Took my boyfriend here for his birthday last night. We did the exclusive omakase. It was an eight course Japanese meal that the chef selected for us. The first course was an assortment of different small raw tastings. I loved the ahi and uni tartare, the salmon tartare with ikura, and the monk fish liver. My boyfriend liked the oyster and monk fish liver the best. Overall, I think we both thought the first course was one of the best ones served to us. The second course was a tartare with cucumber and a yuzu shio type of dressing. It had more of an Asian fusion Look mostly because of it being served in a martini glass. The third course was a seared ahi with foie gras. This was so good. It was the first warm course served to us and I personally love foie gras so it was delicious. The fourth course was a butter fish, enoki mushroom, and tofu soup. The butterfish was lightly coated in corn starch so it had a crispy aspect to it. It had all three ingredients that I love so of course I found it to be delicious. The fifth course was a salad with hamachi slices and a miso dressing. Light but still tasty. The sixth course was a lobster and green bean tempura with a butter yuzu dipping sauce. I would have preferred the lobster just as is but it still tasted delicious. My boyfriend also noted that they cooked it in a different way that made it unique. The seventh course was a curried Halibut cheek served with a purple cabbage and chive sauce. This was really good to me. I loved the flavor and the piece of fish was a big portion for a set menu type of thing. My boyfriend said it tasted westernized though. The eighth course was sushi. They gave us hamachi belly, otoro, Steak, and salmon skin sushi to share. I personally loved all of the sushi except for the salmon skin. It had a very Smokey charred taste and it didn't leave a good flavor in my mouth. At the end. The waitress brought tempura bananas with coconut ice cream and fruit for my boyfriends bday dessert. All in all, we both agreed we would do it again. Maybe not omakase since we already did it but to actually pick what we want and try different things. read more

Seattle has such great Japanese food, it's hard to find standout restaurants. But, this is a standout Japanese restaurant. We took my mom here for her birthday and I found myself liking food that I normally did not like. We had albacore tuna tartare, fried oysters (not pictured), personalized sushi set, sashimi set, and tempura banana ice cream. Recommend everything as there were no complaints for any of the dishes. Came out to $340 for 4 people. The waiter was extremely accommodating, he personalized a sushi set based off of everyone's preferences. And always made sure to serve our needs. Atmosphere 5/5: the details put into the decorations was astounding. Everything from the bamboo plants, the table (located in the waiting area) with the zen garden built in, the dainty rock chopstick holders, fit in with the relaxed zen theme. Parking: there is a small parking lot in the square of the restaurant location but these were full. Weekend 6pm. So we opted for street parking which was just a short walk away. Driving through the arboretum on the way to the restaurant felt like a fantasy itself. Highly recommend exploring the Madison valley area before a possible date day at nishino. read more

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Need I tell you my love for Nishino?! Where do I even start? Okay, okay, I know where.... To get the ultimate Nishino experience, you HAVE to dine at the sushi bar. It is honestly life changing and nothing like sitting in the dining room. Why would you want to sit facing your date when you could watch the sushi chefs curate the most delicious creations right in front of your eyes? One of the biggest factors for eating sushi, in my personal experience, is the all-over experience you get. Sushi-making is an art, and I didn't appreciate it as much before until I started going to Nishino. Each sushi chef has their own style on how they want you to eat the nigiri and they are all masterminds, let me tell you that! Or maybe they've fed me some brainwashing chemicals... even so, I wouldn't even mind 'cause their food is friggin' mouthwatering delicious! Nigiri / sushi has never been the same since I started eating at Nishino. They have honestly changed the game for me. I don't want to say that I'm a sushi snob because of them, but no other place truly keeps their fish at the same temperature. No other place makes the rice taste like theirs. The amount of wasabi / soy sauce levels are always to the tee and it blows my mind every time I pay a visit. Just be prepared to ask yourself this question after having a delicious meal from Nishino: Where have you been all my life?! read more

The restaurants' ambiance was serene. Everything that we ate was all fresh. Our server was terrific. Just a note that its expensive but for its quality-- it's definitely worth it! read more

Nishino - Sushi Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Ok, so I'm all the way up in Seattle at one of the top rated sushi restaurants, but what do I order? Not sushi. I don't know, but it wasn't the sushi that caught our eyes. The more inventive dishes were more appealing to us, and it's probably because we're already spoiled with good sushi in the Bay Area. We started with the albacore tuna tartare - minced albacore with ginger salsa, garnished with taro chips. The tuna was very fresh (closest thing we got to sushi!) and loved combining it with the crisp taro chips. We got a few items off the specials menu, which were delicious: the shrimp dumplings in ponzu sauce and a Japanese version of steak frites. My favorite dish of all though was the tara saikyoyaki - the broiled black cod marinated with saikyo miso. The cod was extremely tender and flaky... mmmm!!! We ended the meal with a green tea tiramisu cake, which was spongy and light. It was the perfect amount for two petite gals, especially after a whole day of eating! I'm certain the sushi is fresh and some of the best in Seattle - take everyone else's word for it and try it out for yourself! read more

