4. Restaurants

Shimogamo

2051 W Warner Rd,Ste 14, Chandler, AZ, 85224
  • (480) 899-7191
  • Store is closed

Shimogamo Menu

  • Bowl & Noodle
  • Curry

Healthy Meal suggestions for Shimogamo

  • Bowl & Noodle
  • Curry

Visit below restaurant in Chandler for healthy meals suggestion.

Subway ( 1900 W Chandler Blvd )

Visit below restaurant in Chandler for healthy meals suggestion.

Subway ( 1900 W Chandler Blvd )

  • Scott S.

    I have to say that I am impressed with the Sushi/Sashimi/Rolls. That is not why I'm giving them 2 stars. My wife and I dined there a few times and the sushi was fresh and the service was good. I am, however, very annoyed at the fact that they advertise takeout and I have called on two occasions and was denied my order. The first time was last summer and they said that it was too hot outside. Really?!?!? I called tonight and they said that they were too busy. I strongly suggest that the restaurant inform their customers of the possibility that they will refuse to take an order.

    (2)

  • Candace R.

    4 for atmosphere, 3 for food and service I found this place on Yelp for dinner last night and my friend and I hung out in our care a few minutes before they opened at 5pm. We were quickly seated and we took a look at the HH menu and figured out what we wanted. We shared an order of the shrimp tempura, and I had a California roll and spicy tuna roll and my friend had a Vegas roll and rainbow roll. Our server was very nice, but the time between his stops at our table and how the food came out was really long. It took probably 10 minutes for our appetizer to come out, and then from the first sushi roll coming out, it probably took another 10 minutes to get all 4 of our rolls on the table. They weren't overly busy, but it looked like food was coming out to different tables at different times which seemed strange. My rolls were okay - nothing mind blowing. While I waited a lot, I was fascinated by a little private room they have in the back which was super cute and chic. The restaurant has a very NY vibe to it. I'll probably return

    (3)

  • richard o.

    I've eaten here about twenty times and I can't believe I haven't reviewed it yet. It is one of my favorite restaurants in the valley and top three for Japanese (Shinbay, here, Hana, maybe Roka) The drink prices are great and even better at happy hour. The sushi is great but so are the reasonably prices kitchen items. If you aren't a piggy like me you can eat here very reasonably. We love the owner, Yoshi. Try the boars specials, always great!!

    (5)

  • Corie W.

    Yummy...Found so great sushi in Chandler.... We will definitely come again. BIG AND SPICY ROLL...

    (5)

  • Angeline T.

    We went during happy hour. Got the crazy, las vegas, spicy yellowtail, california roll, assorted tempura and tempera ice cream for dessert all for $40. All the rolls were delish, but relatively small compared to other sushi places. Tempura was more on the greasy side, but had a good variety (shrimp, carrots, green chili, onion, green bean and eggplant). Tempura ice cream was great. They give you 1 green tea and 1 vanilla covered with a lightly pound cake and tempura batter. Only reason why I gave it a 4 star is the size of the rolls, other than that great tasting sushi!

    (4)

  • Joshua W.

    The last thing you're expecting to hear when you walk into this traditional Japanese restaurant is Dr Dre but I continue to be amazed by this place. Flawless!

    (5)

  • G J.

    Totally blown away by the sushi and sashimi. Had yellowtail sashimi and was presented generously sized pieces. Very fresh and served at the perfect temp. Then ordered Escolar, tuna and Spanish mackerel sushi. They did not have toro but hopefully they'll have it on the next trip. We tried a few of the rolls - names I cannot remember - and they were delicate and delicious. The rolls were not tricked up and over sauced like the rolls you find at Ra or most other sushi bars that have adapted to American tastes.

    (5)

  • ChristyAnna Z.

    I'm not a local, so I chose this place based on the other reviews. I was really pleased with the sushi. I also had the fried calamari and it was really good. I would definitely go here again if I was in the area. It's a pretty small place so I was happy that I made a reservation. When we arrived, our table was waiting for us. The service was great.

