Best Sushi in Asheville?

[Jeff C.]

After years of approach-aversion I am finally starting to "get" the whole Sushi thing. My question is simple: Where do I find the best Sushi in (or near) Asheville, NC?

[danna]

In case Brevard is near enough, i think Sora is very good. They have delicious uni, often not to be found in run of the mill sushi joints. They have a lot of really expensive specials rolls which are (i'm guessing here) not very authentic with all the decorative saucing, but are good nonetheless. You can also get very plain, traditional rolls. I've had good salmon and mackerel and pretty good white tuna.

It's in the Walmart strip center.

[Jeff C.]

Will check it out next time I'm out that way. Thanks, Danna.

[leahinsc]

The sushi scene continues to change in Asheville.
Zen (Merrimon) is normally a good value but lately their rolls have been a little sloppy, i.e. loosely rolled. They are opening or just opened a downtown Sushi place on Biltmore Ave across from Marble Slab. Wasabi is pretty consistent. Green Tea near the Sam's Club is good.

[Jeff C.]

Green Tea sounds like the best bet for a Sushi novice like moi. Where is it exactly?

[mark]

green tea is in regent park. near denny's.

i agree that zen seems to have gotten kind of sloppy lately. they used to be a small step up from wasabi, which i've found to be good but very inconsistent.

i've had a couple of rolls from oriental pavilion that were good, but have not tried nigiri/sashimi there.

haven't been much, but heiwa had some good & interesting rolls, and their fish was decent. when zen was good, i considered this to be a 2nd tier place, not so sure anymore.

not sushi per se, but the deep-fried dragon roll that appears as a special at sunny point is really good.

the chen clan opened kanpei sushi in their old thai sushi spot (that menu & concept were combined into cf chan's when they rejiggered their menu). sushi under the old name wasn't very good, haven't tried the new one. (i just realized this is probably the place leah mentioned opening on biltmore; she might be right that it's an offshoot of zen, i thought i read somewhere the chens had simply reconfigured it, but i read a lot and occasionally confuse my facts.)

my recommendation is to order a couple pieces of tuna nigiri. evaluate those to determine if whatever place you've chosen has good fish and whether they're having a good night. if not, move on. i've found sushi to be so inconstistent lately that i just don't get my heart set on it anymore; if it's a good night, i chow down, if not, i go to plan b.

[Jeff C.]

Got it. Will try to get to Asheville this weekend. My thanks to you both.

[bethd127]

The old Sushi Thai is in fact a new sushi restaurant from the chen family...Also a saki bar.