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I had another fantastic special omakase menu at Nishino. Trust me - leave yourself in the hands of chef Tatsu Nishino and he won't let you down. Is wife Eri runs a tight ship front of house and I've been lucky to have been looked after by Edward on my last 2 visits - as Hannah L puts it, he's probably the best waiter in Seattle! The question today is whether a single mouthful of food can be worth $8? After you've dined at Nishino, the answer is emphatically YES! The shitake, seared tuna, seared foie gras in red wine and soy reduction is a mouthful of heaven - the soft unctuous mix of foie gras and tuna lent some meaty texture from the shitake mushroom and sweetened delicately by the sauce. I would also happily pay $8 for a mouthful of the melt in the mouth o toro (fatty tuna belly). I've had o toro elsewhere and it's never been as good. My favourite sushi restaurant in the USA read more

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Who doesn't love sushi? And with the rave reviews that Nishino is pulling in, it seemed like an obvious choice for dinner with my family visiting from out of town. The service was great, the food was also great, and the ambiance was lovely. I wish I'd tried more food but the tempura was awesome, the octopus salad, the ceviche, and even the California rolls. (I know, I know! Someone else ordered them.) In fact, this place was great because the menu catered to the needs of avid sushi eaters as well as newbies and people intimated by foreign cuisine. Everyone had a lovely time. read more

It's been hard for me to keep up with reviews nowadays, an establishment has to really tick me off or completely blow me away. I haven't had omakase for almost a year now and since it's such a treasured experience I like to preserve it to something I do twice a year (plus it prevents me from breaking the bank too much!) My first Seattle omakase was long overdue, it was one of the first meals I intended to have after moving here as a celebratory victory dinner. Nishino has long been on my radar and I've decided to do it prior to a trip decision and so I can continue training my taste buds and digestive system for more high level omakase. My previous omakase (at 15east) had overwhelmed me a little so this padawan needs to take it a few steps back in sushi training. For the month of March they currently have a dine around Seattle menu, mostly cooked dishes and a small sushi/sashimi selection. Since it was a no brainer, we ordered the sushi omakase for two. Chef Brian took care of us and filled our tummies up with 17 pieces. Based on the order of the journey: Kanpachi with sea salt - smooth, tender with just a hint of salt. Hirame with ponzu - really loved the shisho leaf hidden inside. Hamachi belly - lightly torched and semimelt in your mouth! Albacore belly - very tender and savory, my eyes went WOW when I ate it. I couldn't imagine it getting any better than this but we weren't even half way into the meal yet! Otoro and toro - the otoro could be fattier but both pieces were very fresh and tender Sockeye salmon - one of the classics, I liked the combination of ikura on top Sweet shrimp with torched Uni - this was my absolute favorite piece, it's pretty ingenious to mix Uni with this. The tender sweet shrimp flavors being mixed with the soft sweetness of Uni - the bombdotcom basically Uni - I loved how cold the Uni was, it was a slight chill, it's not as sweet as I'd hope it to be but nonetheless a great piece Mirugai - very chewy, the texture almost fooled me for squid Foie gras - the one I've been waiting for the whole night, it was a little salty for me but other than that it wasn't bad Fried shrimp head - I'm not too keen on this piece but it always comes with any amaebi piece you get. Japanese wagyu - very tender beef and lightly grilled Hokkaido scallop - very soft and sweet after taste Anago - I usually fear for this piece because I'm not a big fan of eel. I find it too briny for my taste but Nishino did a great job on this. It was very easy to eat and it wasn't terrible. Tamago - everyone does this differently, some turn it into a cake while some make it a sweet omelette and that's what I got at Nishino What I really enjoyed was the pace, it was perfect and none of it was briny whatsoever. Sometimes I have that trouble with saba and mackerel. After my meal I was surprised with birthday mochi, my partner decided to surprise me early. I was told the mochi was made in house, it was a mix of strawberry and vanilla. I liked the hint of red bean in the strawberry mochi. It was definitely a great omakase to add to the books for me. The meal was extremely satisfying and many moments my cheeks couldn't help but break into a huge grin because that's how good the food was. This occasion has only happened twice before this and every time it was during omakase. I can't wait to try omakase at other sushi places in town soon. I'm glad my first Seattle omakase was with Nishino. I've made up my mind, Japan will DEFINITELY be my next trip, thanks for helping me decide Nishino! read more

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Recommend the exclusive omakase. CUISINE Ranked in order of recommendation: - Seared Foie Gras, Maguro & Shiitake Mushroom with Red Wine Soy Reduction - Tara saikyoyaki, broiled black cod marinated with saikyo miso - New style sashimi: arugula wrapped in whitefish seared w/e.v.o.o. - Albacore on a Cucumber Slice. - Ama ebi ceviche: ceviche was very fresh and citrusy, topped with a fried prawn head. - Chef's choice of sushi: unagi and toro were outstanding - beautiful cuts, the toro richly marbled - kusshi oysters: fresh, delightfully sweet - Mushroom dashi soup with mizuna, enoki, tofu: a delightfully light, aromatic soup. - Lobster tempura: lobster was fresh and tasty, but otherwise this was fairly bland - Green tea tiramisu: Could barely finish another bite at this point, all for the better, since this was the least notable of the meal. SERVICE Edward took handsome care of us, understood and presented each dish expertly. SETTING Ambiance and decor are unassuming - food is focus at Nishino, with the skill of its kitchen complemented by good service. read more

