We enjoyed our meal at Shiki. The sushi was fresh, and their food and drink menu included a wide range of standard to premium selections, including fatty tuna, A5 wagyu, and Junmai Daiginjo. I appreciated how they filled their spicy tuna rolls with chunky pieces of fish instead of the usual ground tuna used in other sushi restaurants. Their offerings and methods of preparation, paired with their higher price point, suggests they are a higher end establishment. However, the atmosphere was undoubtedly on the casual side, and their service, although friendly and knowledgeable, exuded a lack of experience and the same attention to detail that they put into their food. This was especially apparent after coming from eating at other restaurants in a similar price bracket, where you can sense the waitstaff had a lot of pride and passion for their craft, and it didn't feel like it was just a job for them. In contrast, our experience at Shiki felt far more transactional, and lacked that "customer obsession" and genuine warmth. That said, it's difficult to judge a restaurant's culture just from a single night, and maybe other customers had a different experience from us. Ultimately, if good sushi is your priority and you are willing to splurge a bit, Shiki meets and even exceeds that bar. read more

SHIKI - Special Crunch, spicy tuna, and lemon salmon roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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Living in Charleston, you'd think there would be a sushi spot on every corner with phenomenal fresh-fish options. They exist, but some of the best are so unassuming you can walk right past them. Shiki is exactly that kind of place--a small, warm, inviting restaurant tucked into a strip mall that feels like a neighborhood secret. Loc, our waiter, greeted us as soon as we sat down with water, a friendly welcome, and a helpful walk-through of the menu. We started with wine and sake--always a promising beginning. The first course was seaweed salad with baby octopus, and I could have happily sipped that dressing like a cocktail. Light, bright, perfectly balanced, with tender octopus that added just the right bite. From there we decided to sample our way through the menu and ordered a lineup of rolls: Spicy Yellowtail, Spicy Shiromi, Rainbow, Spider, Lemon Salmon, and Eel. Each one seemed better than the last. The Spicy Shiromi was the clear standout--absolutely spectacular. What really sets Shiki apart is that every roll has its own distinct flavor instead of the one-note sameness you find at so many sushi spots. You can tell real care goes into the preparation. If you're searching for fresh, thoughtful, genuinely delicious sushi, don't overlook this little gem. Shiki is the real deal. read more

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Of all Japanese restaurants that I have gone to, this place made my top overall favorite. While the price is more expensive than I am used to it totally becomes worth it with the high quality dishes they serve. I ordered a tuna roll and 2 orders of eel sushi, and miso soup. They were absolutely stunning and soft! It was the freshest I ever had. My sister had yellowtail and spicy tuna hand rolls and ginger salad. She enjoyed those and I thought the hand rolls were bigger than I'm used to seeing. read more

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Hands down my favorite sushi bar in Charleston! A small, intimate sushi restaurant that has a family feel. You can be seated at the sushi bar, or a table either choice is great. I really enjoy getting nigiri here, their selection is large and the sushi fresh and lots are flown in from Japan. read more

SHIKI - Nigiri - Sushi Bars Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

The ambiance is nice, it's small so it looks crowded. Had to wait for my parties table for a while, but that wasn't the problem. The issue is all the sushi lacked any flavor, and was tasteless goop. The spicy yellow tail roll was so bland, like eating mush. The same thing with Green River and Shiki roll. It really pains me to say this, but I have had better sushi from grocery stores. It was odd because everyone around me just spent their time taking photos of their food and posting it on social media. Almost like they didn't care about the taste, just the picture... but back the food, the crunch spicy tuna appetizer looks good, but was extremely salty with little flavor. The crispy fried rice completely overpowered everything else, and it just ended up tasting like over-salted French fries. I wanted this place to be amazing, but it was a huge let down, more of the kind of place to take a date and get a picture at if you know what I mean. read more

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Great sushi, great service and it has a parking lot downtown. What else do you need to know? Everything I tried was very good. It's a small place and it fills up fast so get a reservation or get there early, it's the perfect place to go before an event at the Gailard. read more

SHIKI - Sushi Bars Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

In town for graduation. Small place, service was great and everything was excellent. Had an assortment of sushi rolls Nd main dishes. Ask the server for recommendations, had a great grasp of menu. Highly recommend read more

Wonderful sushi rolls & bites. Cozy ambiance, be prepared to come with a reservation! Our server offered thoughtful recommendations (that ended up being some of the most delicious bites of the night!) Takeout has been reliable from Shiki as well! Favorites: - Shiki SC - Lemon salmon - Isomaki - Yakisoba read more

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The waiter was very honest about what he recommended for me and company and it was so helpful. Everything we had we enjoyed. The food was very good. Would eat there agai read more

