Sushi Maui

Where the Locals go for Quality Sushi on Maui

Sushi MauiHere at Sushi Maui, you will find a list below of common elements to look for in a bad sushi restaurant and a good sushi restaurant. For those of you accustomed to eating good quality sushi, I am sure you have had your share of good sushi bars and bad sushi bars.

The goal of Sushi Maui is to save you the time and hassle of locating a good sushi bar. After all, do you want to spend all your time and money with the hit and miss method? Trust us, we’ve already gone through the painful task of weeding out the bad sushi bars. We’d rather have your first choice be a good sushi bar, so you can enjoy a fine selection of Nigirizushi, Makizushi or Temakizushi made with fresh, high quality grade fish.

The video below provides excellent instruction for making Maki Sushi.

Now, local fishermen do haul in an abundance of fresh fish daily from the waters surrounding Maui like ahi (yellowfin tuna) and opakapaka (red snapper), but not all sushi bars on Maui take advantage of this incredible resource. A large percentage of freshly caught fish are snatched up by seafood restaurants, and not many feature Japanese cuisine, i.e., a sushi bar. It is Sushi Maui’s belief, however, that any good sushi restaurant that is passionate about providing great sushi has its connections.

I have to admit that I am no sushi connoisseur, and cannot distinguish unagi (fresh water eel) from uni (sea urchin), and I tend to stick to the basics like spicy tuna rolls (ahi in Hawaiian) or ebi (shrimp), but I do come from a fishing family, so I know good quality fresh fish when I see it.

In fact, prior to starting my Sushi Maui blog I rarely ate sushi and have it only on special occasions like an anniversary or birthday. For me, going out to dinner for good quality sushi on Maui is an expensive treat, so you can appreciate the fact that I will only patronize a Maui sushi restaurant after thoroughly researching it.

Which explains why you’ve come to Sushi Maui, right?

At the risk of sounding politically incorrect, the first thing I do when researching Japanese cuisine on Maui is to contact my native Japanese friends or friends who are knowledgeable about Japanese culture and food. They have an eye for quality sushi and an understanding of the traditions and standards that make for great sushi.

Honestly, you probably do the same thing too right? If you want good Filipino, Chinese or any ethnic food — you go to the source culture.

Below are some recommendations that Sushi Maui has compiled for finding a good quality sushi bar on Maui.

Qualities of a Good Sushi Bar on Maui:

  • Is the Itamae (sushi chef) Japanese?
  • A large number of Japanese diners –a definite vote of confidence
  • Good presentation – it is as important as taste
  • Sushi is well-proportioned – BIG does not equate to better sushi
  • No premade sushi
  • Provides Wasabi and NOT horseradish
  • Price is no indicator of quality; however quality sushi IS pricey
  • Has a very small sushi bar and seat fewer than a dozen people
  • The fish is on display and look fresh and clean
  • The sushi bar should be extremely neat to a fault

Warning Signs of a Bad Sushi Bar on Maui:

  • The Itamae is NOT Japanese
  • There are no Japanese diners
  • The fish looks dry or discolored
  • You see sushi already assembled – pre-made
  • If the restaurant smells bad, then something has gone bad
  • They take your order all at once
  • The menu items are NOT listed in Japanese followed by a translation
  • The sushi rice is flavorless; sushi rice must have a delicate aroma and flavor
  • The fish and other seafood are not on display at the sushi bar
  • The sushi bar is unclean — it should be spotless
  • The sushi looks slapped together
  • The restaurant is part of a chain or franchise
  • Conveyor belt sushi. Fresh fish is probably as foreign as the Itamae

This list provided by Sushi Maui is by no means an exhaustive one and should not immediately disqualify any particular sushi restaurant on Maui. For instance there are non-Japanese (rare) who are very good in the art of sushi-making, and the English-only menu does not necessarily reflect the quality of the sushi. However, armed with this information from Sushi Maui, you are now in a better position to make an educated decision on where to spend your hard-earned dollars.

Thank you for visiting Sushi Maui.

Take Care and Aloha!