If somebody travels across the pond to eat at a specific restaurant here in Seattle, I have to take note. And starting from the service, this is the most engaged service I have ever received in a restaurant in memory; but then again, the entire staff seemed to know Yee Gan from his prior visits! We had the Omakase menu: chef's choice of 9 plates. At the beginning of the meal, the server reviewed what ingredients would be part of our selections, since I'm the one that doesn't eat red meat products. Brilliant. We started with a sampling of fish that included seaweed and cucumber-wrapped fish, the tastiest King crab prepared in a salt bath, and ikura (salmon roe.) I have never been fond of ikura, but I am pretty sure it's because I haven't had that great of quality, because after the bite I had, I really wanted more. We moved seamlessly to the tuna with cucumber and kelp, presented in a martini glass, followed by a miso soup with salmon, and a mushroom that by itself would have been a meaty-savory bite, but the miso-infused flavor made it even more delectable. But the most delicious thing I ate had to be the foie over tuna and mushroom. The sauce was extremely flavorful, without being so salty it blinded your tastebuds. The Arctic Char flavor was described as a lighter-flavored salmon, which was an accurate description. It was served over green beans and sweet potato with a lotus root slice. Very nice, but not my favorite thing. The Maine lobster tempura was not only generous in its portion, but was terrific in that form. I would never to think to "ruin" lobster by frying it, but the soft integrity remained. Very well-executed. The flounder sashimi over a sesame oil salad made me pause; I wasn't sure what I thought about the texture at first, but by the second bite, I really liked it. By the next course of mixed nigiri and a roll, I was pretty full but kept on with some Spanish Mackerel (I LOVE mackerel, even if some people think it's a cheap fish) And, this is the BEST sushi rice I have ever had. Yeah, it's true. Glossy, firm, and seasoned so well, I wanted more rice by itself. The fatty Toro sent me to the moon. It was the perfect temp, cut very well (I hate it when it's cut poorly, it can send the texture sensation sideways.) Our final course was a raspberry, mango, and lychee mochi, imported from Hawaii. The lychee is the star of the show, and the fruit was sweet and light. I kinda feel bad that I took YGO to an upscale diner on his last visit here, and he brought me here. I'll do better next time ;) read more

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Came here mainly Bc I've heard this was Ichiro's favorite Japanese restaurant in seattle. Hard to believe after trying it out. NOT at the level of kashiba, shiro etc, but also not as expensive as those restaurants, so can't complain. Just go in with lower expectations for fish quality compared to the high end sushi spots around Seattle Came here hoping to try omakase but our waitress said they don't do that, and that we should "just order a bunch of sushi as it is the same thing." I was surprised to hear that from her. Not the greatest experience but I don't like leaving low star reviews. But this is my honest opinion. read more

If you go to this place, zero asians eating here :) very americanized place. We ordered omakase but surprised how un omakase it was. Basically no sushi nor sashimi. I can't understand 4.5 star rating. read more

Nishino - 3 pieces of sushi are all you get for omakase lol funny place. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Recently, I had dinner at Nishino. My group ordered a good amount of food including: specialty combination sushi, steak, spicy salmon tartare on crispy rice, California roll, spicy tuna roll, spicy garlic calamari, and chicken yakitori skewers. My favorite dish was the spicy salmon tartare on crispy rice. The rice formed a warm, crunchy base on the bottom; it was topped with fresh salmon tartare. It was the perfect temperature and the texture was amazing! The dish wasn't spicy but I only noticed that as I was eating the last piece. The specialty combination sushi is made up of 8 pieces, a roll, and miso soup. It's like a mini-omakase. Notable pieces of fish included salmon, tuna, and hamachi. The rolls were very well done and composed harmonious bites. The rice and fish quality are top notch! The New York steak was cooked so well, it could have been ordered from a steakhouse. It was marinated in teriyaki sauce and was a nice contrast to the delicate sushi I was eating. The calamari dish was not my favorite. The veggies were cooked well but I wasn't a fan of the taste of the dish overall or the texture of the calamari. For dessert, we had the banana tempura with vanilla ice cream and two pieces of mochi ice cream. My favorite was the cherry vanilla mocha ice cream. It was fragrant, delicate, and just the right way to end the night. Nishino is a great choice for sushi. Make a reservation and bring a fairly heavy wallet. The food isn't cheap but it's worth it! read more

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We came here during the Dine Around event and I even ordered off the fixed menu. I sort of broke my own rule here. Carpaccio was great as a starter. I wish I had more. Tender with citrus threaded throughout each bite. The sushi was fresh and flavorful, although I wish there was a piece of tako. Those dishes, plus a belly full of Asahi kept me a happy camper this night. Still a fan of Nishino. read more

