I was here for dinner on a Tuesday night and it was great. I wanted to try something so I started with the cooked baby octopus, which I would not recommend unless you actually like octopus and its squishy texture. Next up, the ramen. I got the ramen and my friend got the miso but I liked the miso broth more so we switched bowls. The miso came with corn, bamboo, spinach and chasu (pork). Besides the broth, the next best thing about ramen is the protein, which is typically the chasu and the egg. The chasu at Shiki was not what I was expecting or used to. It was thickly sliced and did not melt in my mouth. Lastly, I got unagi (eel) sushi a la carte. This was one of the more delicious unagi I've had and I would definitely recommend getting it. Overall, it was a positive experience and the staff were great. read more

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Been here several times now. A little hole-in-the-wall type place. Good & friendly service but it can get quite busy if you don't show up right as they open. Got the ramen this time around and it was pleasantly filling. Streetside parking with a few additional spots behind the building. Good place to take a date (I speak from experience) read more

Shiki - Ramen! (Exclamation point not included) - Japanese Near Me - Rochester, New York

Most people don't really know Japanese cuisine this restaurant is able to make special dishes for the taste of Japan dishes people who work there are so delightful everyone will enjoy a trip to the restaurant It's a must try eating in the restaurant it's so pleasant read more

Shiki is cramped and poorly decorated with no parking -- but who cares? The food is delicious. And you can't beat the prices! Rolls: if you want a wide and fanciful selection of rolls, go somewhere else. This place has the staples, but not too many specialty rolls, and the "specials" on the dry-erase board haven't changed in years. That being said, those they do have are delicious. Above all else, they just taste so fresh. Sashimi: Shiki has the best sashimi in Rochester, period. Edamame: Delicious, but a bit of a skimpy portion for the price. read more

Shiki - The delicious futomaki roll is roughly three times the size of the kappa roll, but you get 4 pieces vs 6. - Japanese Near Me - Rochester, New York

Shiki has always been my number #1 Japanese restaurant when I was in Rochester a few years ago. I sought after many Japanese restaurants in the area and although some usually excel in one category better than others, think of Shiki as an overall premium package- meaning anything you'd get here will be at least of decent quality. My favorite menu from Shiki is Kaisen Don. Una-jyu, Curry Udon, and Katsu Curry are all good choices. Very cozy and warm atmosphere- will always remain as my favorite in Rochester. I always leave here satisfied and my sushi craving fixed. read more

Shiki - Kaisen Don. YAS!!!! - Japanese Near Me - Rochester, New York

I had one of the most unappetizing meals in a while today at Shiki. It was my first time eating there and I don't plan on going back. I was in the mood for noodle soup, but unfortunately they don't offer any vegetarian broths, so I was out of luck. I decided to start off with the age-dofu. I've had this dish at other places and have enjoyed it, but at Shiki the coating was slimy and rubbery and not at all crispy. I ate one piece and passed on the second. My date and I were also given a small salad with the tofu. Neither of us had ordered a salad so I assume it was complimentary, although it was weird to only get one and have to share it. The salad was just lettuce and a few cucumber slices with bland dressing. We each tried a bite and didn't care for it. For my meal I ordered the vegetarian sushi which the menu described as "kappa, vegetable and crispy roll". The kappa (cucumber) roll was ok but the nori was abnormally chewy (as it was for all the rolls). The "vegetable" roll was just seaweed and mayo which was strange. I like seaweed on its own but it was a strange consistency in the roll and I didn't enjoy it. The "crispy" roll consisted of more seaweed, cucumber and then crispy things that tasted like French's onions, which might have been good except there were way too many; over half the roll was those (see the photo!). The crispy flakes mixed with the seaweed was even grosser than the seaweed and mayo combo. I ended up eating a few pieces of each of the rolls and left them. Throughout the meal I ate half or less of each of the items. The waitress never asked how the food was and didn't seem at all surprised when I said I didn't want to take the substantial amount of leftovers home; she must be use to it? My date, who isn't vegetarian, had the ramen and a sushi roll and reported that neither were very good and didn't taste fresh. read more

