Aoki Sushi & Grill — Restaurant in Seattle

Had visitors from out of town & couldn’t get reservations at a different restaurant so decided to give this small place a try. Born/raised in Japan, I’m always “suspect” when the owners or head sushi chief isn’t Japanese; being a “sushi chief” literally means nothing in America vice Japan where a chief could train for 10-20 yrs before being certified a full sushi chief. When we walked in, I immediately started talking Japanese to the head chief and he said “sorry, I’m Korean.” I immediately thought, “this ain’t gonna be good!” Well, I was mistaken. The fish was fresh and the rice was of better quality ( Americans wouldn’t care about how the rice was and only know of and been served lower class sushi rice). The Sea serpent roll was a huge hit with everyone. The only “ify” was the gyoza. It was actually more like Korean Yakimando and deep fried; not a gyoza at all. I didn’t care for it but the first time eater would think it’s good. Our “picky” eater friend refused to eat any fish and was hesitant to even try Japanese food - I suggested the Tonkatsu Bento Box and she liked it. Overall, a nice experience with good customer service and a pleasant enough atmosphere. If you live nearby or in the Capital Hill area, consider this place. We will likely never go back as we live on the other side of the sound but if we happen to be nearby and need our Japanese fix, we would definitely go back! Support this small business!!! Under...

I was intrigued by the perfect 5.0 rating this place had so I decided to come here for a nice sushi dinner with my girlfriend. As soon as you walk into the place you notice the stylish and cozy interior, which according to my girlfriend is quite authentic to real Japanese places. It’s not super bright in there so there’s a chill vibe. The staff members greeted us with smiles were extremely friendly and polite overall; I really felt welcomed there. The menu has a good selection of bento boxes and other standard stuff, like nigiri, sashimi, and rolls. The prices were quite reasonable so we ordered a bit of everything. The food came quickly and it was beautifully prepared in nice portions. The fish and rolls that they served us were absolutely incredible! There were a few times when I was eating my roll where I had to literally pause and chill for a second just to process how amazing it tasted. All of the fish was super fresh and melted on the tongue. I highly recommend the sashimi sampler. I was a bit surprised to see bento boxes at a sushi place so I decided to get the bulgogi one. The meat was tender and flavorful and the box came with a nice salad and some other good things so I thought it was yummy and a good value.

Given the cool ambiance, awesome staff, good menu, reasonable prices, and god-tier fish, I can now absolutely see why this place has the 5.0. Would...

I had the seared salmon belly and albacore belly nagiri, Kimono Maki, and Spider Maki.

The albacore belly nagiri and the spider Maki were made very well. The albacore belly was fresh and super soft to chew. The spider Maki had the crab fried great and the whole roll doesn't get beat out by any other spider rolls I've had. For the kimono, i think the jalapeno takes away from the flavor of the whole roll and I just took them out. No fault of the restaurant or chefs, just not my cup of tea. Without the pepper, the roll was delicious. The salmon belly was by far my favorite. The sear from a torch was enough to give a smoky flavor and melt the fat in the meat. I wish I just got more of this instead and reduce my other orders.

On a note of the restaurant, the staff was nice and the ambiance was good. However I had to wear my jacket the entire time since the AC was going full blast in the back room. Don't know if this is intentional or not, but i would be worried if I ordered more hot items since they would cool down...