I had the pleasure of dining here in July. And let me tell you, if I were a local, I'd be back again, and again and again. In fact, I sat at the bar next to a local that did exactly that! Nishino showed truly great composition, flavors, presentation, timing, atmosphere, and service. The first sign that this was going to be a great meal was strolling in during the middle of the week at 6:30pm to find the restaurant full - always a good sign!. The interior is very nicely decorated in neutral creme colors. The walls are accented with some great art from a local artist - Fay Johnson. (Thanks for that tidbit, Paige!) As usual in a Japanese restaurant that shows promise, I ordered Omakae - essentially allowing the chef to "Leave it to me". In a good Sushi / Sashimi restaurant, I think this is the only way to go. What I then received was an outstanding seven course meal for $60 which is a bargain in my book. To compare I dined at Morimoto in Napa, CA and also had a seven course meal with desert- which ran $120! Here are the seven courses, the desert, and my notes: Course 1: Wild white Alaska king salmon with daikon sprout with yuzu vinaigrette Octopus with cooked shrimp with yuzu miso sauce Hamaci with ginger tomato sauce , garlic chip, jalapeno with ponzu sauce The salmon was very fresh and tender and the diakon and sauce added a wonder compliment with out overpowering the delicate salmon. The shrimp and octopus were perfectly prepared - very tender with a nuance of salt at the finish. The hamachi flavor mix was amazing with the jalapeno adding a wonderful hot bite at the end. Course 2: Ama ebi savichi, cucumber, tomato, red onion, orange, avocado, marinated in lemon juice and jalapeno, cilantro on top with fried shrimp head Wow, love the shrimp and the marinade - very refreshing and definitely woke the pallet! The friend shrimp was crunch and had a wonderful deep crustacean flavor. The cucumber and tomato lowered the acidity a bit, but I loved it. Course 3: Albacore Sashimi salad, toasted lotus chip, mixed greens house dressing ( extra virgin olive oil, sesame seed oil, soy sauce, grated onion) The salad green were chilled and crisp and the house dressing is fantastic and the albacore was super fresh and sweet. I could have this as a main course and be completely happy! Course 4 Curry seared halibut cheeks over sautéed Swiss chard, with cilantro yozu sauce on side. The chard was prepared lightly wilted and had a light garlic flavor. The cod was perfectly prepared with a complimentary, but again, not distracting or overpowering curry. Course 5 Oyster and French bean tempura, sashimi on top with Japanese chili powder, yuzu soy sauce with daikon powder I loved the thin crispy coating on the oysters and beans and loved the spice level on the oysters in particular. The oysters flavor was wonderful, but, well, they were too big. Too much of a mouthful to enjoy in one bite, and splitting an oyster with chopsticks is well, uh, one shouldn't do that. Course 6 Mochico roasted black cod - pan seared then dusted with rice flour then roasted, saluted asparagus oysters, shitake, schemezi, ponzu sauce This was one of my favorite courses. The cod was tender, juicy and flaky and the asparagus was crunchy. A very nice combo. I loved, loved, loved the three mushroom combo and the accompanying sauce. Course 7 - Oh am I getting full! Maguro (tuna), hamaci (yellow tail), unagi (eel) , soft shell crab, avocado and tobico wrapped with nori then wrapped with cucumber, fresh wasabi and ginger. The tuna was bright red and melt in your mouth tender with incredible flavor. The yellow tail was likewise wonderful. The eel was a bit overcooked and was a touch tough. The roll was very good, but again the bites were too much for one mouthful and needed to be split up. And heavens to homemade wasabi - I can't breath and my eyes are watering! Desert Mango mochi, chocolate espresso mochi, cherry blossom mochi, (sweet rice flour with ice cream) and fresh fruit Wow...perfect compliment to an outstanding meal. Service throughout was excellent (very friendly server) with about 10 minutes between courses. Just about perfect in my book. Atmosphere: A Food: A Service: A+ Price: A read more

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I went to Nishino to celebrate my girlfriend's birthday, and had a great dinner. After having the exclusive omakase dinner here, I would have to say I have had the best Japanese dinner in Seattle at Nishino. We were able to sit at the sushi bar, which makes the experience more fun. We also got great service from our server (Erica). I should have asked her to write down all of the descriptions of the courses (since there were 9 total, including dessert), but here is what I remember: 1st: 5 little bites, including monk fish liver, salmon, an oyster, kampachi (?) and fried smelt. This was a nice way to start the meal. 2nd: a ceviche-type dish made with albacore and avocado. This was good (liked the texture of the fish). 3rd: mushroom, tuna and seared foie gras with red wine and soy sauce. This was incredible: rich and tasty: probably my favorite dish of the night. 4th: soup with clams and maitake mushrooms. Soup and clams were nice, and a good way to continue the meal after the foie gras. 5th: white king salmon and greens. This course was decent (I liked the lotus root chip on the salad). 6th: lobster and green bean tempura. I liked this dish a lot. The lobster was fresh, and everything was fried nicely (light, not oily). The sauce was a little too lemony, though. 7th: arctic char, mushrooms and greens. The fish was decent, but the greens had too much lemony (ponzu) taste. This was probably my least favorite dish. 8th: kampachi roll with unagi, hamachi and toro sushi. The roll was ok (I was pretty full by this course), but the unagi was good, and the hamachi and toro were great. 9th: honey mango cheesecake with fruit. This was a nice way to end the meal, with a light dessert to share. Although the meal wasn't cheap (the exclusive omakase was $80 per person), we both felt that we got good value for what we paid: the quality of the food was high, and the service was great. Nishino has set my standard for omakase in Seattle, so I will need to head back to Shiro's to try theirs (although it is nice to get a balance of cooked and raw food like we got at Nishino). read more

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I ate raw seafood with wasabi and rice and liked it. I never usually venture out and try something like this. But the key is that I freakin' ate raw fish. ...and look what I rated it. wtf. am i hooked? read more

