The Sushi Superlatives

by Veronica Gessa

Being a Self proclaimed Sushi Connoisseur I have been to almost every Japanese Joint and Sushi spot on the beach and throughout Miami.

After much tasting and dining countless times at many of my favorite locations, I have created my TOP 5 SUSHI SUPRELATIVES.

GOLD METAL: DORAKU
Notorious for Naked Sushi and Hip Happy Hours Doraku steals the Gold by a mile.
1100 Lincoln Rd
Miami Beach, FL 33139-2425
(305) 695-8383

Specials: Doraku has one of the best happy hours on the beach. With just $20 you can walk away full, drunk, and very happy. You can also still catch their amazing lunch special that deducts 25% from your entire bill! It only lasts until Mid December so enjoy it while you can.
My Favorite Menu Item: Garlic Teriyaki Wok Seared Edamame. Ladies and Gentlemen it’s a true addiction and I am seeing help for it. Try it for yourselves and stage your own intervention.
Ambience: The restaurant its self is really welcoming. With multiple hostesses greeting you at the door, service is pretty fast and the decor is traditional yet hip. With bamboo furniture and private booths. Ancient statues to anime fighter cartoons at the bar this isn’t your ordinary Japanese Joint. The music varies from contemporary artists to electronic remixes. This is no surprise being that it is Created and Operated by  Kevin Aoki, Steve Aoki’s Brother.
Great for: Invite someone for cocktails! This is a top Happy Hour Location!

THE STEAL: SUSHI KO
Located in a small Miami borough Sushi Ko has a lot to offer someone with a hungry stomach for a very small price.
7971 SW 40th ST
Miami, FL 33155
(305) 264-6778

Specials: True to it’s name Sushi Ko is quite the steal offering one of the largest Lunch specials for the most economic price! A choice from 2 Main Entrees, Accompanied by Salad, Rice, Soup, 2 Sides and half an Orange for only $8.
My Favorite Menu Item: The Vegetable Tempura. The most delicious tempura I have ever tasted. The vegetables arrive fresh daily and the taste is clear in the first bite.
Ambiance: The Decor is traditional for a Sushi Spot in the Kendall Area. It had several rooms but my favorite are the Bamboo Private Booths The table tops are vintage maps of South Florida or Japan.
The service is extremely fast, You are already eating within moments of Ordering.
Great For: A tasty yet cost efficient lunch or a cheap lunch date.

THE UNDERGROUND: SHISO
Tucked away in the Purdy Avenue Pocket Shiso is the best kept secret on Miami Beach.
1418 20th St,
Miami Beach, FL 33139
(305) 672-1119

Specials: Longest List of Unique and original Saketini recipes with risky names such as “Shiso Horny & The Pearl Necklace”
My Favorite Menu Item: Shiso KILLS IT with their chic Truffle Edamame. The smell itself knocks you on your bottom. Lightly salted and full of flavor guests come from far and wide just to sample this delicious and outstanding dish.
Ambiance: The decor for the place is perfect. With the entrance consisting of a small lounge and a Bar that adjoins the room with the Dining area and Sushi bar. The brick, dark wood, and concrete gives Shiso an industrial feel. The walls are covered with Original Paintings of the virgin Guadalupe. The vibe feels like an underground bar in New york city as opposed to a Miami Sushi spot near the bay.
Great For: A Romantic Dinner for two, or a late night drink.

The Nightlife Favorite: MOSHI MOSHI
Along the quaint Espagnola Way Moshi Moshi is the after party you can always count on.
1448 Washington Ave,
Miami Beach, FL 33139
(305) 531-4520

Specials: Moshi Moshi specializes in IZAKAYA form of Japanese cuisine.
My favorite Menu Item: The Celebration Roll that has shrimp tempura, eel, avocado, cream cheese, and cucumber! I also can’t get enough of the Salmon Miso Soup!
The Ambience: Not very decorative Moshi is still a fun place to eat if you sit Indian style in the quaint booths. Adds a bit of fun to the experience.
Great For: The late night munchies. Sake bombs at 4:30am or a mouth watering sushi roll with sure cure any hunger craving.

