Tour de Brookline Sushi

Brookline has a remarkably high concentration of sushi restaurants in a close proximity, so there is a plethora of choices to from. Here's a quick review

Gari

Good quality sushi in a tiny little place on Harvard Street - make reservations because it fills up fast on weekends. Sit at the bar and you'll get a front row seat to watching them make the sushi, so you know it's fresh. Specialties include such innovative creations as Black Pearl Maki, Lady in Red Maki, Messy Caterpillar Maki, Black Diamond Maki, and The Volcano - so many choices to choose from it's hard to decide!

Genki Ya

All-natural and organic sushi, Genki Ya offers a brown rice option for every roll, and an extensive nigiri menu. Specials include the Boston Flower roll (King salmon, shrimp, flying fish roe, cucumber, mayo, green vegetables) and the Healthy Ichiban roll, playing into Genki Ya's health-conscientious marketing approach. Their sushi also shines in presentation, often decorated with tropical flowers on the plate. Beautiful food - gets me every time.

Fugakyu

The high-end sushi restaurant in the area, Fugakyu is the self-described "House of Exquisite Elegance" with the prices to match. Yet the Fugakyu experience is truly superb, with traditional Japanese rooms with sliding screen doors for a more intimate dining experience. The sushi is of course top-notch, with such menu items as oysters and wine pairings, such as assorted sashimi paired with pinot blanc to accentuate the succulent fresh fish. This is definitely the place for special occasions.

Mr. Sushi

Decent sushi at an affordable price. Though definitely average compared to the nearby places, it still satisfies the craving (when I get the itch for sushi I must scratch it!) My favorites there are the spicy tuna and hamachi (yellowtail).

Sushi Express

As cheap as it sounds. The quick-fix option for carry-out on a work lunch break, not the nice sit-down dining experience of the others. They use imitation crab and don't roll always roll the sushi well. Mediocre at best.

Tsunami

One of Brookline's best-kept secrets. This tiny hole-in-the wall place is tucked on a side street off Beacon so it's out of the limelight compared to the rest, and the sushi shines. Tsunami uses fresh fish flown in from open-ocean fisherman rather than fish farmers so it's good quality. The sushi chefs also experiment with fruit, using cantaloupe, orange, pineapple and mango in their Hawaii rolls, creating a delectable contrast between the sweet tropical fruit and salty seaweed and soft scallops and fish. Not to mention its one of the few places in Brookline still BYOB, so you can stop by the wine shop around the corner on your way. Specials include Boston-themed rolls such as the Patriots, Celtics, and Red Sox makis, torched in Tsunami's special sauce. The secret ingredient? They'll never tell.