Fresh fish. Unique combinations of flavor and texture. Artful presentations. These are all highlights of a good sushi restaurant. Believe it or not, Pittsburgh has numerous restaurants that fit the bill.
This popular Shadyside restaurant can hang with with some of the higher-end restaurants you would expect to find in much larger cities like New York and Los Angeles, with a wide variety of sushi dishes, very fresh fish, and beautiful presentations. There are some complaints of pretentious service and high prices, but for delicious sushi in a high-end restaurant setting, Umi is a must visit.
It's cramped (only 30 tables) and BYOB, but Chaya in Squirrel Hill is regularly mentioned for serving up some of Pittsburgh's freshest sushi. The fish is air-shipped fresh from Tokyo and New York, and frozen fish is avoided to ensure the best quality. They also use real wasabi, not the powdered or tubed stuff. Don't miss their special "kaiseki" many-course meal (advance reservations required).
Ceviche, for which this trendy downtown restaurant is best known, is the South American counterpart to sushi - fresh, raw fish marinated in a mixture of citrus juices and fresh herbs. Seviche is a tapas bar, so the ceviche comes in small portions, just right for sampling a wide variety of flavors and textures. The fun, seat yourself decor, and downtown Cultural District location makes it a great spot for pre- or post-theater dining.
Tucked inside of Wholey's Fish Market in the Strip District is a cute little sushi stand offerig some of the freshest sushi in the Burgh at better than you might expect prices. Andy offers take-out orders only, so if you're looking for the whole sushi bar experience, go elsewhere. But if fresh, tasty sushi then Andy's offers he best bang for your buck in the city. Open only for lunch.
This downtown Pittsburgh landmark, located in the Westin Convention Center Hotel, features a contemporary sushi bar with a wide variety of raw oysters and tempting sushi. This restaurant doesn't always get consistent ratings for its service or its food, but its simple sushi preparations and fresh fish almost always get rave reviews. Sushi can be ordered at the tables as well.