    (4)

  • Cynthia S.

    Very disappointed there was no sushi. Food was meh. We got ignored most of the night. Oriental people came in 40 mins after us and got served before us.

    (1)

  • Mike S.

    Excellent service, very quaint atmosphere and the sushi is very fresh. The miso soup and miso salad were great, not to mention great sashimi and house rolls. This place is a hidden gem.

    (4)

  • Scott P.

    First off, get yourselves ready for some vulgarity. I have a LOT of great things to say about this restaurant, and absolutely zero tolerance for some of the douchepickles who have written reviews about it. That's right: you're all a bunch of wanna-be foodies who need to keep your boojie ( urbandictionary.com/defi… ) asses glued to the bars at Ra and Blue Wasabi. You don't deserve to eat at a place like this and no one wants to hear your opinions. I absolutely love this place. I've been looking for this place for YEARS, and it just so happens to be in my backward. I've tried a BUNCH of sushi/Japan restaurants in the area, and I've always walked away disappointed. They're perfect for you types who love to tell your friends how edgy you are because you 'LUV SUSHI OMG LOL!" but have never tried melt-in-your-mouth toro, explosive ikura, or FRESH scallops. Your expertise lies in the fields of California rolls, spicy tuna, and cream-cheese. I don't frequent these places because they don't have what I want (the aforementioned toro, ikura, and uni), and I'd been searching for a place where I could get my fix. Came here with my girlfriend tonight and was a little wary... but hopeful. Saddled up to the sushi bar and looked over the menu. I should preface this review by mentioning how I even found this place: I searched for 'uni' near Gilbert, and this was one of the first places that came up. I was fiending for some uni, and nothing less than perfection would do. So here we were, walking into a new sushi place, with high hopes that were just begging to be dashed upon the shores of disappointment beach. Hesitantly, I asked the itamae about the availability of uni. He just smiled and said: "Oh yeah, we have it tonight!". Furrowing my brow, I imagined that he must simply be toying with my emotions. Casting an apprehensive eye back to the menu, I noticed that they had 'toro' listed. An inquiry as to it's availability was met with a big smile and a reply of "Yes, we have toro, and it's great!". A similar reply came when I asked about ikura. And so, we checked off a few boxes, ordered some carpaccio, and watched the man go to work. The first few morsels appeared: sake, hamachi sashimi, and escolar. Now I'm not hugely familiar with escolar, and was wondering what was going on when my dude took a blowtorch to it. He was more than happy to explain: escolar is a really fatty fish so we hit it with a bit of heat and throw one of our in-house roasted jalapeno slices on top. Now, I'm pretty puritanical when it comes to my sushi... but I have to say, this shit was RIGHT. The escolar was immaculate, and no less pleasing was the sashimi and salmon. Narrowing my eyes, I nodded thoughtfully as hope began to build within my weary soul. Our rolls were delivered, and were promptly consumed: the shimogama roll was nicely presented with a great texture of crunch and mayo, but it was the salmon skin roll that really twisted my titty hairs. It was PERFECTLY crisped, with a delightful flavor that is HARD to find in salmon skin rolls (read my others sushi reviews- salmon skin rolls is one of my go-to items that I use to judge a prospective place). In short, the salmon skin roll was fucking mind-blowing. No sooner had we polished those rolls off then our next plate came: toro and uni. I'm not going to lie to you... I was praying with every ounce of my soul for these pieces of sushi to suck sleepy ass so that I could continue my search and keep yearning for perfection... but then I'd be lying. I would be blatantly lying to your face, dear reader, if I told you right here and right now that it was anything less than spectacularific. The toro *LITERALLY* melted in my mouth- a few chews, a few swishes, and the meat had dissolved into a fatty delicious vapor which danced tantalizingly along my tongue. The uni was no less skeet-inducing. The good itamae showed us the package that it had come in, and was all-too-pleased to inform us that: "This box was shipped in today. It was probably picked out of the urchins earlier today. We have people who come in and buy entire boxes of this... I don't know how they afford it, but they do- they call in advance and order a whole box of this." After tasting it, I know that the man is worth every grain of rice in his nigiri. As I mentioned earlier, I was CRAVING uni, and Shimogamo knocked it out of the park. It was exactly what I was looking for. Then came my ikura (with a quail egg floating happily inside), and I ate it. I ate the shit out of that gunkan-maki, and I wanted to tap my girlfriend on the other side of her shoulder and steal the other out of her hand when she turned around. Because I'm devious like that and I care only for my own happiness. Yeah I said it. Well shit. I'm out of space. Come eat at Shimogamo. Now.

