sushi obsession
From Las Vegas to Reno and even Elko, Nevadans are fixated on fish.
Photo: Charlie Johnston (all)
As ironic as it sounds—eating raw, fresh fish in a desert environment—Nevada is hooked on sushi. Nearly 150 restaurants attest to the Silver State’s seemingly insatiable sushi appetite.
Getting fresh fish to Las Vegas and Reno is simple; each city is less than 300 miles from the coast and has numerous air connections. However, at more than 500 highway miles from the ocean and with all flights routed through Salt Lake City, Elko seems an exceedingly unlikely spot for sushi. That is, unless you’re Ed and Merrie O’Donnell. “We wanted to open a restaurant that was like no other in the Elko area,” Merrie says. “We both love sushi, so we went to the Sushi Chef Institute in Los Angeles and in August 2006 opened a small sushi bar in the Elko Regional Airport.” The following January the two purchased an Italian restaurant downtown and opened The Flying Fish, Elko’s only sushi destination.
With the nearest competitor up to four hours away, one could forgive Flying Fish if it took its basically guaranteed business for granted, but to the contrary, Flying Fish offers sushi that rivals Nevada’s best. Its menu includes the standards such as California, Caterpillar, and Godzilla rolls, all done with an unmistakable attention to detail. But what sets Flying Fish apart is its signature and specialty rolls—my favorite is the Demon with crab, habeñero, cucumber, avocado, scallions, and eelsauce, finished with a sinus-clearing fresh habeñero aioli. As if sushi in cowboy country doesn’t stand out enough, the restaurant also offers Asian fusion and Italian options. Quiche and fish tacos finish the menu and confirm what you’ve already guessed: The Flying Fish doesn’t discriminate.
For the last decade, all-you-can-eat sushi restaurants have popped up in the Reno area in Starbucks-like proportions. They range from hole-in-the-walls with a few seats to multicounter affairs and casino-resort eateries. Hiroba, a small neighborhood sushi bar in southwest Reno, is the culmination of owner Osu Kwon’s five years as a chef in Reno. “I wasn’t happy working for someone else,” he says. “I wanted my own restaurant.” When Hiroba opened in July 2008 it had a built-in clientele of patrons who followed Kwon from his last position as a chef at Rickshaw’s, another Reno sushi restaurant. In a market inundated with sushi options, Hiroba sets itself apart with creative sauces, such as fresh mango, honey/wasabi, and balsamic vinegar. The sauces complete unique flavor and texture combinations in adventurous rolls such as the Tundra—crab with tempura shrimp, charred salmon, macadamia nuts, and fresh mango—and the Sunflower—spicy crab and tuna, cucumber, and special sauce, topped with banana.
In 1998, with a budget hovering around $5,000 and a deadline of less than a week, Circus Circus Reno converted an unsuccessful restaurant bar into a sushi bar. Eleven years and two expansions later, Kokopelli’s Sushi is among the best in the state. “We buy our fish the same places everyone else does,” says Executive Chef Darrin McKillip. “[Our chefs] just treat it better.” Kokopelli’s chefs aren’t only kind to the fish, their cheery, energetic attitudes are easy on customers, bringing the restaurant a lot of return business, such as the half-dozen or so customers chatting with my chef, Priscilla, when I visited in December. Likeable chefs are only the beginning. Kokopelli’s selection of specialty rolls is staggering—the Royal Flush (cooked salmon, shrimp, crab, and cream cheese) and the Basil Salmon Roll (raw and cooked salmon, jalapeños, cream cheese, and basil cream sauce) are reason enough to visit—and the chefs happily accommodate special requests. Two menu highlights unavailable at other area sushi establishments are abalone and pepper-crusted ahi.
Las Vegas is home to nearly 100 neighborhood sushi bars, but for that true “only Vegas” experience, diners should head to the Strip. Shibuya, the more upscale of two MGM Grand restaurants offering sushi, specializes in Japanese cuisine prepared with the best ingredients available in the world. Shrimp is flown in from Florida, salmon makes the almost 8,500-mile journey from Tasmania, and even the rice is imported from Japan. What does all this frequent-flying-food mean to you?
