John Bender: Sushi?Claire Standish: Rice, raw fish, and seaweed.John Bender: You won’t accept a guy’s tongue in your mouth, and you’re going to eat that?-The Breakfast Club [1985]
Like the great Ol’ Dirty Bastard, yeah baby we like it rawww. Despite Utah’s landlocked status, the coast of the Great Salt Lake still has excellent sushi. In our Best Sushi in Salt Lake City list, we look for the freshest fish, unique rolls, and the perfection of the classics. As suckers for Salt Lake City, we will also automatically order any roll that drops an SLC reference like the Blazing Jazz roll at Sapa Sushi, the Sugar House roll at Tsunami, the X96 roll at Kyoto, or the Summit and Downtown rolls at Takashi.
Like anything worthwhile in SLC, you need to know where to look. We are here to guide you in the right direction and help you separate the sushi restaurants that meet the grade, and those that are a little bit fishy. So don’t expect any sushi spots on this list that are conveniently always 50% off or semi-defrosted when it’s served to you.
We are always updating and expanding this Best Sushi in Salt Lake City list. Tell us your favorite SLC sushi spot in the comments below and we will check it out!
Sapa Sushi Bar & Asian Grill
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Neighborhood: Downtown Salt Lake City
Address: 722 State St, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
With fresh fish, creative rolls, mastered classics, and an exciting atmosphere, Sapa Sushi is easily our favorite sushi spot in SLC. Sapa requires multiple visits, not just for the incredible sushi, but also because each section inside the restaurant has a different vibe. But whether you are sitting at the classic sushi counter, in the back at their industrial-but-welcoming speakeasy style bar, or outside in their outdoor garden with imported Japanese architecture, you are sure to have the best sushi in SLC.
We like to start with a combination of Mussel Shooters with Quail Eggs, Spicy Edamame, or the aptly named appetizer Firecracker Calamari with fried jalapeños. For sushi rolls, you really can’t go wrong. Our personal favorite rolls include the Red Dragon roll (spicy tuna, crab, avocado, and cucumber), the Blazing Jazz roll (yellowtail, salmon, albacore, onion, and cucumber), the Kiss of Death roll (tuna, scallions, sriracha, avocado, and cucumber), and the Wok n’ Roll (filet mignon, string beans, tuna, ginger, and chili).
Takashi
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Neighborhood: Downtown Salt Lake City
Address: 18 W Market St, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Takashi isn’t just one of the best sushi restaurants in Salt Lake City. It is continuously recognized as one of the best restaurants in Salt Lake City. Takashi is well-known for flying in their fish to the SLC airport daily. Dedication to fine sushi, service, and the dining experience sets Takashi apart from the rest of SLC’s best sushi spots. And a dedicated fan base ensures that you won’t see Takashi without a line out the door, and that line is totally worth it.
Put your name on their list, go next door to Post Office Place for cocktails while you wait, and then when your name is called order yourself a T&T roll (fried roll with yellowtail, albacore, salmon, green onion, and “Hotter than Hell” sauce), the Strawberry Fields roll (escolar, strawberry, spicy sauce, chili peppers, toasted almonds, eel sauce), the Black Magic Woman roll (stablefish, roasted red bell pepper, lemon pesto, ponzu, sesame seeds), or the Crunchy Ebi roll (shrimp tempura, avocado, masago, eel sauce, tempura crumbs).
Mint Tapas and Sushi
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Neighborhood: Sandy
Address: 8391 700 E, Sandy, UT 84070
Sandy has good sushi, and it’s at Mint. Most sushi bars have some percentage of their menu dedicated to the chef’s imagination, and that percentage is higher at Mint than any other sushi spot in SLC. You may choose from Chef Soy’s impeccable list of speciality rolls, or explore his shareable tapas options. But nothing gives you the Chef Soy experience like a 10-course tasting menu. Be sure to book in advance.
Kyoto Japanese Restaurant
Neighborhood: 9th & 9th
Address: 1080 E 1300 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84105
Sushi restaurants come and go, but not Kyoto. Kyoto remains. What makes Kyoto one of the best sushi restaurants in SLC? For more than 30 years, Kyoto Japanese Restaurant has been serving up fresh sushi in SLC, and it’s longevity can be attributed to quality ingredients, excellent service, and above all, consistency. Our favorite rolls from Kyoto change every time we look at the menu. It’s huge!
