Claiming to serve “the freshest and finest sushi and Japanese cuisine,” Hiro’s Sushi and Japanese Restaurant has been voted “Best of Flagstaff” by readers of the Arizona Daily Sun ever since opening in 2003.
Owner, chef and namesake Hiro Hashimoto saw a niche in the Flagstaff market and decided to fill it with authentic Japanese cuisine. The largest Japanese restaurant in Flagstaff, Hiro’s boasts an extensive menu with numerous options for everyone from sushi newbies to vegetarians to connoisseurs of the cuisine.
The dining room is casual and cozy, with a touch of class. Traditional Japanese art decorates the room. A wall-to-wall sushi bar occupies the south side, where patrons can order a drink and see their meals being prepared as they watch the slicing and dicing finesse of the chefs. Dark lighting permeates the restaurant, which lends to the relaxed atmosphere. The noise level is moderate, and the televisions mounted around the room are neither loud nor obnoxious.
Prices range from reasonable to extreme ($3 for edamame and calamari rings to $27 for sushi kaiseki). However, remember that this is seafood in the middle of a land-locked state, so be prepared to pay more for top-of-the line items.
I ordered a bento box, which came with a spicy salmon roll, salad, miso soup and a choice of two additional items (I got chicken teriyaki and shrimp tempura.) The bento boxes are definitely the best value on the menu because you get an abundance of food for between $10.95 and $14.95, depending on your selection. I even was able to take home six pieces of sushi and my chicken teriyaki for lunch the next day, although I do tend to be somewhat of a light eater.
Normally, I would prefer to eat my own mucus than to sip miso soup. However, my adventurous side took the wheel and I tried some anyway. It was excellent; a delicious blend of salty broth, seaweed and tofu. The shrimp tempura was probably the most excellent shrimp concoction I have ever eaten. The batter was crisp, the portions were large and the shrimp were plump and juicy. I am by no means a sushi expert, but my spicy salmon rolls were the best sushi I have ever had.
Often, sushi ends up being a sticky mess of rice and days-old fish. Not at Hiro’s. All five of my dining-mates were quite satisfied with their meals. After sampling a bit of each other’s dinners (a perk of being the critic!) I was solidly satisfied with the food at Hiro’s. The California rolls (a great dish for first-time sushi eaters) are definitely the best in Flagstaff.
Despite the food’s excellent quality, there are a few caveats. The front-of-house service was extremely subpar. There were times when I did not see our waitress for over fifteen minutes. I understand that Saturday nights are busy times for restaurants, but it does detract from the experience. Also, Hiro’s has a long list of dining “rules,” including a $2 fee for patrons not eating and split plates and an automatic addition of 18 percent gratuity for parties of five or more, which we did not realize, so we ended up double-tipping; which the service definitely did not warrant.
Bottom line: Great sushi, brought down quite a bit by substandard service. 3 stars out of 5 stars.
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