting 'Best BBQ' in Kansai Scene Magazine) but come on!

It was actually a "Best Seafood or Sushi Restaurant" category. I don't care for anything raw myself, so I can't comment. My friends prefer Tokyo but that doesn't have the atmosphere.

I look to In the Raw in Bricktown to really make some waves.

Having lived in Japan for about four years, Tokyo is the closest to a neighborhood sushi bar and restaurant I've found in OKC. Sushi Neko is okay but it's more LA style sushi than authentic Japanese.

My mother-in-law is Japanese and from NYC-Tokyo is the only place she will recommend to friends. Hands down- Tokyo has the best sushi in OKC. Sushi Neko is definitely trendy, but when it comes down to good food, many will agree that Tokyo has them all beat.

I really enjoy sushi at Okura.

I prefer Tokyo to Sushi Neko. The food at SN was okay, but the restaurant was loud and crowded. I felt like I was sitting on top of other people. Not the way I prefer to eat. :P Plus if you take a friend with you to Tokyo who doesn't like sushi (weirdos, lol), they have a whole menu of great stuff to choose from.

How about Gaijin Sushi?

RJ..........whereabouts in Nippon?

To heck with the sushi craze.......let's get some tabehodai shabu-shabu/yakiniku places going. Come on, OKC! It's meat. You'll love it.

There's a place called Yakimono up there on Memorial next to Cheeseburger in Paradise. I don't know if they have yakiniku or not, but I've been meaning to check it out.

Yakimono is sort of a fast food Japanese grill. My husband and I tried it a few days after it opened and we were a bit disappointed.
It may not be fair for me to comment since the restaurant was so new at the time, but I don't think I am willing to give it another try.

I agree with c-liger-Okura's sushi is good, I would say that it is much better than Neko's. Okura has a nice mix of good food and a cool atmosphere.

RJ..........whereabouts in Nippon?

To heck with the sushi craze.......let's get some tabehodai shabu-shabu/yakiniku places going. Come on, OKC! It's meat. You'll love it.

I lived in Fukuoka, Japan--Hakata Field Station from '64 thru '68. I was an ASA warrior if there are any ASA folks out there. As many times as I've been to Toyko I never looked to see if there was shabu-shabu or yakiniku. They do have really good donbori and great box lunches and dinners. And good sushi.

Funny. My first post on these boards was in The Food Court. Wonder what that means.

I've called New Tokyo about shabu-shabu and they said they can prepare it for you in advance for around $50.

Actually, I just visit the Korean market on 12th in Moore and buy the meat strips with Mitzukan ponzu for a fraction of the cost. Piece of cake to make.

Last time I checked, Tokyo does have yakiniku. And yes, I LOVE their donburi. It's so awesome.

What about best value sushi in OKC. I lived in Tulsa and their were a couple of places there that were really fresh, and the prices weren't too bad.

I'm a big guy, and I want 2 or 3 rolls along with a cold tako salad or a soup or something. I just don't want to spend 50 bucks every time I go.

----- On an unrelated note, I remember eating sushi in Amsterdam, and I was really worried because the fish wasn't as cold as I was used to.

I thought maybe it was bad and I was going to be sick. Needless to say it wasn't, and I didn't.

I thought about it later and realized that raw fish in oklahoma better be cold.

The fresher fish definitely had more flavor.

With all this talk about Toyko I had to go there for lunch today (had the box lunch and it was great). Three guys came in about the same time as me, all wearing ball caps and talking deer hunting and with strong okie accents. The lunch special was a sushi plate. They placed the order by telling the waitress "we want that raw fish special". Listening to their conversation it was apparent that they had eaten at Toyko many times before but it struck me that Okies are kinda special people and that maybe only in Oklahoma will you find three hard core deer hunters in ball caps and T's enjoying sushi for lunch.

That's hilarious!

great observation on your part RJ-I know that a percentage of the population may think that sushi is pretentious or "that weird raw fish stuff ya'll eat", but I do love that I always see a very diverse group of people during my lunch visits to Tokyo.

It is great to see that people are venturing out to try new foods:)
Since moving here, I have developed respect for Oklahomans and their love for sushi, vietnamese, indian and thai cuisine.

The transformation in OKC is a mix of amazing and surreal.