Shiki - Japanese Near Me - Rochester, New York

Great sushi spot - quick + easy. Price is right as well. No thrills straight forward sushi. The spicy tuna roll is on point and will taste different or off to those who have not had a true traditional spicy tuna roll - you're welcome. The sashimi and nigiri are great as well. read more

I wanted to love you, truly I did. Few non-Asian faces in the place. Great prices and yes it was just as fresh as my favorite places. And yes my favorite places bastardize sushi in some American ways but... BUT... you can still get straight up sushi, like u can here at my two favs. Critical here for the rolls were not rolled well enough. The wrapper didn't touch itself. They were loose so that they fell apart mid mouth trip, and the filling was unevenly dispersed in unevenly cut pieces. It was kindergarten sushi. The avocado although freshly green was hard, under ripe and lacking flavor. The wasabi pork dumplings had a nice little kick. The fried octopus was rather leathery. read more

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Sashimi here is so good! Everyone should try the mix sashimi tray, you'll find your favorite one.

Sushi here is so amazing. The sashimi just melts in your mouth. The best sushi and ramen place in rochester. Must must try the tonkasu ramen. The squid is flavorful and juicy. The tai-yaki with green tea ice cream is to drool over. read more

Shiki - Amazing sushi and sashimi combo. - Japanese Near Me - Rochester, New York

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It's rare to find a legit Japanese restaurant. This place have great service and food. I couldn't resist and came twice in the same week. Their ramen is a bit salty, but amazing noodle, toppings and soup. Their sushi and sashimi are awesome. I would definitely recommend to check it out here! Since it's a legit Japanese restaurant, the portions are about right! Not american size ;) read more

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Such a great place. No nonsense, no frills, just good atmosphere and really great food. Don't expect "foodie" culture but rather repeatable excellence of simple, high quality Japanese cuisine. Well done! read more

Best traditional sushi in Rochester. Don't go here expecting lots of Mayo and spicy tuna on rolls, just well prepared traditional sushi

Ok, so i was here on 10/26/2012 but I'm just getting around to my review now, shame shame, i know, but i took notes and pics so it's all good! Sushi places: I've been to a lot of them. If your waiters are doing headstands and throwing Sushi I've never heard of before into my mouth for free, you'll probably get a five. If it smells and looks oily, then you get a one. Then all those in between. Everything here is above average. The staff, sushi quality, price. The issue is it can't quite get a hold of that unique, weird or super cheap factor. In a vacuum, this pace gets a 5/5, in real life not so much. BTW, try the Kirin Beer, if you are 21+ of course. I've had it before but it was extra tasty here for some reason. It went quite well with the beef negimaki. That's important coming from a guy who does not really fancy beef sushi! Check my pictures to see what my friend an i had. read more

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My friends and I came here for a Friday dinner. I've only been in Rochester (originally from San Francisco) for a month and really wanted sushi. I was highly disappointed that Shiki used imitation crab. When I tried to order shishimi, the waitress told me that she didn't know what kind of fish they had available. This threw me off, so I didn't order a plate. One of my friends ordered three avocado rolls. The waitress replied that she didn't know if the kitchen could accommodate that many rolls and that she get back to out table. She never got back to us, so we ended up asking another waitress. The avocado rolls eventually came out. They took awhile bringing out water as well. I wouldn't come back because of the use of imitation crab and lack of kitchen ingredients. There are two floors. Minimalistic decor. Overall, Service-4/10 Atmosphere-6/10 Food-5/10 read more

