Shiro's Sushi Restaurant

Neighborhood: Belltown
Address: 2401 2nd Ave Seattle (map)
Phone: 206-985-6870
Web: www.shiros.com
Parking: Street

Overall Rating: 9.4 / 10pts

ATMOSPHERE:
Located on the 2nd Ave and corner of Battery St., Shiro's Sushi Restaurant, doesn't necessarily look that fancy from the outside. Actually it's not super fancy looking once you step inside either (compared to fine seafood restaurants near the waterfront). But what makes this place the most talked about sushi place in Seattle is the owner/chef, Shiro Kashiba, who trained in Tokyo, Japan, and has been in Seattle since 1966. But because of it's popularity, recently it had turned into more of a touristy spot. Does the food taste good? Absolutely, but is it worth the wait and dining in the packed house with slower service? Probably not, as there are other great options nearby such as Saito's who provide just as high quality of fish without all the hassle of touristy people.

SUSHI:
The master sushi chef, Shiro is probably the most famous sushi chef in Seattle. His name had appeared on almost every cuisine magazines and newspapers, and continues to do so. His sushi does indeed taste excellent and fresh, as he claims to personally select the fish every morning at various markets. The price is a little higher than your average sushi joints, but in Belltown recently, it maybe considered to be average.

OTHER DISHES:
They have decent selection of sake, which is nice. And their house specials are tasty as well. With so many people wanting to try Shiro's sushi, your sushi may take a while to show up (unless you are one of the luckily few that got the counter seat), so it's wise to order some appetizers as you wait. Gyoza in particular cooked to perfection. It was crispy on the outside and juicy in the inside (hard to find good fried gyoza in Seattle).

SERVICE:
Like I said before, since the place is always packed with people wanting to check out the so called "best sushi place in Seattle" the service is a little slower than your average sushi place as Shiro's sushi order is always backed up. The staff is usually pretty good about telling you that "your sushi should be coming soon" except it feels like long time. At least it's nice to know that they are "coming soon."