Nishino - yep...there be sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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We visited last night and tried their anniversary 7 course omakase dinner. The dishes were made of all seafood authentic Japanese style. I love this restaurant for its authenticity, humble people and consistency which never disappoint. The place is always super clean, small but comfortable. The omakase course i believe is $70 usually? But this course was $55. Great deal for every dish with full of flavor and even Otoro in the Sushi set at the end! I can tell from visiting on and off for the last 20 years that this restaurant is a result of chefs hard work to provide high quality dishes and the team effort in creating excellent ambience. read more

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Almost a 5 star, Nishino, almost. Behind Shiro's, I would put Nishino as second best place in Seattle for sushi. The differentiating factor is the hot food. My last dining experience at Nishino left an awkward taste in my mouth and quite a first impression, since I normally don't order hot food at Nishino aside from the asari clam miso soup. Let me start by listing the foods that were devoured: - Sake, uni, maguro, and oyster nigiri. Quality of fish was excellent, and the amount of rice was spot on. A+ for the sushi, no doubt - Ankimo. Yes. What else can I say? Creamy, fresh, and lightly garnished with a soy sauce base. One of the highlights of the night - ika sugatayaki. This flame broiled squid was ok. Had a nice crunch on the outside, but it was only lukewarm in temperature. When set atop cold salad greens, the dish cools down even faster - Mochicko chicken. This was the most unremarkable dish of the evening. The chicken itself was lightly breaded, so that was good. The problem is *what* the chicken was supplemented with...namely, the odd mixture of julienne red/yellow peppers, shitake mushrooms, onions [that were not cooked well] and an overbearingly sweet sauce. The customer service was awesome, but this is typical for Nishino. The gentleman waiter was patient, helpful, and stood ready to clean our table in preparation for the subsequent courses. So, in closing, Nishino provides a consistent, high quality sushi experience. Although I didn't have the best experience with the a la carte items, I might just chalk it up to a fluke. All I know is that I will always look forward to dining at this restaurant. read more

Nishino - Unctuous ankimo - Sushi Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I like Nishino. It's been on my to try list for a while, and we finally made it out here for a SRW/Bday celebration. For appetizers, I ordered a salmon capparcio dish (or similar) while others at our table had the fried oysters and salad. Everything was so fresh and the flavors were spot on. Entree wise, I ordered the miso black cod which was amazing. Soft, tender flakes of fish marinated in an incredible sauce. The bf got the sushi platter so I was able to try some of the nigiri. Dessert wise, I can't remember exactly what we ordered, but I believe one was a cake and the other was ice cream/sorbet. I like the feel of Nishino, it's casual and comfortable and service was great. read more

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So... We usually dine at Nishino once a week, and it's consistently good. Not spectacular, but good. The past few weeks, and last night in particular, have been disappointing. We come here primarily for the fresh Japanese fish available on a day-to-day basis, and we understand that the restaurant runs out of said fish on a given night due to limited availability. However, the last couple of times we've placed a sushi/sashimi order, 30-45 minutes goes by, and then our server shows up to let us know that they've run out of a number of items on our order. Okay, no problem with that, BUT: why is it that after you inform us of that that it takes another 45-60 minutes to receive the stuff that you DO have available? This has now happened repeatedly, and it's really frustrating, especially when you're dining with kids on a school night, and a 2-2 1/2 hour meal is just not feasible. The wait staff is never apologetic when this happens, and an apology would certainly go a long way. I think we're taking our business elsewhere, which makes me sad because this has been our go-to location for Japanese cuisine for a while. But they're slipping, for sure. read more

This was one of the best meals I've ever had. Not to mention, it's the best bang for your buck if you're planning on spending some money anyway. Their deluxe omakase meal (at least when I went), was $65. Think now...for the cheapest omikase meal at Nobu, it's $80. This one had 9 courses, and was served by an impeccable staff that timed the courses perfectly. The sake cup was never empty, the sake selected for us (on the budget we requested) was excellent, and it complemented the dishes very well. Do make reservations, as it was crowded, but crowds mean fresh food, and keeping the place in business. It was excellent dining in Seattle, and I'm comparing this to a few places that always get super high ratings. read more

This is our favorite sushi place in Seattle. The service is excellent and you can literally order anything on the menu and never be disappointed. We are almost tempted to order at random just to see what surprises come out. The restaurant is small, so reservations are a must, and plan to spend a bit on dinner. Don't skip the sake either, they have a great selection and it is really an exceptional sushi house. Enjoy! read more

