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| - First off - sushi in Phoenix?1? At least, that was what I was thinking when I walked by this place, which looks like a decent place to stop in, but I will admit, I hesitated a bit. After glancing at the menu and seeing the sushi that was on peoples' plates, though, I was convinced it was worth a try.
If you're staying at the nearby Westin Kierland Resort, this is totally worth it - prices are good, beer is cold, and they have a huge menu, full of options for everyone, even the non-sushi eaters in your party. (I was visiting with a total vegetarian friend, and he said his meal was great...)
I started off with the garlic edamame. I know, you are asking yourself, "What the hell is GARLIC edamame?" It's awesome stuff, is what that is. You need it. Get it. It has a bit of a bite to it, but it's hardly prohibitively spicy. It's loaded with garlicky spicy goodness. Great choice.
Then, I proceeded to order about 1/3 of what I usually get, in order to get a feel for their quality. I ordered 2 pieces each of salmon roe (ikura), fluke (hirame), yellowtail (hamachi), and salmon (sake) nigiri, expecting middle of the road quality fish that was at best OK. Surprise! It was awesome! The quality of the fish I had cannot be overstated. Each piece of sushi was served at the correct temperature and was a smooth mouthful of deliciousness - this is no fast food or supermarket sushi joint. I just had to go back and get more hirame and hamachi; they were that good. I also indulged in their crunchy calamari roll, which I must say is a bit gimmicky, but also totally delicious - go for it.
We finished with their version of a creme brûlée, and it was tasty. Overall, a super unexpected find. I had to force myself to try a different restaurant the following day for lunch, because I could totally see myself coming here for ALL of the meals during the conference. I am happy to say - YES, sushi in Phoenix!!
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