Miami's Ten Best Sushi Bars: Hunting for Fresh Fish

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Hiro's Sushi Express

The "Emperor" assortment of sushi at Hiro's ($7.50).

Sushi seems so easy -- raw fish, rice, wasabi. So it would seem that really good sushi bars should be on every corner, sorta like Starbucks. OK, it might be slightly easier to procure quality coffee beans than grade-A bluefin tuna, and the vinegar-to-rice ratio is all-important, but when it comes to eating sushi and sashimi, you really do want the best of the best.

Smoke and mirrors won't mask the inferiority of raw fish. We don't care how much Japanese mayo or cream cheese you roll in there. So where to find the best sushi in town? Whether you are eating on the cheap or maxing out the platinum card, here's our list of places to get the tastiest tuna, the saltiest salmon roe, and the sweetest amaebi.

10. Hiro's Sushi Express
There are several locations of Hiro's Sushi Express, each offering inexpensive sushi without any smelly old fish funny business. The immense menu provides all the regular rolls -- particularly well priced in predetermined assortments ranging from a California-tuna combo ($5.50) to the "Emperor," which for $7.50 includes tuna, salmon, white fish, crab, shrimp, and white tuna sushi (plus a few pieces of California and regular tuna maki). From a sashimi salad ($5.95) to nigiri (all priced per piece, 90 cents to $3.25), everything is affordable and above average in terms of fast-casual sushi.

Doraku

9. Doraku
The rolls here are more of the out-on-a-sushi-limb variety, with a slew of different ingredients packed in for punch. The Doraku house roll ($13.75) combines tempura-fried lobster, shredded crab, and cream cheese with spicy garlic aioli. Even more complicated is the "Red Dragon" roll, an amalgam of spicy tuna, shrimp tempura, and avocado topped with eel, red tobiko, aonori, and spicy aioli ($13.50). Of course, basic tuna rolls ($5.75) and sushi by the piece are available (two per order, $3 to $8). With a recent expansion to Brickell, Doraku is laying claim to the happy-hour crowd both on and off the Beach.