Masu Sushi and Robata has three locations: Northeast Minneapolis, Mall of America, and Apple Valley. The restaurant was conceived in part by the owner of Sushi Avenue, a national purveyor of fresh fish — it sources its fish with an eye toward sustainability, following recommendations from the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program. Masu’s sushi menu is somewhat slimmer than other Twin Cities offerings, but its cocktail menu is extensive and grouped by pairings: light drinks for nigiri and sashimi, fruity for rolls and appetizers, and earthy for meat and noodle dishes.

Kado No Mise is one-fourth of an elegant Japanese dining experience at its North First Avenue location: Its sister components are Kaiseki Furukawa, which highlights Japanese cooking rooted in 16th-century tea ceremony traditions; Gori Gori Peku, a Japanese whiskey bar; and Sanjusan, which offers Japanese-Italian cuisine and serves intriguing cocktails. Kado No Mise, which translates to “corner restaurant,” serves Edomae sushi and simple Japanese dishes on three tasting menus of varying prices, from $60 to $145. The matsu menu features a 13-piece sushi plate.

Billy Sushi, a relative newcomer to the Twin Cities’ sushi scene, has a magnetic, larger-than-life presence in Minneapolis’s North Loop. Grab a seat at the long sushi bar (which is busy most evenings, fair warning) or make a reservation for a table in the 130-seat dining area. The restaurant runs a bit pricier than most spots on this list — specialty maki rolls land in the $19 to $35 range, and two pieces of nigiri run $6 to $18 — but it’s known for creative rolls made with fatty cuts of fish, generous hunks of sashimi, and flourishes like walu and unagi topped with a 24-karat gold sheet.

Origami is a Twin Cities sushi staple in the heart of Uptown, the winner of many reader’s choice awards in local magazines. It’s known for its comprehensive sake and Japanese whiskey list — try a pour of Hibiki Harmony or Tenjaku. For sushi, the restaurant has separate menus for sashimi and rolls: favorites are their hosomaki (thin rolls) and futomaki (fat rolls). Try the “black widow,” made with fried soft shell crab. Origami has a shaded patio that’s removed from the heavy traffic on Lagoon Avenue and Hennepin Avenue — an excellent respite for outdoor dining in the summer. (Or get takeout and walk to Bde Maka Ska’s 32nd avenue beach for a picnic.)

This sushi restaurant near the western shore of Bde Maka Ska has an extensive menu of two-piece nigiri, from classics like yellowtail and Big Eye tuna to smelt roe, quail egg, and sea urchin. Rolls are offered at affordable price points, mostly in the $5 to $10 range; Wakame also hosts a happy hour every day from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. — enjoy sake, beer, and house wine on their patio for under $5. If you’re not settled on a sushi-only dinner, the menu features Thai noodle and rice dishes among other entrees.

Kyatchi works to keep its menu sustainable: it partners with local suppliers like The Fish Guys, Larry Schulz Organic Farm, and Peterson Craft Meats. The restaurant serves sashimi, classic rolls, and platters, but is known for its oshizushi, or pressed sushi, made with layers of rice and fish like a cake. Try the battera oshizushi, with mackerel and clear kombu seaweed. Don’t skip the hot dogs, either — Kyatchi has won city magazine awards for both best sushi and best hot dogs.

Sister restaurant of Momo Sushi, Ama is one of the most exciting new restaurants to open in the Twin Cities in the past year. A Tibetan and Japanese fusion restaurant, its menu pairs savory beef and vegetarian momos with sushi and sashimi a la carte, plus chef’s specialty rolls. Try the Lungta roll, made with spicy salmon, tuna, yellowtail, avocado, and tobiko — its colors are an homage to Tibetan prayer flags. (Another unique favorite is the crazy monkey roll, made with fried banana and cream cheese.) Ama also sells a curated list of sakes at its Edina location on France Avenue.

Midori’s Floating World Cafe was extensively damaged during the social uprisings of 2020, but has since opened a new spot just a few blocks west on Lake Street. The sushi menu is simple — spicy salmon and vegan caterpillar rolls, hamachi and unagi nigiri — and accompanied by other Japanese dishes like kitsune udon, shoyu ramen, and soba salad. Save room for sweet, doughy daifuku: sweet red bean filling encased in a mochi shell. For now, Midori’s is takeout only.

Yumi is one of St. Paul’s best bets for sushi. Start with some fresh, delicate sashimi, like the fatty tuna or raw scallop. Yumi has all the classic specialty rolls, plus signature rolls with more unexpected combinations. The lollipop, for example, is wrapped with a chef’s choice of six types of fish, and the 2-14* roll features a dynamite mix wrapped in pink soy paper.

Sakura has been a part of the Twin Cities’ sushi scene for more than 30 years. Its sashimi menu is extensive — try the fatty salmon, surf clam, or wasabi flying fish egg — and its rolls cover all the classics (tempura, caterpillar rolls, unagi, and spicy crab) and also deviate beyond them, featuring ingredients like chicken tempura, mango sauce, and spicy lobster. Sakura is known for its sushi boats, too. The downtown location makes it the perfect spot for dinner before a show at the Ordway Center for Performing Arts.