    (5)

  • Carl C.

    Went to Shimogamo tonight, absolutely amazing fish! Some of the best fish in AZ. Michael, one of the sushi chefs showed me amazing technique and skill. Along with knowledge and precision. Honestly, it was one of the best sushi experiences I have had. If you aren't a big fan of over sauced sushi rolls and just appreciate the quality of fish and expertise of how it is treated, Shimogamo is where to go.

    (5)

  • Gehan K.

    A Great secret place tucked away in a strip mall. You should go and discover for yourself.

    (5)

  • Mike M.

    Who knew the desert can host quality fish. Really great food with reasonable pricing. Japanese owned and ran Japanese restaurant.

    (5)

  • Nicole G.

    Don't go here! Because once you do...the bar will be raised, and you will forever need/crave/save up for this place. Yes, it's a bit pricey - But you're eating RAW FISH. It's worth it. The Salmon Sashimi was lovely : ) Big Fan of the YellowTail. I also, had the Beef Carpaccio (I know, I know), which was to die for...and I am a sushi snob. The fish is super fresh, the owners were attentive. Any comments about the owner being a snob might be true...but I honestly liked the guy. It's his place, and he knows what he's talking about. Basically, he's allowed to be a snob. Just go - You'll love it and you'll agree with all the other 5 star reviews. Now, if you need someone to hold your hand, and artificially smile at you while you slam your sake bombers and eat your deep friend Las Vegas rolls - This might not be the place for you. Go back to Mill.

    (5)

  • Josh B.

    Shimogomo is our new sushi place. Best in the east valley by far. Enjoyed a great happy hour menu. Every roll we ordered was fresh and tasted excellent. We will be back here every pay day now.

    (5)

  • Jasmine C.

    Went for my son's 15th birthday to enjoy lunch. Sushi is his favorite. This place is small and you have to go into the restaurant next door for the restroom. The menu is fairly limited and expensive, in my opinion. The service was average and the food was just okay. I don't think we would bother to go back.

    (2)

  • Julie M.

    I'm changing my rating. We have returned to this place several times. And the sushi is top notch for az. This is now our go to place for sushi in the east valley.

    (5)

  • J J.

    Great family restaurant, with excellent Sushi. Love the small quaint atmosphere and the personal service. The Oyster/Uni shooters are awesome. Go here and you will not be disappointed. I've had almost everything on the menu and it is great. Shimogamo roll, tempera shrimp, salmon roll, tuna roll, live scallop hand roll...well..,you get the point. Delish!

    (5)

  • Elissha D.

    Very cute place on the inside and the sushi was good but not as interesting as we hoped as far as choices, ingredients, etc. Still like Sakana better but it's far from home. Still looking for awesome, interesting, amazing sushi near south Chandler.

    (3)

  • Jeremy P.