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This place lives up to the hype as one of the best sushi spots in Charleston. It's pricey, but reasonable for what you get, which is quality. The best uni I've had outside of Japan. I had to double up on the blue fin nigiri it was so good. Def make reservations as it's an intimate setting. read more

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If you're in Charleston looking for some great sushi you gotta check out Shiki downtown! Definitely make a reservation as it's a smaller restaurant with limited seating but worth the wait! Our server was great! They have a large selection of sake to choose from ranging in prices. there's also a decent selection of tempura that you can do. My only complaint is that you have to pick 3 different types of tempura so it was a lot of food. But still good and crispy 8.5/10 I definitely recommend the Rock Shrimp Tempura this was delicious the sauce was good and it was also quite large for an appetizer 9/10 and the Shiki SC roll is so good and unexpected it has Asian pear on it (which is one of my favorite fruits) and it gives this extra crunch and flavor too it! 9/10 I go the blue crab temaki and this was good but not my favorite 7/10 and the nigiri omakase which was a good selection of different nigiri it was good and fresh! 9/10 read more

Came back after a year to have lunch with a friend in town. I have been craving their super crunch roll for too long. It was a beautiful day so we picked to sit outside. Our server James was really nice and so attentive. They have a really good lunch menu with solid options and the pricing was great. I had a hard time choosing but I ended up with miso soup and a couple rolls. They did not disappoint and I still stand by that Shiki makes the freshest and best sushi rolls. That Korean pear with the shrimp is the ultimate combo. I definitely want to come back for their bento box or teriyaki plates! read more

SHIKI - Sushi Bars Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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I've heard many people say this is the best sushi in Charleston, so I was thrilled to finally get a reservation and see what it was all about. The atmosphere was lovely, and I enjoyed how intimate and welcoming the restaurant felt. We started with the Crispy Tuna Oshizushi and it was incredible and full of flavor. (By far my favorite item we ordered). It was such a great start that we were even more excited for the three sushi rolls we ordered next. We chose the Spider Roll, Shiki SC, and the Spicy Yellowtail. The sushi was reasonably priced and had great presentation. However, in terms of flavor, the Shiki Roll stood out the most. While the others were decent, they were more subtle in taste than I had expected. Our server was quick and attentive. I'd recommend! read more

The sushi rolls, Galbi, Hamachi Kama, Sushi & Sashimi Omakase, and dessert were phenomenal. Everything is fresh. What a meal. Service was attentive on a busy Friday night. The place is nice. It was enjoyable to sit at the sushi bar. You get the best experience that way! read more

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Everything was incredible. They sat us 15 minutes earlier than our reservation, the waitress was very nice and checked in on us frequently but not too much, and every dish was delicious! Must haves: nigiri - sweet shrimp (my favorite), toro, uni. The bagel roll was interesting if you like cream cheese in sushi and if not I recommend the spicy salmon roll which was super fresh! The vibes were super cute and it wasn't too loud. Perfect for a date or family dinner. Shiki is our family's go-to every time we're in town. Will be coming back. Will need a reservation. read more

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Fresh seafood and ingredients. Friendly attentive staff. Small and cozy with limited parking. Reservations recommended. read more

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The bento box lunches are incredible!!! I love this cute little restaurant. Incredibly fresh ingredients. Sushi bar is fun because can watch how talented these chefs are. The sweet potato sushi is also crispy, sweet, and delicious. The restaurant is tiny and so welcoming. Grab a seat at the sushi bar, in the restaurant, or anywhere you can find one. read more

SHIKI - Bento box (vegetarian) and sweet potato sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

I was impressed with this restaurant! When you first come in it is very inviting. Quite small and intimate but well laid out. The decor is awesome and all the natural wood decor is a great feeling. The food was also quite enjoyable. I had the hotate, salmon roll, tonkatsu. The pork tonkatsu was very enjoyable. Rich juicy pork and crispy panko crust. Really couldn't ask for more. The only lack luster piece was their take on flan. Too eggy. But probably not the restaurant for flan. Overall great restaurant read more

Absolutely delicious and fresh with an amazing ambiance! I've visited Japan twice and love sushi! If you've eaten sushi in Japan you'll understand how good this place is!!! Thank you Shiki I will be back! read more

SHIKI - Sushi Bars Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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We were excited to try Shiki for some great sushi. It came highly recommended and did not disappoint. Each sushi serving that came to our table was outstanding. Fresh, beautifully presented food. We loved everything about this restaurant. Our server Claire was phenomenal attending for every whim. The menu is rather daunting because it has so many items, but Claire makes the choices easy based on her interpretation of our dining needs. She recommended Sake to go with our dishes of choice, and the pairing was fantastic. It's a really cool vibe in here, very busy and the staff take time to acknowledge the diners and make sure that everybody is having a good time. They have parking right outside the door because they are located in a small outdoor mall which provides parking. Excellent bonus to the evening. We will definitely return to Shiki read more

