A Good Sushi Restaurant in Joburg

This is a quick post to inform you of a good sushi restaurant in Johannesburg.

Having spent most of my life on the American east coast, where great sushi restaurants abound, I struggle to find decent sushi in Joburg. The fish is often bland and lacking in variety, there is too much mayonnaise, and the sushi rolls are uncreative. I suppose this should come as no surprise; Joburg is a land-locked city and there aren’t many Japanese people around. But similar to my quest for good Jozi Mexican food, my quest for good Jozi sushi is ongoing.

I have discovered a few exceptions to the bland Joburg sushi rule, and Hashi is one of them.

Hashi sushi roll
A Hashi sushi roll.

Hashi Fusion Japanese Cuisine, on 7th Street in Linden, is an actual Japanese restaurant, rather than an Asian restaurant that threw some sushi on the menu as an afterthought. They have all kinds of crazy sushi roll combinations that I haven’t seen anywhere else before, which is a sign of a good sushi restaurant in my opinion. The fish is fresh and the sushi is well crafted.

Hashi also serves sushi pizza.

Sushi pizza from Hashi
Sushi pizza!

Hashi sushi ball
I wish I could remember what this dish – a delicious ball of fish over a bed of seaweed – is called. We ordered it the first time I went to Hashi and it was
delicious. Then I tried to order it the next time but couldn’t figure out what it was on the menu. Hashi’s menu is huge and it takes some studying to make an informed order.

Sushi dinner at Hashi
Dinner at Hashi with my friend Nina. I love the zen manner in which Nina is gripping her chopsticks.

Hashi combo platter
A sushi platter ordered with friends. If you’re not South African, you might wonder what those sandwich-shaped things on the left side of the platter are. Those, my friends, are fashion sandwiches – a
sushi phenomenon that only occurs in South Africa, as far as I know. (Someone please correct me if I’m wrong on this.) Fashion sandwiches are exactly what they sound like: sushi sandwiches in which the filling is raw fish and the “bread” is sushi rice. I personally am not a huge fan of fashion sandwiches, as they usually have too much rice and mayo and not enough fish. The Hashi version isn’t bad though – still too much rice but at least the sandwiches aren’t drowning in mayo.

In addition to sushi, Hashi serves tempura and other types of Japanese cuisine. Hashi’s salads are particularly innovative. Hashi also has a nice atmosphere, efficient service, and a great location in Linden, which is becoming one of Joburg’s best foodie suburbs.

Hashi isn’t the only good sushi restaurant in Joburg. I also recommend The Blackanese in Maboneng, which serves an interesting Afro-Asian take on sushi, and Yamato in Illovo, which is definitely the most authentic Japanese restaurant in town. Koi is Rosebank is pretty good too, but it’s a bit too trendy and expensive for me.

Do you have more good Jozi sushi suggestions? Bring’em on.