Greta food. The soft shellcrab is amazing. I would come here anytime again. Great service!

Wow! I don't know why I waited this long to eat here. We were lucky to be seated at the sushi bar with Shiro (who trained under the Sushi Master, Jiro Ono) on our first visit and enjoyed one of the best omakase dining experiences ever! The balance in temperature, seasoning of the rice, and the rice-to-fish-to-wasabi ratio was perfect. Shiro asked us not to dip our nigiri in any soy or seasoning other than what he added, so we can appreciate the delicate flavors of the fish. I've never had a sushi this traditional before. It was absolutely delicious and changed the way I looked at sushi. If you sit at the bar, they keep feeding you until you tell them to stop and will be charged per piece. We were only served nigiri, but you can request sashimi and order off the menu for a la cart items if you like. I added chawanmushi to my dinner which was also very good. Our favorites were the snapper, salmon with citrus, and the zuke tuna. For dessert, he gave us a "sayonara hand roll" (more savory than sweet) which was eel tempura, tamago, cucumber, and sushi rice wrapped in nori. It was one of the best things I've ever eaten!! The second time we dined here, we were lucky to be seated with Daisuke (Jiro's apprentice from the movie "Jiro Dreams of Sushi"! I have to say I have the utmost respect for Daisuke and enjoyed his food, but the sushi served by Shiro had much more flavor and balance. Of course you must have the famous Tamago (edo style) for dessert as well. The third time we were there, we decided to be seated at a table and ordered a la cart. The tempura and black cod were delicious, but the sushi was not as good as when Shiro served us when seated at the bar. If you sit at a table, you also can have a pre-fix priced omakase dinner which includes appetizer, sushi, sashimi, entree, and dessert. Be warned......this place is very traditional japanese. You will not find any fancy rolls stuffed with cream cheese and topped with a mayo concoction here. There is no teriyaki chicken or yakisoba served here either. This place is the real deal, not a westernized version of what a sushi spot should be. When I come back, I will definitely make sure I come on the day that Shiro is working and sit at the sushi bar! read more

I have pretty much eaten sushi everyday for the past 3 days, but couldn't resist having it in Seattle this evening. The sushi I've had in Seattle has been some of the best (it's never this fresh in Chicago!). I asked the hotel concierge at The Edgewater for a sushi recommendation and he said Shiro was the place to go. We showed up without a reservation since it was a Sunday night, but to my surprise it was pretty crowded and it's a very small restaurant. Fortunately, they were able to fit us in. The sushi lived up to expectations...the tuna and eel were both extremely fresh! I tried one of the special rolls, which was a little too fishy for me, but the tuna roll was delicious. The service was very good as well- everything came out very fast even though they were super busy. I'm not sure if I'd rush back since there are so many great sushi restaurants to try in Seattle, but this would definitely be one of my regular spots if I lived here. read more

Jiro Dreams of Sushi connection is true. Sushi here really shines. Top notch rice, and brushed soy, fresh, nicely sliced, ideal sized pieces. For good sushi in my book, all it takes is fresh sourced fish, expert room temperature, nice texture, and just the right wasabi, vinegar amount plus how wet the rice is as each bit is chewed with the fish in a proper fish to rice ratio that doesn't fall apart. Gari great. Had albacore tuna, chu toro, o toro, hamachi, sake (with onion), geoduck, crab roll. they will present items multiple ways (little added flavors). price is reasonable. can't wait to go back. too bad Daisuke now is gone, started his own place in NYC. sat at a table, a bit difference experience than at the bar. (no brushed soy if you're not at the bar), but all the fish still very fresh. this time had cooked dishes including seabass yuanyaki (like a butter miso prep) which was excellent, also had hamachi kama (nice, lightly grilled), black cod done very well too. poke belltown salad like hawaii. special of mushroom mushi soup very delicate. shared more toro, maguro, albacore, sake, hamachi, etc. dragon roll, crab roll, spicy tuna roll, even some green tea tempura ice cream and chocolate/strawberry mochi dessert. everything was exceptional as usual. read more

The most authentic sushi spot in Seattle. There was a line forming 30 minutes before they opened so make reservations. Sit at the bar and order omakase! It keeps coming out until you decide when to stop. read more

thank goodness we had a reservation. we walked in at 5:30 and the place was almost all packed. we ordered omakase 8 pieces uni scallop fatty tuna kappa roll shiro's roll tekka roll really fresh fish that is well presented and nicely cut. the rice is what sets this place apart with each grain distinctive and textured. second to japan! read more

Great sushi served by Shiro. We had a blast here and the food and service were excellent. A bit pricy but otherwise a great place.