When I first moved to Japan in 1997, I was occasionally asked 'Do you really eat raw fish?'...'Do Japanese eat anything other than raw fish?' etc, etc.

You come back ten years later, and everybody and their Aggie friend is eating at Sushi Neko, Musashi's, Sushi Hayashi, Gaijin Sushi....and the list goes on and on.

Weird.

What's even more interesting, the Japanese restaurants are in a different situation compared to the Vietnamese, Korean and Indian restaurants. Those diners serve food with the judgement of those local ex-pat/immigrant communities at stake.

There is no Japanese community in Oklahoma City. Maybe a few students at OCU and UCO......but no one really to judge the quality of Japanese fare.

for us northerners, kang's in edmond has fab sushi...

Tokyo, is the only place I will order fresh fish. My friends work there and I'm a regular there. I always sit at the bar and get excellent service. They have the best hamachi and unagi. The atmosphere is definitely not as trendy like most have mentioned, but food is very good for OKC.

I've called New Tokyo about shabu-shabu and they said they can prepare it for you in advance for around $50.

Actually, I just visit the Korean market on 12th in Moore and buy the meat strips with Mitzukan ponzu for a fraction of the cost. Piece of cake to make.

My cousin-in-law owns that market, Donga~

Highly doubt I'll ever bring myself to try it, but if I should and if I were to like it, out of habit if nothing else, I'd probably still consider it a bait plate.

Tokyo is excellent.

I like Sushi Neko- they have some good rolls and other items on the menu, but Tokyo is the best in OKC. Koji runs a good place.

Now if we can just get a crazy sushi place where I can do sake bombs all night with the chefs after closing....

Where is Tokyo?

Tokyo is good and cheap. (It is just south of Wilshire on Western, on the east side of the road. A little white building.)

Neko is my favorite, but is on the expensive side. But I love the atmosphere.

And when I can't get to either of those Buddha Tao on memorial is actually pretty good and has good prices.

I second both Okura and Tokyo, both are delicious and have nice staff and atmosphere. But I think the best vaue and taste for my money is Shiki on W Reno. I think the location causes people not take it seriously (very close to Night Trips), but they have great food!

Shiki??? That stuff is over-priced cat food.

Kimochi warui!

I went to Shiki tonight and it was pretty good. I ordered four different rolls, and would order at least two of them again, and then try a 3rd different on my next visit.

It baffles me that Sushi Neko keeps winning the best of. Really are you kidding me?! I love Tokyo. I even proposed to my wife there. Lol. My new favorite is Okura. They have the most amazing sushi creations, but the open room atmosphere is not to my liking. I wish I could take Okura's menu and put it at Tokyo.

Having lived in Japan for about four years, Tokyo is the closest to a neighborhood sushi bar and restaurant I've found in OKC. Sushi Neko is okay but it's more LA style sushi than authentic Japanese.

I agree...when I was deployed, we were on mainland Japan for a couple months. Tokyo is absolutely the best IMHO. Of course everyone's taste buds are different but I typically prefer authentic.

Gonna bump this thread since it's been like 6 years.

Is Tokyo still people's favorite? Has anybody been to Saii Bistro? What about Samurai sushi, Sakura, GOGO sushi? Does anybody know of any decent spots in Edmond area? All the places I tried seem to be lacking. The best I have found so far is from a Thai place in Edmond! Being from SF, I miss high quality really good sushi. There was a sushi joint, often times all they had was fresh sushi, on every corner in SF. All the places here have cream cheese, mayo, and weird stuff that doesn't belong in sushi IMO.
So far, Tokyo is the best I have found in OKC area.

I'm not a sushi expert by any means, but there's something I've always liked about Park Harvey Sushi.

Tokyo is the best I've had here. If there is somewhere that's better I would like to know about it. There was one place that opened up at N MacArthur Blvd and Memorial that was very good starting out but the quality has since went way downhill. I miss all of the sushi options that come with living in a coastal city as well as the much lower prices than what is available here. To be fair though, I've lived in places with much worse sushi than here and there are some decent places here if you know where to go.

Places we eat sushi:

Saii (OKc. Good and nice atmosphere)
The Sushi Bar (When in edmond. A bit pricey)
Park Harvey (OKC. When we lived upstairs. A bit pricey but a nice family runs it)
Sushi Master (Norman. Close to home. Good prices and fast)
O Asian Fusion (Norman. Good, cheap and good drink specials) I usually get the firecracker dish here while my wife eats the sushi.

