My sophomore year, I wrote a piece that highlighted what I called “the best” places to indulge in sushi in Raleigh. I explained that being from San Diego, I’ve eaten some of the best raw fish alive since the mere age of 2. Although Raleigh does not have access to fish just out of the ocean, I’ve discovered multiple restaurants that still deserve a 5-star rating for their sushi quality.
I listed Hayashi, Sushi One, and Mura as the best places for Japanese cuisine in Raleigh. These restaurants are still great yet since I’ve gotten my license, I now have the ability to further explore and indulge my love for sushi. For this reason, I’d like to rewrite history and correct my mistakes.
Coming in at a new number one, Sushi Blues of Glenwood Avenue deserves the gold medal. The restaurant is a staple of downtown Raleigh and rests right in the middle of many bars, pubs, and other restaurants. As soon as you enter the space, colored lights and classy jazz music create a sophisticated yet welcoming ambience. The staff are friendly and extremely helpful; during my experience, the waiter assisted me with picking out my rolls. Additionally, the restaurant offers a buy one, get one free deal on all sushi rolls on the menu.
All of these advantages along with the quality of the food generate the best place for Japanese cuisine in the Raleigh area. As soon as I bit into a salmon roll, the fish melted in my mouth. For those who aren’t sushi connoisseurs, there are two signs of good fish: the fish melts in your mouth and it doesn’t actually taste like fish. Sushi Blues successfully achieves both of these feats and delivers an overall outstanding performance to its customers.
At number two with the silver medal, Tasu Asian Bistro of Brier Creek earns the spot. Tasu also offers a BOGO deal with the purchase of a drink, making a lot of sushi cost much less than it normally would. The staff is always nice and the quality of the food is great, but still second to Sushi Blues. The only downside I’ve found to Tasu is that it can get really loud inside the restaurant on occasion.
Waraji Japanese Restaurant ranks as the new number three, another place with good sushi and a comfortable environment. Waraji is a much quieter place and the fish is a bit less fresh, yet it’s still a great place to eat and enjoy some good sushi.
As my time in Raleigh might be coming to a close, heading to college and all, I hope I’ll be able to find a couple more locations that impress me. Stay tuned for an update on Raleigh’s little bit of Japan.
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