Thanks to recommendations from JB, I thoroughly enjoyed dinner at Nishino. Their nigiri pieces are extremely well prepared, fresh and high quality. However, they truly excel at their rolls and hand... More

Thanks to recommendations from JB, I thoroughly enjoyed dinner at Nishino. Their nigiri pieces are extremely well prepared, fresh and high quality. However, they truly excel at their rolls and hand rolls. Their Foie Gras served nigiri-style is incredible and is reason enough to visit Nishino (or to come back).
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Ate at Nishino last night for the first time in about a year. I'm glad I did because it reminded me how good Japanese food in Seattle can be. Is it the best Japanese in the city - probably not. ... More

Ate at Nishino last night for the first time in about a year. I'm glad I did because it reminded me how good Japanese food in Seattle can be. Is it the best Japanese in the city - probably not. But it's definitely in the top 5 or so. My wife and I are creatures of habit when it comes to Japanese, so we decided on this trip to only try things we haven't eaten before. Great move. The special sheet had an ameabi ceviche which was outstanding - steeped in orange and lime juices, mixed with red onion and avocado. It was the right mix of sweet and spicy. Best of all they didn't scrimp on shrimp. Next we had fried tofu in mushroom sauce. I wasn't sure what to expect until 2 bowls of what amounted to tofu and mushrooms in broth arrived. Wow. The "sauce" was really a vegtable stock broth with teriyaki. It was really rich. Big pieces of tofu, and generous helping of shitake and morrel mushrooms. I'll have it again. We did not go big on sushi - some white tuna (excellent), an arboretum and house roll. All very fresh and very good. The service was top notch to boot. You definitely pay more for Nishino, but it's worth the splurge.
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I've been in Seattle for two years and had tried so many different sushi restaurants here. When I almost gave up to find good sushi like I had in Japan, I found Nishino. I was impressed by their... More

I've been in Seattle for two years and had tried so many different sushi restaurants here. When I almost gave up to find good sushi like I had in Japan, I found Nishino. I was impressed by their food, especially sushi. When you try Nishin, you cannot avoid to eat their "toro".
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After an arduous tour of Seattle sushi, we found ourselves always longing for Nishino. The Sake choices are superb, and the sushi chefs are awesome. Masa, one of the head chefs, will make anything... More

After an arduous tour of Seattle sushi, we found ourselves always longing for Nishino. The Sake choices are superb, and the sushi chefs are awesome. Masa, one of the head chefs, will make anything that you can imagine, and if you ask him to go to town and just get creative, he comes up with some amazing creations. Albeit a bit pricey, Nishino is comparable to most every other sushi place in c-town, which begs the question, why is there no sushi happy hour in Seattle. L.A. has Tsunami, which has great sake and rolls during their happy hour, whilts Seattle has more and more traffic. Nonetheless, Nishino is the best Sushi restaurant in Seattle, chopstixs down. :) Pros: Sushi prep, Sake, Edamame Cons: nada
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I had yet another pleasing experience at Nishino sushi on Madison. The quality of the fish is always impeccable with maguro that melts in your mouth. But I think what sets Nishino apart from my... More

I had yet another pleasing experience at Nishino sushi on Madison. The quality of the fish is always impeccable with maguro that melts in your mouth. But I think what sets Nishino apart from my other Seattle sushi favorites is the experience. I love sitting at the sushi bar here because you often get introduced to house specials or things that are not printed on the menu. My husband ordered Ika sushi and the sushi chef recommended a baby squid special instead that was delicious. Our other favorites for the night were: Aji (spanish makeral), Ume Shiso and soft shell crab roll (wrapped in a delicate cucumber and flash fried). If you can stomach the bill $110-including a 15oz cold sake-and I wouldn't say we ordered exorbitantly, I think Nishino is not to be missed for sushi lovers.
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Incredible sushi, great atmosphere, friendly service. The fish is very fresh and really nice flavors! I wish it weren't so far away from my house or I would dine here weekly!