    The sushi quest continues. And we decided to check out one of the more promising places in the East Valley. So we rolled into Shimogamo, a small place next to C-Fu Gourmet and across the street from Lee Lee Market. With neighbors this Asian, they have to be legit, right? The first thing I noticed was a nice list of fish and roll options, but a limited set of specials. That's fine, maybe we can see if there's anything they're not telling us about... Or ask the chef to make us something interesting. We started with the beef carpaccio. Carpaccio is typically thinly sliced meat, served raw with some marinade, scallions, and other garnishes. This one was supposed to be seared, but it came out medium. It was pretty good, but could have been much better if it were actually served rare. Next, we had something we asked the chef to surprise us with. Disappointingly, the chef didn't come over and tell us what he made, and the waitress didn't seem to know. But it involved a tempura-fried whitefish on a bed of Japanese veggies and a tough of tobiko. It was good, but we were definitely hoping for something a little more interesting. Probably the least memorable surprise we've had from a sushi chef yet. Next, we had albacore and escolar sushi. They were both good, and came garnished, so I didn't add any soy sauce to those... And they were conveniently on the happy hour menu. Bonus! We had a spider roll afterwards, and while I'm not usually a fan of rolls, I always like a good soft-shelled crab. This one was better than some of the others I've had, on account of the fact that it also had avocado. The waitress then brought us our shrimp sashimi (with the fried shrimp heads - make sure you ask for that if you order the fresh shrimp!). These shrimp were huge, and fresh. Plus, as an added bonus, the heads came stuffed to the brim with "goodies." I'm not exactly sure what the goodies are, but they have a distinct flavor, and I suspect it is a mix of central nervous system and the free-form liver/pancreatic capabilities that most crustaceans are endowed with. We had the tuna poke, which seems to be Shimogamo's signature dish. It tastes great, but it is quite basic. Basically just tuna and avocado topped with a lightly fried quail egg. This is one of those times when "less is more" is true. After this, we had another item on the specials board, the orange yellowtail. This is yellowtail sashimi marinaded with citrus flavor, served with sliced avocado and a touch of sriracha. This was actually pretty delicious. Finally, we finished with salmon roe and scallop nigiri, and quail eggs. The salmon roe was some of the best I've had in awhile (they didn't have that fishy flavor that you sometimes get at a place with limited quality control). Unfortunately, a few of the things we wanted to order were not available. They didn't have any uni, baby yellowtail, or toro, which was really quite a bummer. The owner explained to us that the market price is simply too high right now for him to be able to avoid throwing a bunch out, so I appreciate his willingness to only serve what he can guarantee to be fresh. Some of this is the fault of their clientele, who from what I could tell, is very caucasian, and might not be interested in paying top dollar for a great cut of fish. My final verdict on Shimogamo is that it's good, but a clear step below the best sushi places I've been to. Everything was fresh, and the dishes were well-executed. Furthermore, the prices were reasonable. All of these make it a very respectable location, and potentially the best in the East Valley (we'll have to try the competition, of course). Where they fall short is in two areas: first, the menu (and it seems the chefs) lack creativity. They do a limited set of dishes well, but they don't seem to be food artists. It's a little too generic. Second, the waitress didn't seem very knowledgeable about some of the menu items, and had to ask the chef about a few things. If she is relatively new, I could give her a pass. Shimogamo may compete for the "best in East Valley" subcategory, but it can't quite hang in the top tier.

    (4)

  • Nick G.

    These guys do a great job. One of the top 5 sushi joints in the valley, and top 2 for overall value. Lots of items on the special board, great service, and reasonable pricing. I'd give them 5 stars if the kitchen did as good of a job as the sushi chefs. If you're looking for "real" sushi (not 100+ special rolls) such as great fish, oysters, and Japanese cuisine this is your spot in the valley. If you want better you'll need to pony up the money (2x $) for shinbay or Roma Akor. Great job shimagamo.

    (4)

  • Nate T.

    I was in town visitng from LA with a close friend and found this place on Yelp...sushi quality was good but could be better for the price. The uni was the highlight and we ended up ordering 4 pcs total. The sweet shrimp could be a little more moist, it was dry and the fried head was just to oily. The scallops were a bit dry as well but still had good flavor. The rolls I got to try a piece of, I couldn't tell what fish was inside as it was covered up by the sauces. The beef tongue was good if you're feeling adventurous. In any case, it's hard to say I could come back if I were Chandler again without trying the couple of other places around.

