Reviews for Izmi Sushi Bar in Santa Fe, NM

Very fresh ingredients, tad bit on the pricey end, slow service (lack of staff unfortunately), miso soup costs $3 as is white... rice being the cheapest while the Taos roll (baked lobster) was $18, but was very hospitable and friendly and not toobusy. Feels fairly authentic but nothing like Izanami up the road. I'd say it is above average for most places though it isaverage for most places in downtown Santa Fe. My friend noted that our Red Dragon roll was made differently the second time. I noticed it was made special the first time (different but better than from the menu), and was done normally the second time(following the menu). The fish is very fresh and everything tasted very professionally done. I especially enjoyed the unagi,as well as our sashimi and appetizers (chef's choice). Read more

Great service, the sushi and fish are fresh. My fiancé and I are extremely picky when it comes to sushi and this place... definitely delivered. The sashimi was so tasty and the classic rolls were well prepared. The tempura was served piping hot andso crunchy. We will definitely be going again. Read more

Sushi in the desert? Typically a no- but this place has legit fresh fish, inventive rolls and attentive, friendly staff. A great... way to add some variety in the southwestern-dominated cuisine (which is fantastic). Read more

Is this a local only spot? Who know and who cares- great service and the sushi was fantastic. Nice if you want a lighter dinner... after so much New Mexican cuisine. Highly recommend. Read more

Izmi is a totally solid and delicious sushi choice in the middle of Santa Fe. I had the Green Chili roll (yummy!) with seaweed... salad. (generous portion!) My husband had the sushi combo, which was also good. The service was efficient and great, despite asign saying they are short staffed right now. The restroom was a little dark, but clean and well stocked with essentials. Read more

Santa Fe continues to surprise me with its wide selection of cuisines. Sushi here was no worse than I've had anywhere else, and... better than some other places. I mean what can you expect from the middle of New Mexico? What I really liked is that they uselocal ingredients, i.e. Hatch Chiles. The Chiles were roasted and incorporated into a roll with shrimp tempura and spicy mayo,which I enjoyed. The most surprising was the quality of the okonomiyaki (pictures). For the uninitiated, this is a pancake likething made with cabbage, batter, sometimes some fish, and delicious toppings including Japanese mayo. This version was a bitmore fried and crispy than one might be used to, but was delicious nonetheless. Sushi is always a tad pricey, but here the costisn't too bad as I walked away full without having to break the bank. Read more

Hands down, the best sushi I?ve ever had. The torched salmon roll melts in your mouth. The salmon belly nigiri is the perfect... combination of rice and salmon. The rice used is impeccably done. I would expect this place to be in an ocean city like Tokyo orSydney. Absolutely recommend. Read more

When I visited Santa Fe for business, I was excited to try out some new food there. But, since I am not really a big fan of... Mexican-type food, I instead decided to try out some Japanese food. I know, going to Asian restaurant while in Santa Fe? I mightbe unusual, but at I know what I like. So, I wanted go to a restaurant that was Japanese owned and operated (which DOES exist inSanta Fe!), but it was closed on this day. Instead, I went to this place, Izmi, not owned/operated by Japanese, but came withhigh reviews. I sat at the sushi bar, as I was only going to order sushi items. The sushi chef who is also the owner of thisrestaurant was busy making sushi with his mother (?) I think. He didn't look up or greet me in any way...I heard he is onlyfriendly to regulars, and from what I witnessed, that might be true. I did not get any warm, welcoming vibe from him. But thestaffs and another customer sitting at the counter were all nice. I started off with some nigiri sushi, Salmon, Tuna, andIkura. They were a bit pricey, but common for tourists-heavy town. But, I am always willing to pay more for high quality food.I read a sign right outside that said ?More Fish, Less Rice? and that sign was so true to what I witnessed. It had really nice,thick slice of tuna on top of small amount of rice. The portion of raw fish against rice was amazing! I also ordered two rolls,Spicy Tuna and New Mexico. They were fat rolls, and that made it a bit difficult to eat. The portion is nice, but the flavor waslacking in some much needed "spicy" taste. At the end, I really enjoyed the regular sushi pieces, not so much the rolls. Thenigiri sushi pieces are awesome! I would recommend the nigiri for sure. High quality, and you will certainly get good, thickslices of sashimi on the rice. Oh, and they have this strict ?No Cell Phone? rule, which I thought was unusual. When I wastaking photos of the sushi with my phone, I was told of this rule too. But then, I was forgiven since I Read more