From the ornate and extravagant Japanese Tofu to classic nigiri, not a single aspect of any dish is overlooked, making for one of the best sushi experiences in Nevada. Diners can’t go wrong with nigiri and sashimi—so fresh you wouldn’t be shocked if it moved—but to see Shibuya really shine, introduce your taste buds to Executive Chef Stephane Chevet’s creations. Lobster and scallop in uni butter sauce and braised Kobe beef short ribs with seared foie gras can only be described as culinary art.
Yellowtail at the Bellagio can be summed up in one word: cool. Really cool. OK, two words. The Light Group restaurant epitomizes Las Vegas chic with simple, elegant décor complementing a traditional and inspired menu. Big Eye Tuna Pizza puts a gourmet twist on an American staple, and other dishes show the whimsical side of Yellowtail—the Popping Spicy Crab Roll incorporates candy Pop Rocks. Crispy Sweet Shrimp Cigars, served with spiced honey, are as delicious as they are unique. The juxtaposition of salty unagi (freshwater eel) and sweet banana make the Unagi & Banana Roll a must-try, and fresh strawberries put out the spicy tuna fire of the Strawberry Roll. For a dining experience unlike any other on the Strip, request a table near the center of the main dining room, or better yet, on the outdoor patio, for an eye-popping view of the Bellagio fountain show.
SUSHI TERMS TO GO
Futomaki (foo-toh-mah-kee) – Rolled sushi, same as maki but a larger diameter
Gari (gah-ree) – Sweet, pickled ginger
Maki (mah-kee) – Rolled sushi, traditionally wrapped in nori, made with a makisu and sliced into six to eight pieces
Makisu (mah-kee-soo) – A bamboo mat used to make maki and futomaki
Nigiri (ni-geer-ee) – An oblong mound of rice topped or wrapped with ingredients
Nori (noh-ree) – Seaweed wrappers used in futomaki, maki, and temaki
Sashimi (saw-shee-mee) – Sliced, raw fish without rice
Temaki (te-mah-kee) – A large cone-shaped piece of nori filled with ingredients; commonly called a hand roll
Tempura (tem-poo-rah) – Battered, deep-fried fish or vegetables
Wasabi (wah-sah-bee) – A spicy paste made from the grated root of the wasabi plant, also called Japanese horseradish
CONTACTS
The Flying Fish
382 5th St., Elko
775-777-3594
Hiroba
3005 Skyline Dr., Ste. 100, Reno
hirobasushi.com
775-829-2788
Kokopelli’s
Circus Circus Reno
500 N. Sierra St., Reno
circusreno.com
775-329-0711
Shibuya
MGM Grand
3799 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas
mgmgrand.com
702-891-3001
Yellowtail
Bellagio
3600 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas
lightgroup.com
702-693-8300
Nevada’s most complete
sushi business listing
CARSON CITY
Bamboo Garden
3747 S. Carson St.
775-885-6868
Kim Lee’s Sushi
111 E. Telegraph St.
775-883-2372
Ming’s Chinese Restaurant
2330 S. Carson St.
775-887-8878
Nationals Café
1701 N. Carson St.
775-841-7377
LAKE TAHOE AREA
Hiro Sushi
Kings Beach (CA)
8159 North Lake Blvd.
530-546-4476
Java Sushi
Truckee (CA)
11357 Donner Pass Rd., Ste. F
530-582-1144
Mamasake
Squaw Valley USA (CA)
1850 Village South Rd., Ste. 52
mamasake.com
530-584-0110
Mikuni
Northstar-at-Tahoe (CA)
5101 Northstar Dr.
mikunisushi.com
530-862-2188
Naked Fish
South Lake Tahoe (CA)
3940 Lake Tahoe Blvd., Ste. 3
thenakedfish.com
530-541-3474
Off The Hook
South Lake Tahoe (CA)
2660 Lake Tahoe Blvd.
offthehooksushi.com
530-544-5599
Sierra Sushi
Truckee (CA)