    (3)

  • Christina N.

    Okay, you ready for this one? My boyfriend...loves sushi! Me...let's just say I've had my issues with experiencing sushi but I wished I liked it because I know it is good for you and it looks amazing. So, of course being adventurous people we decide to branch out and try a new restaurant. When you pull into the parking lot it is tucked away in the corner so make sure you do not miss it. You walk in and you get this great small business feel to it. The best way to describe its ambiance is that it is a cozy, average-lit, clean, modernized sushi hole in the wall! Love it! We were sat up at the sushi bar which probably holdds around 15-20 people max. (see picture) Along the wall there were around 5 small tables and in the back there is a private 'party' room. (See picture) We were automatically brought water, and served small plates with fresh wasabi and sliced ginger as well as given soy dipping dishes. we decided to order a cold sake and it was recommended by our waiter (good choice). My boyfriend is the sushi expert and decides to just pick a few random things for us to share. We had the spicy tuna roll (the only one I did not try), the octopus, the eel, the yellowtail, sea urchin, spicy scallop hand roll and escolar. Let me tell you...wow!! The seafood was really very fresh. The escolar was my favorite or as the awesome sushi-ya (Zach) put it baby dolphin! LOL. I told him they should put that up on their specials board. Have it read: fresh flipper rolls! Oh, and by the way, they have live shrimp that you can eat after watching them prepare it to special standards! (see picture) So, back to the quality of the food. The only comment my boyfriend really had was about their octopus. He was expalining to me the difference between good octopus and bad...it's the texture and firmness of it. The food looked beautiful and tasted very clean and elegant. I most definately seeing us coming back here again. Especially to talk more about baby dolphins being freshly clubbed daily with Zach! :) Thank you for making our evening very fun and very special! I will remember this sushi moment forever!

    (4)

  • Josh M.

    Simply amazing. Thanks to chef Al for great conversation, food and suggestions. We felt right at home from the beginning here. The atmosphere is sheik and intimate. The tempura was perfectly crisp and light, the fish all incredibly fresh (shrimp was killed/prepared right in front of us fresh), rolls were truly an explosion of flavor in every bite and the dessert (Japanese crepes) were heavenly. We can't wait until next time!

    (5)

  • Dick Harmon E.

    Amazing fresh salmon...great cuts... I only wish we could've saved Harvey...Ama Ebi ...poor little guy was dying and no one gave him mouth to mouth...he died in my arms...no, mouth LOL tuna sashimi was amazingly fresh

    (5)

  • Matt D.

    This was an incredible sushi experience. I had never had sushi from anywhere but Panda Express so I was in for a true treat when dining in at this very aesthetic and clean restaurant. The wait staff was very attentive and friendly, suggesting different types of rolls and sushi for my party.everything was so fresh and well made. I highly recommend the Crazy Roll and Rainbow Roll.

    (5)

  • Mona D.

    The service is genuinely lacking at this place, but the food is great. When you order appetizers or happy hour items, don't expect them to come prior to your entree. They will likely come intermittently during, and after (think of your sushi roll as your dessert). I completely forgot about one of the appetizers we had ordered, and by the time it came, our entrees were done. They serve everyone as the entree is ready as well... Not great when there are 4-5 of you and each person is waiting out of courtesy to begin their meal. There are numerous times where I have been here where they have been out of certain dishes due to issues with the kitchen. The ambiance is good- small tables, but a nice seating area in the back if you have a large enough group.

    (3)

  • Meagan B.

    My friend came into town on a Thursday night for a visit, so my boyfriend and I decided to take her out for something she hadn't been able to find much of in Wisconsin: SUSHI! We hadn't been here yet, so it was a bit of a gamble just telling her, "Yelp said it was a GREAT place!" Safe to say, BEST sushi on this side of town! Great ambience, fresh sushi (we tried several of the rolls and some sashimi), had a fun time doing sake bombers. Service was prompt and friendly. Will definitely be coming back for happy hour!