My fiancé, friend, and I celebrated my fiancé's birthday here the other weekend. Luckily, they took a reservation for us the popular 7:30 time on a Saturday night. My friend headed the creation of the Seattle 100 (http://www.yelp.com/topic/seattle-100-things-to-try-in-seattle#KsRbtThnaOL_U3CrkRCaiA), which consists of 100 amazing dishes to try at restaurants around the city. Wouldn't you know that the Maguro with Seared Foie Gras, Shiitake, and Red Wine Reduction was on the list? So of course we had to order it. One order comes with 2 servings, and since we were 3, our server added half a serving so we could all try it. Melt-in-your mouth good, though I thought the foie gras overpowered the tuna a bit, so if you're a sushi purist, steer clear. Here's what else we ordered: Both my fiancé and friend ordered chirashi, and the fish looked amazing! They said it was really fresh, which is exactly what we're all looking for in a sushi dinner. I was in the mood for certain things in one roll, and when they didn't have that on the menu, our server said they would be happy to create a custom roll for me and that they have more items that aren't listed on the menu. Huh? Why wouldn't they want everyone to know what they can make? I felt a little limited by the selection printed on the menu, so I think it would benefit them to include ALL options. Anyway, I ordered an avocado, unagi, and tuna. I also ordered tekka maki and an order of hamachi nigiri. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/rDtJGrHmFv5V4pxtuSj4XQ?select=U253NtXEUC8WOfQc_6tFKA) I loved how fresh the ingredients were. My friend and I also made sure to let our server know it was my fiancé's birthday, so at the end of our meal, our server brought over a complimentary dessert (2 different types of mochi/ice cream) with a candle. Nice touch. The service was good, since the server kept our water glasses full and didn't push us to order anything we didn't want. Since there are so many other sushi places in Seattle, I think I'd prefer to try a different one (or two or three) on our next trip. I know I can return to Nishino if we want an old standby. read more

Nishino - Sushi Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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This place is great, so I feel like a jerk for only giving it 4 stars...but I actually like Shiro's in Belltown better. We waited around 45 minutes to have omakase at the sushi bar on a Saturday. The ingredients were all really fresh and Nishino had a unique spin on some typical recipes. For example, we had uni on top of raw oysters and salmon roe. While I thought this was interesting, some of the flavor and texture combinations also didn't quite work together. In terms of this place vs. Shiro's, I think whether you prefer one or the other probably comes down to personal taste. Shiro's is probably a little more traditional in its omakase, but gets it really perfect. Nishino seems a bit more adventurous to me, and the results can be a bit more mixed. Nishino also served a mix of sushi and cooked food for omakase. Our chef at Nishino was polite, but not as friendly or personable as at Shiro's. Again, whether you prefer one or the other probably just depends on your personality. For me, one of the fun parts of omakase is getting to chat with the chef. Ambiance and decor at Nishino was a little more modern/fancy, while Shiro's feels like a homey restaurant that just happens to be really popular. One plus I'll give Nishino is the wait for the sushi bar seems to be much shorter, so if you don't really want to devote a whole evening to waiting/eating, then go for Nishino. Overall, a solid place, but if I were to spend that much money on sushi, I'd go to Shiro's. read more

Nishino - Omakase - uni on top of oysters with salmon roe - Sushi Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

When my boss asked me if I wanted to go out to dinner with a client at Nishino, I jumped at the chance as I've been dying to try it out! The only good sushi place that I've been to so far was Shiros and was eager to compare. I walked in and it had the same amount of "fanciness" in terms of decor, atmosphere and service. My boss and client did most of the ordering so we ordered mostly sushi and sashimi dishes. We had the O-toro and it was probably some of the best sashimi I've ever had. Just melted in my mouth like butter. I am usually a sushi or maki person since sashimi tastes a bit fishy to me but the O-Toro somehow made me forget that. We also had a roll where the rice was crispy. Am thinking they torched the outside of the rice and was topped with Spicy Tuna? That was probably one of the most innovative rolls I've ever had. We ordered a lot of random things that I can't remember but I just remember everything tasting amazing. For me, I usually like to judge a restaurant not just by its sushi/sashimi/rolls but also by it's tapa style dishes. I love izakayas and the different dishes so am always looking for innovative dishes and familiar dishes. Unfortunately, didn't get to try any this time. Will just have to come back! read more

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Went to Nishino based on our friend's recommendations. The service was good. The host and the waiter were attentive and helpful. The food did not deliver the expectations we had per other reviews and the price tag. The followings are what we ordered and my comments: 1. Sashimi moriawase (刺身の盛り合わせ) 32USD Roughly 10 pieces of sashimi. The akami's freshness was not the best and the shiso leave was not fresh either ( slightly back and soggy at its edge) 2. Soft shell crab: 9.5 One small crab without the top shell. 3. Matsutake dobinmushi: 18.5 Only matsutake, some mizuna and a couple Ginnan in the soup. No other ingredients Inside. The flavor was ok, slightly under seasoned. I would expect at least put some other proteins like shrimp and fish in the soup to enhance the flavor. 4. Tori tatsuta age: 9.5 The batter is on the thinner side but it's ok. 5. Amaebi sushi: 10 The shrimp is not super fresh. The chef put wayyy to much wasabi under and the sushi rice in the nigiri is warm. Not how you make sigiri sushi. We were promised The heads will be deep fried. But the heads never came 6. Hamachi , uni and hotate sushi This is good and no complaint. Except the rice is too warm. 7. House special roll 10 Very small portion. Only 4 tiny pieces. 8 Shiso sorbet 6 Favorite dish of the night. Very refreshing and delightful. With tip and tax our dinner came out to be above 150 for the two of us. Not sure if I would want to visit again. read more

Best sushi in Washington! Hands down. Spend the money. It's worth it. Fresh. Beautiful. Flavorful. Not too much flavor though. All the sauces enhance the dish instead of covering it up or overwhelming the palate. The salmon tartar over crispy, fried rice was so good! That crunch followed by melting in your mouth. A must try at least once. New plates with each course. Food came at a timely manner. Server informed us of what each dish was and the busser was quick and professional. read more

