For the best sushi in Asheville, NC, Tom and I love Zen Sushi, Green Tea, and Murasaki. Outside of AVL, Umi is wonderful. Keep reading for more details about where to get poke, Asian tapas, specialty rolls, lunch specials, and soups with a few hidden gems across Western North Carolina. All photos are our own, of what we order and recommend as residents since 2019.
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It’s no secret that Asheville has the best restaurants for foodies. If you follow Uncorked Asheville on Facebook, you know that Tom and I dine out and order takeout for sushi more than any other cuisine. Trust me when I say we are salmon pros.
Along with our favorite sushi spots, be sure to peruse our comprehensive AVL food and beverage guides as well as our top Asian restaurants. 💙 Christine
Where We Go For The Best Sushi In Asheville
Where do Tom and I satiate our sushi cravings? You cannot go wrong with any of these places.
Zen Sushi (North Asheville) – Casual Local Favorite
As North AVL residents, Zen Sushi is our casual neighborhood spot for dine-in and takeout. Zen offers budget-friendly lunch specials with sushi rolls paired with salad and miso soup.
🥢 What We Like To Order At Zen Sushi
I like their sashimi selections with tuna, yellowtail, salmon, and whitefish served with a steaming bowl of rice. When extra hungry, I also cannot resist their vegetable or shrimp tempura Bento box. Tom is a big fan of Zen Sushi’s fried rice. Do you see Beau in our takeout photo? 🐱
🍣 Local Insider Tip: Zen marks its menu with vegetarian and gluten-free items, which is great for our part-Celiac household. Afterward, grab ice cream at The Hop or bubble tea at Pop.🧋
In this same plaza, we frequent Romeo’s for vegan burgers and milkshakes, Mother Ocean for a stellar lunch (fish tacos!), and newer Pho Real for delicious Pho and noodles. Most North Asheville restaurants have larger parking lots and are filled with locals. 🥢
Murasaki Asheville (South AVL/Arden) – Our Readers’ #1 Pick & Slightly “Elevated” Sushi Dining
Murasaki is by far our Uncorked followers’ favorite sushi restaurant in Asheville. It’s not hard to see why. The Sunset Roll is divine (I love mango). If you want to splurge, order a bottle of fancier sake. The Dassai 23 Junmai Daiginjo hits the spot.
🥢 What Makes Murasaki Stand Out
Situated in a pleasant shopping plaza off of Long Shoals in Arden (there’s a wine bar and shop that we love here, Vaso De Vino!), Murasaki is a sleek restaurant with trendy shiplap walls and plentiful table, bar, and booth seating. They promise a unique selection of Asian tapas, sushi lunch specials, specialty and traditional rolls, ramen, noodle dishes, and Bento boxes. It’s hard to choose.
Miyako House (Downtown Asheville) – Chill Spot After Boutique Shopping Downtown
Even though Miyako House is located downtown, it’s one of the more hidden restaurants on this list and another local favorite. Many people who work downtown grab lunch here.
🥢 Why I Recommend Miyako House
For an unassuming, chill restaurant, I appreciate Miyako House’s fun presentation and deliciousness. Select from sashimi, classic sushi rolls, Teriyaki, Hibachi, and Bento boxes. I think they stay a little quieter than jumping Wasabi, if you wish to avoid crowds, with better flavors.
Green Tea Sushi Japanese Restaurant (West Asheville) – Great For Families
From the owners of Mr. Tea at the Asheville Mall (I love those red booths and soup dumplings), West Asheville houses amazing restaurants like Green Tea. Families flock here after school sports.
🥢 Let’s Talk Menu
Green Tea boasts a large appetizer menu full of items like dumplings, popcorn shrimp, tofu, crab cakes, and garlic shrimp. Then, choose from popular specialty rolls, noodles, Teriyaki, Bento boxes, Asian fusion, and fried rice. We order takeout/delivery here, too, but prefer their on-site dining.
Maguro (Downtown Asheville) – Trendy & Newer Sister Of Murasaki
One of the newer Downtown restaurants, Maguro sits next to White Duck Taco and across from the famous Cúrate. They also own Murasaki. With a large space and menu – sit at the bar, booths, and tables – they make the best black garlic ramen I’ve had in Asheville.
🥢 Why Pick Maguro
With incredibly fresh sushi, head here if you love Asian tapas, stir-fries, sashimi, rice bowls, and more. Maguro shakes up fun cocktails, and I highly recommend going hungry. It’s hard to pick just a few things to eat here.