Incredible sushi, great atmosphere, friendly service. The fish is very fresh and really nice flavors! I wish it weren't so far away from my house or I would dine here weekly!
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After living in the neighborhood for years (and having been a sushi lover for even longer), I finally tried Nishino this week. Granted, it was a trip to feel out the place using the 25 for $25... More

After living in the neighborhood for years (and having been a sushi lover for even longer), I finally tried Nishino this week. Granted, it was a trip to feel out the place using the 25 for $25 promotion as an excuse, but I was happy with even that meal. I decided that I'm still happy with my usual haunt (Chinoise on Madison) for my daily sushi needs, but will be back to try the omakase (roughly translated, "leave it to the chef") fixed price dinner. I could tell there were subtle differences in the quality of the sushi as well as in the nori. The fish was just a bit fattier, fresher, and a touch more tender, but the differences weren't pronounced enough for me to make this my regular sushi restaurant. Besides, Jae puts so much more loving care into his presentations than I saw Kazu do at Nishino. Maybe it was an off-night? All things considered, I still savored my meal. The restaurant seemed really busy when we came in mid-week and it took a few minutes before we spoke with the hostess. That turned me off at first, but the polite and attentive service that followed made up for it. The decor wasn't particularly Japanese and was more "classic" in the 80's sense of the word. The art was a little incongruous, too, all bright and abstract in contrast with the dim lighting and beige walls. The 25 for $25 deal got me and my husband each our choice of three appetizers, three main courses, and three desserts. The meal also came with miso soup. I ordered a dungeness crab cake as an appetizer, the sushi assortment for my entree, and sorbet for dessert. My husband ordered the yellowtail sashimi as an appetizer, sushi for his entree, and mochi for dessert. We also started with an order of albacore sashimi (5 pieces), well-priced at $9, melt in your mouth delicious, and significantly thicker than the yellowtail sashimi that came with the 25 for $25 meal. The crab cake was generously meaty and moist, although my husband thought it was too wet for his taste. The napa cabbage-mayo salad on the side was limp and bland. The "salsa" for the crab cake was also unnecessary and needed to be chopped more finely, besides. I much preferred the seaweed salads that came with the yellowtail. The sushi entree came with more sushi than I expected: two pieces from what appeared to be a maguro/salmon roll with avocado and tobiko, three pieces from a pickled vegetable roll, and one piece each of the following nigiri: amaebi, maguro, hamachi, and salmon. The sorbets were fine, but the shiso-flavored one was very icy when compared to the mango and strawberry. My husband's mango and strawberry mochi were little cold to start with, but defrosted a bit as we ate them and turned delightfully gummy and creamy. I left stuffed, happy, and ready to come back for the omakase dinner.
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I just did the $25 for $25 at Nishino and what a deal for the ultimate sushi in Seattle. Everything from the miso soup to the sorbets were outstanding. The yellow tail appetizer was phenomenal,... More

I just did the $25 for $25 at Nishino and what a deal for the ultimate sushi in Seattle. Everything from the miso soup to the sorbets were outstanding. The yellow tail appetizer was phenomenal, fresh, subtle hints of chive, but most of all, a good quality fish with flavor. I cannot say how much of deal, the $25 for $25 is- this included an appetizer, assorted sushi with rolls and a dessert. Our party ordered an extra roll- I'm actually not quite sure what was in the roll- most likely yellow tail, but all I can say is wow! Prices are a bit higher than most sushi places in the area, however if you are looking to celebrate a special occasion or just want good sushi, then go go go. Also, I was impressed that most of the people in the restaurant were actually Japanese, not just Americans, which is usually a good sign. Based upon the reviews I'd like to try the Omakase dinner sometime. Next time, I think I'll sit at the bar, which allows you to be more adventurous.
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Nishino quickly became a new favorite after I tried their omakase (chef's choice) dinner. It was a wonderful sampling of their dually authentic and adventurous menu. All items were fresh, full of... More

Nishino quickly became a new favorite after I tried their omakase (chef's choice) dinner. It was a wonderful sampling of their dually authentic and adventurous menu. All items were fresh, full of flavor, and beautifully presented. Crowd favorites like toro and hamachi nigiri were complemented elegantly by seared foie gras with shiitake mushrooms and curry dusted halibut cheeks. If you want the real deal and are willing to pay a few extra dollars Nishino is a musty try! Pros: Sushi, Romantic, Creative Dishes
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Nishino is my favorite spot for great Japanese food. It's not an inexpensive bite but they always have the freshest ingredients and they make some of the most creative stuff. I'd highly recommend... More

Nishino is my favorite spot for great Japanese food. It's not an inexpensive bite but they always have the freshest ingredients and they make some of the most creative stuff. I'd highly recommend asking for a few "chefs choice" items when you go there- when they invent something on the spot its often magical.
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