Definitely start with one of their traditional rolls and see what a mastered classic tastes like. Then be sure to order a specialty roll like the Red Dragon roll (freshwater eel, avocado, spicy tuna, fish eggs), the Green Eggs & Ham roll (yellowtail, scallions, sprouts, cucumber, wasabi fish eggs, sriracha chili), or the X96 roll (fried roll with albacore, crab, yamagobo, onions, wasabi dressing, sriracha).
Kobe Japanese Restaurant
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Neighborhood: Olympus Cove
Address: 3947 Wasatch Blvd, Salt Lake City, UT 84124
Kobe is tucked away deep in an Olympus Cove strip mall and offers some of the best sushi rolls in SLC. We love rolls with creative flairs and perfect flavor accents for the fish, and that’s why we loved the Pablo Escolar roll with the hint of citrus. And if you want to feel like a boss, order like one and get The Executive Roll.
Sushi Groove
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Neighborhood: Millcreek
Address:2910 S Highland Dr, Salt Lake City, UT 84106
Sushi Groove is our newest favorite SLC sushi restaurant. I’ve driven past this place so often, and at first it’s easy to scoff at. Sushi with a live DJ? Okay. But curiosity got the best of me and, as it turns out, Sushi Groove is incredible! With a backdrop of hip hop beats and graffiti covered walls, you won’t find a better neighborhood sushi bar in Salt Lake City. It’s fun, creative, delicious, and unpretentious.
We were HUGE fans of the Zenith roll (shrimp tempura, spicy mayo, avocado, masago, tuna, eel, eel sauce). Save room too, because Sushi Groove also features a number of Dessert rolls that change weekly. What was most surprising about Sushi Groove was the quality of fish in their rolls. I was genuinely shocked with how tender and flavorful the fish was. Don’t be like me. Don’t judge a book by it’s cover. Get Sushi Groove in your life immediately.
Soy’s Sushi Bar & Grill
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Neighborhood: Murray
Address: 4923 State St, Murray, UT 84107
Soy’s Sushi in Murray is brought to you by the team from Rice Basil in Holladay. We love Soy’s for classic rolls like the Negihama roll and the Shrimp Tempura roll. These rolls are tight, flavorful, and delicious. You can always tell a great sushi spot by how they master the classics. We also loved the Snowbird roll (yellowtail, jalapeños, escolar, jalapeño vinaigrette sauce), as well as the views of State Street out the window.
Itto Sushi
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Neighborhood: Midvale
Address: 856 Fort Union Blvd, Midvale, UT 84047
Tsunami Restaurant & Sushi Bar
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Neighborhood: Sugar House
Address: 2223 Highland Dr, Salt Lake City, UT 84106
Also in Sugar House is Tsunami. Whether you are sitting at their sushi bar or on their beautiful patio, you are sure to get excellent rolls like the Sugar House roll (salmon, eel, asparagus, spicy eel sauce, avocado), the Fire Breathing Dragon roll (crab, avocado, onions, smoked salmon, eel, ebi, tobikko), or the Executive Suite roll (tempura shrimp, avocado, cilantro, tuna, lime, masago, scallions). Tsunami’s menu also features a wide selection of Japanese-inspired cocktails and sake that’s worth the trip on its own.
Yellowfinn Grill & Sushi Bar
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Neighborhood: Sugar House
Address: 1166 E 2100 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84106
Our favorite sushi restaurant in Sugar House is Yellowfinn. If you follow our Instagram account, you’re probably tired of seeing us post about it because we are there every other week. But if you’ve seen all those posts and still haven’t gone, you need to check it out. We are Yellowfinn’s designated hype man. It’s excellent sushi, AND affordable sushi. That’s a great combo. In the summer, be sure to request a table on their patio which overlooks a small creek and the Hidden Hollow wooded area.
We have tried just about every roll on the menu and every roll deserves to be ordered. Our current favorites include the Chuck Norris roll (tempura shrimp, crab, jalapeño, avocado, hamachi, sriracha), the Kiss of Fire roll (spicy tuna, jalapeño, cucumber, pepeer seared tuna, garlic ponzu), the Agent Orange roll (coconut shrimp, cucumber, avocado, cilantro, salmon, lime, habanero, ponzu, spicy eel sauce), and the George Hamilton roll (soft shell crab, avocado, jalapeño, eel, togarashi, eel sauce).
1 Comment
You mean Sapa is the best all through the valley. <3