Coming soon - Get a detailed view of why an account is flagged as spam!
view details

This post has been de-listed

It is no longer included in search results and normal feeds (front page, hot posts, subreddit posts, etc). It remains visible only via the author's post history.

2
The Always Up-To-Date Guide to ATL Sushi Omakase
Author Summary
foodiebuddha is in Atlanta, GA
Post Body

Hey folks, I was asked to help the folks out over on /r/Sushi so i've posted this here as well.

Unlike cities like NYC, SF, LA, SEA, etc... there isn't a ton of breadth or depth to our sushi scene. As such ... in lieu of a "ranking", I'll just highlight some of the places that offer a true omakase experience and perhaps a list of other Japanese restaurants that serve sushi that also work on some level.

Traditional Omakase

These are places that will actually serve you in a manner most consistent with the Japanese tradition of omakase. Plenty of spots around town have "omakase" listed on their menu, but those are most often just sampler platters. All of these places either require advanced reservation/special notice and/or a dedicated area for omakase. Keep in mind that most omakase experiences come with a price tag that fluctuates based on how much you eat, what kind of fish you eat, etc... etc... I'll put a number by each that should give you an idea of how much lighter my wallet gets when i do these. Tip/Tax/Liquor/etc... isn't really included in this estimate. It's just a number to give you an idea. Also ... i'm not talking about anything other than the omakase experience in this section.

  • Sushi Hayakawa - Doraville, GA - ~$130. The best (only actually) sushi-ya in town. This used to be a gregarious establishment but the business has undergone a change. It's now more inline with what you would find in Tokyo. Haya-san's shari is the best in town (and also the most consistent). Great quality fish ... peaceful environment ... just awesome. Haya-san is the only itamae there, so don't go expecting to be out in 90-minutes. Also - no talking on cellphones, and he is no longer setup for younger patrons under-12. Bookings here usually run a few weeks out. That it's our only sushi-ya doesn't mean it doesn't stand on its own. It's great ... I'm there about once a week.

  • Brush Sushi & Izakaya - Decatur, GA - (fixed prices approximately $80 - $100 - $130). The new kid on the block, the chef here does a great job of getting in some of those esoteric fishies. You'll get stuff here that you won't find anywhere else in the city. The price differences are relative to the amount of food ... every single one of them is A TON and an awesome value. I usually go with the $100 which is the nigiri and sashimi rendition.... his tsumami is probably my favorite in town. They also do sake pairings as the chef (and his better half who handles the desserts)is a certified sake somm.

  • Tomo - Atlanta, GA (Buckhead) ~ $175. Probably the best option for those who are less familiar with Japanese nuances. They are really setup to walk the clientele through things because a lot of folks who do these meals aren't as experienced with the cuisine. This is probably the best "sweep someone off their feet experience". There is a ton of tsumami and usually just 5 or 6 pieces of nigiri that come with. Easily the most expensive pound for pound of the options I identified but it's a good fit for the 'hood it's in and a good option for someone just getting used to fish/sushi who wants to venture out. For those that are more attuned to things - for the price, there are some things I'd like to see changed for me to really get behind it.

Other Sushi Experiences

  • Umi - Atlanta, GA (Buckhead) ~ He does an omakase at his bar and it's not that I wouldn't put him in the list above but just that the experience there is sooo much about what else is going on. It's almost certainly going to have the most people eating there regardless of when you go ... and you know that ritzy club like place that you find in vegas casinos? You go in, get bottle service, and just fuck everything. That's umi. Recent table meal (where we brought our own wine) came out to $330 per person (with tip).

  • Taka - Atlanta, GA (Buckhead) ~ Taka also offers an omakase experience but he gets such a neighborhood crowd that i honestly think he's not really setup to deliver that traditional experience. He's like a top flight neighborhood joint. No disservice meant (case in point - i'm mentioning this place in this post) but just doesn't offer anything unique given the other options.

  • Kang Nam - Doraville, GA ~ Korean sushi. It isn't great by any means but you don't get a lot of Korean sushi places in the US ... so give it a whirl. It's pretty affordable but offers no real omakase ... just thought i'd throw in something a little more approachable.

That's a wrap!

I will try my best to remember to come back and update this guide if and when things change. That said, I keep a form of this list on my website. While I don't post there, I do keep this page maintained. Linkage to Sushi. If you're interested in keeping up with a more "real time" list of things ... peruse my instagram. It's almost exclusively posts of food / drink that i make, eat, buy, etc... so there is lots of non-sushi stuff going on but nonetheless it's there. Don't forget ... pictures ≠ endorsements Linkage to Instagram

Author
Account Strength
90%
Account Age
13 years
Verified Email
Yes
Verified Flair
No
Total Karma
2,770
Link Karma
1,490
Comment Karma
1,262
Profile updated: 2 hours ago
Posts updated: 7 months ago

Subreddit

Post Details

Location
We try to extract some basic information from the post title. This is not always successful or accurate, please use your best judgement and compare these values to the post title and body for confirmation.
Posted
7 years ago