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My favorite sushi spot!! Service was great, they're very knowledgeable about their menu and helpful when unsure what to get. The food consistently comes out relatively fast every time I go. While a small restaurant, it's very cute and the vibes are fun! Highly recommend read more

SHIKI - Gyoza and Spicy Tuna Oshizushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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Loved Shiki so much, there sushi is top quality. Reminds me of Japan so much. The ambiance of the place is small but I believe it was intended. The servers seem to work there and are super helpful and kind. read more

First time here and won't be our last. Cozy, intimate dining and out of this world fresh sushi. We were early for our dinner reservation. The host gave us a drink menu and asked us to wait. He checked in with us two times while we sat outside: once to see if we wanted to order drinks and once more to offer two seats at the sushi bar that were available so we wouldn't have to wait. We got a great table for two right at the window. We started with the crispy tuna gyoza. Both were fresh and flavorful. I had the crunch SC roll with Korean pear and the seafood salad roll. My husband had the jellyfish nigiri, a salmon roll, tuna roll, and eel roll. We were both so pleased with our entrees. Our server, Elliott took amazing care of us and explained the menu thoroughly. It was pricey but we ordered a ton of food. We both agreed we didn't mind the price tag because of the quality of the fish we had. Thank you, Shiki! read more

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This is likely the best sushi place I have ever been to, and that says a lot. Came here with my oldest son and was pleasantly shocked to see that the gyoza was very clearly made in-house rather than being premade and frozen, and they were outstanding. The cucumber breeze was a unique treat as well. I had 3 pairs of nigiri, they were specials and I don't remember what they were, but I was totally blown away. And my son really thought his spicy salmon roll was a knockout and got a second one even though he was already pretty full. Red bean mochi didn't feel nearly as chemical as others I have had. Service was impeccable and the interior is pretty swank and chic. I expected it to be less nice so we rode our motorcycles there and despite all the gear we had on, not only were we welcome, they offered to hold our helmets in the office for us. Over all, great place. Prices were high and FULLY justified by the quality. J.Ja read more

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I knew it would be good when I got there at 11:30 on a Thursday and it got progressively more and more packed. At lunch time that's a great sign. Sushi cuts and rice absolutely perfectly prepared and service was wonderful. A couple more unique nigiri pieces that are hard to find in other places. Like baby octopus and marinated jellyfish. Absolutely yum!! read more

SHIKI - From left top- Ikura Salmon Roe, Chuka Iidako Baby Octopus, Kurage Jellyfish, Uni Sea Urchin, Unagi Eel, Tsubugai Conch, Shime Saba Mackerel - Sushi Bars Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

GET THE OMAKASE. Read about them in the charleston city paper. Incredible fish that they fly in twice a week from the Toyosu fish market in Toyko. Make a reservation since it's a small spot. The Ora King salmon comes from New Zealand and the Atlantic salmon is sourced from the Faroe Islands. Most of the fish that's caught using the ikajime method ("Once a fish reeled in, the fishermen bleed it out and that almost triples the shelf life of the fish and takes away some of the funkiness from the meat. This technique is also considered the fastest and most humane way to kill a fish, and it allows the fish to develop more umami") read more

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My husband wanted to have dinner at a sushi bar for his birthday, so after a quick search I stumbled upon Shiki. Many of the reviews I read mentioned it being the best sushi in Charleston. Even as we chatted with others about our plans for the evening, I kept hearing the same type of comments. And well... the reviews might be right. Upon arrival we were quickly seated at our seats at the sushi bar. Our waitress was super friendly and helped explain the menu to us and recommend options for our meal. We started with the gyoza and the crispy tuna - both incredible. The sauce that the gyoza comes with was delish! We also ordered a lemon salmon roll, which came out quickly after our apps were cleared. We finished that and wrapped up with the Chef's Special sushi and sashimi omakase. Can't wait to come back and try other menu items. read more

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Located in a strip mall, this isn't the easiest to find, but it's well worth it. Make sure to make a reservation, especially if you want dinner service, as the space is small and their service time is long due to the time it takes to properly prepare the food. We had the omakase, and it was incredible, though it was served as a single plate rather than as a multi-course tasting menu. We had some sushi, sashimi, and nigiri that we've never had before. Extremely high quality and extremely fresh. I felt like the price was worth what we received. Our server was excellent and very knowledgeable about the menu. The wine and sake menu is long, though it is rather pricey. Their beer options were more reasonable. read more