    (4)

  • Sarah K.

    Shimogamo ruined my life. Why 5 stars you ask? I can no longer eat sushi anywhere else. Best sushi I've had anywhere. And in Arizona no less! The fish is so fresh - I usually prefer it on its own, not in a roll. I feel like usually I order rolls because the fish isn't so great so I'd like some mayo concoction to hide the taste of the fish. Not so here. Escolar is the best. Salmon is incredible. Tuna - yum. You can't go wrong. There's a poke appetizer that they sometimes have that is outstanding. Ambiance is pleasant, staff is nice, but the fish... oh the fish. Any time I want sushi and I consider another place, I'm like, why? Who are we kidding let's just go to Shimogamo. Go - you won't regret it.

    (5)

  • Diane N.

    A small place with a charming contemporary design and limited seating, but this has to be one of the best sushi restaurants I've been to in the Chandler, AZ area. We ordered a lot of food and they were wonderful. I'm giving this place 5 star for a combination of their food and service! Will definitely come back. They had the best fried gyoza ever (it was the sweet chili sauce that did it for me)!

    (5)

  • Nicolas B.

    This is my favorite traditional Japanese restaurant in the valley. Shimogamo is a great place to go on a date if you want something nicer without a hefty bill. It's a smaller restaurant and is generally fairly quiet, for more privacy ask for seating in the back. Food is delicious and they have a good selection from dinner combinations to appetizers and sushi. Owners and sushi chef have always been very nice and sociable on my visits.

    (5)

  • Meg G.

    What happened to Shimogamo? I had a good experience there 2 years ago. It was a 4 star sushi restaurant for me that time with good quality of food and service and that's why we went back there for our 3rd wedding anniversary. But our anniversary was totally ruined. Their service was terrible, just terrible. The only thing they did right was taking order of our drinks and brought them quick. After that things just went wrong in every way. It was like we were totally not served. For starter, we ordered beer and they only brought the bottle, no glass although other tables got glasses. That was fine. We tried to get a glass but the waiter never came back to us, even to take orders. We couldn't find the waiter for about 10 mins so we decided to order things we could order directly to the chef at the sushi bar we were seating. Then they forgot to bring 2 out of 8 dishes we ordered including our appetizer. My husband got his dish around 20 mins after ordering and I had to wait another 15 minutes for mine. My husband finished his drink but had to wait for 20 minutes to get another drink. We again waited for 20 mins for just for the bill, etc.. And every time we needed something, we had to wave them as they never come by us. "Waiting" is the word that explains our experience at Shimogamo this time. It seemed the chefs at the sushi bar and waiter/waitress were confused about orders all the time. They brought at least 3 dishes to wrong tables. We heard someone dropped dish(es) with a big noise in the kitchen. Even the quality of sushi was not good this time. The fish was totally not fresh and didn't taste almost at all. It's a fast food restaurant quality. I think this was our worst experience at a restaurant ever. Sometimes we get not-so-good service or they forget our order but I've never seen my husband so disappointed before. He is a sweet person and gives at least 20% tip even if they forget our order but this time, he only left 15% tip. But I understand that after seeing him waiting miserably for his drink for 20 mins trying to get attention from them without success. Yes, we just felt ignored and miserable. A waitress even got to the sushi bar and asked the chef in front of us whether he's thirsty and needed something to drink but my husband was totally left without any drink for too long. And for the first time, I heard my husband saying "I will never go back to the restaurant."

    (1)

  • Halo B.

    What you should know! This place is TINY!!! and you most definitely need a reservation! We stopped by around 4. Were told they didn't reopen until 5, or 6 (and the guy was ultimate hipster SNOOTY!, and didn't specify we would need res. Perhaps we didn't look ''hip' enough!)We thought NP and did our grocery shopping at Lee-Lee's. Got back around 6 to find zero availability! Owner was the epitome of both dignity and customer conciliation: which is one of the reasons we will (with reservations!) return. That and the fact the food looked PHENOMENAL!!!! So, full stars even though we have not yet sampled. We walked a few feet next door and had a lovely meal at the much lauded C-Fu Gourmet.