Eat At Maguro With Us In Downtown Asheville
🥟 Two of my favorite foods: sushi and ramen. Whether you go to their sister restaurant, Murasaki, or Maguro, you cannot go wrong with either of these delicious Asian restaurants. Both are just slightly more “elevated,” perfect for friend celebrations, date night, and a break from the bustle of downtown, with casual eats. 🍱
Yum Poke Spot (Downtown & South AVL) – Build-Your-Own Poke Bowls
While there are plenty of places to find poke in Asheville, our go-to is Yum Poke Spot – and more so for takeout. Build a bowl to eat onsite or to-go filled with proteins like tuna, shrimp, scallops, steak, crab, tofu, and salmon. They have loads of veggies and salad, along with white and brown rice options.
🥢 My Perfect Poke Bowl Order At Yum
My favorite mix-ins include carrots, mango, roe, cucumber, avocado, seaweed salad, fried garlic, and scallion with raw tuna and salmon on white rice. Tom and I tend to go overboard and add globs of ginger sauce. Don’t forget the sushi burritos and spring rolls.
Mr. Sushi (North & South Asheville) – A Surprisingly Delicious Spot
It’s a cheesy, fun name, but Mr. Sushi promises anything from edamame and sushi rolls to stir-fry and Hibachi grill items. Tom and I usually drop in for pick-up as it’s not the most atmospheric – we have eaten in at their North AVL location plenty of times – and order spring rolls, house salads, and a variety of traditional and specialty rolls. Mr. Sushi also offers combination sushi specials if you cannot decide.
The Madness Asheville (North & West AVL) – Sushi With Terrific Options For Non-Sushi Lovers In Your Party
The Madness is a great spot for sushi in Asheville if you have non-sushi and burger lovers with you. Order unique specialty rolls, classic sushi rolls, and beautiful appetizers that are served like pieces of affordable but fancy art – just like their cocktails.
🥢 A Bonus Madness Asheville Tip
When I can’t decide, I order a Bento box with a slider, edamame, and a California roll. I think their Smokey Park location has slightly better service.
Gem Sushi Restaurants Near Asheville We Love
I had to drop our two favorite sushi restaurants near Asheville, one of which we’ve been eating at before becoming North Carolina residents (Umi in Hendersonville!).
Soba Sushi & Noodles (Weaverville) – Great Lunch Specials In Asheville’s Neighboring Town
Weaverville is AVL’s northern mountain town filled with breweries, shopping, and parks. The Weaverville restaurants promise delicious food, budget-friendly prices, local vibes, and slightly less city congestion.
Soba Sushi is a great stop if you crave soups, ramen, noodles, and of course, sushi. Soba features a little bit of everything. I highly recommend ordering their hot tea – green tea or ginger. The ginger and honey tea is super sweet and chock full of fresh shredded ginger. Your tummy will thank you. This is a popular spot for lunch specials at a steal.
Umi Sushi (Hendersonville) – Best Sushi in Western North Carolina
Even before moving to Asheville, Tom and I ate at Umi Sushi, which was recommended to us by our Bed & Breakfast host while house hunting (thanks to Mike at the 1898 Waverly Inn). Along with Murasaki and Zen, this is my favorite sushi restaurant.
I love the selection of specialty rolls, freshness, and overall quality. While Umi has fried rice, sea bass, steak, salmon, and noodles, I’ve always gotten their sushi rolls because they are the best around. Like Asheville, Hendersonville is full of delicious restaurants.
Comprehensive List Of Sushi Restaurants in Asheville
For sushi, sashimi, poke, and more across the city, head to:
- Zen Sushi
- Green Tea Japanese Restaurant
- Miyako House
- Maguro
- Yum Poke Spot
- Heiwa Shokudo
- Wasabi Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar
- Asheville Sushi & Hibachi
- Mr. Sushi
- Pacific Pagoda
- Ukiah Japanese Smokehouse (sashimi!)
- Mizu
- Murasaki
- The Madness Asheville
- Mr. Tea Asian Bistro
- Red Ginger Dim Sum & Tapas
- Aloha Cafe (Downtown AVL)
- Huli Sue’s BBQ & Grill (usually a delicious poke bowl on the menu)
Before You Go, You Might Also Like:
We just love Asian cuisine. If you love these sushi restaurants, you might also be interested in Asheville’s terrific Thai food restaurants.