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Go here if you are looking for traditional rice and fish. Don't go here if you are looking for a soupy puddle of sauce, rice, and fish abomination. I eat at a lot of sushi restaurants, this spot reminds me of my all time favorite sushi out in Oregon. Just as the spot in Oregon, Shiki is a small, unassuming place with minimal decor. The menu is more traditional, I wish there were a few more dishes (picked veggies and okonomiyaki come to mind). On to the food. Upon my second and third visit, I was happy to see that the menu expanded to a few specials such as toro, urchin, and hamachi kama (grilled salmon collar). I tried an assortment of fish along with some handrolls. All of which were perfect. Rice was well prepared and handled, fish was fresh, and the nori on the handrolls were nice and crispy. (I'm salivating writing this review). I also ordered the hamachi kama, which was also perfect. Fresh and crispy. I really wanted to give 4 stars, but the food is so good, it's hard to detract for my only beef with Shiki. It isnt because of the food or service (the waitstaff were very attentive and friendly). I was just so surprised that for being such a busy restaurant that boasts a traditional menu....there isn't a larger special board. Not so much roll specials, but would LOVE to see more types of fish. Maybe they just don't get the clientele that call for less popular/more expensive fish. But it was really the only thing that I wished that this place had. It's almost a 2 hour drive to get here (I live in practically sushi-less boonies), it's worth trip. read more

Shiki - Salmon skin handroll and toro - Japanese Near Me - Rochester, New York

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Stopped in with dinner with a family friend. Décor was uninspiring but the restaurant was clean and well lit. Went with a miso soup and seaweed salad to start. Miso was good and had plenty of flavor. The salad was also very good and had a nice spicy undertone to it which was nicely surprising. For my entrée I went with a spicy tuna hand roll, a yellow tail and scallion hand roll and one piece of ikura. Both were fresh but did not really have a decent amount of filing. Also the spicy tuna was not even close to spicy. The ikura was fresh and very good.I also tried a couple of pieces of my companions beef negamaki which had a nice flavor. Service was pleasant and the prices were quite reasonable. read more

If you are looking for the proper sushi experience, this is where you will find it. Everything about the experience was pleasant. The staff are gracious and patient. The menu is extensive but also sticks to the tone of sushi and other traditional Japanese food items. The portions are excellent and the prices are perfect. The Maki Dinner is a perfect example of beautifully prepared sushi combined with a surprise serving of a small salad with an excellent soy sauce based vinaigrette, followed by a bowl of tasty and hot miso soup. The sushi is presented beautifully and discretely by the staff. The ambiance of the small restaurant is relatively quiet, but no one should be afraid to enjoy conversation with their companions. There is also a small sushi bar by the kitchen for that type of experience which I have yet to try at Shiki, but I imagine it will impress just the same if not more. My friends and I really enjoyed our first visit, and I am so glad to have finally found some good sushi in Rochester. Thank you! read more

My partner and I are sushi addicts who used to live in San Francisco and have loved sampling sushi while traveling around the U.S. and Japan. When we decided to move to Rochester, we were initially pretty nervous about the sushi options. We are so grateful for Shiki! Unlike many places in the area (and in this country in general), the focus isn't on crunchy/spicy/fusion-y rolls but on simple, well-prepared fish. The quality of nigiri/sashimi stands up to the best of what we've tried in most major cities. And the staff are very friendly! read more

It was good. Sashimi was pretty fresh. That hit the spot. Friends liked their udon dishes. Udon curry was an interesting twist, loved it. Didn't like my appetizer salad, looked like churned barf, but my friends liked it, said it was peanuty. Will return whenever I have a sushi craving! read more

Shiki - sushi and sashimi combo - Japanese Near Me - Rochester, New York

Their eel over rice is just tooooo good to be true! But other things are average! The place is tiny so if u have a large party u might want to avoid crowded hours. read more

Shiki - Japanese Near Me - Rochester, New York

Great food and good service. The best Raman I've had this side of the pacific. The atmosphere is fantastic I love how close it is to highland park so getting a good meal and a quite stroll go hand in hand. The staff is friendly and the low key vibe of the shop make for a wonderful way to end a good day. read more

Shiki - I couldn't put it down. The raman was so good - Japanese Near Me - Rochester, New York

Love the sushi here! Very small place but excellent food! They have traditional sushi so not a ton of rolls to choose from, but they do have other options such as chicken dishes and noodle bowls. read more

Shiki - Shrimp shumai - Japanese Near Me - Rochester, New York

Very good sushi for the price. I ordered the sushi sashimi combo lunch - tuna, salmon, shrimp, white tuna, yellow tail, white fish. Restaurant is fairly small and on the corner of a residential area. Decent place equates to three stars....nothing bad to say. read more

