Only open since late 2019, Umami Omakase is a fairly new addition to the Boston area’s high-end omakase scene, but the young spot has been wowing diners since day one. Uni alum Gary Lei is at the helm, and plenty of luxury ingredients come out to play, from wagyu to foie gras. As of publication time, Umami is currently offering only 18-course omakase meals for dine-in customers, no a la carte options. A la carte items are available for takeout, though, which must be preordered at least a day ahead of time.

Chef Youji Iwakura’s outstanding downtown Boston Japanese restaurant Kamakura has sadly closed, but his fans can still experience his sushi skills via pickup on certain days at Foundation Kitchen, a shared culinary workspace in Somerville. Keep an eye on the schedule and plan ahead for modern sushi and chirashi takeout boxes.

Open since 2011, Ebi Sushi is a neighborhood favorite in Somerville's Union Square, and it got a really snazzy remodel in 2021, making it a great spot for a date night. Order any of the day's specials, especially if there’s torched salmon belly. The owners are longtime alums of the now-defunct Blue Fin in Cambridge's Porter Exchange. As of late 2017, Ebi also has a Fenway sibling, Sushi Kappo, a counter-service spot that features sushi burritos.

Ask nearly any chef in town; many will say that Cafe Sushi — open for the better part of four decades — is the best not-so-hidden gem around. In pre-COVID times, the reason to go was the epic omakase, a seemingly endless parade of dishes that alternated between traditional and unusual. Indoor dining is still on hold as of the November 2021 update to this map, so put the omakase on your bucket list but try Cafe Sushi’s takeout and delivery for now; there are a variety of chef’s choice samplers, bento boxes, maki, and more available.

It takes some guts to open a sushi restaurant right down the street from a veteran such as Cafe Sushi (see above), but Sakana has found its own niche with a bit more of a casual feel. Delve into the special rolls, such as the Black Forest (tuna, asparagus, jalapeno, cucumber, bacon bits, truffle, micro greens, truffle oil, and soy glaze), and don’t miss the sake toro — seared salmon belly — which comes as sushi or sashimi.

It's not just the former name (Thelonious Monkfish) that includes a music reference: Prepare to eat Mood Indigo maki, Gaga's Monster rolls, and Monk's Dream rolls. Plus, there’s live jazz on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Aside from sushi, the Mad Monkfish menu also offers a huge variety of Asian fusion cuisine.

At Ruka — one of the most attractive spaces in Downtown Crossing — it’s all about Nikkei cuisine, the intersection between Peruvian and Japanese food. On the sushi side of the equation, that means rolls made with avocado, aji amarillo mayo, and crispy rock shrimp, for example, or yellowfin tuna with cucumber and puffed quinoa.

Over a decade old, this Allston staple, a tiny space helmed by a couple of Oishii alums, is always a crowd-pleaser, featuring lovely dishes that push the bounds of tradition (as well as some more classic options). There are some hot dishes from the kitchen, too, for those in the mood for something other than sushi.

Fish Market doesn’t hold the monopoly on Allston sushi: Oppa, right on bustling Harvard Avenue, is another neighborhood favorite. It debuted in mid-2014 and serves a giant menu of sushi — including plenty of combos and boats — as well as Korean food, including bibimbap and lots more. Keep an eye out for specials.

The focus at this calming basement hideaway is kaisen don, rice bowls topped with sashimi, but Tora’s love of raw seafood and rice extends to poke bowls, sushi, and sashimi as well. Sushi lovers can’t go wrong with any of the options. (More of a ramen fan? Check out the sibling spot Tora Ramen on Harrison Avenue.)

Truffles and caviar. Wagyu and quail eggs. At Uni, which expanded into its big sibling Clio's space in early 2016, Ken Oringer and Tony Messina offer beautiful sushi made with luxurious ingredients (and a big price tag to match). This one’s a worthy special-occasion splurge — or any night you’re feeling a little fancy.

Fancy London-based chain Zuma arrived in Boston in mid-2019, joining locations from Miami to Bangkok. The pricey restaurant’s Boston location was hotly anticipated, especially by travelers who had already experienced other locations, and it’s been living up to expectations in its first couple of years, wowing customers with dishes like sea bass sashimi with yuzu, truffle, and salmon roe; torched salmon nigiri; and wagyu beef sushi with daikon and black truffle.

Tucked away inside of tropical cocktail paradise Shore Leave, No Relation is an intimate omakase-only venue; the 14-course menu, priced at $150 per person, is always changing. (That price doesn’t include tax and a house admin fee, but no gratuity is required. Reservations are prepaid.) Looking for something a little more casual and less expensive? A la carte nigiri and rolls are available at Shore Leave.

This swanky addition to the JP Fuji Group is located at the Ink Block development in the South End, where it offers up attractively plated sushi, including four- to six-piece composed sets of "finer maki" (such as toro with caviar and gold flakes). There are also a variety of other combinations and sushi boats available, as well as a la carte ordering. Look for Fuji’s sister spots in Quincy, Cambridge, and Somerville — and eventually in downtown Boston’s forthcoming food hall, High Street Place.

Its tiny older sibling in Chestnut Hill closed in late 2018 after 20 years of accolades, saddening a loyal fan base, but the larger and flashier South End location of Oishii is still going strong, full of sushi, foie gras, and things on fire.

With ties to other nearby hot spots Loco and Lincoln, Fat Baby is a fun, noisy spot for non-traditional sushi (not to mention dishes influenced by the cuisines of several Asian countries, from spicy miso ramen to kung pao Brussels sprouts). Sushi rolls include the “so beefy” (short rib, spicy queso fresco), the “It’s Always Sunny” (smoked salmon, cream cheese, cucumber, salsa verde), and more.

With locations in Brookline and Malden, this Japanese restaurant duo offers plenty of booze-friendly, snack-y fare (in true izakaya fashion), particularly kushiyaki, skewered and grilled meats and more, but there’s also an extensive selection of sushi. Make room for both.

Open since mid-2017, Chiharu is owned by Mei Pan, owner of Allston’s now-defunct May’s Cafe, and Qun Li, an alum of Haru and Mix-It. At Chiharu, the duo is serving up plenty of sushi alongside ramen and more, all the while maintaining stellar ratings across all corners of the internet for the restaurant’s first few years in business. Chiharu is the ideal solution when one part of the group is in the mood for sushi and others are looking for noodle-filled soups.

A pre-2000 old-timer, JP Seafood Cafe has been pleasing throngs of Jamaica Plain fish lovers for over 20 years. Filled with aquariums and artwork, JP Seafood Cafe offers a large range of sushi, both traditional and a little outside the box, as well as Korean and Japanese snacks and entrees from the kitchen. The team more recently opened a diner, Evergreen Eatery, elsewhere in JP.