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

Lesley Elliott

4. Zuma
This is a Japanese haven where your California roll will be filled with real crab (Alaskan king crab Cali, $16), but what's truly special at Zuma is the tender fresh flesh by the piece. The sashimi is pristine, and our favorite pieces of sushi are carefully plotted small bites under the menu heading "Zuma Special Sushi." They do sea urchin two ways: one topped with plump balls of ikura and barley miso (two per order, $16) and with fresh yuzu and truffle (MP). There's also a stellar scallop with truffle and myoga, a type of ginger with edible flower buds (MP). Although the perception here is that you will spend lots of money, the reality is that many rolls are fairly well priced, such as Zuma's salmon-avocado roll for $9.50 and the chirashi maki, made with raw sea bass, shrimp, hamachi, and salmon for $10.

Lesley Elliott

3. Pubbelly Sushi
The Pubbelly boys have concocted an array of rolls that astound, from the beloved yellowtail-topped roll (pictured above), stuffed with snow crab, flavored with truffle yuzu, and chives ($12), to the eel roll, which has charred pineapple and shichimi, a Japanese condiment containing everything from ground ginger to hemp seeds ($7). Spicy tuna at Pubbelly Sushi is dressed up with potato and scallion aioli ($6), and thin slices of hamachi sashimi are served with spicy jalapeño slices, yuzu soy, and a cilantro broth ($15). It's sushi with a creative spin and a multitude of flavor combinations, but the crucial detail is that the fish is fresh, fresh, fresh.