As a natural outgrowth of another thread, I'm offering my limited knowledge of quality sushi restaurants, outside of Japan. Like a lot people, I suspect, I've tried the hit and miss method in my search for quality Japanese dining, outside Japan. Sometimes it's easy to know where to avoid: Chinese menu items, decor that takes the Japanese theme way too far, no Japanese employees, etc.

I've found my best luck asking the Japanese living outside Japan: Where do you eat? What restaurant do you recommend? Here are my proven recommendations, I've eaten at each of these restaurants with Nihonjin multiple times, with positive results.

Las Vegas Sushi Mon. Tel: (702)617-0241 / Fax: (702)617-0251
9770 S Maryland Pkwy.#3, Las Vegas, NV 89123
Website I didn't know they had a website, until just now, when I googled to find their street address. The nigiri sushi is really fantastic, and there are almost always some Japanese patrons. I've also seen lots of young, trendy kids (18-24 y.o.) eating here, but don't let that scare you off. The staff is 60% Japanese, the sushi chefs are skilled, friendly and attentive. The serving staff aren't, but this can be overlooked. It's probably easiest to just pay the "all you can eat" price. My experience: about 30 USD per person

Los Angeles Sakura Japanese Restaurant. (310)822-7790 4545 Centinela Av, Los Angeles, CA 90066 This restaurant is nothing fancy, decor wise, it's just clean and delicious. Like Sushi Mon, above, you can expect to wait for seating. The feeling one gets is that this restaurant has been around forever. I doubt that one could go wrong, here. It's very comforting to listening to customers speak Nihongo to the 80% Japanese staff. If it matters, it's only a quick five mile drive north of LAX. My experience: about 30 USD per person.

I'm really hoping to hear what others say!

About the only place in Europe where I think it�s possible to get quality for somewhat reasonable prices is Kikaku in Duesseldorf, Germany.

Kikaku
Klosterstr. 38
D�sseldorf
Tel:0211 357853

The owner ( a lady residing in Tokyo ) has recently opened a dependance at Duesseldorf Airport but haven�t eaten there so can only vouch for the orginal location.

Sakura is pretty good.

Another few from the SF Bay Area:
Tani's Kitchen- The proverbial "hole in the wall" restaurant. 80% of the staff are Japanese. (the 20% is the dishwasher) I might as well add that about 70-8Excellent Udon and Tempura. Nigiri is Mediorce, but the Sashimi is excellent on Thurs, Fri, Sat. By Sunday and Monday, the fish gets a little old. 80% of the customers are Japanese. You won't find junk like "California Rolls" here! They'll probably kick you out, laughing!! Good for a cheap eats. Closed on Wed. My experience less than 10 USD lunch, less than 20 dinner.

Sanraku-
Excellent Sashimi and Nigiri. They normally have quite a few items that you usually won't find anywhere else, so be adventurous. *hint* request "real" wasabi, they give it out on occasion. It's actually quite good Japanese food. However, don't go to the Meteron location. The Sutter Street location is the best. Prepare for a wait. Again most, if not all the staff are Japanese. (experience usually 120 USD for two, but I can do more! The food is THAT good)

Tomodochi- (Hayward) Excellent selection. Although the owners are of mixed ethinicity and the staff is also, the food is EXCELLENT. I usually go for quite a bit of the Sushi and sometimes the grill. Their Beef Tataki is excellent
(experience 50-70USD per person)

Bangkok, Thailand-
There is a very good Japanese Restaurant directly across from the Davis hotel in Bangkok. I can't remember the name, but go for their "local fish" sashimi and Beef Tataki, and thier Soba. Both are excellent. About 1000 baht for 2.

Central London has some quite good sushi at horrendous prices... but there's relatively affordable and quite "authentic" sushi to be had in the suburbs:

Sushi Hiro - across the road Ealing Common tube station.
(Beware - early closing time / no credit card accepted / miserable Itamae)

Sushi Say - a short walk from Willesden Green tube
*(More of an izakaya really - but the chef knows his stuff and offers sashimi when he can get fish at the quality he accepts. You can trust this place).

I noticed deep fried sushi on the menu at the Las Vegas place above. Is there a large Glaswegian community in Las Vegas?

I was a bit disappointed with my last two forays to Ealing as a visit to Sushi Hiro was always a favourite treat (I thought the itamae had finally had enough - he always did seem a miserable sod ).