I may have written this disclaimer for other sushi reviews already but: I am not a sushi purist. I absolutely love sushi--sashimi, nigiri, rolls, hand rolls--and it is one of my very favorite foods; I love the taste and texture of fresh fish but I also, without fail, prepare a little puddle of soy sauce mixed with a whole lot of wasabi each time I eat sushi. While I can definitely taste the difference between solid, fresh fish and fish that has been improperly frozen or thawed, I am not one to pay exorbitant amounts for super-fresh fish and I am definitely not one to pay to eat sushi the super-traditional way without my little wasabi-soy sauce puddle. Here's where Shiro's comes in. The fish was definitely super fresh and the waitress kept saying that this-and-that item on the menu was locally caught fresh that day, that they didn't usually offer it but--lucky us!--they did have it that day. My boyfriend and I got a sashimi platter, the octopus appetizer, 2 hand rolls, and just a couple pieces of sweet shrimp and roe, which totaled $75 before tip. I think I am used to being a gluttonous sushi eater, so I wasn't quite satiated and $75 is a lot to pay for not feeling quite satiated and for not feeling quite comfortable. The entire night, the waitress kept trying to upsell and when we initially wanted to order some rolls in addition to sashimi, she dissuaded us since "Shiro's was the first sushi restaurant in Seattle and people come here to eat our specialty menu items and our sushi". Sure, what we had was delicious but it was also super expensive. As a frugal college student, I certainly didn't feel like my business was very welcomed at Shiro's. The waitresses and the rest of the staff were super nice and smile-y but the constant pressure to get expensive food was definitely not cool. If I ever got super rich and wanted to spend lots of money on sushi, I'd definitely come here but while I'm still trying to save my money...I'll be sticking happily to Umi and Maneki's, thank you very much! read more

Often hailed as the best sushi in Seattle, Shiro's is far more than "just another place for sushi in Seattle". As one would expect from any genuine sushi establishment, its décor is modest, its size conservative, and its staff is on pins to please. The g/f and I joined another couple for our evening feast. The gentleman of the couple is a practicing sushi chef himself and said a former co-worker of his was now apart of the famed Shio's sushi crew. So it was with this guiding hand of expertise and inside information that we ordered a bevy of seafood wonders. The line up stars were the Geoduck, sea urchins, black cod, and of course the Chef's (Shiro himself) choice of the finest and fresh sashimi of the day. It was on this evening that I discovered that even a relative sashimi novice (me) was able to tell the difference between average quality and way-better-than-average quality. I'm afraid to say it was the best quality because I feel that just opens up a huge debate about who serves the real "best" and that's just an argument I'm not in the mood for right now. For me, and just me, this stands as the finest sushi I've had in Seattle. No I didn't see Ichiro (on multiple occasions I was asked this when I said I visited Shiro's). read more

I cannot believe it took me 3 years to finally get here. We had a reservation at 9pm and got there around 8:45pm. We were expecting to sit at a table, but they told us the sushi bar was available for us. How awesome!! We were seated and told the chef we wanted omakase. You can tell him what you don't like ahead of time and he will serve you until you tell him to stop. We also ordered the famed broiled black cod and some beer. The sushi was... amazing. We did not have a drop of soy sauce all night. It was a wonderful experience having a knowledgable sushi chef serve you the freshest fish they have. He also groups them together, for example, he served us four pieces of albacore tuna arranged from the leanest cut to the fattiest cut. He also served the shellfish together (geoduck and scallop). I eat them in the order he serves them. All of the pieces have a tiny amount of sauce brushed onto them, whether it be something citrusy, sweet, salty, or both, but the flavor is very subtle as to not cover up the flavor of the fish and to only enhance it. Every piece is different. I now feel, after my dinner at Shiro's, that soy sauce is too overpowering, and I use very little soy sauce to begin with. Omakase is a great way to try different fish that you would not normally try. If I were ordering on my own, I probably would not have ordered smelt or flounder, and I would have totally missed out. The broiled black cod was very buttery and flaky. The skin had a little crisp to it. 1 broiled black cod, 2 beers, and 34 pieces of sushi = $170 after taxes, before tip. I don't think I can have sushi anywhere else anymore. read more

After hearing about this place from a very reliable food crazy Korean friend, I had to check it out. I was not disappointed! We started with the black cod and yellow tail collar. The cod was very sweet and moist with a great miso flavor. The yellowtail collar was reportedly freshly brought in from Portland and was just amazing! The skin part was crispy and that meat on the bone flavor of yellowfin tuna is intoxicating! We ordered the omakase sushi platter which included scallops/eel/salmon/chutoro/smelt/mackrel/sea urchin and yellowtail. Amazing! I have never had smelt sushi and have never been the biggest fan of the mackel sushi but here they snuck in a bit of ginger between the rice and fish so the slightly bitter fishy flavor that you can get with these fish was totally absent! A very, very nice execution! We also split a green tea fried ice cream dessert. We were looking forward to a mochi ball afterwards but only had mango and cappucino flavors. After that, we were all comfortably numb. The service was really good and our waiter was very helpful. It may be a bit pricey for some but hey, its sushi right? Usually don't go to a nice sushi bar when your sticking too close to a budget. read more

This is as good as it gets in Seattle! After I ate here, I have never eaten sushi anywhere else (I am not kidding). If you are new to this place, be sure to order the omakase sushi. The fish that they serve here is so different from any other sushi restaurants. You will know what I mean once you take a bite. I have also tried the black cod and tempura thought that they are not anything extra ordinary. Don't get me wrong, they are really good and done well but what makes this restaurant so unique is their sushi and sashimi. Oh, and I am glad that they serve good quality green tea but disappointed that they do not have homemade desserts. As I was writing the paragraph above this morning, I craved for Shiro's again so we went there without a reservation as they are fully booked for the night. FYI, reservations are only for the tables. They do not take reservations for the sushi bar because the sushi bar is where the true sushi eating experience lies. We waited for about 45 minutes and we were seated at the bar. The $50 omakase that we ordered the last time at the table is not offered at the bar because what they do at the bar is keep feeding you until you want them to stop. So, if you are on a fixed budget, this may not be up your alley. However, I must say that they serve you the day's freshest and specials when you do this. We were served items that were far more superior than the omakase set at the table. By the way, do not use soy sauce for the sushi! They had already seasoned the fish perfectly and we were told to not use any soy sauce. This is how good sushi is served in Japan. Eating at the bar this time costs us $98 for two which is a bit steep but worth every penny! Keep on eating, diners! read more