Nishino - 8 course meal of chef's choice. Delicious and beautiful - Sushi Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I made a horrible mistake in eating a whole fondue set before coming here so I couldn't really fully appreciate the sushi. However, it should speak volume about the quality and taste of the food here as I found it to be top notch even with a belly full of chocolate. Doesn't exactly have a sushi vibe even with the kitchen in plain sight, but I guess it's catered towards a more upscale crowd. I appreciate the limited parking in the lot, it's a rare find in Seattle. read more

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Great food, lovely owners, great service, great servers. We love this neighborhood restaurant and will keep going back

I'm Japanese born & raised in Japan. I was recommended by 2 Japanese friends to go to this place for sushi & they are right. I had Omakase & the quality is same as a very good Sushi restaurant in Japan. You don't have to go to Japan to have a good sushi anymore! read more

The food is so good that you can never order wrong. I've never had a bad dish. What makes it better is the environment/ very tastefully decorated, beautiful artwork and a warm and friendly staff. Say hi to Mori! Treat yourself- you'll be glad you did. read more

Nishino - Such an amazing dish! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Over the past 13 years, Nishino has defined upscale Japanese food in Seattle, and it was the first place I tried ankimo (monkfish liver) in 1996. Chef Tatsu Nishino, formerly of sushi legend Matsuhisa of LA, has brought a unique combination of traditional fresh sushi and sashimi and more innovative small plates. On a recent visit this weekend, the fish was fresh and solid, starting with a hamachi sushi and going through various nigiri-zushi such as salmon, ama-ebi, kaki, ika, and unagi. Quality was very good, although other places seem to offer fish as good at a lower price. But what other sushi places do not offer is an excellent menu of small plates. Our favorite by far was a combination of seared foie gras, maguro sashimi, and soy reduction. Indulgence and richness do not even begin to start to describe the dish. Two pieces for $15 may seem high, but it was totally worth it. Other small plates we tried included an excellent sake steamed manila clam (the broth was so light and flavorful) and a very generous portion of hamachi-kama. The sushi list seems pretty short but had some decent choices. You can also have the cold sake served in bamboo with bamboo cups, which was nice until we started to think how they could clean the container afterwards. But for $30 it was a very generous portion, and with the small cups, seemed endless. Overall, I would have to say that Nishino is pretty much the only place for upscale Japanese cuisine in Seattle. The sushi is definitely some of the best in town, but it wold be a mistake to ignore some of the smaller plates as well. read more

Let me just start off by saying that this is the best sushi I've ever had. I went to this sushi place with a friend after hearing that it was the CEO of Valve's favorite restaurant. Our waiter was friendly and helped us decide what to order. I ordered a flowery-tasting sake (obviously), it was not too sweet and it went down smoothly. Being a total oyster lover, I had to order the oyster appetizer and was it amazing!!! It was a couple of fried oysters in a delicious brown sauce. Then afterwards came the sushi. I can't even begin to tell you why this sushi was so amazing, I can't even pinpoint it myself. Maybe it was the fishy-freshness of it or maybe it was the texture of the fish, or maybe I was just so hammered after the sake anything tasted good. (Kidding about the last part lol) But anyway, it was amazing. I would highly recommend the toro (tuna belly) or the salmon. The salmon was different from the salmon sushi on the east coast, it was a lot more fishier and had a more stringy texture. The only downside about this place was the bill, between the two of us it was around $200 bucks. Thankfully, I was in the area for an interview so it didn't cost me a cent :). *Two thumbs up* Otherwise, I would only come to this place on special occasions or risk getting my bank account drained! read more

Nishino - Fried oysters - Sushi Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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AMBIENCE - A SERVICE - A+ FOOD - A PRICE - A This is my 3rd time and first time ordering the Regular Omakase $60/per person (chef's choice) This was a set 8 course meal... decided by the chef. Overall, It was unique and original experiences for some dishes but ALL was delicious. Mia my server was excellent in explaining all the dishes and ingredients as she served them and even like the special touch of changing out tea cups to cleaner cups mid-service. Pricey, but great experience and excellent food today! July 20, 2010 REGULAR OMAKASE -------------------------------- 1st - Appetizer - Geoduck sashimi / 3 day marinated vinegar smelt fried/ white salmon wrapped asparagus with ponsu sauce. - 1st experience eating raw geoduck - firm and delectable. 2nd - Fried spotted prawn head with the body made into a ceviche in citrus combo. - very fresh and delish! and the head actually had lots of meat and crispy all the way down to the antennas! I hear you can buy 2 shrimp heads for $1... I'll have to order more next time! 3rd - Albacore sashimi salad w/soy onion vinaigrette garnished with fried lotus root. - nice sized pieces of sweet albacore. 4th - Sauteed squid/ morel mushrooms/ asparagus in a EVOO soy garlic sauce. - the morels should have tasted woody but for some reason they were a little salty, but overall a nice tasting dish. 5th - Fried tempura pacific oyster - in a daikon / ponsu? sauce - this was my favorite as the the oysters were perfectly soft, sinuous, and milky oysters! 6th - pan fried halibut cheeks over swiss chard and mushroom medley served with wasabi mayo. - it was okay - 7th - Sushi Platter - Wild Salmon (delish) / Super wht. tuna (escolar)-delish / special roll of tuna/flounder/wht.fish/flounder (not my favorite) and UNI! (my 3rd time in my life and finally was able to eat again and enjoy the moment... just to make sure I didn't toss my cookies, I chased with some wasabi and ginger!) 8th - Dessert/fruit plate - fresh fruit with Moochi - frozen doughy desserts - strawberry/white chocolate - espresso - green tea... Nice way to finish and clean palate! Overall I can't wait to go back and experience the "Special Omakase" $75 ( I hear it may just include an additional bite on the appetizer and giving one additional dish - which tonight I heard was the seared foie gras with tuna - mmm... that sounded good) Can't wait to go back! read more

