Best Sushi '95

Best Japanese

Sakura Teppan Steak & Sushi
6534 E. Tanque Verde Road

READERS' PICK: For reasons beyond our understanding, some time ago it was decided that living in the desert should not logically imply the absence of fresh seafood from far away shores. Against all odds, the charm of the sushi bar has infatuated a large, paying percentage of Pueblo diners. At Sakura, the delicate art of sushi and sashimi preparation combines with the dramatic flair of the Teppan-style grill to appease thrill-seeking diners of all temperaments. While the sushi is fresh and flavorful, the real focus of Sakura's low-lit single dining room is the Teppan grill. Each table is under the command of its own chef, who slices, dices and fries rice on a rectangular metal grill with "bar" seating on three sides. It's like a Vegas nightclub show, martial art and Ginsu knife commercial all combined into a singular eating experience. Do not be alarmed by flying food and flashing knives--these are trained professionals.

READERS' POLL RUNNER-UP: Japanese Kitchen, 8424 E. Old Spanish Trail.

STAFF PICK: Bunbuku, 4520 E. Broadway, has just about everything going for it: a cozy atmosphere, a wide range of Japanese dishes and prices to beat just about every other Japanese restaurant in town. The sushi chef, Jun, is clearly a man who loves his work, and his specialty dishes, such as the sinfully delicious "dynamite"--a concoction of crab, salmon roe and other delicacies--and "yummy roll," reflect his passion. The fish Jun uses tastes like it was caught at some far off North Pacific shoal on the same day it comes to your plate. Local Japanese people hang out here on Friday and Saturday nights to sing karaoke, and a few brave gaijin have even been known to try their hands at such hoary classics as "Brandy" and "MacArthur Park." Bunbuku is a real treasure in a town full of good eateries.

CAT'S MEOW: Twenty years ago, you'd have to look hard to find good sushi and sashimi beyond the original points of contact in California. Larger cities might support a good sushi chef, who knew his fish and could present the bits of seafood and rice with the requisite minimalist art. Now you can watch the cable food channel and make the stuff yourself. But if you'd rather not gamble on your fresh fish expertise, even Tucson has more than a dozen places serving sushi. At Sachiko Sushi, 1101 N. Wilmot Road, Korean dishes are secondary to eminent versions of Japanese sushi, tempura, soup dishes and kitchen-grill items. And while the rooms are by no means grand, the all-important emphasis on food arrangement and presentation are exemplary. Any dish here comes from the kitchen or sushi bar with fine attention to visual detail. Your lunch might begin with a more simple bowl of miso soup, followed with sushi and spicy tuna roll. They also serve beige, marbled albacore belly, a rare treat, and the minute orange globes of smelt eggs wrapped in crackling, emerald green seaweed, the roe bursting with subtle sea-taste on the tongue. Large bowls of udon provide a complete lunch, with perfect shrimp and strips of beef and vegetables floating amid curling noodles. Beautifully arranged platters of golden, thinly-coated tempura vegetables come along with grilled beef teriyaki nestled on a mound of white rice. You'll also find box lunches and several Korean grilled items.

1998 Winner: Sakura Teppan Steak & Sushi
1997 Winner: Sakura Teppan Steak & Sushi
1996 Winner: Sakura Teppan Steak & Sushi