    (5)

  • Veronica D.

    The food is unbelievably amazing; it is perhaps my favorite sushi place in Chandler! The meals are fantastic as well. Their potato salad is some of the best I have had, which is interesting given the other food items on the menu. A single complaint would be that the sushi making process is a little slow, but it is definitely worth it.

    (5)

  • Ross A.

    This is the best sushi I have had in AZ by far. Sushi expert cred: I lived in Japan for three years and have eaten sushi in large cities (Tokyo) and small cities (Yonago). This place is REAL sushi. If you want fried cream cheese in your sushi go elsewhere. The owner is a man from Kyoto and he isn't doing much pandering to American palates. The highlight of this place is the actual quality of the fish. The nigiri sushi is what you should order so you can fully appreciate the flavor and texture. I'd recommend the unagi, the salmon, and the escolar to get you started. All exquisite.

    (5)

  • Erin A.

    I came here because a couple of my classmates enjoyed the place. After a long day we decided to try this place out. I ordered the Spicy Salmon and the Crazy roll. I would say the rolls do taste fresh and light. Happy hour gives a modest $1-2 off regular prices on rolls. Overall, I thought the place was OK. The main reason I'm giving it 3 stars is because my party of three was asked to leave to make room for another group. I have never been asked to leave a restaurant -- it was very abrupt and kinda rude. My party said that we never experienced something like that before. This is not a place I would come back to.

    (3)

  • Danielle C.

    I am a bit upset with this place. The sushi is fantastic and I would love to have more of it, but I get denied EVERY time I call an order in. Last summer, I called for a to-go order but they wouldn't allow it because of the weather outside.....ok......so I was a bit perturbed by this and tried again last week. Mind you it is February!!! I called for a to-go order again and the man who answered said "no, we can't do it. We are wayyyy too busy!!!" Excuse me?! I thought this was completely unacceptable and unfortunately, they have lost me as a customer. As good as the food is, it doesn't make up for this horrible customer service.

    (2)

  • Andrew C.

    I was recommended to come here by a pastry chef/owner of a high end restaurant here in town. We had been talking sushi, and she suggested I come here. Boy, was she absolutely dead on right. We came at 12:30. There was something of a lunch crowd in this smallish sushi restaurant, with a nice looking bar and tables. We were seated promptly by, I believe, the owner. Our waitress was attentive and quick. We ordered a seaweed salad to start, which was very very good. I had a lunch "sushi platter" which was 8 pieces of Nigiri, one tuna roll, and Miso soup for $19, an excellent value. My wife had the "Citrus Roll". She commented that it was excellent. My sushi was fresh, well prepared, beautiful. The Nigiri was beautifully presented, tasty and fresh. The tuna roll was wrapped well. Overall, I believe this was both an excellent value AS WELL as excellent food. We will be returning!

    (5)

  • Susan S.

    Fast, friendly, clean, delicious!! And happy hour is great! This place is right next to C-Fu Gourmet Chinese restaurant. You enter right at the sushi bar. It's got a cool contemporary vibe. It's small but not cramped. There is a back room for large parties. There were 2 guys manning the sushi bar and I have to say, I have never received my order to my table so fast! But it was not sloppily made, they were as nice and eye catching as any other sushi bar I've been to. The place was not dead either fairly busy for 6pm happy hour. I'd say these guys are very efficient in their work. We tried 3 rolls off the happy hour list. The Vegas, spicy yellowtail, and the crazy roll. All you could tell the fish was fresh and full of flavor. Yet these rolls were not heavy and super filling like some sushi places seem to make them. We also got the pork gyoza and the sushi escolar both were great! We definitely will be coming back!

    (5)

  • Quagmire Y.

