By Janani Vithanage
A Japanese dish most often presented as vinegared sticky rice, seafood or meat and vegetables wrapped in seaweed known as “Nori”, sushi has fast become a universal favourite. Sushi is extremely nutritious as it contains carbohydrates, protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals, making it the perfect, well-balanced meal. It’s pretty to look at and most importantly tastes absolutely amazing! In short, sushi ticks all the boxes. However, preparing sushi is an art that not many can perfect. Here’s a list of 10 places that have!
1. Salmon and Maki
This is a place that I’d personally recommend to anyone as they serve up the best sushi I’ve ever tasted! Each bite is guaranteed to be a burst of authentic flavour. What’s more, the pieces are the biggest I’ve come across, so you don’t need to worry about it not satisfying your hunger pangs. They even have some really interesting options like sushi donuts and sushi cakes, which work well for birthdays and other special occasions. They have an extremely diverse variety of options for vegetarians, like the avocado hosomaki, the cucumber hosomaki and the mixed vegetable hosomaki. Their most popular non-veg sushi include the salmon and maki roll, the super volcano roll and the katsu chicken roll, all from their special maki roll range. Their space is, however, rather limited, so we suggest your order online.
Price range: LKR 600-3000 per person
Location: 352/B, Pitakotte-Thalawathugoda Road, Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte
Opening hours: 11:00 AM to 10:30 PM
Contact number: 077 721 5390
Instagram: @salmon_n_maki
2. Sushi Kai
Sushi Kai has been one of Colombo’s most popular sushi spots for years – and with good reason! Their dishes taste amazing and are incredibly varied, ranging from the regular avocado, cucumber, salmon and prawn options to more exclusive flavours like teriyaki beef.
Price range: LKR 550-2500 per person
Locations:
- 481, Thalawathugoda Road, Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte or 143/A, Jawatta Road, Colombo 5
- 43/5 Samudra Mawatha, Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia
Opening hours: 11:00 AM to 10:30 PM
Contact number: 0112 778 989 (Thalawathugoda) / 0112 081 918
Instagram: @sushi.kai
3. Kami Maki
Kami Maki not only boasts of traditional Japanese sushi, but also sushi made with a Sri Lankan twist, explaining why it’s called a Japanese fusion restaurant. Their vegetarian options include the avocado and bell pepper roll and the aubergine and cream cheese roll, while non-vegetarians can opt for items like the salmon rolle, the crunchy chicken roll and the fiery volcano roll, amongst a wide variety of others. They also have two very interesting Lankan Fusion Makis; the pol sambol and cheese roll and the yellowfin tuna (colloquially known as “kelawalla” fish) and karapincha mayo. Kami Maki is a great option for a midnight (or even later) snack, because they stay open till 3:00 AM!
Price range: LKR 1050 upwards per person
Location: 58/A, Horton Place, Colombo 7
Opening hours: 11:00 AM to 3:00 AM
Contact number: 077 349 6349
Visit their website here, or check them out on Instagram here.
4. Ginza Hohsen by Galadari Hotel
Ginza is Galadari’s exclusively Japanese restaurant and features the usual varieties as well options less commonly found in Sri Lanka, like “oshinko maki” (pickled radishes), “nattou maki” (fermented soy beans), “mentaiko maki” (cod roe) and “unakyu maki” (eel and cucumber).
Price range: LKR 1500 upwards per person
Location: 64, Lotus Road, Colombo 1
Opening hours: 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM
For reservations, call 077 731 7321.
5. Zen Japanese
Located on the 2nd floor of the Zylan Luxury Villa, Zen Japanese boasts three dining areas; a breezy open-air terrace, a cosy poolside table for two that’s great for dates and indoor air-conditioned space. You can even book the entire restaurant for yourselves if you want to, making Zen a great place to host a party or private event.
Price range: LKR 1500 upwards per person
Location: 115, Rosmead Place, Colombo 7
Opening hours: 12 noon to 10:00 PM
Contact number: 0112 686 883
Check out their website for their full menu or visit their Instagram page here.
6. Sushi Bar Samurai by Rampe
One thing that makes Sushi Bar Samurai stand out from most other sushi-serving restaurants is the fact that they serve up 8 large pieces per full portion instead of the customary 6. You can also opt for a half portion of 4 pieces if you’re not as hungry, or simply if you want to order a greater variety of sushi at the same price!
Price range: LKR 980 upwards per person (full rolls).
Location: 226, Sri Jayawardenapura Mawatha, Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte
Opening hours: 11:30 AM to 3:00 PM and 6:00 PM to 10:30 PM
Contact number: 070 355 1551
To view their full menu, click here or find them on Instagram @thesushibarsamurai.
7. Yumi by Taj Samudra
Yumi, which offers a selection of the finest Sake (Japanese alcoholic beverage made of fermented rice that has been polished to remove the bran) to sip on while you enjoy your sushi, boasts the culinary expertise and creativity of a Master Chef. While serving up the usual sushi flavours, they also have an option that allows patrons to create their own sushi by mixing whichever ingredients they choose!
Price range: LKR 1950 upwards per person.
Location: Taj Samudra, 25, Galle Face Center Road, Colombo 11
Opening hours: 12 noon to 10:30 PM
For reservations, call 011 244 6622.
8. Cafe Japan
Cafe Japan offers sushi rolls in a choice of 6 pieces, 8 pieces or 10 pieces. Their sushi menu isn’t very expansive, but they do have a couple of interesting choices like egg sushi, which we haven’t noticed anywhere else and double salmon sushi, if you’re a real salmon enthusiast!
Price range: LKR 850 upwards per person.
Location: 25, Borella Cross road, Colombo 8
Opening hours: 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM and 6:00PM to 10:30 PM
Contact number: 077 726 3565
Find them on Facebook here.
9. Naniyori Japanese Restaurant
Naniyori, probably one of the oldest Japanese restos in town, is part of the chain that includes Steam Boat and Ace Pub. As a dine-in option, we’d recommend you go at night, because they have a pretty nice rooftop. Their sushi options come in servings of 8-12 pieces. One option that really stands out is the “uri maki”, which is made of crab and a rarely used ingredient when it comes to sushi; mango!
Price range: LKR 1320 per person.
Location: 14, Narahenpita Road, Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte
Opening hours: 11:00 AM to 11.00 PM
Contact number: 0112 806 806
You can look them up on Facebook here
10. Kuuraku
Kuuraka, located on Park Street Mews is a Japanese restaurant that serves all the usual sushi types. We’ve heard that the best option up for grabs is the spicy salmon roll.
Price range: LKR 980 upwards per person.
Location: 48/B, Park Street Mews
Contact number: 0112 306 377
Check out their Facebook page here or find them on Instagram @kuuraku_colombo.
Don’t let petrol shortages prevent you from enjoying your favourite sushi! All the places mentioned above, except Yumi by Taj Samudra and Cafe Japan are available on UberEats, while Salmon and Maki, Sushi Kai, Kami Maki, Ginza Hohsen, Zen Japanese, Naniyori and Kuuraku are all available on PickMe Food as well.
