Sushi Kashiba
Sushi Kashiba is located adjacent to the Pike Place Market. When I was doing research on restaurants to try out, I learned that Chef Shiro Kashiba trained under Jiro Ono (Jiro Dreams of Sushi). I also learned that Daisuke Nakazawa (chef of Sushi Nakazawa) also worked under Chef Kashiba. Online, everyone raved about how delicious the place was, so we decided to try this out. I made a reservation for 5:30 PM for a Friday evening, and they actually seated us earlier. Reservations for tables are much more accessible compared to NYC restaurants.
Ambiance & Service
The restaurant interior is not much different than typical large Japanese sushi restaurants. We were seated near the window with a nice view looking out to the ocean. The sushi bars were very lively, but we sat at a table and ordered everything a’la carte. Supposedly they have very limited omakase seating at a fixed price, and unfortunately, we had a plane to catch later in the evening.
The service was very prompt, as we were in and out within 1.5 hours. Just a note for the bill that they automatically charge 20% on the check, so no tipping required.
Food
The Fentimans Rose Lemonade ($11) was pretty sweet, so of course my partner enjoyed it.
The Fatty Tuna (Toro) ($14 per piece) came on the left and was melt in your mouth. I would say that this does not taste that much different than most upper-tier sushi restaurants that I’ve been to both in the east coast and west coast.
The King Salmon ($12 per piece) came on the right and was pretty good as well.
The Spanish Mackerel (Aji) ($9 per piece) on the left tasted great. It did not taste fishy to me, so this passed the sushi restaurant test. It was moist, oily, and rich in flavor. I tend to order this because many restaurants serve this with a lot of fishiness which usually indicates their supplier is inconsistent. However, if it’s not fishy, then the restaurant is very meticulous about all of their fish freshness.
The Striped Jack (Shima Aji) ($9 per piece) on the right also tasted good too. It has less oils compared to the Spanish mackerel, and it had a subtle sweetness to it.
The Chawan Mushi ($16) came with a steamed savory egg custard mixed with crab meat and white fish. This was very comparable to other well made egg custards. The flavors were very refreshing and sweet.
The Broiled Yellowtail Amberjack Collar ($25) was served with grated white radish mixed with ponzu. I was surprised by the quantity of fish meat that came on this plate. They ran out of the normal west coast yellowtail collar, so they gave us amberjack. The meat was more oily than normal yellowtail, but it definitely was very tasty without any fishiness. Some parts of the bones were edible, though much of the outside was cured with salt, so it wasn’t as pleasant.
The Sweet Shrimp (Amaebi) ($9 per piece) was accompanied by their fried heads. The shrimp was definitely sweet and delicious, and their heads had delicious crunch and flavors.
The Kashiba’s Black Cod ($29) was a broiled black cod marinated in sake lees and miso and was also featured in the New York Times. If you’ve never had broiled black cod before, you should try this. I found this comparable to other Japanese restaurants that prepare a similar dish. The black cod is very buttery and very tender. The miso and sake adds umami to its flavor. The portion to price value was not great though.
The Hokkaido Sea Urchin (Uni) ($17 per piece) was quite pricey but delicious. This particularly uni came from the Hokkaido area but in a specific area, so it was more sweet than expected. If money was no object, this is a must-get, but realistically, I thought this was way overpriced.
Overall Impression
Sushi Kashiba is as good of a restaurant as it could be for its freshness. The sushi is very good. Price wise, it is comparable to other upper-mid tier Japanese restaurants in California and New York City. I do not think the fish and menu were exponentially better, but what is nice about this restaurant is that table availability is pretty easy.
Yelp Jabs
They always end the night with their specialty tamago nigiri, and it is worth the hype! I’ve never had Tamago like it.
The tamago is a signature piece from Jiro, and both Kashiba and Nakazawa do it. Do I think it’s unbelievable? Not really. It’s a really good tasty egg with some slight sweetness, but it’s not out of the world for me. If it wasn’t part of the omakase, I probably would never order it.
The quality and freshness of the fish was not good. I have been burping up a fishy taste ever since I finished my meal, which only happens after I eat low quality sushi. It’s clear by the price they are charging for this subpar omakase that the local crowd doesn’t know good sushi. I would say this place is an easy pass if you know your stuff.
I thought this Elitist from Philly was pretty funny. I had no issues with digesting the sushi here, and I wonder if they ordered something bubbly like beer. Their reason for why it should be considered low quality is purely anecdotal.
Revisions
- Aug 1, 2025 - Initial revision.