11361 Northwoods Blvd.
530-412-3660
Yoshimi Sushi
Incline Village
882 Tahoe Blvd.
775-831-2777
LAS VEGAS AREA
Brian’s Beach
8665 W. Flamingo Rd. Ste., 106
702-453-8897
Da Sushi
2721 W. Sahara Ave.
702-378-3949
Dragon Noodle
Monte Carlo
3770 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
montecarlo.com
702-730-7777
Dragon Sushi
4115 Spring Mountain Rd.
702-368-4336
Dragon Sushi II
4040 Vanessa Dr.
702-368-1279
Dragonfly
3900 Paradise Rd.
702-699-9633
Fuji San
8540 W. Lake Mead Blvd., Ste. 120
702-240-0300
Fukuda
1199 Sunset Rd.
fukudavegas.com
702-898-8179
Fusia
Luxor
3900 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
luxor.com
702-262-4774
Ginja Sushi
375 N. Stephanie St.
702-538-7359
Grand Wok & Sushi Bar
MGM Grand
3799 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
mgmgrand.com
702-891-7777
Hamada of Japan
365 E. Flamingo Rd.
702-733-3005
Flamingo
3555 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
702-733-3455
Rio
3700 W. Flamingo Rd.
hamadaofjapan.com
702-777-2770
Hanabi
1000 S. Rampart Blvd.
702-951-6503
Hokaido Sushi
6015 S. Fort Apache Rd.
702-262-2213
Hyakumi
Caesars Palace
3570 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
877-346-4642
Ichiban Sushi
Bally’s
3645 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
804-448-2707
Inaka Sushi
9285 S. Cimarron Rd.
702-617-4001
I Love Sushi
11041 S. Eastern Ave.
702-990-4055
Japonais
The Mirage
3400 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
702-792-7979
Kan Pai Sushi
8125 W. Sahara Ave.
702-242-6012
Kaizen Fusion Roll & Sushi
4480 S. Paradise Rd., Ste. 900
702-641-7772
Kobe Sushi Bar
9340 W. Flamingo Rd., Ste. 111
702-243-0916
Kobe Sushi Bistro
6375 S. Rainbow Blvd., Ste. 102-104
702-898-9998
Koi
Planet Hollywood
3667 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
planethollywood.com
702-454-4555
Koji
4500 W. Tropicana Ave.
kojirestaurant.com
702-876-8272
Koto
9400 S. Eastern Ave.
702-221-1600
Kotta Sushi
8125 W. Sahara Ave.
702-242-6012
Kyoto Sushi
9255 S. Eastern Ave.
702-617-2232
Little Buddha
Palms
4321 W. Flamingo Rd.
littlebuddhalasvegas.com
702-942-7778
Malibu Chan’s California Café & Sushi Bar
8125 W. Sahara Ave., Ste. 300
702-312-4267
Makino Sushi
775 S. Grand Central Pkwy.
makinolasvegas.com
702-889-0099
Marssa
Loews Lake Las Vegas
101 Montelago Blvd.
marssalv.com
702-567-6125
Maru
2025 Village Center Circle
marulv.com
702-360-6278
Momotaro Sushi
7160 N. Durango Dr.
702-360-5222
Momoyama Sushi
550 N. Stephanie St., Ste. C
702-434-7440
Monorail Sushi
3645 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
702-891-8626
Musashi
3900 Paradise Rd., Ste. W
musashilv.com
702-735-4744
Naga
Stratosphere
2000 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
702-380-7777
Naked Fish’s
3945 S. Durango Dr., Ste. A6
nakedfish-rikyu.com
702-228-8856
Narita
3250 N. Tenaya Wy., Ste. 99
702-655-6866
Nobu
Hard Rock
4455 Paradise Rd.
hardrockhotel.com
702-963-5090
Nozomi
2202 W. Charleston Blvd.
702-366-9119
O’hana House
6825 W. Russell Rd.
702-450-0008
Okada
Wynn
3131 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
wynnlasvegas.com
702-770-3320
Olympic Sushi Inc.