Shiro's has the best sushi I've ever had. I've never been disappointed in any dish here. To me, the food here really lives up to the core of Japanese cuisine and aesthetic. Pure, fresh and simple favors that are meticulously put together and are served with amazing and gracious service. When I come here, there are a few must-haves I always get. I'd also like to first apologize to the Japanese language if I severely misspell any of the following: Spinach Ohitashi, Chicken Ka'rage, Gyoza (we usually do two orders as one is just not enough to split), and Miso soup on the colder days. The fish that is used with the Nigiri is always top notch and I get about 5-7 pieces depending on the assortment and specials for the day. I always finish with a Shiro's hand roll which I can't even begin to describe. It's epic. I know that people on here complain about the wait time without reservations booked, and the modest and simple design. To me, that's what adds to the charm and also helps to make this place a bit more accessible. This is not the place to come to order expensive drinks and to show off your new douchie Louis V. bag while eating some new-fangled deep fried sushi roll on a plastic bamboo-shaped table. If you don't have a reservation, come here around 9:20pm mon-weds and you should be able to get in with little to no wait. I feel fortunate to live just two blocks away from this restaurant. I come here about twice a month. I've eaten sushi all around Seattle, Vancouver B.C., and LA and this is always what I compare it to. Hope you get a chance to eat here and Taft you see this gem for what it is. read more

Of course I would give this place 5 stars. This is likely the closest I will ever get to Jiro's sushi (which I have been dreaming of ever since I saw the documentary) so I had extremely high standards. Every single one of them was met. First of all, please don't come here if you're not prepared to wait for a seat at the sushi bar (and YES, go for the sushi bar vs the tables!). We waited in line and had 2 groups leave because they "didn't want to wait that long". When it comes to almost-Jiro's sushi, no wait is too long! If you think otherwise, this probably isn't the place for you, just being honest. So be prepared to wait, and show up early. As some other reviews suggested, we arrived at around 4:50PM to line up (restaurant opens at 5:30PM) and we were already number 20something in line (there are only 11 seats at the sushi bar, which meant we would probably be seated in the 2nd wave of customers, which is what we were planning on). Once the hostess came out to take down our names/phone numbers (they give you a call when you're ready to be seated), we left and went to Rob Roy for some cocktails and conversation (great cocktails there, btw). We got a call around 7:15PM, which worked out perfectly for us. We went for the Omakase, which really is the say to go. Our sushi chef was funny and entertaining, and he made some amazing sushi. Here's what we had: - albacore tuna 2 ways - snapper 2 ways - hotate (scallop), slightly seared - salmon 2 ways (one sea salt, one japanese ponzu w/ seaweed) - tuna 3 ways (1 big eye, 1 marinated big eye, 1 blue fin belly) - mackerel, slightly seared and smoked in-house - yellowtail - amaebi (spot prawn) - fried prawn head - Alaskan king crab - pickled herring + herring roe w/ kelp - geoduck - albacore otoro - anago (sea eel) - tamago (for dessert) Not going to go through each one individually, but the blue fin toro, otoro and anago were my favorites. Marinated tuna gets a special mention. Geoduck was my least favorite. After watching Jiro's documentary, I often wondered how great the sushi could be, given the limited number of ingredients and general lack of actual cooking skill is needed (since most sushi is generally served raw). I had no doubt that Jiro's was the best, but it was just hard for me to imagine how much and in which ways it could be better from the best sushi I've ever had. Well, now I have had a small taste of it. I think since sushi is so simple, each element needs to be perfect. And once you've had sushi where each element is perfectly mastered, you start to notice them in ways you hadn't before, and really appreciate them. I found that the sushi rice was just the right consistency, temperature, and had the perfect amount of acidity to complement the fish. All the fish was extremely fresh--and you could tell. The taste of each sushi piece was so pure and clean, lightly seasoned with citrus, salt, or something else. Anything usually tough (e.g. octopus, squid, etc) was massaged for the perfect amount of time so it would be just the right texture when it's ready for serving. The meal was so simple but so deeply satisfying. If you're into sushi/food at all, you will not regret coming here. If you're not, you'll probably enjoy the experience, but won't appreciate paying for it. The bill in the end was not that bad for high-quality omakase--about $100pp including drinks/tax/tip. I would gladly wait in line and come again any day. Thank you to Shiro + team for a great experience! read more

Shiro was recommended to me by a relative saying that this was the best place for sushi since it was by the disciple of Jiro (the famed japanese sushi chef from Japan). Having been to Japan multiple times for the tsukiji market and living in San Francisco all my life, I was terribly disappointed of this sushi restaurant. I made the reservation approx 1 month ago but the night before my reservation I just realized that the sushi chef shiro had already sold this restaurant and had opened another restaurant under his last name. I tried getting a reservation at his new restaurant but was too late so I thought that giving shiro a try shouldn't be too bad. I had the omakase and out of the 18 sushi's only 1 sushi was from Japan!What a disappointment! The whole omakase was $75 but I had better omakase from Dash and sushi Sam in San Mateo, California than here. The 4 pieces of tuna of my omakase was from Turkey, what a disappointment! Being a Japanese sushi fan I know that the Japanese tsukiji market's tuna was the best for sushi. I overheard my next table saying that he enjoyed his sushi because he's from Arkansas but if you know your japanese sushi's this is not the place to go. read more

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All I can say is that this place is legit if you are looking for fresh tradtional Japanese nigiri. I came because I've heard that a former student of Jiro runs this place. Apparently it wan't so , he has sold this place an opened another one near Pikes Market. Nevertheless the restaurant is run by capable hands. read more

Not what I expected from the most highly recommended sushi restaurant in Seattle. Contrary to my urges, I will leave out the nit-picky details. Ambiance: The interior was not particularly reminiscent of a Japanese restaurant, much less a sushi-house. In their entry was a small poster for "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" cellophane-taped to the wall. We were seated at a table that abutted a support beam that felt like it was looming over the table for the entire meal. I asked it to hold the menu at one point to make sure it wasn't feeling left out; though looking back, I fail to see how it could. Fare: The Kinpira texture was not quite right, but very tasty. The pickled eggplant and cucumber were delicious, but the takuan (daikon radish) was insipid with hints of bitter. The chawanmushi (custard) was very tasty with a very well-steamed fresh shrimp, but the gingko nut was missing, which was quite a disappointment. The nameko miso soup was quite delicious and the mushrooms very fresh; I would recommend this dish. The cod saikyo-yaki was very good! It was neither too sweet or too salty, just right. The assortment of fish in the sashimi moriawase was akami (albacore), hamachi (yellowtail), chu-toro (tuna belly), sake (salmon) and karei (flatfish) and all were delightful. The only thing I could criticize is the temperature of the salmon. It needed to rest on the palate for a moment to be warm enough to appreciate. The unagi was well balanced and tasty, but not especially so. The kara-age (fried chicken), which I always order on my first visit, to test the breadth of the fare, was disgusting. It ruined the entire meal. It was watery and oily at the same time, very garlicky, had some nasty, dusty coating and a bone running through. The texture was soft; nothing else. It felt as if it had been resting in tenderizer for about 4 hours too long. So extremely disappointing that it is difficult to put into words. It was completely unpalatable and ended up being the highlight of every burp for hours afterward, though I stopped at one piece and sent it back. Service: The server did not speak Japanese. I spoke Japanese to her, but the server was not changed. It was uncomfortable to have to order in English in a restaurant that is advertising its "authentic" Japanese fare. The dishes were brought to us in an order other than I had requested. At one point I ordered rice with another dish and the rice came moments later, the other dish arriving once the rice had time to cool to room temperature. Though I told the server that the chicken was unpalatable, she charged me for it anyhow. Overall: We ordered no drinks, spent $100, and I feel a bit ill from the chicken. The men behind the counter seemed to be having a grand time; I wish I could have joined them. I will not be going there again. I don't feel it is appropriate to post names here, but off-hand I can think of two much better sushi restaurants in town. read more

Incredible sushi, service and over all experience! You should get a reservation if you can to avoid a wait. We did the Omakase, which is expensive but completely worth it. It came with 5 pieces of different grades of fatty tuna, which was so delicious because the fish is super fresh. Our server was very attentive and discussed each of the courses as they came out. If you are looking for a great sushi experience, Shiro's is for you. read more

I liked Kashiba and I had to try this place. I sat at the bar, was asked "a la cate or omakase" and I went with omakase. sushi was ok nothing amazing. Rice was very wet and sticky and there were many overlaps in the course. Akami, chutoro, otoro, I guess that is not that rare. but three of salmon was too much. that's already six pieces. to finish off, I was billed per piece with total of $160 bill with few bottles of beer. I thought omakase was 75 and finally waiteress informed me that is only for table. I was having a great time until I saw the bill and because that course really tasted like a good $75 omakase. This place has its own definition of omakase and needs to make it clear up front. My bad if I missed something from the menu, then ignore the money part. I would still not give this place 4 stars. Hope this helps read more

Absolutely superb. I ordered the Sashimi dinner ($50) and it was worth every penny. Finally, a sushi bar that serves quality sushi. We're talking about firm, fresh, and flavorful fish. Be sure to get reservations beforehand. This is not a place where you want to risk standing around outside in the Seattle weather. [Original Visit: November 21, 2009] read more

This place is a class act in itself. It's all about the service, and the waitresses and sushi chefs at Shiro's don't disappoint. They're very friendly and accommodating, and they do their best to make your time at Shiro's the best one there is. We got a 2.5 hour wait, but it was so worth it. The three of us sat at the bar and got the omakase shared over two huge cans of Asahi, and I honestly think you shouldn't go with anything else if you come here, especially if it's your first time. They don't give you soy sauce or wasabi because the chefs measure out the exact needed amount on the sushi itself, so you just eat it once it's placed right in front of you. The fish was impeccably prepared and flawlessly cut, each and every one of them. They literally melt in your mouth. Wish we could've gone with the entire course round, but we got too full towards the end :( Everyone who comes to Seattle should definitely go here at least once. As for me, I can never look at New York sushi the same way again :( read more

Best sushi I have ever had in my life!! I did omakase for both sashimi and sushi. Everything was soo soo good and so fresh!! I can't wait to go back and do omakase again! The sushi chef that served me was chef Daisuke who was in "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" and worked under Jiro in Japan for 11 years before coming to Seattle. He told me which sushi to eat without soy sauce. I listened to him and it was really good, you could really taste the freshness of the fish. He noticed that I was eating the nigiri in two bites, so he started cutting my sushi in halves :) bite size portions for me. I'm not a big fan of shrimp, but that was so fresh that it was alive a few minutes before I ate it. We had reservations for 8:30 on a weeknight and sat at the bar. It was good timing, got sushi placed in out trays within the first 5 minutes of sitting down. It just kept coming the whole night and we ended up being the last ones leaving. I was sitting next to a couple that was ranting and raving about the sushi there, they left and then a fisherman that spends most of his time in Alaska sat next to me and he was saying he comes to shiro every single time he makes it back to seattle, he'll even go nights back to back. Everyone at the sushi bar looked like they were in heaven. I couldn't see what was going on behind me in the rest of the restaurant, but it seemed like everyone at the bar were regulars that love the sushi at shiros :) I can't wait to go back! read more

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Pricey. But, if it's a special night or you're loaded, Shiro's is the place. Sit at the bar if you can, Shiro is a sushi master and really funny too! Let him know the kind of things you like and just let him feed you, cause he knows what you need. read more

Came back to confirm Shiro's is absolutely one of the finest sushi bars in the Northwest. Shiro san is a pioneer in true Japanese sushi!! He was the first to open a sushi bar in Seattle in the 60's. He served sushi before anyone non Japanese knew that you can serve geoduck raw, eat seaweed, and serve the under-appreciated smelt in Seattle. One of his first sushi bars was in the James Beard award winning "Maneki " restaurant back in the day. He still works as a chef 3 days a week, but the other chefs are talented and nicely trained as well. Yes as in every great sushi bar the chef will serve it as it is meant to be eaten! I never once touched my soy sauce. Be adventurous and try the smelt.....its not on the menu. If its in season it is a fish you can almost only exclusively try at Shiro's!! I have not tried any of the "cooked" food here.... maybe next time I will give it a shot too! read more

Amazing sushi! We arrived right on time for their 5:30pm opening and were lucky to get a table. The line outside quickly grew very quickly. Definitely worth it even if you have to wait. Will be back! read more

Amazing. My wife and I popped in here without reservations and were lucky enough to get one of the prime side-seats at the sushi bar to be served by Shiro himself. We were instructed by one of the waitresses to simply "let him feed you". So, we did. At first, everything was standard fare but extremely well prepared - tuna nigiri, salmon nigiri, etc. Every piece of sushi was probably the best of it's type we had ever tried. After about 10-12 pieces, though, things began to get strange. Shiro warned us at prior to making each round, so we had the opportunity to bow out at any point. First the shrimp came out, then the fried shrimp head. Then the squid - split in two, first the head then the tail. It probably took around 20-30 minutes of prep time and us laughing at each other to get these four items down our gullets. A seaweed hand-wrapped roll was next (what was in it? no clue, but still delicious) which was just a break before the sea-urchin nigiri. Safe to say it was our first Urchin of any variety. Palatable, but we realized we were being tested. As we looked at the sushi display with all sorts of unimaginable and unidentifiable creatures, we decided that we had our fill, and instructed Shiro to stop serving us (Just so everyone understands the rule -- you tell him when you are done, it's not a set menu when you sit near him). We thanked him, paid our high-but-worth-it bill, and set out to trek the Seattle streets once again. We'd definitely go back, both for the quality of the sushi and for the experience. The spot next to Shiro is apparently difficult to get and you can't make a reservation for it, so hope to get lucky or be prepared to wait a while. read more

My friend who is a chef took me here and I loved it (thanks Irv)!. My boyfriend said that he has never waited 30 minutes before a place opens to eat there, but this place was legit. You better line up before the places opens to guarantee a seat at the coveted sushi bar for omakase which is no reservations. True, I have not eaten anything else on the menu, but I would have to insist that this is the way to go. Our chef (Daisuke's) choices included: salmon two ways (one "plain" which was still one of my favorites, and one with sea salt and onion), yellow-tail w/ shiso leaf, geoduck clam, albacore, salmon, tuna, mackeral, toro, uni, alaskan crab, squid, prawns, then the fried head (which I tried for the first time and liked) and I can't even remember it all. All delicious. The whole time, we were pleasantly entertained by Daisuke. He gave us big pieces which I tried to bite and he was like eat it in one bite! You'll also hear him saying no soy sauce! He is just trying to teach you how to eat it the traditional way. And you know what? He is totally right! To get all the flavors, you really should have it all in one bite. And you really do not need soy sauce. The flavors are perfection already. Round it off with some delicious hot sake or some green tea and you are golden. Conclusion: come 30 min before they open, sit at the sushi bar, order omakase. This may be the freshest fish I have had and I eat a lot of sushi. It was 16 pieces for about $60 per person. Totally reasonable for such fresh fish. He trained under Jiro too! I left full and happy. Thank you Daisuke!!! read more

Very, very expensive and bland... I really do not think this place has good Japanese food... I prefer Tojo in Vancouver BC. Too bad Yelp doesn't let us rate Canadian restaurants... I know so many excellent Japanese restaurants there. read more

When we booked our flight from SF to Seattle, we were excited to try Shiro's, known to be formerly owned by Jiro's apprentice. My bf and I love omakase, and I've had a marvelous introduction to it at Yume's in Alameda, CA; and my bf has been to Yasuda's in Japan. Unfortunate to say that our experience did not live up to its hype. In fact, it fell far below. The fish quality was honestly whatever. If anything, some of it was pretty disgusting... disgusting that we paid $75 for it. Sure they had otoro and different cuts of toro and sake, but the quality and flavors were nothing special, and maybe even less. It is often said that the most important part of sushi is not the fish, but the rice. And the rice was definitely not done well. It tasted like old, warm rice that was left out in a closed container in the sun. Now combine that with a fishy after-taste and chewy texture, and you've got Shiro's omakase. (Disclaimer: Not sure if I heard all the names right) [Starters] + Halibut -- Meh + Snapper -- Good + Flounder -- Ok The wasabi was a bit lacking. [Salmon 3 ways] + Sockeye Salmon -- Ok + Atlantic Salmon w/ Onion -- Good! + Atlantic Salmon w/ Sea Salt -- Ok Wasabi presence was much better in the Sockeye. Cuts weren't too impressive, though they did cover the rice, they were pretty thin in width. [Tuna 4 ways] + Lean Blue Fin Toro -- No + Chu Toro -- Ok + Chu Toro Marinated in Soy Sauce -- Not Bad + Otoro -- No Very very disappointing. I'm not sure whether it was just a bad batch of toro, whether the person who bought the fish for the day did a terrible job, or it was just left out for too long... Whatever the reason, the tuna was pretty gross. It had a metallic, fishy aftertaste, which you shouldn't really get with good quality toro. It's as if you could taste the iron. Ugh. The last plate that comes out has an assortment of 10 pieces. + Ebi (Shrimp) -- Acquired Taste? I didn't like it, but my bf did. + Some tough white fish -- Whatever, I didn't like it. + Mackerel -- Not bad At this point of the dinner, I was pretty afraid to try anything else. So my bf decided to play scout for me. + Squid -- Bf really did not like it, told me not to try it. + Anago (Saltwater Eel) -- Good, slightly overcooked. Definitely have had better. + Salmon Roe -- Good + Uni (Sea Urchin) -- Started off ok, then there was an onset of an artificial chemical taste that I was extremely adverse to. My bf describes it as if someone sprayed windex or 409 on it. Couldn't finish it without gagging every 3 seconds. Ended up spitting it out in the napkin, which I admit is extremely sad to waste such a delicacy, but it was really not tolerable. I tried. I honestly did. Up 'till then we were just drinking sake, but after that I desperately needed water to wash out the taste. To be clear, I do enjoy uni, and I absolutely loved it elsewhere. So this was a huge disappointment, not to mention a bit traumatizing. + Salmon w/ perilla roll? -- Good! The herb (what I think is perilla) helps mask any bad fishy taste, and I'm a huge fan of its use since my other omakase experience. + Some other roll? -- After the uni, my taste buds and gag reflexes were fairly sensitive. Did not enjoy. Bf thought it wasn't so bad. + Tamago (Egg) -- Sweet. Good finish. Other than the sushi itself, the food came out in a timely manner, the sake was good, and the waiters were nice. Very different from our previous omakase experiences, but then again it didn't cost as much (~$20 difference from the one in Alameda). I guess on a good day, I can see how this place might be good: $75 for an assortment of fish (17pcs). And to be honest, some of the stuff wasn't terrible... our experience was just mostly bad (extra bad for me). But we did come here with high hopes (name-dropping Jiro's apprentice, etc.), and amazing previous omakase experiences, so we were just severely let down. It was certainly the most expensive, worst dinner we've ever had. Don't think I'd come back. But I wouldn't immediately turn others away from it. I would just warn them not to have high expectations. And don't come here if you're not feeling adventurous and just want a solid good meal. I can't say (from my experience) that Shiro's will guarantee that for you. read more

My friends and I were sorely disappointed by our experience at Shiro's - we had high expectations for an apprentice of Jiro's and were really excited after watching the documentary! We expected to be blown away and we were - by the mediocre-at-best sushi that the 4 of us started with a 20-pc sashimi set but opted not to order anymore. We didn't try the omakase, but a friend had advised against it, and based on our table's view of the sushi counter, it didn't look like we missed out. First, the presentation of the sashimi set was so uninspiring and they jammed 20 pieces of sushi into a platter made for 10. There were salmon, hamachi, scallop, snapper, octopus, diff types of tuna, and some other unmemorable fish. I was so disappointed when our server pointed out that their salmon was all farmed, and the quality was on par with musashi's which we'd tried the day before (sidebar: i understand the value proposition of musashi's because you get a lot of okay-quality pieces of fish in 1 chirashi order, but the 4 of us ordered 3 chirashi bowls and only managed to finish 2). We also ordered tamago nigiri, miso black cod, asari miso, broiled tamago, and chawanmushi. Nothing stood out, with the exception of miso black cod, but it's very difficult to screw up this dish anyway. After letdown after letdown, my friends and I ended up leaving half full and had a much more satisfactory meal at Ding Tai Fung. I'm really not sure how this place with such a respectful pedigree behind it and so many positive reviews could be so disappointing. I won't be coming back. read more

If you are still scrolling down for further review. Stop! Go now and reserve a place at the bar. You will be dazzled by Shiro's creation. Remarkable experience. One of the best sushi experience I have ever had in the U.S, comparable with expensive sushi restaurant in NYC. read more

Very delicious sushi, melts in your mouth. I reccomend trying the seacucumber appetizer. The service was very polite and friendly. I loved dining here. You get what you pay for. read more

I don't get it. When my boyfriend and I first moved to Seattle, we drove by Shiro's. We were flabbergasted to see a line of people coming out of the door and wrapping around the street corner and down the street. We thought "wow, this place must be good". Cut to last night, where everything I got either lacked flavor or was downright disgusting. The dull roar of other people's conversations and being less than a foot away from the next table, meant that me and my companion couldn't hear anything we said to each other. We sat in silence as the people next to us yelled over the din. That wouldn't have been that bad, but I was supremely disappointed in my food. I went into my dinner knowing nothing about the place or who was running it, but i've had sushi in japan from Jiro's son - so i'm not exactly a stranger to sushi. I ordered the chawanmushi egg custard as an appetizer and, since I wasn't incredibly hungry, ordered the 10 piece sushi sampler. My boyfriend got the sashimi sampler and a tuna tataki appetizer. We knew that the omakase was the most popular dish because every waiter was saying the word constantly. That was definitely driven home by our waiter who almost refused to hear anything BUT omakase. When I ordered my food, our waiter asked if I wanted the omakase instead. I said no, I want the sampler. He replied saying that there was an omakase version of what I wanted to order, but it's more expensive and has a few more pieces. I said I wanted the sampler. He then asked me again if I wanted omakase. Look, I understand pushing the most expensive dish you have - but if someone isn't that hungry, don't try to force them into paying $75 for more food than they want. I received miso soup first, then my main entree 2 minutes later. My boyfriend got his appetizer 5 minutes after that. After 10 more minutes I finally received my appetizer, after my entree. My boyfriend had to wait another 10 minutes after that just to receive his entree. That wouldn't have been that bad, if the food had tasted good. My sushi was very unremarkable cuts of unremarkable fish; the usual salmon, tuna, yellowtail, shrimp, and...more kinds of tuna. My boyfriend received pretty much the same cuts of fish for his $50 "premium" sashimi sampler. Hardly "premium". My boyfriend and I tried to choke down as much as we could, since we were going to be stuck paying for it. Unfortunately, most of my sushi was almost inedible with the amount of wasabi in it. I couldn't even taste the fish, only wasabi. After a while I peeled the fish off my rice and scraped the wasabi off, only to find the most bland, tasteless cuts of fish I've ever had. My boyfriend dry-heaved when attempting to choke down some of the salmon which was, for some reason, rubbery and chewy. I had the same cut in mine and had to spit it out into my napkin. Never in my life have I had to spit out food! When we voiced our concern to our waiter, he got defensive and made an excuse. We just told him to bring us our check so we could leave as soon as possible. After our dinner, our stomachs were so upset, we had to eat something else just to get the taste out of our mouths. If this is any indication of the quality of this restaurant, I just don't get it. We won't be back. read more

Good sushi. The best sushi I've ever had? Probably not. But definitely very good. If you're not into nigiri and/or sashimi, this is NOT the place to go (not relevant to me or my review, but may be to others) If you don't want to wait 2 hours, I'd suggest hopping in line around 4:45 (they open at 530). We were in line at 445 and barely made the first seating - I think we were probably the fourth group in line, so they must take a lot of reservations. I spent $60 on myself for 11 pieces of Sashimi and tip, so it's not the cheapest spot, but then again, sushi really shouldn't be a cheap meal.. read more

Simply put the best sushi outside Japan! Take advantage of the special fish flown in as it was out of this world! I can't wait to go back there again when visiting my son!! read more

My number one reason for moving to Seattle: BOMB-A$$ Sashimi/Sushi! Okay, so I knew about this place b/c it is advertised in Seattle guide books as the place Ichiro frequents (apparently every month according to the waiter we had today). When I was a visitor of Seattle 2 years ago, my friend and I fell in love... her moreso than me. She won't eat Toro anymore in San Francisco for fear of dissatisfaction. Yes, it is pricey; but it is well worth the quality of fish AND service. Naturally, I brought Ed T. here for some authentic Japanese freshness. I made reservations for 2 @ 7:30 and when we walked into this small restaurant we were promptly offered a choice of sushi bar or table. My cousin opts for the table and we are instantly seated. I excuse myself to the bathroom which can be reached in a maze-like fashion. It has a security code for access. The bathroom is fairly clean with 2 stalls, but there are no toilet seat covers. When I return to the table, a basket with 2 white, warm, and damp towels is waiting. The waiter asks me if I want tea with his Japanese accent (I LOVE that the workers here are native Japanese). I politely reply a yes. He returns with my tea and he spits out the specials of a cooked Geoduck appetizer, fresh live sea urchin, and fresh albacore tuna. We say thank you and so we look over the menu. Since Ed T. usually sticks to the basic sashimi offerings, I convince him to try the fresh sea urchin, surf clam, toro, and albacore nigiri, and the geoduck appetizer. He also orders the Black Cod dinner and I order the Chicken Kara-Age and the Poke Belltown. We receive our waters and Ed T. is served with a salad (cucumbers, shrimp, and lemon wedges) in an octagonal bowl and miso soup in a cup with a lid. This comes when you order a dinner. The Poke Belltown arrives and it is presented artistically with a bush of daikon radish and a cucumber cut like a fan leaned against the radish. Adjacent is a heaping scoop of poke dressed in a creamy Japanese vinagrette, scallions, and orange tobiko. It is very fresh and tasty. Next is the geoduck appetizer (Giant cooked clam appetizer). Huge pieces of grilled clam served with grilled shitake? mushrooms and onions on a bed of cabbage and garnished with 3 slices of tomatoes standing up. It was delicious and not too chewy. It was soft and tender. After that the fresh sea urchin arrives and boy were we surprised. It is presented in the spiny sea urchin shell on a bed of lettuce with daikon and a lemon wedge fan. The fresh sea urchin is absolutely heavenly and the texture is like butter. It melts in your mouth like ice in hot water. WOW!! Now I don't know if I could ever sea urchin in any other place for fear of dissatisfaction. And you get a lot of it. Lastly, we receive the nigiri, kara-age, and black cod. The nigiri is very fresh and of course does not smell fishy. The chicken kara-age is presented as 8 little breaded drummettes standing on the head with the bone end forming a tip. It almost looks like a perfectly formed X-mas tree. It is perfectly deep-fried so it isn't oily, well-seasoned that it isn't salty and it doesn't need any sauce/broth (other places have served it as cubes of deep-fried chicken with a sauce/broth), and succulent. The Black Cod dinner is presented as 2 halves of a large, plump cod grilled to perfection with teriyaki-sauteed green beans and carrots, 2 halves of a gigantic grilled red potatoe on a skewer, and a side of a bowl of rice. The black cod is equally sweet and salty and just melts in your mouth. It is so soft and juicy. Each sliver of fish just falls at each picking. MMM!! The service here is impeccable. The tea was usually always filled and they would ask how we are doing. The wait staff is all dressed in black and white. After they have cleared our table, they bring us a fresh new cup of tea, toothpicks in a mini-saucer, and a basket of warm, damp, white towels for cleaning our hands. I LOVE it. And what I love even more is that a majority of the patrons are Japanese themselves. You know that it has to be that good. The next time that I return here, I think that I am gonna go Omakase-style (they offer this on the menu). Fresh live sea urchin can never be as good as this place. read more

ambiance and service were PERFECT. could not ask for anything better. i mean ... we even scored a room for 10 people... but the fish was really really lacking. i was expecting something really good and fresh since shiro's is so close to pike's place. plus ...those glowing yelp reviews... even glowing ones from elites and some yelp friends. maybe it was a really bad off day??? i think... their cooked stuff is GREAT. we had an order of miso black cod and that was quite divine. 5 stars. the edamane was warm and really good. poke salad was delicious too... but their sushi / sashimi really fell short! hubby and i ordered their omakase ($50 for 2 people...a steal, really!). and i was really taken aback at how much i did not like any of the fish! even the salmon was poorly cut and that's usually my fav!!! the chu-toro had a noticeably fishy taste to it. oh... and the rice...was not warm. you know me and my rice. :) wasabi isn't real wasabi either. i guess i was really quite mislead by the prices because for the amount of money, you'd expect really good quality fish. i didn't even try to finish my portion of the omkase..... i NEVER do that!! =\ my friends didn't order seconds cuz they didn't like their fish either. although the price tag wasn't too hefty $30/person for sushi. i left wishing the fish were better quality! read more

This restaurant is no better than express sushi, bad sushi rice, bad rice ball style, bad raw fish. It definitely not worthy its price. Not recommend. read more

Shiro's totally exceeded my expectations. I've never eaten toro so buttery and fresh, and the tamago was outstanding, just as I imagined it would taste after watching the film. Everything I ate was mind-blowingly delicious. I may have to come back to Seattle just to eat here again... read more

FOOD: I really liked the premium omakase here. You get 17 pieces and they are all raw. There is no cooked tempura and other Japanese foods. Of all the dishes my favorite is the tuna plate and on that plate I loved the marinated chu-toro. The ootoro was okay but I loved the two chu toro pieces. The salmon plate was also really delicious and my favorite was the salmon with the onion and ponzu sauce. We also ordered the agedashi tofu and this was really good. I would highly recommend the premium omakase for fish lovers. It will not disappoint!! Of course every customer should also try the tamago which is the famous sushi here. The guy who made it worked was an apprentice for Jiro from Jiro dreams of sushi. The egg is soft and consistent in texture. No air bubbles and almost tastes like a cake because of how fluffy it is. It was not too sweet and really good overall. I love this and would consider this a must eat when going! SERVICE: Everyone is extremely nice and fast service ! TIPS: Make sure to make reservations for this place. WOULD I RECOMMEND IT? Definitely yes!!!! Must eat in Seattle!!! read more

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