For work lunch: GoGO Sushi in Midtown. Hard to beat the lunch special.
Dinner: Saii

It probably isn't traditional sushi but I really like the sushi at Thai Delight in Norman. I usually get sushi as an appetizer and finish it off with some Thai hot curry. mmm!

The Sushi Bar has staked out a new location on Memorial (on the Eastbound side) West of Hideaway, Interurban etc. Right by a strip office complex with insurance agency and workout facility.

I like to go to Saii now and then and love Tokyo house. but for dropping in for sushi close to my house I go to Samurai on NW 23rd. small place always fresh and delicious. very nice family.

The Sushi Bar has staked out a new location on Memorial (on the Eastbound side) West of Hideaway, Interurban etc. Right by a strip office complex with insurance agency and workout facility.

That might be the end for Sushi Tsubaki if it ends up happening. It should do well though.

Thai delight in Edmond has solid sushi for this area. So far, Tokyo is my favorite. Sounds like I gotta try GOGO, Saii, and Park Harvey it sounds like. Thanks for the suggestions.

I consistently hear Tokyo is the best from people whose opinion I most respect, but I've yet to personally have their sushi.

Gogo Sushi seems like a great value to me. Park Harvey was good, but a bit expensive (though if you live right there, not sure you can complain).

Overall, I feel like the sushi scene in OKC is pretty decent for a land-locked city.

Overall, I feel like the sushi scene in OKC is pretty decent for a land-locked city.

OKC is the most landlocked city I've had sushi in so I am not sure how it compares to somewhere farther from the coast like Kansas City or Denver. The availability of top notch sushi here is pretty limited compared to Charlotte but I am glad there are places like Tokyo that offer similar quality to a coastal sushi restaurant.

Alright, sushi chef here. I have worked for Western Concepts, Sumo in Edmond, and I ran the sushi program for Nani when we were serving sushi. I have spent the better part of 15 years working on what I feel is the very best sushi experience that one can offer here in the city (this is not to sound braggadocios, but rather that I believe that people deserve the very best experience that I or anyone else can give them when it comes to experiencing a meal). Sushi is very near and dear to my heart, so I have quite a lot to say on the matter, and this is true for all metropolitan areas, not just Oklahoma City; I just know this city the best, so I'm speaking on the subject of sushi in the 405.

And if it means anything one way or another, I'll tell you where I eat sushi around the metro. Here are my two cents on a few things:

First, people really don't need to be concerned when it comes to Oklahoma being landlocked, as you can still get incredible quality seafood practically anywhere in the world now with modern transportation. The vast majority of fish are flash-frozen as soon as they hit the boat for safety and transportation concerns, so practically everywhere you go you will have fish that has been previously frozen. It also bears mentioning that having truly fresh fish right out of the ocean often isn't the best way to serve it; the flesh of fish prior to or still in rigor mortis is not nearly as good as it can be once that process has run it's course. In fact, many fish benefit from aging for various lengths of time; under the right conditions you can age tuna for nearly two weeks (often more) and make it that much more incredible of an experience. Having said all of that - again, thanks to the miracles of modern refrigeration and transportation methods - if you want fresh seafood straight out of the ocean you can have that, too.

So, if you can get great quality ingredients even in a place like Oklahoma, then why does so much of the sushi around here seem "average" to true sushi lovers? It's because hardly anyone is buying quality product, and that largely has to do with what the general population expects and wants out of a sushi experience. People love sushi, and they should, it's delicious! But the issue is that they [the general population] love the sushi with lots of spicy mayonnaise and eel sauce and sriracha. All three of those ingredients are wonderful when used in the right application, but they often become a crutch to lean on when you are working with less-than-stellar products. Something tastes good, but bland? Put spicy mayonnaise and eel sauce on it. Something needs a kick? Spicy mayonnaise and eel sauce. You see this in practically every sushi restaurant when people ask for sides of those sauces, or drown their sushi in soy sauce. It's unfortunate, but people are free to eat sushi as they wish, and often times that's all that they've ever known on how to eat sushi. This is the reason that Sushi Neko keeps winning "best sushi" every year. It's average sushi, but it's popular, and it's exactly what the general population wants out of a sushi experience.