Shiki - This is just the sushi portion of the lunch menu. - Japanese Near Me - Rochester, New York

We have eaten at this restaurant 30 or so times over the years. I chose it because it used to be lots of fish for a good price and presented well and a large menu. We ate there two days ago and I was disappointed. Small menu now. No hot towels before the meal. We ordered what we normally do which was a sashimi & sushi combination and a roll. The roll was only 4 slices which normally about 6 slices and the main dish could have been about 1/4 to a 1/3 larger for the price based on other places I have eaten at for the same type of food. With drinks and a tip the entire meal came close to the high $70.00's for two of us. read more

Bad service, low quality food, bad hygiene We went there for our friend's birthday (party of 11). I asked for a glass of water when I got in, but the waitress said that she won't bring water until all of us were here because she does not want to go up and down several times. Most of the dishes she brought up, she didn't do her job, instead she asked us to pass around the food. When I was looking at that sashimi boat, I found a PUBIC HAIR, take a good look at the picture I post!!! The waitress get few pieces of new tuna, but I said we don't want it, it is disgusting. She shout out : "Jesus" on her way down the stairs. later, we asked for the birthday cake that stored in their fridge. They said that they were too busy, we have to get it by ourselves. Then we asked for 11 dishes, they said we can only give you seven because others might need dishes( there is about 15 dishes on he bar table, and more in the kitchen). I mean, SHIKI, such a "GREAT" restaurant right? read more

Shiki - Japanese Near Me - Rochester, New York

Shiki is a treasure. The food is so delicious. I have been here many times and have never been disappointed, only excited to come back again. read more

Amazingly fresh fish. Great taste. Friendly and polite staff. As a visitor from California I'm thoroughly impressed by the quality of the food and will definitely come back. Would recommend. read more

Shiki - Japanese Near Me - Rochester, New York

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What a great return. I absolutely love this restaurant. Hands down, I believe this is the most authentic sushi restaurant in Rochester specifically 'Nigiri Style.' I'm pretty certain this is the only Japanese restaurant with a Japanese sushi chef in Rochester. It shows on the plate easily. I always pay attention to the specials in regard to the 'fish of the day.' When in season, the toro and uni are the best. Tonight the special was striped bass. Of course, we started with a handful of nigiri which consisted of ikura, Mackerel, Yellow-Tail, Striped Bass, Fluke, Salmon, Squid, and Tuna. Each piece of fish is perfectly sliced and the perfect thickness. The rice is the perfect amount, perfectly formed, and squeezed in unison with the fish. The rice itself is perfectly seasoned and not overly strong. I must emphasize that every. single. piece was fresh and absolutely delicious. The yellow-tail, ikura, and salmon were the highlights. We then did another round of nigiri and chose the salmon, white tuna, yellow-tail, mackerel, and tamago. I never had tamago from here before, but even something as simple as egg was delicious. Easily homemade, and with a hint of sweetness. With everything being said, without a doubt this restaurant does carry the best and freshest fish in Rochester when it comes to sushi. There wasn't a single piece that was off, because everything was fresh and at it's optimum quality. 10/10 read more

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Freshest, most delicious sushi in Rochester. AUTHENTIC. This one time, I got in a heated argument with some chicken head in my gym locker room about Shiki. She was tryin' to tell me Next Door Wegmans has better sushi than Shiki. I was like 'bish, that is not real sushi! That is America making an abomination of sushi. You dumb.' i'll knock out a broad for you Shiki. For real. read more

