Oishii Boston

To my knowledge, no vegan sushi establishments exist, anywhere. (Yet. Think positive.) So when you are craving sushi and you want the best, I recommend Oishii Boston. Hailed as "the best sushi restaurant in America" on Citysearch and "a work of art" by Nina Simond of The New York Times, once you've experienced Oishii, you won't want to settle for your local mall sushi bar ever again. I've never needed a reservation, but you may want to check in advance who is working before you go. Ask for Solomon to be your server; he knows what's vegan. And if Bruce is there, he's the sushi chef who can create a few off-menu vegan masterpieces.

Dinner for omnivores at Oishii can easily run over $100 per person. But as vegans, dinner for two with many courses usually ends up between $50-$100, not counting drinks, yet another bonus for eating cruelty-free.

Don't mess around. If you're at Oishii, you should splurge and try the most expensive vegan item. It's not on the menu, but trust me, it's fan-fucking-tastic. Yet to be named, it's an inside-out roll filled with yam tempura (Oishii's tempura is vegan, no egg in the batter) and cucumber, topped with thinly sliced avocado, shaved truffles, and tonburi (also known as mountain or field caviar, tonburi are seeds from the Houkigi or Kochia scoparia plant, an Akita Prefecture specialty).

Whether you choose the rest of your meal yourself, or defer to Solomon (he won't disappoint), be aware that there will usually be additions to the menu that you haven't ordered. For instance, often a complimentary edamame mousse will be delivered by other staff. It contains egg, so if it arrives before your server returns, politely decline. Solomon has always watched out for us, aware of ingredient changes, such as when the lychee sorbet was altered to contain milk. Even when we don't order dessert, it is often brought to us and it's irresistible, so save a little extra room!

Oishii's a la carte sushi menu has an eclectic vegan selection. Forget your standard kappa maki (cucumber) and avocado rolls. Try the tonburi, kampyo (pickled gourd), kaiwali (radish sprouts), menegi (Japanese scallion shoots), yuba nigiri, inali (same as inari as far as I can tell, using abure age tofu), enoki or shiitake mushrooms, ume shiso, oshinko, natto, and kyuri (Japanese cucumber). Served with pickled ginger, wasabi, shoyu, and a pickled ume plum, the presentation at Oishii is always stunning. Another item I heartily recommend is the Japanese yam tempura maki. Don't over-order, but add more food as you go if need be. If you're sitting at the sushi bar, it's entertaining to watch the sushi chefs at work.

There is more than just sushi available for vegans at Oishii. The seaweed salad is delicate and delicious. Order the yuba soup (ask for it to be made vegan, without bonito broth). Definitely enjoy some melt-in-your-mouth eggplant with the nasu dengaku, served with cilantro sprouts. 

Still hungry? Besides the usual edamame, hand-made tofu, and noodle offerings, the tempura menu is extensive. Located on Washington Street with meter or valet parking, Oishii is closed on Mondays.