3127 Arville St.
702-253-6281
Osaka Japanese Bistro
4205 W. Sahara Ave.
702-876-4988
10920 S. Eastern Ave.
702-616-3788
lasvegas-sushi.com
Oyshi Sushi
7775 S. Rainbow Rd.
702-646-9744
Rá Sushi
Fashion Show Mall
3200 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Ste. 1132
rasushi.com
702-696-0008
Red Sushi
Golden Nugget
129 Fremont St.
702-385-7111
Rising Sun
9410 W. Sahara Ave.
702-243-8670
Rock’n’Roll Sushi
3049 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
702-733-8783
Saizen
115 E. Tropicana Ave.
702-739-9000
Saporo Sushi
641 N. Stephanie St.
saporosushi.com
702-547-1144
Sandai Sushi
6112 W. Flamingo Rd.
sandaisushi.com
702-477-0404
Shibuya
MGM Grand
3799 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
mgmgrand.com
702-891-3001
Shizen
JW Marriott
221 N. Rampart Blvd.
jwlasvegasresort.com
702-869-7900
Social House
Treasure Island
3300 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
socialhouselv.com
702-894-7111
Sumo Sushi
2861 N. Green Valley Dr.
702-451-7866
Sumo Sushi 2
8795 W. Warm Springs Rd., Ste. 105
702-262-7866
Sushi Samba
Palazzo
3325 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
palazzolasvegas.com
877-883-6423
Sushi 21
4965 W. Tropicana Ave., Ste. 102
sushi21.net
702-952-2500
Sushi Bar Sage
4402 N. Rancho Dr.
702-658-8116
Sushi Bay
2603 Windmill Pkwy.
702-263-5596
Sushi Bento
3395 Pinks Pl.
702-739-2800
Sushi Boy Desu
4632 S. Maryland Pkwy., Ste. 12
702-798-0100
Sushi by Boyo
827 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Ste. C
702-658-4214
Sushi Concepts
3500 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
702-691-2955
Sushi Dan
7293 W. Sahara Ave.
702-233-3539
Sushi Factory
6120 W. Tropicana Ave., Ste. A11
702-876-5665
Sushi Fever
7985 W. Sahara Ave., Ste. 105
702-838-2927
Sushi Hana
5255 S. Decatur Blvd., Ste. 119
702-873-1191
Sushi Khan
7875 W. Sahara Ave., Ste. 103
702-450-5426
Sushi Ko
7101 W. Craig Rd.
sushikolv.com
702-655-5782
Sushi Loca
6181 Centennial Center Blvd.
702-558-5622
Sushi Mon
9770 S. Maryland Pkwy., Ste. 3
sushi-mon.com
702-617-0241
Sushi on Rainbow
6870 Spring Mountain Rd., Ste. 6
702-247-8977
Sushi on Summerlin
7450 W. Cheyenne Ave., Ste. 118
702-396-9760
Sushi on Tropicana
2625 E. Tropicana Ave., Ste. A
702-898-8835
Sushi Riki
3900 Paradise Rd.
702-796-1234
Sushi Roku
Caesars Forum Shops
3500 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
sushiroku.com
702-733-7373
Sushi & Saki
2300 Paeo Verde Pkwy.
702-617-7777
Sushi Tachi
2745 W. Centennial Pkwy., Ste. 130
702-645-4967
Sushi Twister
5566 Boulder Hwy.
702-433-8892
Sushi Wa
790 Coronado Center Dr., Ste. 125
702-263-5785
Sushi Wow
5585 Simmons St.
702-869-9696
Sushi Xtreme
10670 Southern Highlands Pkwy.
702-437-8744
Sushi Yamaguchi
5900 W. Charleston Blvd.
702-646-0300
Sushi Zen
4210 W. Craig Rd.
702-893-2488
T-Bar Sushi
7425 S. Durango Dr., Ste. 101
702-798-8227
Teru Sushi
Hilton
3000 Paradise Rd.
lvhilton.com
888-732-7117
Thai Garden Restaurant & Sushi Bar
8826 S. Eastern Ave.
702-948-8010
Tiger Sushi
4825 S. Rainbow Blvd.
702-873-3288
Todai
3663 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
todai.com
702-892-0021
Tokyo
953 E. Sahara Ave.
702-735-7070
Tokyoto Sushi
1000 S. Rampart Blvd., Ste. 16
702-951-6503
Tsunami Asian Grill & Sushi
3355 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
702-414-1980
Vegas Express Sushi
5040 Spring Mountain Rd.
702-248-0097
We Love Sushi
4460 Arville St., Ste. 5
702-364-0384
Wonder Sushi
1550 N. Green Valley Pkwy., Ste. 320
702-492-9200
Yama Sushi
1350 E. Flamingo Rd., Ste. 18
702-696-0072
Yellowtail
Bellagio
3600 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
lightgroup.com
702-693-8300
Yoko Hama Sushi
2351 N. Rainbow Blvd.
702-646-9656
Yummy Grill & Sushi
7331 W. Lake Mead Blvd., Ste. 105
702-562-8668
9711 S. Eastern Ave.
702-898-9190
RENO/SPARKS
Aloha Sushi
3338 Kietzke Ln.
775-828-9611
CJ Palace
129 Los Altos Pkwy.
775-626-8878
Francis’ Asian Bistro
4796 Caughlin Pkwy., Ste. 101
775-827-3111
Hiroba
3005 Skyline Dr., Ste. 100
hirobasushi.com
775-829-2788
Ichiban Sushi
219 N. Center St.
harrahsreno.com
775-323-5550
Ijji Sushi
685 E. Prater Wy., Ste. 101
775-356-8668
Jazmine
9333 Double R Blvd.
jazminereno.com
775-851-2888
Kim Lee’s Sushi
9744 Pyramid Hwy.
775-425-1133
Kokopelli’s
Circus Circus
500 N. Sierra St.
circusreno.com
775-329-0711
Kyoto
915 W. Moana Ln.
775-825-9686
Mermaids Sushi
270 N. Lake St.
775-786-7800
Oceano
Peppermill
2707 S. Virginia St.
peppermillreno.com
800-648-6992
Rickshaw’s
4944 S. Virginia St.
775-828-2335
Sky Terrace Sushi
Atlantis
3800 S. Virginia St.
atlantiscasino.com
800-994-5900
Spanish Springs Sushi
222 Los Altos Pkwy.
775-626-2229
Sushi 7
3335 Kietzke Ln.
775-827-1515
Sushi and Teri
5000 Smithridge Dr., Ste. A25
775-827-9191
Sushi Boat
1999 S. Virginia St.
775-829-2115
Sushi Club
294 E. Moana Ln., Ste. 1
775-828-7311
Sushi House
1269 Baring Blvd.
775-358-1126
Sushi Lover
400 W. 5th St.
775-323-8899
Sushi Moto
748 S. Meadows Pkwy., Ste. A-11
sushimotoreno.com
775-853-4246
Sushi Pier 1
1290 E. Plumb Ln., Ste. J
775-825-6776
Sushi Pier 2
1507 S. Virginia St.
775-825-5225
Sushi Time
2868 Vista Blvd.
775-331-1818
Wasabi
13963 S. Virginia St., Ste. 900
775-851-7711
Woo Chon
5085 S. McCarran Blvd.
775-825-2552
RURAL
The Flying Fish
Elko
382 5th St.
775-777-3594
Sushi Moto
Fernley
1360 U.S. Hwy. 95A, Ste. 1
sushimotoreno.com
775-575-6672
Wasabi’s Sushi & Asian Bistro
Minden
1657 Lucerne St.
775-783-3210
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Comments
Your website is a wonderful resource for lovers of sushi; we were just a little disappointed that our restaurant was left off your list. We are called Maru, and we are a Japanese Korean Restaurant, where sushi is one of our main attractions. If you Google the term Korean Sushi, you will see that we are listed third. We believe we have some of the finest sushi chefs in Las Vegas. If you are ever in Summerlin, near north Town Center, please drop by and give us a visit.
Anyway, we would very much appreciate it if you would add our restaurant to what I think is an otherwise extremely impressive directory. Thank you very much.
Maru
2025 Village Center Circle
http://www.marulv.com
702-360-6278
Consider it done, Benjamin.