THE TOURIST: SUSHI SAMBA
Perfect for people watching Sushi Samba delivers a South Florida Spin on Sushi.
600 Lincoln Rd
Miami Beach, FL 33139-2916
(305) 673-5337

Specials: Sushi Samba offers a variety of classes from sushi making, to children’s origami to Samba dance lessons! Education never tasted so good.
Favorite Menu Item: Yellowtail Ceviche is absolute divinity. With fresh bold flavors Sushi Samba fuses South American and Japanese cuisine. Also try the churrasco it’s out of this world.
Ambience: The location is great and so is the atmosphere. Inside the sleek furniture and light fixtures give Sushi Samba a futuristic yet playful feelings. Full of warm colors and art this Pan Asian spot is sure to win any visitors heart.
Great For: A lavish lunch on south beach.

Adventures in SUSHI, with the fish hater

by Malika James

www.MoshiMoshi.us
1448 Washington Ave
Miami Beach, FL 33139-4112
(305) 531-4520

Trial one: vegetarian roll, no watercress

For someone who is as picky an eater as I am, the thought of seafood, raw fish and a medley of other things all touching each other, together in one roll, makes me want to die. I proceeded to trick my mind through some sort of self-manipulation. All my friends seemed to be zombified slaves to their sushi cravings, so I chose to psyche myself out and make myself want sushi as bad as they always did. I first asked people, “I don’t really like sushi or fish, but I think fried calamari’s okay; what should I try?” I did that about three or four times and got, relatively, the same answer. One day, when I was really feeling unwell from the night before but I wanted something to eat I thought, MOSHI MOSHI: fresh, and delicious.

My friend agreed to join. After sitting in front of the menu and actually planning to order sushi, I realized I wasn’t that scared, especially when I came across the vegetarian roll, oh man! No watercress though.

I ordered that along with a seaweed salad, a side of white rice, asked for eel sauce to be brought with it, and waited.

Rice bowl: nom, nom, nom. Seaweed salad: nom, nom, nom.

Oh boy! Vegetarian Roll! I took my sticks, grabbed a piece and dunked it in some eel sauce and into the old yap it went. I chewed. I waited. I enjoyed!

Hello world: konichiwa

By Sophia Akom

Japanese Market & Sushi Deli
1412 79th St. Causeway
N. Bay Village, FL 33141
www.japanese-market.com

Enter the Sun, get into your car, or on your bike, or the bus, or your feet and go to the Japanese Market & Sushi Deli! This no-bullshit, no-cell-phones-allowed, sushi Mecca is a hidden pearl you’ll treasure forever. It’s so hidden you probably won’t be able to find it, without a map or a cute date with a good sense of direction, and that’s kind of the point.

Once inside, after I’ve set my phone to stealth mode, I say: konichiwa (hello) to a perfect eating experience and ba–bai (I’ll let you figure that one out) to the outside world. There’s not a weak point in Sushi Deli’s menu, from the Deluxe Combo to the Ceviche Roll, every single morsel awakens my taste buds to the true artistry that sushi was meant to be.

Beautifully fresh, and expertly cut, morsels of perfection will practically melt over your tongue, punctuated by subtle bursts of crisp cucumber or the silken, buttery, cream of a perfectly ripe avocado and leave me on the brink of  oral ecstasy. Ohhhhhh . . . my mind’s in the gutter (the JB roll is pretty good too). I want to talk about the Uni (sea urchin) but that’ll up this entry from a solid R rating to a hard X. With that being said, I always leave sooo satisfied. However, this may have something to do with the fact that I set my phone to vibrate! Call me, to ask me how good it was. I might not pick up, so, ummm . . . just keep calling. Thanx!