My liking for sushi was developed at Noto Sushi Bar in what was the Yoahan Plaza in Colindale. Alas, those days have long gone. The Yoahan Plaza is now "Oriental City" and has a fraction of the Japanese produce that was once available and at only a fraction of the quality . 'My' friendly reasonably priced sushi bar is now a 'proper' restaurant and the charm has evaporated. EDIT TO ADD - Even Oriental city is now no more

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Current recommendations:

I really like Edokko (50 Red Lion Street, London, WC1R 4PF)
For London, the food is very good and very reasonably priced.

Yoshino - just off Regent Street is rather nice, nothing spectacular though. www.yoshino.net/ Not too expensive either.

And for Izakaya type fare: Aki, Grays Inn Road

I tend to order sashimi rather than sushi now. What I notice in great sushi is the extraordinary qualities of the rice and how it has been seasoned, and the way an itamae can 'blend' the rice and fish so it fuses into a melting, 'fleshy', whole in your mouth. In some ways, I believe it's more often the rice that lets down a piece of sushi rather than the fish. (I think the rice served at Yo!Sushi is dreadful BTW.)

One of the best japanese restaurants in the US is in a rather unexpected location -- Detroit. It is called Musashi and is actually in Southfield. Some very authentic food on request along with often great sushi. I guess it exists in detroit because of the japanese auto companies; but it is the most incongruous japanese restaurant that I've come across. Worth a special trip.

http://www.musashi-intl.com/

Maybe it's Soul Food Sushi!
Let me recommend one more Las Vegas sushi restaurant:
Las Vegas Makino. Website 3965 S. Decatur Blvd, Suite 5 (NW Corner of Flamingo & Decatur) � 702-889-4477. 775 S. Grand Central Parkway, Suite 1301 (At Las Vegas Premium Outlets) � 702-382-8848 These are viking sushi restaurants, which should be enough to scare most sane people away, however, in years past I had some fantastic experiences, with my Japanese friends. Now, however, they have stretched out to two restaurants, and the quality has suffered, and the main restaurant is not very clean, to say the least. Now, there Japanese staffing is down to about 20% and that is mostly wait staff. Still, Japanese customers visit. If you keep your expectations in check, you might not be too disappointed. My experience: Lunch <20 USD; Dinner <30 USD.

Sushi Ginza in Willow Park shopping plaza in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Sanosuke!

My current favourite place in Vancouver is Hoshi Sushi at The Sandbar.

Okina Sushi on Arguello in San Francisco. No fancy rolls, just phenomenal traditional sushi. It's tiny, and only open Thurs-Sat, but it's definitely the best sushi I've had outside of Japan. It's often better than the sushi I get in Japan.

There is a place in North Vancouver (long forgotten the name) that was run by a Japanese guy and his wife. I thought it better than the Sandbar..... I find the "rice" portion to be too large and thus over powered the fish portion at the Sandbar..... And why can't they use "sashimi shoyu" ?

In San Jose, I usually go for Tomi Sushi, which always has consistently great uni and otoro.

Well, if I don't mention this place, someone else probably will. Hole in the wall place that seats no more than 25 people, about 8 or 9 at the sushi bar. Nozawa is pretty much a one man show there. Mrs. Nozawa seats everyone and brings the bill, while a couple of others delivers the food/cleans up.

No nonsense atmosphere, no "fancy" rolls, just your genuine sushi/sashimi, traditional Japanese style. He's also referred to as "Sushi-nazi", given his iron hand rule. What makes it worthwhile is the freshness and taste of the food, from crab to uni, and your standard fishes in between, always good.

For any locals that have been there, I'm sure some will say "no way" to $80-$100 per person meal, and/or not worth the price, etc. Others will say the best stuff on Earth... well, take a pinch of salt with the commentaries on both sides you find, especially below in the review... but it 'tis true, he kicks people out if they get surly or cop a 'tude. Hollywood stars and regular folks (I know, my friend got kicked out)

http://losangeles.citysearch.com/pro...hi_nozawa.html

Have to try some of the London places mentioned on my next trip. I remember going for sushi at Edokko after Uni exams back in 1998 when it was shiny and new. Although the main reason for discovering it were two mates living upstairs from the restaurant...

I'll second that one. Used to be my favorite, though Sushi Tenn on Sawtelle has just taken that honor away for me.