Tsunami Restaurant Sugarhouse

Great Great Place! I have eaten here more times than I can count and would recommend it over any other sushi joint in the area. It is rare but I have had service issues, no more than any other restuarant, but good food makes up for a multitude of sins. more

This is our ""go-to"" sushi restaurant. Cheap enough for regular visits, Tsunami does an amazing job. Its a great place for vegetarians also because of their extensive menu of veggie rolls. Fresh sushi and innovative rolls bring us back here again and again. more

I am well pleased with the serving. What's best is the ambience. Thanks for the hospitality. Food is delicious. I like the sashimi. Will be bringing along friends soon. more

Best sushi ever! And I've had a lot of good sushi! The sesame seeds on the outside of the roll...yum. Atmosphere is pleasant and you can eat on the patio. I didn't find the wait extensive, it was about the right amount of time. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone! Delicious! more

Tsunami sushi restaurant, located in Sugar House, and offers a wide variety of Nigiri and Sashimi along with delicious house rolls. Each roll is carefully crafted to contain the right portions of ingredients for maximum flavor and texture. I have eaten at several sushi restaurants along the Salt Lake valley and was very excited to try Tsunami in Sugar House as locations are popping up everywhere. When trying a new restaurant I always take the following into consideration: atmosphere, food (which is most important to me), and the service.\r \r Tsunami is located in a strip mall in Sugar House, directly next to the dollar theater. If you are not careful, you can easily walk past the small entrance. When you walk in, it’s almost as if you just walked into a closet as you are immediately in a small enclosure with fabric draped all over. I had to duck just to get through to the main lobby area where I was then greeted by a polite host. The narrowness of the layout and the Asian influenced décor made me imagine I could be stepping into a traditional Japanese home. The size is not ideal for large groups, of 10 or more, but provides for a more intimate setting. \r \r I decided to bring new “sushi-eaters” along for the experience. We agreed to order a variety of six rolls and share. The rolls were served on one large platter and the combination of color, sauces, and display of ingredients was mouth watering. Each roll had a unique combination of ingredients that brought out unique flavors. One of my favorites was the Sunshine roll which contained crunchy asparagus and tobiko (tiny fish eggs that add a pop-like crunch to the roll), spicy tuna, and was combined with sweet tasting shrimp, avocado, and eel sauce that countered the spice, all wrapped in bright yellow soy paper. All six rolls were distinctive and delicious in their own way. Each roll featured a different type of fish combined with a unique flavor. Another favorite was the Coco Cabana, an exotic roll containing coconut shrimp, jalapeños, and spicy sauce drizzled along the top. Try it with a side of eel sauce for a tangy kick! \r \r As always, when eating sushi it is critical that the fish is fresh. Fresh fish gives full flavor without a “fishy” smell or taste. Tsunami has fresh fish imported daily. Needless to say, the fish was fresh and fantastic! Even the “newbies” couldn’t believe raw fish could taste so “not-fishy”. \r \r When dining out to sushi, it is typical for the wait to be slightly longer, as each roll is delicately hand crafted and made-to-order. Quite often, I have found at sushi restaurants, that I only see the waiter about three times: one time to take the order, one time to bring out the food and drinks, and one time to collect the bill. This was not the case at Tsunami. While waiting for the rolls to arrive, the waiter was exceptionally alert to our wants as he kept our glasses full and made sure we had appetizers to tie us over till the food arrived. I definitely felt spoiled!\r \r Tsunami is a locally owned and operated here in Utah. It is no wonder that they have quickly grown to three locations. The price was reasonable, about $20 per person, and the variety of rolls and flavors were outstanding! If you are in a hurry, take advantage of their online reservation tool. Whether you are a sushi connoisseur or a first-timer, this is a great place to eat new sushi! more

We took our friends in from out of town recently and had a terrible experience. Our food took 40 minutes, our server forgot our eda mame and the black cod was over cooked and small in portion. My family and I use to looked forward to our sushi nights at Tsunami. We have tried all three locations with union heights being our favorite. We over looked the mediocre service by sitting at the sushi bar where our Chef Paul would always take good care of us. We were disappointed to find out our favorite Chef is no longer there.... The table service needs improvement...... more