More on quality, it should also be mentioned that with the exception of salmon and maybe the occasional tuna or mackerel, hardly anyone is buying whole fish and breaking them down in-house; they are buying in loins of fish or ground tuna for spicy tuna rolls and going from there. You cannot have a truly great end product if you do not start with a wholly great product.Why? Because that's the type of quality that the general population expects, because - again - spicy mayonnaise and eel sauce, etc. Buying in whole fish and breaking them down in-house matters because once you portion something out from it's whole form it immediately begins to oxidize and lose it's inherent qualities. If you get the product in whole you can control every aspect of it's handling (provided that you handle it properly,) along the way from the time you take it in until the time the diner enjoys it. This is why you should, ideally, be more cautious or at least guard your expectations when you go into a sushi bar and you see pre-cut fish in the sushi display refrigerator, and many places around the metro are guilty of this, and they do so because they are trying to save a few seconds later by having the fish already pre-portioned into neta (what sits on top of the dango of rice in nigiri) for quicker handling later. When you do this you are essentially exposing that whole loin of fish to oxygen all at once instead of gradually doing so by slicing as you go. Tokyo is guilty of this, among others. If you go in to Tokyo and look at their sushi display case you will see that the most popular fish - salmon, tuna, yellowtail, escolar (also known as white tuna, even though that's not what it actually is) - are already pre-portioned out for quicker handling. Tokyo is not the only place that does this - there are other as well - but it bears mentioning as it is a fan favorite of sushi lovers in the 405.

Continuing on quality, most sushi restaurants around the metro order their pantry items from the same two or three distributors, so you're essentially getting the same product wherever you go. So much, if not all, of what you enjoy at a sushi bar can be made in-house, but many places do not. Eel sauce is incredibly easy to make, as it's just soy sauce, sugar, mirin, and either dashi or fish bones (contrary to popular belief, eel sauce does not traditionally contain eel, nor should it have to. It is merely a sauce to be enjoyed with eel,) simmered for a good while, but many places just buy it in from their distributors. It's puzzling as to why, too, because it's considerably cheaper to make it yourself. Sumo and Western Concepts made their own eel sauce last I checked/worked there , Tokyo does not. I have seen the chefs behind the sushi bar refill their bottles of eel sauce on the line with a larger jug of kabayaki sauce from a distributor. I am not trying to dig on them for that necessarily (again, other places do that as well,) I am just pointing out what I have known and seen.

Mackerel is another great example. All you have to do to prepare great mackerel is to buy it in whole, clean and portion it down to loins, cure it in salt and sugar for a while, and briefly steep it in rice vinegar. That's it. Yet, the majority of places around the metro buy their mackerel pre-cured, and it all tastes the same. The only place I have enjoyed truly a la minute cured mackerel that I did not make myself (it's a fish that's very important to me; I love it so much that I have it tattooed on my right arm,) is at The Sushi Bar in Edmond, and it was magnificent. Other than that, it's all bought-in.

The last, and definitely most important part of a great sushi experience is the rice itself. The term sushi actually means "vinegared rice", and there's a whole history behind it that I won't go into here, but suffice to say that without great rice you cannot have truly great sushi. In fact, I would say that great sushi rice is 90% of what makes a truly great sushi experience. If you do not have great sushi rice, then it's just not going to add up, and anyone that wants the best sushi experience would do well to find a place that takes invests the extra time, effort, and money into their rice. The vast majority of sushi restaurants use Kokuho for their sushi rice, which is a really good introductory rice for people that are new to trying sushi or making it themselves. Kokuho is also about $1 a pound. Koshihikari, hitomebore, and akitahitome are what you will [or should] find in higher end sushi bars, and they go for about $1.80-2.50 per pound. The quality of the rice matters, as does the quality of the seasoning. Most sushi restaurants under-season their sushi rice, and you can instantly tell whenever you taste it; it tastes bland. Moreover, most sushi restaurants around here are also high-volume locations, and so they either cannot or perhaps simply do not devote the time that they should to making the rice as great as it could be. Great sushi rice is an art, and it's something that I have spent nearly half of my life working on. It's so important to me that often times we would just serve the rice by itself, a simple dango formed at that moment, and ask that guests eat it as soon as it was placed in front of them. We then served them another dango of freshly made sushi rice, simply dressed.

