Unbeknownst to some, Columbus is actually a pretty hip place, especially when it comes to sushi. There are quite a few excellent sushi restaurants dotting the Capital City's landscape. Take a look at our top sushi bar picks below, and click on any of the restaurants for more information.
After you're done reading, head to the comments section and let us know if your favorite sushi joint made the list.
Sushi steals
Get out the chopsticks and get your grub on with our list of the best sushi spots in town
By Dwayne Steward
MetromixJuly 26, 2009
Sushi Ko
122 Hutchinson Ave - Columbus614-985-6441
It's located in a strip of other restaurants, but Sushi Ko stands out from the pack. Tatami seat tables (which are Japanese traditional tables with leg-less chairs) give the restaurant a sense of style and authenticity. Patrons can watch sushi assembled before their eyes by sitting at the sushi bar, and with dozens of varieties of rolls, anyone can find the fish to suit their wish.
Haiku Poetic Food and Art
800 N. High St. - Columbus614-294-8168
Haiku could be your Short North destination for a quick-stop Asian getaway. The laid-back sushi bar offers a full alcohol list at the bar and stays open until 2 a.m. on the weekends for those late-night noodle cravings, which are the specialty. The restaurant offers a lengthy list of noodle dishes along with its decorative assortment of sushi.
Blue Ginger Asian Fusion Bistro
6234 Sawmill Rd - Dublin614-792-3888
Blue Ginger is a colorful blend of cultures, a fantastic Asian fusion restaurant with modern and traditional dishes from Thai, Japanese, Vietnamese and Chinese cuisines. The sushi is fresh, delicious and expertly rolled, and the prices won't hurt your wallet. And the place also has chocolate fortune cookies.
Lemongrass Fusion Bistro
641 N High St Ste 103 - Columbus614-224-1414
A classy Asian menu in an intimate, laidback atmosphere. That's a quick way to describe Lemongrass Fusion Bistro, tucked away in the Short North Arts District. The small bar/restaurant sports a full bar and what they call fusion cuisine, which is a mix of American contemporary, Thai and Asian fare.
Chandra's Bistro
10 N Sandusky St - Delaware740-362-9227
With a classy interior and substantial sidewalk patio, Chandra's offers your of Japanese, Korean or Italian food. From squid salad, agedashi tofu and chicken cannelloni to salmon salad, bulgoki, ton-katsu and osam dol sot, all meals are made from scratch. The restaurant also features sushi, sashimi, lemon chicken, miso soup and honey walnut shrimp.
Ba-Sho Japanese Restaurant
2800 Festival Ln - Dublin614-766-7733
Ba Sho gives customers the chance to have a Japanese meal every night except on Sundays, when the restaurant is closed. It opens at 5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday and at 5 p.m. Saturdays. Its open until 9:30 p.m. daily. Ba Sho offers a variety of food, including sushi. Lots of on-site parking makes it easy to head over for a tuna roll (or two ... or three. Hey, tuna rolls are good).
Tyfoon
106 Vine St - Columbus614-224-9219
Earth tones, sheer curtains and trendy Art-deco furniture provide an intimate and sophisticated setting for Japanese cuisine at Tyfoon, one of downtown's most popular sushi restaurants.
Akai Hana
1173 Kenny Centre Mall - Columbus614-451-5411
Tucked away in the Kenny Centre Mall, Akai Hana doesn't look like anything too special on the outside, but it's quite the find once you walk through the double doors. Clean and well-decorated, the Japanese restaurant is appealing to the eye, and the menu is appealing to the taste buds.
Otani Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar
5900 Roche Dr - Columbus614-431-3333
Otani Japanese offers many things besides just good food. Try Lobster Fridays, Wednesday wine tasting, karaoke, happy hours, college ID nights and the private lounge for groups. The food itself includes noodle soups, unaju, yakiniku steak and samma. Otani also features extensive sushi choices for the experienced or newly probing palate.
Sushi Bistro Masa
6395 Perimeter Drive - Dublin614-336-8855
For traditional Japanese dining in a contemporary setting, Sushi Bistro Masa is the place to go. Offering an extensive sushi menu featuring ingredients from sea urchin to pickled plums, sushi fans are sure to find the roll that suits their craving.
Sushi En
1051 Gemini Place - Columbus614-430-9887
A little sushi bar tucked in the back near Rave Motion Pictures at Polaris Fashion Place, Sushi En is all about the sushi. The intimate Japanese/Korean-themed restaurant offers weekly sushi specials and pulls off serving a full bar to its small host of clientele.
Shoku
1312 Grandview Ave - Columbus614-485-9490
Shoku claims to take the cake in Grandview when it comes to fresh sushi and all-around cuisine from the Far East. The menu features authentic Japanese, Chinese and Thai dishes. A bit on the pricey end, the menu includes the restaurants Eastern sweet duck and a special lunch bento box.
Sushi.Com Japanese Restaurant
7160 Muirfield Dr - Dublin614-336-8686
Located in the former Cafe Roux restaurant, Sushi.com is one of newest Japanese restaurants to emerge in the greater Columbus area. Although the cozy eatery is manned by just two sushi chefs, the menu still offers a large variety of appetizers and entrees on top of the already vast sushi selection. Can't make it out for dinner? Stop in for Sushi.com's lunch specials or order a Bento box, offered from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
What other people are saying...
SquirrelLover from Grandview - May 05, 2009 at 6:47 AM
In response to Suano: Sushi En is a great place to start. They've got quite a selection of sushi and are happy to help out a newbie.
Report This CommentSuano from Columbus - May 01, 2009 at 7:22 AM
Which sushi restaurant would be a good one for us newbies just diving in? (Pun intended). i've only ever tried sushi once, although I (unexpectedly...
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Report This CommentChad8191 from Upper Arlington - April 29, 2009 at 1:22 PM
I agree on Akai Hana. I ate there for the first time on Saturday night, and I left impressed. It may not look like much from the outside, but it's ...
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Report This CommentFanofFletch from Columbus - April 10, 2009 at 5:45 AM
Akai Hana is great! I was just there this week. Fresh Fish!
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