I have worked in restaurants, in customer service, retail, sales and have worn many other hats throughout my life. One of my favorite treats in life is going out to eat with friends. Tsunami has always been a favorite when going out for sushi because of how fresh their fish always is. I believe they told me they have their own buyer specifically for their stores and it does taste this way. One of my earliest jobs I held was as a hostess. I n restaurants this is the position that creates the flow of the entire night. My only complaint is that out of the 50 or so times I have been in Tsunami, mainly the Sugarhouse location, we have never been seated properly. We always end up waiting or watching another table wait too long because we were seated in the same section as two other tables were, at the same time. The poor waitress is working her hardest to get to us all, but because the hostess did not wait to seat us, they ended up swamping their waitress without even giving them the chance. It's not only having to wait for the drinks, it spills into the kitchen and the sushi bar because all of the orders hit the kitchen at the same time. Just by creating a seating issue, it has now swamped the entire restaurant, making the service not as amazing as it could be and less personal. While all the chefs at Tsunami are good, I have realized that my best experiences have been when we sit at the sushi bar with Brian as our chef. He is always in a good mood and is happy to take care of us no matter how busy he is. He always says hello and finds time to make us feel comfortable and informed about the new fish of the day. Even better is when he is not busy. I have never met someone with so much knowledge of fish and food in general. He knows what region the fish comes from, different ways of preparing it, and his passion for food just shines out, he truly loves food and what he does. He creates rolls like artwork and the love can be tasted. He makes the experience for us. Jillian has always been a great server and very pleasant. She always takes care of our every need and request. She also has a great knowledge of the menu and is always informative about the specials. These people and the quality of food really make our experience and one of the reasons we keep coming back!! Pros: skilled chefs and quality fish Cons: unorganized seating more

The sushi and sashimi we ordered were the smallest I've seen anywhere. When we complained we were told the portion sizes were normal and nothing would be done about it. We were treated poorly to boot. There are too many good sushi bars in the valley to waste your dining dollars here, IMO. Pros: Nice atmosphere Cons: The absolute tiniest cuts of sashimi and sushi anywhere! more

As CA resident and business traveler, I've eaten at the best sushi restaurants from Sawtelle to little Tokyo in LA, J-Town in SF and a handful of places in midtown and the upper east side in NYC. Quite shockingly, Tsunami in Utah ranks among the best of them even against those large metropolitan markets! My first time to Utah two years, I was rather skeptical I'd find a good restaurant to fulfill my sushi cravings. Ichiban was another restaurant we tried, but the sushi seemed too salty the time we went--we will go back to give it another chance. Tsunami is a great place for a sushi afficianado. They have great service, beautiful decor, an intimate ambiance, and last but not least, high-quality, spectacular sushi! They have a great wine selection--we ordered two bottles between the five of us, and would've gone through three except we had one non-drinker. Their toro was amazing and buttery as is their uni. Among other highlights include the baby tuna, halibut, albacore, and salmon eggs. One disappointment was when one of our associates order the Tokyo Cowboy (I think?) and it was to her surprise too spicy. If I remember, it's made with jalapeños. Their less traditional rolls is what makes Tsunami so unique--they are good, really good--and not over-filled with cream cheese often found in other places. One of our associates claims their baked mussels are hands down the best. You can bet my next business trip back to Salt Lake City, I'll have Tsunami on my agenda! Pros: Amazing Food, Service, Design/Decor, Sushi Cons: Too far away from SF more

I have tried all of the Tsunami Restaurnts they have opened and still went back to the Sugarhouse store. Went in last night on a night when Jeremy (our favoirite sushi chef, we usually go on Fridays) to find out that he was no longer working there. What a shame, the food sucked, We are no longer going to go there so if anyone knows where he ends up we would like to know. So many of the people that worked there are no longer there, and they made the place. I wouldn't go there and spend good money for the food, you will be sorry. What the heck is wrong with the owner? Did he get so greedy he didn't want to pay for good help? We are done! Pros: Sugarhouse used to have the best around Cons: Went in last night and our favorite chef was gone! more

I have been to hundreds of sushi places and will pay 200 dollars for a plane ticket from california just to eat at tsunami for one night. it is my favorite place in the whole country to eat. i love it! more

My husband and I went here last night, and I now wish we had never wasted our time or money. We were seated promptly, and served miso right away. So far so good.....until we waited over a half an hour for our sushi to arrive! Our water glasses stayed filled, but what good is a belly full of water if you're about to eat rolls of rice and fish? We watches tables around us receive their food, eat, and leave, and yet we were not served! When our rolls finally arrived, the presentation was incredibly sloppy; the rolls were not properly rolled, the rice was falling off, you could see large patches of seaweed, where rice SHOULD have been, the fish was bland and tasteless....thank God for wasabi! The only saving grace from the shoddy and sub-par sushi was the wasabi. One of the biggest aspects of sushi is the PRESENTATION! Sushi is not only supposed to be about flavor, but a display of art as well, both marks that Tsunami missed. While we were attempting to salvage what we could of the meal, we had to listen to employees complain about various topics what time they were supposed to get off, things they didn't like about other employees, etc. Not appropriate dining room etiquette, and certainly NOT a way to lure patrons back! When the waitress brought us change, she gave us a $10 bill and 2 ones, as if we were going to tip $10 on a $35 meal! Upon leaving, I asked to speak to the manager, who was friendly and apologetic enough, but seemingly clueless to the various issues pointed out. She offered us a gift certificate, which I politely declined. Why would I want to go through this all over again, even if it was for free, when there are many more sushi places I could try my luck with? I hear Kyoto is good.... more