Thanks to my fellow yelpers and their recommendations, this was a hit for dinner when family was in town. I'd been wanting to try Shiki for a while and they did not disappoint. It happened to be a surprisingly busy evening despite the snow storm. Other reviewers have complained about slow service, but that was not an issue the evening we dined here. We were sat, greeted, and served promptly. We ended up coming back that following weekend when my sister's boyfriend came to town because she wanted him to try it. A few highlights from our orders: - Wasabi Shumai -- Wasabi pork steamed dumpling appetizer -- a must! It comes with 3 dumplings. A kick of heat and well-seasoned pork. Eat in two bites so as not to blow out your palate. - Ebi Shumai -- Shrimp steamed dumpling appetizer (5 bite-sized dumplings). While good and piping hot, I'm just not a shrimp lover. I ate one and enjoyed it, but I would go for the wasabi dumplings every other time. - Maki Dinner -- definitely a good option to fill your belly. Miso soup & salad to start and 3 rolls (tuna, spicy salmon and a cali roll). I love the dressing on the salad it's like a mix of the typical ginger dressing, but a hint of ranch-like creaminess. Subtle and flavorful. The miso soup is also good -- not too salty with lots of tofu chunks that melt in your mouth. I can go without the cali roll, but since it comes with the dinner, it doesn't hurt to enjoy a few bites and offer to share the leftovers. I loved the spicy salmon the best, with a touch of soy sauce and wasabi. MMM. - Spicy tuna roll -- simple, fresh, and light. It comes with ~4 pieces. - I ate a couple bites of my sister's chirashi bowl -- she was loving the eel and wanted a whole bowl of that. Eel has always weirded me out, but it's well-made here and the teriyaki sauce blends perfectly with it. - I also had a bite of my mom's dragon roll -- avocado and eel with the teriyaki sauce drizzled on top -- a good option for one of their few elaborate rolls. A solid place for really good sushi -- simple, but well-made rolls and always hopping. I'll be back for more! **Small lot in the back - so tight you have to reverse out of it. Otherwise, street parking. read more

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This is my new go to for sushi and other Asian delights. The place is small, so seating is limited and you may have to wait. However, this place is worth the wait. You will not be wowed by the decor or ambiance of the place. You will be by the food and the bill when finished. The food is simple and great, while the price is reasonable. I think a good barometer is that this restaurant is filled with people of every Asian decent. That shows it has authenticity and the taste you are looking for. read more

So let's just make things crystal clear...I think Shiki has absolutely AWESOME sushi. Yes the service is unbelievably slow, but it's still worth it. You just have to get your mindset that this is gonna take a while. Have a few beers, chat it up with you dinner date, whatever. The wasabi shumai are excellent but not for the faint of heart...this appetizers should be listed on the menu as WASABI shumai. Clears the sinuses very well. I'm a big eel fan and Shiki's is the best in Rochester by far. The sashimi ANYTHING is wonderful as well as extremely fresh. Salmon and tuna are my staples but for certain all the sashimi is...well superb sashimi grade. And again, yes the service is slow...but they do take-out as well so there's no excuse for not enjoying this gem. And if you think that California Rollin' is just an excellent place for sushi...keep going there because you have zero appreciation for good sushi! Num, num...get some. read more

I don't get it. Why is my tuna purple? I want that pink cryo-vacced tuna crap. The salad was shredded, pretty cool as it turns out. The dressing could have used more zip. The soup was very nice. The fish was of the most superior quality I've seen in a long time in the ROC. I don't know why it took me so long to get here. As I stated above, the tuna wasn't cryo-vacced. It was a deep ruby-purple. Stunningly beautiful. I don't typically care for salmon, but this was silken, melt in your mouth salmon. He had the chirashi, which was as he described 'A Japanese Garbage Plate', which is accurate. Oh, my it was gorgeous. Octopus, sea trout, hake, roe, THREE pieces of that beautiful tuna. My sushi lunch didn't stand a chance. I ate my lunch jealously. I'm a believer. No doubt. If you are at Plum House or Plum Garden reading this review, drop your chopsticks. You're about to get cryo-vacced. Get to Shiki. read more

This is REAL sushi in Rochester! You cannot beat the freshness or the selection, although on my last visit I was disappointed to hear they were out of octopus and squid sashimi. I was happy to replace them with some other (thick-sliced, delicious, fresh) choices to round out a birthday feast with my parents. Neither had been there before, and they were impressed with the selection and atmosphere. We had the restaurant to ourselves, and the friendly, attentive waitress was happy to ply us with course after course...miso soup, seaweed salad, wasabi shumai (stings the nostrils), age shumai (deep-fried), sake, and a bountiful selection of rolls, including the standout Alaskan, with lettuce, crab, salmon and roe. My mom had a rice bowl with fried chicken and vegetables. The batter was light and crispy (she needed *cough* help finishing...) We ended with the tempura ice cream, which was good, but could have used more chocolate sauce. Needless to say I rolled home and stayed in a food coma for several hours. I will be back soon for delicious fresh sushi for my soul. read more