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We have been going to Nishino for over 15 years and have loved the freshness of the sushi and gracious service. Sadly, the last few times we have been there have been lacking in both. Further, the prices are out of control. Dinner for 4 (with our kids so no heavy bar bill) was over $500 with tip. We have a fishy taste in our mouths and after spending a small fortune are headed to Pagliacci with sushi eating kids who are still hungry. The prices may be necessary to remain profitable post-COVID, but you have to earn it. If we had an amazing meal and spent $500, this review would be quite different. read more

Been here two times and both times failed to impress. However, it wasn't bad either. They have some interesting fusion dishes that are overpriced and imo, not even that great - too salty and not special. If you go too late at night, it seems the omakase is cautiously not recommended, which is nice of them to communicate. Ended up with the chirashi for a la carte, which turned out pretty good. Overall everything here is good and consistent, but simply failed to impress. read more

4.5 -- the food was a 5.0. Had dinner (without reservations) with my wife (Japanese) and son, on a snowy Saturday evening. AMBIANCE: 4.0. We sat at the sushi bar as we arrived without reservations and the bar is first-come, first-served. Sushi bar was comfortable and a nice experience, and is the one place small kids seemed comfortable. Table seating ambiance appeared fine, though not as intimate as the sushi bar. SERVICE: 4.5. Attentive and timely. The sushi chef was personable and cheery. FOOD: 5.0. Two of us had the regular O-makase dinner, and one had orders of sashimi. - Omakase (regular): 8 courses, all excellent. Cooked fish, sashimi, mushrooms, etc. - Sashimi: Various, including O-Toro and Uni. Outstanding. - Spicy calmari appetizer: Mushrooms, squid, veggie. Kirin on tap. (about $6 a glass) read more

This restaurant is uber fancy looking, very modern decor, nice comfortable seats, and a pretty long wine list. No tea before the meal, but they do give you a warm towel before you kick off your dining experience here. We ordered the sashimi among a bunch of other dishes. But the sashimi stood out to me because the choices were AWESOME! There was maguro (tuna), hamachi, king crab and amaebi (sweet shrimp). I was particularly impressed by the amaebi, which had just right amount of sweetness, tasted clean and fresh. Maguro and hamachi were good cut of the meat, again, fresh and very tasty. King crab took the prize though, it was so good! 4 stars because I do like more traditional sushi restaurants with less fancy rolls and simple menu, but still, quality is there for sure and the service was great. read more

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TLDR: Not impressed with omakase at this price point. Food was good overall but I think a more appropriate pricing would be around 50$. The sushi was ok. Service was ok and the chef who was serving me at the sushi bar made 0 interaction and wasnt very friendly. Would come back but not for 70$ omakase ( which is like 90$ after tax and tip) I was surprised about the choices of dish and quality of some of them. For example... the desert was easily the largest plate and it was filled with just store bought mochi icecream and fruit. The sushi entree was small and boring . Therefore, not 70! Ordered the Omakase for 70$ It is not a traditional omakase but is quite good and filling. It is not traditional omakase in the sense that not all the courses are nigiri style. Some of the appetizers courses were a toro tatare, an oyster, poke in a martini glass etc. These were a very good intro and overall they were pretty creative tooAdditionally, had the shrimp dumpling soup which was verygood. Great balance of salty, sweet, spicy and acid. It was a great little dish to have on a cold Seattle day. The next course was a scallop sashimi. It was pretty good but nothing too special to t. I felt the sauce ( which was on the sweet side) didnt really add anything to the dish since the scallop was already sweet itself. Ok dish overall. Then, the entrees began and it started off with the black cod which was lightly fried in black cod, served with mushrooms and ponzu sauce. Very good dish on all sensory levels ( texture, taste, smell , look ). Now, I finally get to eat some sushi! And man, that was a disappointment. Overall, there was nothing particularly great about the nigiri and they served a very generic sushi roll with the first round. I have been waiting 5 courses now for sushi and the sushi I was served kind of looked boring. Believe me, the taste wasnt hat much better. Expecting something else? Some more sushi? Maybe... more exciting sushi. Seems kind of strange to end the meal on boring sushi at a sushi restaurant but NOPE. We end on desert. Even more surprising was the fact that desert was very large. This was kind of disappointing because the desert also wasnt anything special. It was two pieces of mochi ice cream and assorted fruit. I felt like it was meant to fill me up so that they didnt have to feed me sushi to fill me up. So overall, I would be willing to order this omakase again...at 40-50$. I just think that for the quality and quantity of feed ... 70$ was not justified. I will come again but order other stuff. Also, I felt that all the options were not presented to me. A couple next to me was being served a TRADITIONAL omakase .... when I was told there was no such thing. Not holding that against the restaurant but if dont say one thing and do another for other customers. read more

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