I have had nothing but great experiences with the food, service and management. The staff has always been very accomodating and friendly. Pros: Friendly Staff, Great Food Cons: Food a little slow at times more

I hate to write a bad review about Tsunami. We have always really enjoyed the Ft. Union and Sugarhouse locations. We were excited that they were opening in the south end of the valley (South Jordan).\r \r We ordered take out on New Years and the salmon sashimi was slimy, mushy, fishy and sour. When we went in a couple of days later and sat to eat, we asked the manage if we could try it again, (since we've only had positive experiences at the other locations) and asked if they would comp it this time to make up for it. We didn't ask for the whole meal to be comped. Just one order of sashimi. Seems fair, since we were the ones out the money in the first place. \r \r AARON GIBBS, the manager was rude from the start. He came to our table and said, ""you want to talk to me?"" Not ""Is there something I can do for you?"" We explained that we were regular customers and had never complained before. He was rude, defensive, unprofessional, unapologetic. We asked that he give us the phone number for his owner, he said he doesn't want customers contacting him. Well, there's a red flag right there. \r \r He said he would call him, left for about 2 minutes, came back and said that the owner REFUSED to give us the sashimi for free. We told him we were very confused and felt like we weren't being treated fairly. We told him that we would have to leave and forfit our meal if he would not do something ethical and make it right. He refused. We got up and had to leave. He shouted out to us, ""oh, you think THAT'S ethical to not pay for your dinner?"" In front of the rest of the customers. \r \r The manager and owner should be ahamed. Not only did they lose good customers, but they lost $65 in food, and the waitress' tip. How is this any kind of good business decision? I won't give my business to a place that cares more about strict policy than treating the people who keep them in business with respect and fairness.\r \r After all that, we still paid for our tea.\r \r \r Pros: We were excited about having sushi in the south end of the valley. Cons: Sushi is slimy, mushy, fishy, sour, and management is incredibly rude. more

I had a great experience tonite - I ate at the sushi counter. The sushi chefs were very friendly and the food was excellent at a reasonable price. I would highly recommend Tsunami !!! more

My husband dined at Tsunami last Saturday night. We were very displeased with our experience. The tables were so close to the kitchen that we had to listen to a woman behind the counter complain to our waiter about how my husband had requested his order. Every sushi roll seemed to have smoked salmon or eel or both (there are other ingredients!). The fish we received was not at all fresh. It is a little scary when a tekka maki roll has tuna that is a washed out pink color. I couldn't even choke down the rest of the roll. That is $75 I'll never see again. more

Tsunami is probably the best sushi bar in Salt Lake. The fish is always fresh and the service is Great. Very clean toiletries and kitchen. Parking is usually not a problem except for the Union Heights location on the weekends. I highly recommend Tsunami to anybody even if you do not like sushi, they have the best ribs i have ever had!!! Eat here trust me Pros: Fresh fish and other items on menu, Service Cons: parking on weekends more

my Personal experience was great fast seating friendly service...... I thought the portions were perfect but thats because I don't visit all you can eat buffets' . If your looking for a ROMANTIC quiet place for a special occassion this is it ...........the only thing I didn't like was yes there was no place mats and I believe they could've really done something out of the ordinary with some the have the potentual to play around with that so that much I'll agree!! Pros: The place to Impress ....... Comfortable Cons: You have to have the taste for good food to know what you getting more

I love sushi, and this is not the place for anyone who loves sushi. The place is very small and cramped so do expect to be sitting very close to other people or at tables that feel awkward because they are trying to fit as many people in as possible. One thing I noticed right off the bat, there are NO Japanese people to be seen anywhere. I thought I would give it a chance anyway but the sushi reflected the lack of culture. The fish was not fresh (slightly discolored at the edges), the rolls were loosely rolled making it hard to get it to your mouth in one piece, the rice is not seasoned correctly and it menu is WAY over-priced for what you get. The service was nothing stellar, sushi plates piled up on our table and were only collected when the bill was dropped. If you love sushi, this is not the place to go - try Kyoto where a REAL, live, Japanese person who knows what they are doing places beautiful, delicious pieces of sushi in front of you. Pros: Next to the dollar theater. Cons: Bad, expensive sushi, felt like a tin can, old fish. more

I am a regular at Tsunami, I there at least twice a week. Their tempura fried rolls are excellent, I definitely suggest ""DTH"" (the DTH sauce is amazing, I always ask for an extra side) and Don Juan, which has cream cheese. Coco Cabbana and Sunshine rolls are also between my favorites, both come with tempura fried shrimp (Coco Cabbana has coconut shrimp tempura fried). Their lunch boxes are also not bad, Teriyaki Pork is between my favorites. For entree Inari Sushi and Edamame. For desert, tempura fried vanilla ice cream. \r The service is pretty good, the place is full most of the time so you're better off getting reservations during the weekends. Pros: Variety, amazing sauces, good atmosphere Cons: Can be packed on the weekends more