Thanks to a last minute decision, we had the great experience of dining at Harumi Sushi and Sake in downtown Phoenix. Our original dinner plan included reservations for Mexican cuisine—then we heard rave reviews about Harumi at the hotel desk. A quick glance at some glowing online reviews (and having had a delicious Mexican-inspired meal just a few nights before), we were sold. We’re so glad we took the chance!
Harumi is a gem in the downtown area near Chase Field, home of the Diamondbacks, and Footprint Center, home to the Suns. It was short walk from our hotel, the Kimpton Hotel Palomar. Frankly, the whole area felt rather empty during our stay (almost strangely so) other than the night of a basketball game. But plenty of folks—couples, groups of friends, families—certainly sought out Harumi and descended on it in big numbers on Thursday night!
Here’s a few snapshots of the very yummy, very creative menu:
Bottom line—this is a very popular, very busy place. They don’t take reservations but instead offer an online Waitlist to speed up the process of grabbing a table. Use it—you’ll need it!
Once seated, service is immediate and dishes are brought out swiftly. This is a well-oiled machine, with a roving roster of servers circulating and attending to you constantly—and while the experience works like clockwork, nothing about the quality of the food suffers. The dishes were fresh, delicious, inventive, and beautifully presented. Hardly assembly-line stuff!
We started with the assorted sashimi plate to share (featured at the top of the page). Check out the vibant colours—this was gorgeous, fresh fish! We then moved on to the Harumi Roll, starring blue fin tuna and delectable aioli and eel sauces.
We also shared the Spicy Bluefin Tuna Roll (above)—yes, I suppose we had sort of tuna theme that night, but each roll was quite distinct in terms of flavour, texture, and presentation.
Everything was so delicious, we couldn’t help but say yes when asked if we wanted anything else. So we added the Oasis Roll to our meal. We found it a bit too heavy on the cucumber in which it was rolled, but to be fair we were probably much too full by this point to really appreciate it. Sashimi and two (generous) rolls would have been plenty for two… (next time!).
Compared to some sushi experiences, we found Harumi Sushi and Sake dishes to be more fish-forward and less heavy on the rice which we very much appreciated. The unique sauces and the marvellously textured and lovely purple rice made the meal memorable, even artistic.
Expect to find Harumi Sushi and Sake absolutely hopping with guests, making the dining room quite loud. We also found it very dark, to the point that it was hard to read the menu (thank goodness for phone flashlights). Nonetheless, no complaints at all—if anything we’ve marked it as a destination to visit again when we’re in the area.
Harumi Sushi and Sake is located at 101 North 1st Avenue, Phoenix, AZ. To find out more, (or to get on the Waitlist for dinner tonight!) visit www.harumisushiaz.com