Last I checked/worked in the public, the best sushi rice in the metro was at Sumo in Edmond. However, this was when I last worked there in the spring of 2012, so whether or not that's the case now is a question I have no answer for.

To tie all of this together, a great sushi experience needs to embody and fulfill all of the aforementioned subjects, but more importantly, it's about intentionality. Uchi/Uchiko in Austin are a great example of this. They did not compromise on their vision, they have put out the best quality product that they can, and they have been rewarded a thousand fold. If you want to make waves in the otherwise sleepy waters of sushi in the Oklahoma City metro, then you need to really make a full, honest effort to not compromise to the will of the general public and put forth the best sushi that you possibly can. The same is true of any other restaurant. If you put forth average or sub-par products, then that is what the public will want, because that will be quite literally all that they will know. If you put for an incredible product and an incredible experience then the general public will come to want that. Supply and demand.

Alright, so having said all of that, here are my current personal recommendations for sushi:

Best rice: Sumo. Last I checked, at least (this was also last I was working there, in 2012, and I handled most of the rice there, or at least as much as I could).

Best quality fish and nigiri: The Sushi Bar. Skip the rolls, go for the nigiri, and get what's on their specials board if they are offering nigiri on it.

Best rolls: Sumo. This, again, has to do with the rice, as the majority of what constitutes a sushi roll is inherently rice. Again, this was last I checked and last that I worked there (again, 2012).

Best atmosphere: Tokyo. Hands down, the closest to an authentic sushi bar experience that you will have.

Overall: If I'm going to enjoy sushi, and I'm not making it myself, I go to The Sushi Bar. It's a hike, but it's worth it for how they handle their products.

And with all of that, I am in no way discrediting any sushi restaurants of bars that I have or have not mentioned. Good sushi is easy to find in Oklahoma City. Great sushi? See above.

Wow…thanks Andon.

Posts like that are why I spend so much time on internet forums. You can learn so much from some of the most informed people simply because they have a passion for it.

Andon, curious if you could compare the sushi in OKC with other places. I am not talking about the "best" sushi place in a city, but the quality of the average place in OKC to the average place in other cities. For instance, sushi is plentiful in San Diego. They have incredible places, yet one of the busiest, at least around my area, is one that has all-u-can for $25/person. I wonder if that would be comparable to what is offered in OKC.

One thing I have noticed is that the sushi roll offerings in OKC and Tulsa is very heavy on cream cheese! Typically don't see that many rolls in San Diego with cream cheese, except the Philly rolls with salmon. However, we have lots of rolls with eel sauce or spicy mayos and such.

Andon... You mind if I plagiarize that and change it to BBQ? :wink:

That's exactly how I feel about the food of my passion in Oklahoma City.

Speaking of passion and sushi - sometime catch Jiro Dreams of Sushi on Netflix. Really good.

Andon, curious if you could compare the sushi in OKC with other places....
I'll write on this more here in a bit!


Andon... You mind if I plagiarize that and change it to BBQ? :wink:

That's exactly how I feel about the food of my passion in Oklahoma City.
By all means. You can really apply all of that to any type of cuisine. You get out what you put into it.

Andon, curious if you could compare the sushi in OKC with other places. I am not talking about the "best" sushi place in a city, but the quality of the average place in OKC to the average place in other cities. For instance, sushi is plentiful in San Diego. They have incredible places, yet one of the busiest, at least around my area, is one that has all-u-can for $25/person. I wonder if that would be comparable to what is offered in OKC.

One thing I have noticed is that the sushi roll offerings in OKC and Tulsa is very heavy on cream cheese! Typically don't see that many rolls in San Diego with cream cheese, except the Philly rolls with salmon. However, we have lots of rolls with eel sauce or spicy mayos and such.
Alright, sorry it took me so long to get to this; we had a busy weekend!

