Are you looking for the best sushi in Seattle? You’ve come to the right place. We have the answer! There’s no better sushi in Seattle than Shiro’s Sushi Restaurant. It’s arguably the best sushi I’ve ever had anywhere.

Before I get too far into this post, I have to admit that I just moved back to Seattle a few months ago, so I haven’t tried every sushi place in the area. Since it comes so highly recommended, Shiro’s was my first stop, and they set the bar extremely high. It’s going to take something really special to knock Shiro’s out of the top spot.

Shiro’s Sushi Restaurant is only open from 5:30-10:30pm daily, so people literally line up to get a spot at the sushi bar (there are only 12 seats at the bar and they fill up fast). Tove and I made a reservation when we went, so we didn’t have anything to worry about. The people behind us were freaking out though. They thought they might not get a spot. They were from San Francisco and really wanted to try Shiro’s (because it’s considered the best sushi in Seattle), and the guy behind them was from Chicago. Everyone — locally and from out-of-town — wants to eat sushi at Shiro’s.

I promise that I’ll get to the actual sushi in a second, but before that I want to tell you about the man that makes Shiro’s the hot spot in Seattle. According to the restaurant’s website, Shiro Kashiba came to Seattle in 1967 after apprenticeships with “culinary masters” in Tokyo. Shiro opened Seattle’s first full-service sushi bar, and the rest is history. Shiro is a two-time James Beard Award nominee (the James Beard Award is like the Oscars for food), and he’s been featured in every major newspaper and cuisine magazine.

I’m not sure how often it happens, but Shiro was actually working behind the sushi bar the night Tove and I went to Shiro’s. There are plenty non-sushi options on the menu, but that’s not what we were there for. Tove and I ordered sushi, sushi and more sushi…oh, yeah…and some sake.

It didn’t take long for us to realize why Shiro’s is considered the best sushi in Seattle. The fish is easily the freshest I’ve ever had at a sushi restaurant. It literally melts in your mouth while you’re eating. Tove and I jotted a note simply saying “unreal” while we were there.

I’m usually a soy sauce and wasabi guy, but I hardly touched either at Shiro’s. You don’t need it. The flavor in each roll is already through the roof. The chefs add their own wasabi to the sashimi and rolls, so you don’t have to. I’ve even heard that it’s considered an insult to a sushi chef if you add more wasabi, because they’ve already added what they think is the perfect amount for that item.

Tove and I started our meal at Shiro’s with tuna poke (called Poke Belltown on the menu) and then turned to the sushi. We were extremely high on the spicy tuna and rainbow rolls, but we could have done without Shiro’s roll (mostly because it includes pickled herring which isn’t our favorite fish). The sashimi was incredible as well. Tove and I tried the razor clam and geoduck (it’s tasty, but the raw meat is very tough). The egg omelette also came highly recommended by our waitress (it’s apparently one of the new sous-chef’s specialties), but it wasn’t anything mind-blowing.

NOTE: When I say “we could have done without” or “it wasn’t mind-blowing”, those rolls and sashimi would rate a 9 out of 10 at any other sushi restaurant. The food at Shiro’s is so incredible that it was easy to be critical of something that wasn’t perfect. Yes, that’s being too picky, but you’ll totally understand once you go there.

There are a couple extra things about Shiro’s I should pass along. If you sit down at 5:30pm, they expect you to be done by 7pm (at least that was the case when we were there). It’s not a hidden secret; they actually tell you that from the start. With that said, Tove and I pushed the 7pm deadline and they never once made us feel pressured to leave. Shiro’s is also pretty costly. Our bill was over $100 when we ate there. That’s just simple supply and demand though. If you offer the best sushi in Seattle and people line up at the door for it — you can charge anything you want.

I’m sure I don’t need to repeat this, but I’m going to anyway. Until someone knocks Shiro’s off the perch, they offer the best sushi in Seattle. If someone else steals the throne (trust me…we’re thoroughly checking out the competition), we’ll be sure to let you know about it right here on Seattle Bloggers.

Have you ever eaten at Shiro’s? Do you agree that it’s the best sushi in Seattle? If not, where is your favorite sushi spot in the city? Please let us know! You can simply leave a comment below or connect with us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. We can’t wait to hear from you!

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