    Wow real Japanese food in Phoenix. Cute place with good food, appropriate music and good service. They use Open table so stop the whining about reservations. Don't worry, if you want to drink your sake hot and put cream cheese on your sushi they got that too.

    (5)

  • Anthony D.

    Miss this place a lot. Went here all the time when I was on my business trip. Fish was very fresh and the chiefs knew what they were doing.

    (5)

  • Nadia K.

    The best sushi in Chandler. Possibly in the Phoenix metro area. Shimogamo is a quiet sushi location in a strip mall. The interior has just a few tables and is very peaceful. Hurry is not the name of the game here; bring a friend that you really like and have some great conversation while you enjoy the easy going but very pleasant service. You won't taste ice on your fish here and it's one of the few places I feel comfortable eating sushi in the desert.

    (5)

  • Sundoro T.

    I went there for dinner for sushi. The tuna is okay , hamachi is also okay with overall quality is average. The teriyaki is below average ...

    (3)

  • Yuson K.

    Hell ya! Best sushi in town. My husband and I always have fun and eat great food at Shimogamo. Fresh & tasty sushi, homemade curry, great service and awesome Chef Al. They also have great cooked dishes too. Love this place!

    (5)

  • Leonard R.

    Went here last night based on yelp reviews and I have to say this place was incredible I live in LA and work a mile from little Tokyo I eat sushi at least once a week and this place was as good and better than most places in LA. For my kid I always order a lobster roll here they did a fantastic job the meat was tender and moist the sauce was creamy but not over done. We also tried a few specials like the amber jack with truffle sauce WOW and the red snapper in a lemon garlic sauce was to die for. Every time I come to visit family this will be my go to place. Oh I almost forgot our server was Max he was friendly attentive and made great recommendation. Also had some albacore with a drizzle of ponzu sauce melted in my mouth.

    (5)

  • M B.

    So I love the food here but just got told on a Friday at 5:20pm that I had to leave because they were booked for the whole night. It's a small sushi joint. Why are the taking reservations?!?!?! First come first served.

    (3)

  • Mrs S.

    Ok so on my second attempt (this place is super small and gets really busy on weekend nights: the first time we came without reservations and they were full to capacity) to eat here was enjoyable. They have really good sushi and a friendly staff! Great for a date night or small groups.

    (3)

  • Emily B.

    Good sushi in the neighborhood. We'll definitely be back! Second time here and it doesn't disappoint. Fresh and delicious!

    (4)

  • Gabrielle M.

    I have been here a couple times and I always seem to forget to write a review.. but I love this place. For me, Shimogamo has some of the top sushi in Arizona and I could come here every day for the dessert ha. The family that owns this place are so nice and friendly, they are constantly on top of things and will assist you when needed. The atmosphere is relaxing, I like that it is a tiny little restaurant in the corner :) We ordered the Shimogamo roll, the Panko roll and oh gosh.. I can't remember the last one we had *facepalm, all I know is that it had rice paper around it and it was very light, not heavy at all; SO GOOD! Even their sashimi is amazing, it was very fresh and worth the money. Well, in general, this place is worth the money. The desserts though, they have red beans and rice cake (I love both of those things) and mochi icecream.. wooooooooo! So good. OH OH and the chicken katsu was really good too! I prefer chicken over pork, so I don't know how the pork tastes, but the chicken was yummy! Anywho, I highly recommend this place, you will not be disappointed!

    (5)

  • Mark N.

    I liked the food and had a good meal. The decor and the seating arrangements were a little off though and I never really felt comfortable. Its tucked away in a strip mall so I guess its one of those place you have to know to find and they were busy.

    (4)

  • Landai N.

    My go-to place for sushi in Phoenix. The Shimogamo, Crazy, and Futomaki rolls are my favorite here. Sushi is really fresh and very authentic. This place definitely deserves every good review it has (meaning it's not one of those over-hyped places where you leave disappointed)!! Service is fast and friendly. It's a small place with cozy decorations, perfect for gatherings!

    (5)

  • