Outstanding sushi restaurant. The most inconspicuous place you can think of for elevated sushi - in Phoenix, in a strip mall, not particularly expensive. Don't let appearances fool you, though, since the food here is top notch The quality and selection of fish is what separates this place from other sushi spots in the greater Phoenix area. The black snapper, the mackerel, the sweet shrimp - all outstanding. Not to say anything of the other fishes or just general plates (e.g., miso, seaweed salad). I'm surprised to hear about the slow service. It certainly wasn't fast, but it wasn't noticeably / painfully slow. I felt like it was a calmer pace that set a nice rhythm for the dinner. The waiter making strange noises is spot on though - not sure what was meant by that. read more

Found this gem by chance... we travel a good deal, and yet, this is the ONLY place we now go to for Sushi. Nothing better. Get there early to ensure a seat at the sushi bar! read more

Hands down the best sushi in Arizona! The son of Hiro will not let you down. He is bringing in the most unique seafood and elevating the tradition Japanese experience. A small family owned restaurant with excellent service and a comfortable atmosphere. Check out their IG page if you have any questions about what they are doing at Sushi Nakano. Go for the omakase menu if you're adventurous, you'll be happy you did. read more

The Sushi here is very authentic and great quality. The restaurant is very small inside but cozy. Their service have been very nice as well.

Leo and his staff are the absolute best! I haven't had food from here that I didn't like. I won't eat sushi from anywhere else now that I've been spoiled with Sushi Nakano! read more

Amazing food. Great staff! I really loved the not only the small, super specific menu - so you know they are pros at each item, but I loved the small interior. Felt like you're in a small shop in Japan. read more

The small and intimate setting makes a dining experience at Sushi Nakano special. The owner is also one of your Sushi chefs and he has a unique POV. They use all parts of the fish and the presentations of the dishes is truly artistic. Treat yourself to a fine dining experience you won't regret. read more

Sushi Nakano - Sushi Bars Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Hands down the best sushi in Phoenix. Chef/owner is right there doing his art behind the sushi bar. All sushi is incredibly fresh, tastes like it just came out of the ocean. Yes, you can get fresh and delicious sushi in the desert at this place! Chef/owner is the son of a Japanese sushi chef. It's clearly in his blood, and the food he serves proves it. The sushi is so good that soy sauce would ruin in; hence, I always adhere to Chef's recommendation to not use soy sauce on the sushi selections I order. This is real sushi - not like the junk you get and douse in soy sauce and wasabi at other places serving sushi. I highly, highly recommend. 5 Stars!!! read more

This has become my favorite Sushi place in the valley, by far!. The quality of the seafood is outstanding and, the service is very welcoming and attentive. Their rolls are delicious, especially the bushido roll. If you sit at the bar, you will soon feel like family. read more

Omg, this is one of my favorite sushi places in Ahwatukee! It has the freshest fish in the area and I love their selection. It's a very nice place with a sushi bar that looks just like ones in Japan and the couple behind the bar is super nice. They are super personable and make the rolls as you are seated. The food is absolutely fantastic! I have had a good variety of nigiri, sashimi and rolls and all have really fresh fish with a good fish to rice ratio. The wasabi on the rice is there so you just have to dab a bit of soy sauce. Their rolls like the bushido, geisha and hanabi are some of my favorites. They are bursting with flavor and very fresh from the cucumber or mango. Their eel sauce is a subtle sweetness that makes you crave more. I feel comfortable using my hands to eat the sushi like it is done traditionally since they do give you a warm towel and wipes beforehand especially after I wash my hands too. I highly recommend sushi nakano to anyone visiting the area. read more

Super good restaurant. My regret was not partaking in the omakase. You need to order in advance. Leo is an amazing chef and really loves the creations he has for you. Will absolutely go back again and again. read more

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Crazy show and pretty much had to beg them to go over the specials. I felt like I was inconveniencing the waiter and sushi chefs by asking about the specials on the board. I got 4 different orders of nigiri and it took an hour and a half. The quality is decent but nothing special but it's mainly because of the service that I'm not going back. read more

Best authentic Japanese sushi place in the SE Valley. Do not compare this place with other "fancy" sushi roll places ran by non-Japanese chefs. You are having superb Nigiri Sushi here, just like you eat good sushi in Japan. If what you want is those fancy sushi rolls, you can go to other places. This place is only for authentic sushi lovers. read more

Chef Leo puts his personality into his sushi. This is a traditional sushi bar, but with his own take and style. His fish selection is very high quality and on par with some of the top Omakase places that I have tried in Vegas and Tokyo. Honestly, he has served me some of the best salmon belly I have ever tasted. Chef Leo and his wife are also very personable and friendly. They are enjoyable to chat with. Seating is limited as you would expect to find in a sushi bar, so you do need to come early. Prices are more than fair for this type of quality. This place was a great find. Outstanding! read more

Sushi Nakano - Sushi Bars Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Sushi is super fresh! The chef was very friendly and helped us pick some good special menu items. The sashimi is cut a little thicker which is good and the seared tuna was so tasty! Sushi was so fresh chef took a picture with the fish! read more

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We enjoy the atmosphere and the food here. We have seen return/regular customers at this restaurant as we are also returned customers :) I think the Sushi chef are authentic sushi chef and the lady who help out with serving the food is Japanese (I have not heard the chef speak Japanese but I think they are mixed Japaneses). I slowly distinguish the differences between Korean made sushi/rolls, Chinese made sushi/rolls and Japanese made sushi/rolls...trust me, everything made at this restaurant is great and just perfect :) read more

Favorite sushi in Phoenix. Welcoming team, high quality food experience. They offer great takeout options. One note - it is a small restaurant. If you have a concern about COVID and indoor airflow, that could be a challenge - there isn't outdoor seating. I have noticed that the restaurant does their best to social distance customers and it is a challenge given the small space. read more

Another great experience. We tried today's specials as well as some of our go to items. Everything tasted fresh and balanced. Each item was meticulously prepared by the friendly chef. This is our favorite sushi place in town. read more

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Delicious. Get the chef's choice. Also, I really liked the dragon egg, but everything was delicious. Definitely a different sushi experience than I have had elsewhere. read more

Sushi Nakano - Chef's choice - Sushi Bars Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

This little gem is our go to for sushi. They are inviting to us as well as our infant daughter which is important and rare. The food is just as incredible! Fresh and gratifying to our taste buds. Reminds us of our favorite spot in little Tokyo (Los Angeles). Do yourself a favor and go put their food in your mouth. read more

Great sushi restaurant in Phoenix. This is a small place with about 15 seats at the bar and 5 tables on the side. Unassuming from the exterior however this place is the real thing. Fish was tasty and spotless interior. It is on the pricey side but you get good quality to match. So, why not five stars? Timing. I had the chirachi bowl and my dining partner had the noodles. They literally brought out everything for the chirachi instantly and the noodles arrived 10 minutes later. In that respect, there is no consideration for dining experience. read more

Sushi Nakano - Sushi Bars Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

I would give this place five stars for the food and one or two stars for the service. More about the service later I was meeting a friend here to send another person off on his trip back to Japan. I suggested this place because I figured it would be good since the owner is the son of Hiro's, which is a Japanese restaurant in Scottsdale. I was seated by a delightful woman while I waited for both of them to arrive. Once they arrived we ordered right away, even though the server swooped in as soon as the third person was seated. She said, "Go ahead and order. I should know what I want by the time you two order." I ordered the ikura (salmon roe) and the shake (salmon) sushi and the mixed tempura, which is under the appetizer list. They ordered the gyoza bento and the salmon teriyaki bento. The server brought my sushi right away. Being the polite and mannerly person that I am, I thought I'd wait for everyone else to get their food before eating. Well, they did get their miso soup, but I figured that didn't count. I thought it took an inordinately long time for the food to come out. In the meantime, I watched one of the sushi chefs make up the sushi plates behind the counter. Quite an elaborate display, if I do say so. Quite. I was thinking I should have ordered something like that, but never mind. Finally got their bentos and my tempura. Yummmm!! They gave me some of their chicken and salmon to try. Quite tasty. The salmon atop my sushi was fresh and flavorful. Just perfect, in fact. And if you've read any of my prior reviews, you know I LOVE the ikura. One of my favorites when I make sushi myself. I mean really. Not hard. Just plop it atop the rice and wrap in nori. Now, this is where it goes downhill. Before my friend was even done eating -- which was obvious with her chopsticks in hand, chewing, and food in her box -- the server grabbed it, and my friend had to grab it back and say she wasn't done. DUHHHH!! And if that wasn't the kicker, the server came back a few minutes later and did the same thing again!!! My friend had to, again, grab her box and say she wasn't done. Then the server came back a third time, grabbed it, and my friend had to grab the rest of the food in the box that she wanted to eat. WTH????!!! (Since this is a family site, I won't say what I'm really thinking!!!) After the server takes the box away, she comes back and makes a big show of gathering up the dishes, napkins, anything extraneous on the table. We had to grab our water glasses. Oh, yeah. Did I mention she gave us the check before my friend was done eating? We didn't give the money yet, so she came back and STOOD right next to our table. I thought, "Hmmmm. Kind of bizarre." Gave her the money; she brought it back. Then stood there again. For what??? She left. Came back again, and reached across the table to rearrange the shoyu containers and whatever else was on our table. Then she asked if we wanted our table cleared. We all said no. Totally pissed all of us off as far as how pushy they are in trying to clear our table for new customers. I noticed they quit doing that when a bunch of people left and the restaurant cleared. I mean, really??? Is that what they do in whatever country they're from??? I don't know if they're from Japan or where, but we all thought it was in rather poor taste. I suppose it's all right if customers eat and run, but if they want to stay and talk, it's like a resounding, GET THE *^CK OFF THE TABLE SO WE CAN SERVE OTHER CUSTOMERS!!! read more

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Leo and the team are awesome! We had the Omakase chef's dinner was an experience... true sushi lovers will enjoy chef Leo's pairing with sake and how he has orchestrated a meal that delights the palate. read more

Actual good Japanese food! Not American Japanese stuff but real sushi and bento boxes! Love this place, place is pretty quiet with soft music (nice touch!) service was good and the food is outstanding! Really recommend the salmon teriyaki, it's salty with an nice touch of sesame seeds, goes will with rice. Will be coming back soon! Again, LOVE this place! read more

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Excellent service and food quality. Great menu and very authentic!! Glad they are back open.

Food was good. Pricing was a bit hard to digest -- but what isn't expensive these days. Staff was kind, but not very attentive. It's a nice quiet atmosphere. read more

Be prepared, as it is expensive but fantastic quality. You get what you pay for - a nice selection of exotic fish flown in from Japan. If you like Edomae sushi this is the place to go. Friendly and accommodating service from a top chef too. read more

If you're from the burb of 'Tukes, lets just say you're used to driving to get to places. So you can imagine all the buzz when a new restaurant opens in town. High hopes and high expectations. Luckily, Sushi Nakano lived up to those. Hidden in an unseemingly local strip mall, Sushi Nakano is a diamond in the rough. Although it's interior is minimalist and small, it still emanates a nice kind of cozy, intimate atmosphere. The staff is friendly and attentive, and the chefs are engaging. They offer a solid selection of nigiri. We had the salmon, hamachi, unagi and uni. All were quite flavorful, excellent amount of rice to fish and presented elegantly. We both agreed the uni was ok - definitely not the best we've had- and the hamachi really took the spotlight that night. So much so that we had to get a second order. Although I am not so much a roll person, the two orders we ordered were unique and delicious - a nice mix of different textures like crunchy rice to deep smokey flavors. The presentation was just as wonderful as the food. Each dish seemed carefully and beautifully constructed. What I love most about Sushi Nakano is that it is unpretentious, good sushi, and incorporates creativity in its rolls without loading up on the cream cheese and unagi sauces. It's fairly priced, too...it was about $30-40 per person and I think even then we ordered too much (I left feeling very full). I will definitely be returning back quite often, and I hope it will bring people actually coming to our little, growing neighborhood. read more

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Went here last night for dinner with the wife and sat at sushi bar. Despite the crowd, we were seated quickly. Simply put, this is the best sushi spot on this side of town. Possibly anywhere in town. Used to love Sushi J / J's Kaiso, but since Jay disappeared, I haven't really had a go-to spot. This is going to be it. We did omakase and just asked that it was mostly nigiri. I can't say that there was one piece I didn't like. They have fresh wasabi root here which makes everything so much better. We asked for a toro hand roll and it was absolutely outstanding. To finish the meal off, they served us a quail egg unagi piece that was so rich and buttery. We will definitely be back read more

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I do enjoy my sushi and sashmi, so I can be a bit picky on quality and taste. Their rolls are a perfectly bit sized and friendly for people with small mouths. The way their rolls just hug all the contents is heavenly the moment you put it into your mouth. However, the sashmi is a must when coming here. The way it melts on your tongue like butter is what makes it all worth the price and I've been to many places that serve sashmi, they are not as good as this place is. I would highly recommend coming here just for the experience of high quality and tasty food. This is defiantly a #1. read more

Wow. Even that is not enough to explain the ultimate bliss that met my tastebuds tonight. If you have ever been to one of Japan's highest rating sushi restaurant, you can never forget the feeling of that salmon sashimi melting its heavenly taste onto your taste receptors. The taste, the feeling, the power...... this. Was. What. I. Was. Waiting. For. I can't seem to find the right description of how amazing the flavors they bring to your table, you just need to try it and experience it. The restaurant is small and cozy. The interaction between the dining and the sushi chef is comfortable. I don't feel awkward. The guys behind the bar are very friendly and are open to share how to experience the most out of your meal. It's not just making you sushi, it's an art for them, and they take great pride of it. Highly recommend to any sushi lovers that are dying to have succulent tasting sashimi. They also serve real wasabi upon request. AND DO NOT MIX IT WITH YOUR SOY SAUCE!!!!! Per Chef's request :) read more

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To say my boyfriend and I are sushi fanatics is an understatement, so when a couple of our friends invited us to Sushi Nakano for dinner of course we jumped at the chance - especially after learning this place is owned by a family member of another sushi restaurant we love on Scottsdale. It's quite a small location, but that isn't a bad thing - just makes it feel more like one of those cozy hole-in-the-wall gems in Japan. This place exudes quality, not just in the food but in the mannerisms and professionalism of the staff. We ordered some sashimi that was brought out in a large bowl of ice with the sashimi arranged neatly on a decorative rock with an assortment of shells and other decorations - we were immediately impressed, everything was garnished and presented so beautifully. For the rolls we ordered of course we had to go with some familiar selections we've had at other sushi restaurants, but something that caught my eye was a geisha roll served with mango on top. I love mango, but on top of sushi? It seemed a bit odd at first, until I actually tried it and was very pleasantly surprised. The only downside is that as with most other sushi places, it can be a bit pricey and the bill gets expensive in order to actually leave full and satisfied. But it was still a great experience, and while I don't think we'll be back often and opt for more affordable sushi options, we'll likely return at some point for a special occasion. read more

The quality of the sushi was very high. The service was good. The environment was relaxed. The pictures I took reflect how the food tasted- clean and delicious. read more

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I love a good local sushi spot and Sushi Nakano did not disappoint! From the second we walked in the door we were treated like regular. Our server was so sweet and helpful and the other staff very friendly! We had the shrimp tempura to start, and while it was fried, it was light and tasty! For rolls we had the Hanabi, it was super fresh and wonderful flavor, little spice balanced out by avocado. Last but not least, the most beautiful roll I have ever seen, the spicy ribbon roll, pictured here. It was almost too pretty to eat! We finished with Mochi ice cream, green tea and vanilla for the perfect dinner! If you are looking for a local sushi spot, with amazing food, and super friendly staff and atmosphere look no further!! read more

Sushi Nakano - Spicy Ribbon Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

What a gem!! This place is so good and the fish is so bomb, I almost don't want to write this review so I could this place as a secret. Everything we ordered was amazing, all the fish was fresh and made with so much care. The chef and staff were so friendly, they made us feel right at home. The otoro, uni, hamachi, maguro and salmon were so fresh. The chef created some of his specials and everything he presented was delicious and emaculate. read more

The best most authentic sushi in the area- great quality. The only down is price- of course you get what you pay for. Not a huge menu but it's just fabulous. So, if you're either not super hungry or not price sensitive, this should be first on your list. Again, quality of fish is the highest and if that's your highest priority there will not be anything comparable unless you go to far Tempe area, central phoenix, or scottsdale. Maybe one in Chandler. This should be on your list. read more

I really really liked sushi nakano and I think it could be a five star place with another visit. A friend and I went and each got a roll and shared the grilled pork appetizer. The appetizer was definitely the worst part...this place is all about the fish. The rolls were expensive (like 15$) but so worth it.....the fish was so fresh, the rolls were creative, it was awesome! I can't wait to go back! read more

This place was definitely a pleasant surprise. Friendly service with a smile (behind masks), DELICIOUS FOOD, and a chill atmosphere. Sushi Nakano is my new "go to" for sure read more

Sushi Nakano - D-back roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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This place can easily overlooked wedged in between a few places but hopefully you look past the small restaurant and go in because it will change you life. This is the most authentic Japanese place in the area and I can't believe I didn't go in earlier. Each piece of fish was handled so delicately I thought I was walking into a 5 star restaurant. Hands down better than Ra or any other expensive sushi place. Everything was fresh and the house made soy sauce and fresh wasabi really made a difference. I wish I could give this place more stars but you will have to just come and judge yourself read more

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Have mercy. This place is killing it. Came in today with a friend who quickly became a regular before my 1st time in. We ordered chef's choice. We love doing this because there is always something new to try or an tried and true delivered in a new and exciting way. Leo Nakano, chef and owner, hooked us up with the freshest most delicious surprises. No use in telling you what to order, because when you come here, you're going to get what is fresh. It's intimate and clean and welcoming. Staff so friendly and on top of it. A little delight worth mentioning is the back of the menu that offers tips on how traditional Japanese sushi was originally intended to be eaten. So interesting to read and learn all the ways we've unknowingly Americanized sushi. Will absolutely return every chance I get. Domo arigatou, Chef Nakano! read more