A prominent part of the local restaurant industry is the sushi scene. Arcata has four main sushi restaurants: Nori, Tomo’s, Sushi Tao, and Sushi Spot. We went to them all; this is what we think.
Nori
Walking into Nori you are greeted by a welcoming ambiance of blue and white walls lined with bottles of sake. The tables and seats match nicely with the setting. When seated, you can choose a table or a booth. Nori’s rolls were good, but there was nothing notable about them. The texture of the spicy salmon was nothing extraordinary.
Overall quality, taste: 8.4 / 10
Service/time: 9/10 (3 min)
Price of Salmon Nigiri: $7
Price of spicy tuna roll: $9
Tomo’s
Sitting down at Tomo you feel immersed in Japanese culture, the ceilings are high and the dining room is separated by shoji (the paper and bamboo walls) to give a small amount of privacy to the staff. The dining room only offered table seating with somewhat comfortable seats, which didn’t affect the opinions of many regulars about the place. The rice texture and flavor were nothing to write home about but the fish was buttery and had a mild fishy flavor which made it easier to overlook the mediocre rice. The spicy tuna roll on the other hand did not blow our socks off. The presentation was quite nice with a calendula flower set neatly on the dish. Overall Tomo had a pleasant atmosphere with decent sushi but their roots in the community go deeper than any other local sushi restaurant.
Overall Rating:
Service/time: 8/10 (10 min)
Overall quality and taste: 7.8 / 10
Price of Salmon Nigiri: $6.15
Price of spicy tuna roll:$10.90
Sushi Spot
Sushi Spot has created a dark ambiance with red walls paired with black furnishings. Towards the back, there are live fish tanks with an eel and various tropical fish. Seating is offered at both tables and booths. After getting our rolls, we immediately noticed an elegant presentation that was more prominent than in the other restaurants. The quality of the fish was exceptional, the salmon nigiri melted in my mouth and the spicy tuna roll had an intense amount of flavor which was not present in any of the other restaurants.
Service/time: 8/10 (10min)
Overall quality and taste: 9.7/10
Price of Salmon Nigiri: $6.50
Price of spicy tuna roll: $10.50
Sushi Tao
Sushi Tao is the most unique area on our list. The restaurant was the smallest but had a homey feel with it being a family-owned business. Traditional Japanese art covered the walls. The seating is all booths. The presentation was standard. The rice in the nigiri was immaculate with an extremely unique texture and flavor, unlike any other restaurant. The water was lackluster and served in plastic cups.
Service/time: 8.4 / 10 (5 min)
Overall quality and taste: 9 / 10
Price of Salmon Nigiri: $6.50
Price of spicy tuna roll: $7.50
After reviewing the 4 sushi restaurants in our quaint town we feel like it is time to come to a decision: what is the best overall sushi place in Arcata? At the end of the day it is up to you to choose what place suits you the best but in our humble opinion, Sushi Spot takes the crown. Although Nori had exceptional speed and service, Sushi Tao had perfect sushi rice and cheap rolls, and Tomo had an incredible dining room with loyal patrons who have been going for decades, Sushi Spots overall has the greatest culmination of quality, service, and delicious sushi.