First and foremost, all-you-can-eat sushi is an unfortunate reality that plagues many-a-sushi restaurant. While I am sure that there are some decent/good AYCE sushi experiences... somewhere... it is a road best left untraveled. Right quick, the main problem that I have with AYCE sushi is that it completely destroys the integrity of the experience of eating quality sushi, and the same is true for ordering those awful (yes, I said awful) monstrosities that are those sushi boats that are filled with mountains of sushi that are meant to feed a small army. If you want to order a bunch of sushi, then that's totally awesome! Order away! But, don't do it all at once. Know what you want to order, and order a couple of items/rolls/nigiri/etc. at a time. Sushi is best served when the rice is still warm and the fish is still cold (unless it's fried, obviously,) and when you order a sushi boat or load up an AYCE ticket with a million rolls you are basically throwing integrity out the window, because you're going to get a boat or platter full of rolls that were just made, but also rolls that were maybe made five to ten or more minutes ago because that ticket/order was so long or took forever to fulfill.

If you want a lot of sushi, then go for it! But order it in steps, not all at once.

On that same note, with AYCE sushi options you'll likely find skimping on quality or portion size (this is not to say that you will be served sub-par product - though you might - but rather that you will be served less of a standard product via either lack of selection of actually smaller portions). When I worked at Sumo I tried so hard to get them to stop serving AYCE, it was (is?) a successful business, and they honestly didn't need it as a dining option to continue to succeed. I even tried to do so in phases; raising the price, no AYCE on weekends, etc. Bottom line, it's a weak marketing tactic to get people into your establishment who are just looking to walk in and waddle out. It's one thing to want to be satisfied or full from a meal (two different things, mind you,) - your money is worth that much at least in most situations - but it's another thing entirely to try and gorge yourself for the littlest amount spent.

With regard to comparing sushi in Oklahoma City with other metropolitan areas, it's much the same. In areas such as San Francisco, Chicago, New York, etc. you will find more restaurants focusing on the more "traditional" sushi experience, such as Edomae style sushi, or perhaps more refined, higher end eateries. Elsewhere, it seems to be largely the same, as the general population's idea of what sushi is in America is ubiquitous, and people have come to expect to find similar products in different destinations. If you want a "spicy cowboy" in another city then there's every chance in the world that they have it, but know it by another name. This is because - again - the majority of restaurants tend to use the same distributors, and unlike the bar culture where products have a universal name across the whole industry, the world of sushi has the same 25-50 rolls under an infinite number of monikers.

Cream cheese in sushi likely came about because of [middle] America's expectation for fats in their foods. There's absolutely nothing wrong with fat in your diet in reasonable amounts, and it's actually really important to consume (if you want to be concerned about anything, be concerned about refined sugars,) but you won't see much fat in traditional Japanese cooking (unless it's fried,) let alone in sushi. This is likely the same reason that avocado was first used in sushi, trying to mimic the fattiness of toro, etc. Also, with un-exceptional products you tend to lose that natural umami/savoriness that is present in truly good ingredients; it's the reason that many heirloom vegetable varieties taste better than conventional produce.

Thanks Andon.

The AYCE sushi places are popping up around San Diego, but we have an abundance of sushi, so there is room for everyone. I believe the rise of the AYCE is due to the relative expense of sushi, wtih many believing it is a costly meal, so the $25 charge captures the market that thinks sushi is only for splurges. I am a big eater, yet I am hard pressed to eat more than $25 ala carte, unless I am going for the most pricey selections.

I also find there is a large percentage of the population that is still adverse to eating raw sushi, except for a few basic fishes. Raw salmon and tuna are mainstream but a lot of people still shy away from any other species. I have to admit that I like rolls, just without cream cheese. I guess my fat content is satisfied with the mayo rich crab (Krab) salad used as the basis for many of rolls. I also love unagi with eel sauce but typically get it as Nigiri. But I am also the first at the table to try sea urchin or Monkfish liver or any other exotic choice on the chalk board that night.

Sadly, a couple of my co-workers are now gluten-free, so our choices for sushi for lunch are limited to places that do not serve Krab and have Tamari as an option over soy.

Andon,

Thank you for your suggestions and critique. Coming from San Francisco where there is a sushi restaurant (that specifically serves sushi and just a few other items) on every corner, eating Sushi in Oklahoma has been a disappointment. For some reason, the fish feels fresher in SF. I know flash frozen techniques are used so freshness shouldn't be too much of a question. Maybe it's because the sushi is more authentic (as in no cream cheese, weird sauces). The sushi restaurants in SF (and most of the west coast) don't offer hibachi and usually is just a bar with a few tables in a very small with just a few tables. There are specific places with hibachi but most in SF do not offer that. For example, one of my favorite sushi joints (there are so many to choose from) in the SF area where I grew up is a place called Uzen. There are so many others. Look at some of the pictures, I cannot find this in the OKC area. Uzen Japanese Cuisine - North Oakland - Oakland, CA | Yelp (http://www.yelp.com/biz/uzen-japanese-cuisine-oakland) .It just feels like their fish is fresher and their sushi is more authentic.

I have only lived on the west coast prior moving to OKC where there is a large japanese population (LA, SF, Seattle). Maybe other cities like Tulsa, Little Rock, Omaha, even Dallas don't quite offer what I was used to. It might just be me.

What bchris said, it would seem that a lot of the population here is adversed to eating raw fish. Everybody here likes their fish fried or slathered with sauce, mayo, fried crunchies to mask the flavor? I do like some americanized rolls, but cream cheese... really? I like the comment that sushi restaurants have to adapt to the general population's preference and I guess lots of fat and sauce makes sense here... sadly.

Places I need to try before I completely discredit OKC for their sushi (in no order)

1) Sumo
2) The Sushi Bar
3) Saii Bistro
4) GoGo
5) Samurai

I have been to Tokyo (solid), nhinja (yuk), Thai delight (why does thai serve sushi, its decent), o asian fusion in norman (not for me), in the raw, and some others I forget... I was largely underwhelmed.

So far, Tokyo is the best out of the ones I tried. Thank you all for the suggestions and keep them going.

It's good to hear Andon's positive opinion of The Sushi Bar as it's our go-to place and about five minutes from our house. I'm much less of a traditionalist than I used to be (in everything) and I really enjoy the Americanized rolls and The Sushi Bar has the best we've tried. We weren't that impressed with their nigiri and actually go to Nhinja when we want something more traditional.

I think the most important thing Andon pointed out was the importance of the rice. I've had so many sushi experiences ruined when there was good fish or a good combination of ingredients but the rice had no flavor! I could sit and eat good sushi rice by itself...no problem!

Thanks for the post, Andon. Interesting insider take on sushi bars and tabehoudai places.

I don't know if this is appropriate for an OKC based forum but I'll consider it a PSA. My wife and I just had the best sushi we've ever tasted at a place called Momo sushi and grill in Canon City, Colorado, just outside the Royal Gorge. If anyone is planning a trip to the region and is a sushi lover, this would be a good place to check out. Our standard is The Sushi Bar in Edmond but Momo blows The Sushi Bar out of the water. The Momo roll was mindblowing!

http://www.momocanoncity.com/

I don't know if this is appropriate for an OKC based forum but I'll consider it a PSA. My wife and I just had the best sushi we've ever tasted at a place called Momo sushi and grill in Canon City, Colorado, just outside the Royal Gorge. If anyone is planning a trip to the region and is a sushi lover, this would be a good place to check out. Our standard is The Sushi Bar in Edmond but Momo blows The Sushi Bar out of the water. The Momo roll was mindblowing!

http://www.momocanoncity.com/

Good to know. On this note, the best sushi I have ever had was New Zealand Cafe in Charlotte. If anybody is ever in Charlotte they should check it out.

Speaking of the Sushi Bar, is one still planned for N MacArthur and Memorial? I personally think their cooked rolls are excellent. I haven't been as impressed with their raw offerings. Maybe I need to give it another try as its been a couple of years since I have been there.

Good to know. On this note, the best sushi I have ever had was New Zealand Cafe in Charlotte. If anybody is ever in Charlotte they should check it out.

Speaking of the Sushi Bar, is one still planned for N MacArthur and Memorial? I personally think their cooked rolls are excellent. I haven't been as impressed with their raw offerings. Maybe I need to give it another try as its been a couple of years since I have been there.

As of about a week ago, there wasn't anything going on that was identifiable as their new location. My wife and I feel the same as you in that we love their cooked rolls but for raw nigiri, they aren't the best.

The Sushi Bar on Memorial just west of MacArthur is well under construction now.

It's the site directly west of the Farmer's building.

Stoked on the new Sushi Bar location; I hope the quality transfers over as well!

Also, just a heads up that I'm currently consulting up at Covell Park in Edmond for their sushi bar, establishing a new sushi menu (if all goes according to plan, though we shall see), and handling their rice and product procurement, so take that for what it is. You'll find me there most evenings.