When living in an area that offers such a wide variety of restaurants for sushi, it can be so overwhelming to find the perfect restaurant that fits one’s exact desires. As a sushi “fanatic” who constantly goes through the effort of finding a sushi restaurant that is completely up to my standards, I decided it was time to see what really makes some of South Jersey’s top sushi restaurants truly unique.
When considering factors like the quality of the fish, food appearance, menu options, restaurant ambiance, and service, I was able to come to the conclusion that my top five sushi restaurants are Akira, Megu Sushi & Hibachi, Mr. Sushi, Oki Maki, and OSushi. However, to truly understand what makes all of these sushi restaurants so exceptional, a further breakdown is necessary.

OSushi
Elegance and flavor come together to form outstanding sushi rolls at OSushi. The small restaurant has worked up an innovative menu to provide customers with creative twists on the average sushi roll. OSushi has a very modern atmosphere, and the dining experience is very comfortable and pleasing. I immediately noticed that half the menu was made up of distinctive and eye-catching rolls. It was obvious that the restaurant specializes in their signature rolls. I ordered the salmon pizza, the Tobiko Trio roll (tuna, salmon, yellowtail and scallion rolled inside with tri-color tobiko on top), the Atlantic City roll (tuna, salmon, yellowtail

and scallion rolled inside, topped with tuna and wasabi tobiko glazed in honey wasabi mayo), and the Tiger roll (spicy tuna and cucumber rolled inside topped with shrimp and avocado in Japanese mayo and eel sauce). Everything was artfully presented – and tasted even better. Although pricey, the quality and presentation of the sushi makes it completely worth the cost. The freshness of the fish was obvious at first bite, and it was an overall outstanding meal. Compared to other classic sushi restaurants, OSushi is definitely at the top.
Address: NJ-73 #143, Marlton, NJ 08053

Megu Sushi & Hibachi
With few distinguishing factors present at Megu Sushi & Hibachi, it can be hard to grasp what makes this restaurant such a staple of Japanese cuisine in South Jersey. Yet there’s something about the atmosphere of Megu that makes me, and others, continue to

come back for more. The restaurant has two main rooms – a sushi area and a hibachi area – however, both sushi and hibachi are offered in each part of the restaurant. Megu offers an expansive menu with traditional Japanese appetizers and sushi rolls, all of which can generally be found at other typical sushi restaurants. The staff at the restaurant were attentive, and the service was quick, which made the dining experience all the more enjoyable. From the vast menu, I ordered miso soup, a salmon avocado roll, a spicy tuna roll, and the “tiger roll,” which is a special roll made with tuna, salmon, yellowtail, avocado, cucumber, fish roe and is wrapped with white seaweed. The fish was incredibly fresh, and the perfect amount of food was provided for what I paid. Although there was nothing that truly stood out about Megu, there was also nothing to dwell on. The sushi was up to my standards, and the restaurant itself was pleasant. It was all I could have asked for.
Address: 1990 Marlton Pike East #18, Cherry Hill, NJ 08003

Mr. Sushi
When it comes to “all-you-can-eat” sushi, one can generally expect quantity over quality.

However, Mr. Sushi completely exceeded my expectations with the quality of their food. The restaurant has a rather traditional look to it and has a very energetic ambience. To fit the atmosphere of the dining experience, the service is very efficient in collecting orders intermittently and bringing out food as soon as it is prepared from the sushi bar. In lieu of a traditional menu, Mr. Sushi provides each table with two sheets of paper; one for cooked food options like hibachi, dumplings, and tempura, and the other has fish options from the sushi bar. I ordered an assortment of fish ranging from sashimi (pieces of raw fish), nigiri (pieces of fish over rice), and maki sushi (fish and rice rolled up and wrapped in seaweed). From every piece of salmon to every piece of tuna, everything I ordered absolutely surpassed my standards for an all-you-can-eat restaurant, and the quality of the food can equally compare to that of a more classic sushi restaurant like Megu or Akira. Although the menu was not super expansive or unique, the food was absolutely delicious and was extremely well-priced.
Address: 2117 Marlton Pike W, Cherry Hill, NJ 08002

Akira
Offering quality sushi at reasonable prices, Akira definitely deserves a spot on this list. Located in Eagle Plaza in Voorhees, Akira serves both sushi and hibachi in a traditional Japanese style. Although the restaurant is usually crowded, and I find there is almost always a wait to get in, the food is completely worth it. The staff are friendly and are quick to make themselves available to customers. The menu is well curated to customary styles of sushi. On my most recent visit, I ordered a salmon avocado roll, a California roll, the “rainbow roll,” consisting of tuna, salmon, yellowtail, and avocado topped with kani and cucumber, plus an order of two pieces of salmon sushi – a perfectly sliced piece of fish over rice. The meal was quickly served, and everything I ordered was elegantly presented. Although the rice-to-fish ratio was a bit off, this did not take away from how fresh and tasty the sushi was. I can confidently say I had a very enjoyable dining experience at Akira, and the sushi was absolutely delicious.
Address: 700 Haddonfield-Berlin Rd, Voorhees, NJ 08043 located

Oki Maki
As opposed to the traditional menus of the other restaurants I reviewed, Oki Maki offers a very contemporary twist on Japanese cuisine: sushi burritos. The fast-service restaurant, located at The Ritz Center, offers customers the choice to build a sushi burrito,

bowl, or seawood cone out of a wide selection of ingredients one may find in their average sushi roll. Along with the sushi options, Oki Maki offers create your own ramen bowls as well as Japanese street food items like bao buns and shumai. When I went to the restaurant, I chose the standard option of the “don” bowl, a sushi bowl with rice, salmon, tuna, avocado, cucumber, edamame, and spicy mayo sauce. The quick-service style made ordering efficient, and the staff worked in an “assembly line” style in order to best serve customers. My don bowl was essentially like a deconstructed, jumbo-sized, sushi roll… and it tasted absolutely amazing. My experience at Oki Maki was effortless and certainly tasty, and the restaurant offers a delicious and modern take on sushi.
Address: 910 Haddonfield-Berlin Rd, Suite #7, Voorhees, NJ 08043

South Jersey truly offers its fair share of amazing sushi restaurants. The top five that I selected each have something special and delicious to offer. After considering various factors, my ranking, from most to least favorite is: OSushi, Akira, Oki Maki, Mr. Sushi, and finally Megu. Each of these restaurants serves up their own variations of sushi, and I completely recommend all of them.