Kudos to Shiki for overcoming the curse of this street address (before they opened I watched 3 other restaurants open here and then close). I was expecting Shiki to be just another sushi place, but it's actually a bona fide Japanese restaurant. In addition to sushi / sashimi, all manner of appetizers, a variety of items 'from the kitchen', and a good selection of noodle soups are available. Can't help but think Shiki's offerings constitute a serious antidote to the popular notion that Japanese cuisine is uniformly light and healthful. A big percentage of their offerings have a close encounter with the deep fryer before they're served. But happily for me the menu has more to offer. The sushi and sashimi are generally good, but it's the starters that set Shiki apart. Repeat favorites are the Ika Geso (squid legs with spicy sauce) and the E-Dako (cooked baby octopus). I will also admit to having seriously enjoyed the Unagi Yanagawa (eel and vegetables with egg) and the sweet Nasu-Den (eggplant with sweet miso sauce), even though they were oily - which is usually a turn-off. I remember staring at the half-centimeter deep oil puddle left in the Nasu-Den plate and wondering exactly what distance I'd have to jog in order to work off all those excess calories. The restaurant's decor has a number of nice touches, and the crisp Shiki uniforms perfectly suit the restaurant's atmosphere and look stylishly practical. The place is small, but I somehow never feel like my fellow diners are invading my space. read more

I'd really like to give Shiki 3.5 stars, but since so many people rate this place so highly, I guess I'll have to lower it to 3 stars. What's good about Shiki is as follows: Price for food was decent, probably cheaper than the Plum House on Monroe. The place is better under ANY criteria than California Rollin, but then, so is McD's. And the sushi is fairly fresh, if perhaps a bit predictable. What's bad about Shiki: run-down and dog-eared interior, run-down neighborhood with poor parking possiblities, and a very cramped interior. We had the Iko Gesu, which, while spicy, was less than stellar. Also, the squid was a bit chewier than I would've expected. Still, a nice change from typical sushi-restaurant fare. My partner had the sahimi dinner, and I had the chirashi. Neither meal was bad, but neither was very exciting, either. I will give them credit for better soy sauce than most sushi-places serve, but their miso was no more than typical, and the salads were underwhelming. Also, Asahi beer was not offered on the menu. The tea, however, was very good, if perhaps served far too hot. So, if you are looking for sushi in the city, go over to Shiki. If you are willing to travel a ways, you would get very nice sushi at the Plum Garden in Pittsford (but will pay more), or drive out to Fujiya in Webster for good sushi at a good price. read more

This is my favorite Sushi place in Rochester. I like the simplicity of their menu. They are not trying to make super fancy rolls that may or may not taste like BBQ sauce, they make straight up rolls that taste like they're supposed to. I also occasionally enjoy their other Japanese food choices, like their rice bowls (Don). My only issue is that it is so tiny! I sometimes it's hard to find a place to seat and enjoy their food read more

Mmmm! This is definitely a hidden treasure in Rochester. When it comes to sushi this is THE place to go in Rochester. The fish is very, very fresh and the staff is friendly. If you go here you have to try their tuna tataki - to die for! read more

Decent food, nice staff, slow service. The sushi is not very creative, and isn't quite as tasty as other places I've been. Beware, the crab isn't real (not surprising, but they don't point it out on the menu). Limited selection of rolls, which are my favorite (only about 10 total). However the fish seems fresh. The staff is very nice, and they can provide both low-sodium or wheat-free soy sauce if you need it. However, at least on the weekends, it is painfully slow. Both times I've been to Shiki our meals have taken over an hour and a half, most of that in the hour it took to get our food after ordering. Unless you want a very leisurely dinner, try it during the week. read more