Shiki looks unassuming on the outside, but the food is amazing and the interior is adorable! Since it is such a small space, you need a reservation to guarantee a spot. I was able to make same day reservations though! We got lucky, someone canceled! Even though this is a sushi spot, they had vegetarian options, and they had non-sushi options like the pork katsu. Their veggie sushi roll was SO good. I love when places get creative with veggie rolls and put a variety of veggies in. I also tried the roll that had lemon and jalapeño. I'm not the biggest fan of crab, but this roll was amazing. The lemon adds the perfect amount of zest! Plus, it's fun to try rolls I've never seen before. Even though we were absolutely stuffed, I needed to order the fried ice cream. It was SO GOOD. The fry batter is super light and crispy, and the red bean ice cream was amazing. If you're in Charleston, you should definitely try to get a reservation here! read more

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Been searching for good asian food and saw this restaurant on tik tok. Had an 8pm reservation but arrived earlier so they let us look at the drink menu and even helped with recommendations. The hostess was very nice along with the staff we interacted with. We were seated in the book nook because that's all the had available inside the restaurant. It's a small restaurant so i really enjoyed the smaller space as it separated us from the rest of the restaurant. We ordered the beef tataki and shumai to start and i absolutely loved both. Amazing flavor and came out quick. For our mains we had the house special roll, nabeyaki udon, and the chirashi. The roll was very good, bf said the salmon and tuna in the chirashi was amazing, and the udon was very refreshing. The hot sake and jasmine tea were good as well. Overall amazing food and amazing experience. I would definitely come back to read the rest of the manga and so i can try different things on the menu because I'll know it'll be good. Bf was very happy with how good the food was and wasn't mad at the check can't wait to go back. read more

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Amazing amazing sushi. Didn't have a huge appetite coming in so just started with some nigiri and two rolls. The salmon nigiri melted in my mouth and tasted so fresh. The Green River roll was nicely balanced with the Shiki super crunch (never had korean pear in a sushi roll before!!) Everything was delicious. read more

SHIKI - Green River and SHIKI SC (Super Crunch) - Sushi Bars Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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This has definitely become one of my top favorite sushi places. The sushi is unreal -- they combine such unique flavors (like pear!) and the textures with the flavor made me never want to stop eating. The vibes are moody and perfect for a date night, and the service was incredibly kind -- they honestly made me feel like a VIP. Can't wait to come back! read more

SHIKI - Sushi Bars Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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Excellent sushi restaurant. This is a small place with an innovative menu. The service was great--knowledgeable, appropriately paced and informative. Shiki closes between lunch and dinner. We visited for a late lunch on a Saturday and we appreciated our server letting us know it was "last call" if we wanted to add any more items. That said, the service was relaxed and we didn't feel rushed out at all. The sushi itself was tasty and fresh. Each element, from rice to protein to other toppings, was well-executed. While we didn't order any sake on this visit, the list was impressive and I would be happy to try some on a future visit. Good selection of styles, bottle sizes and price points. As I mentioned, the shop is cozy and reservations are recommended. Traditional sushi shop decor. There is a bar available and I've heard that small groups can walk in and get a spot. Highly recommend Shiki for sushi in Charleston. Shiki is in a small "strip mall" that has a parking lot. We parked on the street and walked a few blocks, but worth knowing there is onsite parking. read more

delicious sushi amazing preparation service is fantastic. Prices are fair. Parking is easy. They have a parking lot small restaurant or make reservations. read more

SHIKI - Sushi Bars Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

Oh my oh my this sushi!!!! I've had great sushi in In my time but I am ranking this the freshest and most delicious I've had una long time!!! Make a reservation as they do stay pretty busy. We came in for lunch and they added me to the waitlist and had us a table within 10 Min. They have a great menu with some great lunch special pricing. I highly recommend. read more

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Came here for a birthday lunch and made a reservation since it is a very small establishment. I wouldn't come if you have a large party though - we had a reservation for 5 and were squished at our booth. Our server was a young man and he was so kind and knowledgable about the menu. We ordered a conglomerate of things and there were nothing but good things to say all around. read more

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Shout out Daniel for making Sushi Great Again! The fish was fresh and cooked meals were cooked just right with perfect umami read more

I can't say enough good things about a restaurant. My favorite place in all of Charleston. The super crunch & lemon salmon rolls are musts for me! Everything is super fresh and the servers are amazing. The hostess was kind of rude but the server Locke made absolutely everything so much better! He was so polite knowledgeable and funny. read more

SHIKI - Sushi Bars Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

Everything was amazing from beginning to end! Quality of the sushi was superb. It was our first time here but won't be our last. Definitely make a reservation because it's a small space. Can't wait to go back! read more

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Best sushi in charleston, freshest fish, unique rolls, 10/10 service ever time, great recommendations, great atmosphere, very clean and very calm. Couldnt say enough good things about this place. Nigiri was special - COME HERE IF YOU LIKE SUSHI STOP THINKING ABOUT IT read more

SHIKI - Assorted Nigir - Off menu fish - Sushi Bars Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina