I began loving sushi while living in a much bigger city with numerous Japanese restaurants nearby. When I moved back to Rochester, I looked for a place where I could get great traditional sushi and more importantly, quality sashimi. Shiki is the best place thus far that I have found in Rochester for sushi (although I haven't tried every place). The downside to Shiki is the restaurant itself. It is desperately in need of a makeover. It feels sort of like a low end diner inside, and I think that their business could pick up if they invested in the interior. Although I love their food, I never think of Shiki when I want a nice dinner out. I prefer take out from there. Sometimes I even think putting some louder music on in there would help; usually I feel like I need to whisper since the tables are so close and it's so, so quiet in there. Despite not loving the interior, I'll still give them four stars for the food! read more

When it comes to sushi in Rochester, Shiki is first on my list and the one place I end up coming back to over and over again. Always a good sign to see a majority of non-white people every time I have eaten in, I have enjoyed their food and they helped introduce me to sushi I actually liked. I can't claim to be a sushi expert by any means....I only like a few things when it comes to fish and Shiki does them well. Both their tuna and eel have the flavor I am looking for when I order them and I have never had a piece there that was off or not fresh tasting. My girlfriend and I love their Spider rolls (soft shell crab), gyoza (wasabi and normal pork) and we both got introduced to eating tongue at Shiki. Don't get the wrong idea by that....they cook a great beef tongue with great texture and flavor that will convert you over to the offal side of food. All of my friends who enjoy a greater variety of fish in their sushi have raved about the freshness and quality. They don't make my favorite version of ramen soup, but their miso broth ramen is rich and a tasty treat on a cold day. Highly recommended and the best traditional style sushi in Rochester in my eyes! read more

I expected more from Shiki. Service, which I expected to be a weak point, was actually very good and friendly. The food was just so so. Some of our rolls were hastily assembled and seemed ready to fall apart. A few nigiri pieces had so much wasabi that I flinched, and I enjoy my wasabi. I was unpleasantly surprised to discover the crab on their menu is all imitation. I despise imitation crab. I didn't give them imitation money so why do they give me fake food. Our fish was all served luke warm which was kind of unsettling. It seemed fresh from what I could surmise through all the wasabi. Miso soup, salad and tempura veggies were all fine I suppose, but that really wasn't what I was there for. Shiki failed to distinguish itself from Plum House. Is Next Door the only place around for decent sushi? I hope not, but it seems that way. read more

We met a couple out on a Friday night for dinner and I was super excited to try this place since I've heard this is the best sushi in the roc. Tip: they do not take reservations on the weekends and will not seat you until your entire party has arrived. It's a small place so I recommend getting there with everyone by 6! We started out with some large Sapporo which is the way to go. Only a couple dollars more and you get basically get two beers. I ordered a spicy tuna roll with crunch, the dragon roll, and edamame, and the gyoza. The edamame were lackluster, the gyoza was very good and cooked perfectly. Now, onto the sushi - I'm used to a roll being 6-8 pieces, but here the rolls are only 4 pieces which threw us for a loop! It was the best spicy tuna I ever had, So good we ordered two more rolls. I wish the portion sizes were a little bigger, but the quality and authenticity is definitely there! Ready to go back and try a bento box for lunch! read more

I'm no sushi snob, but there's nothing better than a steaming bowl of ramen especially during this year's apocalypse of a winter. Shiki is my ROC go to place for great ramen for me, sashimi for him. Start off with the miso ramen, its rich with spicy broth, vegetables, and cutlets of pork that would make me sing for my supper. At $9 a bowl, you're really paying for the broth and pork. I've had other ramens in ROC that didn't quite have the same depth and body of Shiki's ramens. These ramens do not have the usual hard boiled egg toppings and such of other ramen joints, I wish they did. Its not the NYC-Bay Area quality ramen, but its not a bad choice in ROC and keeps me returning to Shiki. Warning: this place gets packed during the evenings with a wait of 30+ minutes for a table. Do yourself and your friends a favor, call ahead or you'll be lucky to be sitting down agonizingly watching others 8 feet away, slowly chow down their sushi and happy Asian students munch on Japanese curry meals. Note to self: Try the Japanese curry next time. read more

Solid 4 stars for food. Atmosphere here is a bit weird... Not somewhere that you feel good walking into...lights are too bright, seating isn't that comfortable... but food was good. I went with my husband, brother and father-in-law for a dinner on a Thursday evening. It wasn't like the best sushi ever, but it was pretty good. Better than California Rollin (which is where brother & FIL usually want to go.) This was definitely a step up. Not as creative as Next Door, but good quality fish and well-executed rolls, nigiri & sashimi. Good service, too. We will be back to try more! read more

Very enjoyable! I got the eel and spicy salmon rolls. We came at off peak times, so we didn't get a reservation, but it's a small restaurant, I would recommend one. read more

I loved this Japanese restaurant. Yay for parking! Ah ha! Last minute dinner plans...where do we go? It was boiling outside, and sushi always does the trick. Quickly ordering a chirashi and miso soup, I await my order. With a party of three, we were seated instantaneously. The place was already packed. The time was 9:05 pm, and the place closes at 10 pm. I was super happy that they were able to feed us given we got there near closing. The fish was extremely fresh and delicious. I really enjoyed my rice that came with my chirashi. It had vinegar and sherry in it, and just had an amazing taste in all. My friends got salad and a couple of rolls. They loved them as well. As I drove away into the dead of the night, I sensed the authentic Japanese meal settle in my belly with delight. read more

Decent for the price... it was inexpensive for the amount of sushi we got, and that it came with soup and salad. My issue was that the sushi rice was kind of warm. I was underwhelmed. Would recommend for a cheap sushi night, but would deff try the ramen, it looked amazing but did not try it read more

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Love Shiki because their sashimi is always fresh, service is nice and price is very reasonable. I personally do think people should avoid going at the rush hour(usually dinner time around 6:00) and you should be fine Personally I think this their sushi is the best in Rochester area. read more

I used to live in Los Angeles where I would have Sushi roughly once a week and I have visited many sushi establishments around the world. A couple of quick points about my visit. 1) I was here when the opened the doors at 5 PM on a Saturday night. 2) Without a doubt the Sushi here is fresh. 3) They don't do fusion rolls 4) The décor is a little run down 5) The wait staff was attentive. 6) The pricing is extremely reasonable. The issue I had is when I order Sushi, I like to order 2 or three items and then do a second or third round. The Sushi chef apparently told my waiter that if I wanted to order my food like that, it would be 45 min between servings. Needless to say I won't be back. read more

Shiki is definitely one of the better Japanese restaurants in Rochester. They have a good selection of various sushi and sashimi on their menu. It's a small restaurant, but they serve up goooood Japanese food. I like their noodle soups and I always check out the specials they offer. One time I went, they had takoyaki! It was very exciting. And it was delicious. The prices are very affordable too! The staff is very friendly and the service is good. read more

Shit we ordered at the same time but they served the wrong thing to my friend and we waited here forever for her dish! Food is ... Average i think. Service is definitely below average now. read more

I heard many compliments about this restaurant and my friends come here very often. I had expected that the foods must have been really good. I came here once and never come back. Japanese food is famous for their freshness. Quality of ingredients here is really low, not fresh. The price was very high. The sushi was not that great. I ordered the beef teriyaki. It was terrible. It's worse than my homemade teriyaki. I am sure that they use the teriyaki sauce that is sold in the market for their Teriyaki. This is bad! To verify if my rating is true, take a Japanese there. They will tell you. read more

I've been to Shiki many times for lunch and dinner. The people there are super nice and the food is terrific! Authentic Japanese food in Rochester does not get better than at Shiki. It's good to take a look at their specials on occasion. The sushi and sashimi are very fresh. In the summer you can even get Toro. I like getting the katsu curry, or the unadon. The sushi sashimi combo is great also. read more

In Rochester there is no other location that can compare to Shiki for sushi/sashimi. My wife loves the Wasabi Shumai (it's awesome). I can't get anything BUT the sashimi platter. The level of freshness is easily a step above anywhere else and the texture on the fish is amazing. It's a small place and the service can be anything but fast so if you have to be prepared. I won't knock the service or the size but I can see where it might bother a few people. read more

Took my 11 year old son here for a little date night just him and I. Went around 515 pm. Only a couple other tables. My only complaint was our server. She was kinda not into serving us, it seemed like. Maybe bc it isn't kid friendly? I'm not sure. The other woman tho that was more by the register was a lot nicer and refilled out waters and talked to us. Anyways into the food. Started w a miso soup. Pretty good a lot more tofu and seaweed than most places. We both enjoyed it. Then had a sunonomo. Which is a seafood salad with rice vinegar, usually with some seaweed and cucumber which this salad had. Also a couple piece of krab, a piece of octopus, and a shrimp. I love these salads, the rice vinegar just makes it. My son isn't quite there with the variety of fish yet, so we have to keep it simple. So I ordered us a spicy tuna roll which was his favorite, a simple Cali roll and then a Crunch roll. All 3 were very good. And came out pretty fast. Overall pretty happy. I should have ordered a couple pieces of sashimi but we were both getting full. Next time. read more

Shiki - Spicy Tuna, Cali Roll, and Crunch Roll - Japanese Near Me - Rochester, New York

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Really the only place worth having Sushi in Rochester, and we all know it. I've only been for lunch, but that's partly because I don't want to pay the dinner premium on this place. The service has been alright (it always seems to be the same one woman running around), and the food comes out rather quickly. The lunch combinations are a solid deal. Friends who order rolls/sushi a la carte have found the portions to be smaller than expected - this is where the price issue comes up. I don't mind paying more for freshness and good sushi, but that coupled with a 4-piece tuna roll kind of irks me. Student discount helps (10% off - but it's cash only for that option w. no split checks). Rochester really needs to step up their sushi game. So until it does, I suppose I'll keep frequenting Shiki. I'm just slightly underwhelmed by it. read more

The Good: The best affordable sushi in Rochester. The Bad: The location isn't anything special. Times Gone: Twice I Usually Order: Sushi Deluxe read more

Whenever I go to a sushi restaurant, there are only a couple things I really look for: freshness, prices, and variety. And Shiki was pretty good about hitting all three. We ordered the Sashimi Dinner and Sushi Deluxe, which were both chef's selections. The sashimi was delicious, one of the best I've ever had. The fish was so fresh, chilled at the right temperature, and easy to bite, no fibers. The variety was also good and I fell in love with their Whitefish Tuna. Also, I'm normally not a fan of sea urchin, but I could actually tolerate their sea urchin, which had a light flavor, but great aftertaste. Their salad was chopped, which I thought was cool and their miso soup wasn't too salty, which is normally what happens at Japanese restaurants. Free hot tea is also plus. Definitely check this place out if you're a sushi/sashimi fan. Great cuts of fish and really fresh. Only downside is it's more expensive than I'm used to paying ($2-4 for one piece of sushi). read more

Very good sushi in the Rochester Area. We were a group of 11 and sat in their upstairs private area. Service was not so great, but the food was really good. Next time I would not come with a largeR group. Their salad dressing was great and the sushi was very well prepared. Would definitely come back when I am in town. read more

I have been thinking about going to this place many years. Finally we decided to try it today. It is a very small restaurant , however I found it gave me a feel of old Japanese village as soon as we sit down. Wait time is fast for lunch hour . When my sushi brought out at my table. The presentation is awesome. Took me few minutes to enjoy watching it before have my first bite. I would have gave them 5 stars if they have more parking read more

Shiki - Sushi & sushimi combo lunch - Japanese Near Me - Rochester, New York

Some of the best sushi I've had. Can't go wrong with the spicy tuna roll and some of their premium sake. It's usually packed to the gills (haha) but the wait staff is very attentive and rolls (wow) with however fast or slow you're dining. Love this spot. A Rochester gem. read more

This is the only place in Rochester I will order sashimi or nigiri. The fish is always fresh. The service can be slow (especially during the lunch rush) but the female server who is always there has been far more friendly in recent times. Most recently, I was here for lunch last week. I split the sushi lunch along with 3 rolls (crispy, soft shell crab and philadelphia) with a friend. A little pricey ($19-20 each after tip) but the quality of the fish was worth it. On previous visits, I have tried the chicken/beef teriyaki lunch boxes and they are good (but nothing special). I recommend sticking to the sushi. The squid appetizer is decent as well. I do wish they featured more maki lunch specials. Getting a couple of rolls at lunch here is far more expensive than other sushi restaurants in town. As for authenticity, this place is always full of Japanese people - to me, that is good enough. read more

If you want sushi/sashimi come here. Not fried or chef special rolls. You can tell the fish is fairly fresh and that the chefs take their time. The takoyaki is very good as well if you want a little appetizer first read more

Shiki - Japanese Near Me - Rochester, New York

My favorite Sushi restaurant in Rochester and IMO the best here as well. (I haven't tried them all, but I have gone to many of them.) It's a really small, neighborhood place with very simple decor. It's not new or shiny and neither is the neighborhood, but I love the place. There are only a couple off-street parking spots in the back, but on-street parking is not uncommon for small places in the city. I've always had excellent sushi here. The one thing I have always used to help determine quality is serving temperature. If it's too cold you can't taste it in the first place, and its probably a sign of slow turn-over. And that's not something you want in a Sushi place. The specials are always something interesting, but they don't keep much quantity around, so I'm never surprised when they tell me they've run out of something. Again, that sounds like good ingredient turn-over. The other thing I love about the place is they don't do the crazy, elaborate rolls drowned in sauces. Sure they can be fun from time to time, but I always wonder if Sushi restaurants that have those really just use them to get rid of ingredients before they go bad. If it's not abundantly clear by now, ingredient turn-over is really important to me in a Sushi joint. My biggest problem with Shiki is that I always think to go when they aren't open. They don't have bad hours but it is important to remember they close between 2:30 and 5pm on weekdays and they don't do Saturday lunch. As an extra fact for those who enjoy that kind of thing, the location used to house Golden Pond Dim Sum, which changed names to Golden Port and eventually moved downtown. read more

We were here for a small birthday celebration. From the outside appearance I was not too sure if I wanted to go in, but I'm glad I did. The place is small and parking is almost obsolete. No complaints on the food here! read more

Shiki - Japanese Near Me - Rochester, New York

I was recommended here a few weeks ago and I've been dying to try it! The service was fast. We got here and only had to wait a few minuets to get a table, the space is small but it's not over crowded. The sushi was delicious and tasted fresh. read more

Shiki - Spider roll & California roll! - Japanese Near Me - Rochester, New York

Absolutely delicious ramen! Sushi was incredibly flavorful and fresh and we loved the spicy squid. Perfect! read more

Shiki - Japanese Near Me - Rochester, New York

Tried out this hole in the wall place since I was in the area. There's no parking lot so you gotta get lucky with street parking. The place doesn't look like much from the outside, but the atmosphere isn't too bad once you get inside. The lunch menu had reasonable prices and the sushi was actually pretty good. I usually don't like salad, but the house-made dressing they use is surprisingly good..whatever it was. Try out the tonkatsu or pork cutlet. Since the owners are Japanese, they use a different breading than the typical restaurants. The stuff that came in the bento box was also delicious. read more

This is where the locals go for just plain, simple, classic sushi. Delish, no frills. Shiki staff knows their sushi. It's in this tiny joint tucked away from the neighborhoods popular with city visitors and suburbanites. But, man, is it a relief to be able to find some good sushi in this city...a place where you can slip in and out in your bum clothes and get some great takeout. The general environment for eat-in feels lackluster and a bit dingy. read more

Best Sushi and Ramen I've tasted in Rochester so far! Especially the Sushi! My husband and I recently moved from LA and have had a hard time finding consistently good Sushi and Ramen. Customer service was great, too. We will definitely be returning to try again! read more

No doubt best authentic sushi place in Rochester. Owner is Japanese not Chinese just in case you are curious. Really good fresh fish. If you've been to other sushi place you will notice the difference between really good fresh fish and so so fish and you will never want to go to other places again. Everything else is perfect too. My goal is to try everything in the menu. Even busy during lunch hour. It's been open for 12 years now. And I'm Chinese. Just in case you are curious. read more

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Awesome sushi amazing sashimi. Wonderful staff. If I could give 10 stars I would. Great little restaurant. All of the ingredients tasted fresh. I would recommend this anyone who wants some delicious flavors. Won't break the bank read more

Shiki - Japanese Near Me - Rochester, New York

Shiki has very fresh sushi! Yummy! We found it to be pricey when compared to other Rochester locations and the number of pieces per price were smaller than the places we frequented in DC (before moving to ROC). ...But the freshness can't be beat so, DO IT! Small dining area but we called 1 day in advance and made our Friday evening reservation which had us seated pretty quickly. overall win! read more

Stopped in for Valentine's day and was not disappointed! We had the Gyoza to start (amazing and perfectly cooked), Rainbow roll (very good) and the Sushi/Sashimi combination platter (perfection). The salmon in particular was the absolute best we'd ever had. Everything tasted very fresh. Best sushi experience we've had in Rochester. Service was just fine, the wait was as expected and the servers were good. We will be back! read more

Food was good and that's the only reason I would return because the service is poor. Went for a quick meal before a movie and had some Unagi rolls, Gyoza, and Takoyaki for appetizers. Meals were the Eel Bowl(Una-Jyu) and Tonkatsu Ramen. Gyoza were a bit too salty and the octopus in the Takoyaki was extremely chewy so I wouldn't recommend those. The meals were good though(but we didn't get to finish them). Server never asked how the food was and we didn't get any refills. We were the only customers in the restaurant so it isn't as if the server was busy, in fact she was sitting down across from us chatting with another staff member. It was 25 minutes before close but it was obvious they wanted us to leave, one of the staff came over with the check and told us they were going to close soon while we were in the middle of our meal. Again, it wasn't even our server who brought the check. We paid and were getting ready to walk out when the server stopped us and told us we were required to leave at least a 10% tip. The check does not specify a required tip amount, and honestly she did not even deserve that tip but I did not argue. I probably won't return here, there are other places with better food and service. read more

Best sushi in Rochester. That may be slow bar, but you need sushi... Go for lunch and get the sushi lunch. Comes with 6 pcs, soup, and salad. Cannot be beat! read more

My opinion one of the best sushi restaurants in Rochester. Small and quaint good quality food and service! I highly recommend this place, please advise they have limited seating and parking spots. read more

Shiki - Wasabi shumai! - Japanese Near Me - Rochester, New York

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I've been here a couple times for a date, and it's one of my favorites. The decor is weird but I don't mind that. It's cramped if you end up at one of the tables stuck between two others, but it isn't usually packed so you can ask to sit in a different spot. It's usually very quiet, great for talking and relaxing. We had delicious sake, not too expensive and served in beautiful pottery. The fish is consistent and fresh. Some places you get a flashy roll where you can't even taste the fish- at Shiki the fish is the star. The service is always great, a very sweet waiter has helped us. I'll be back often. read more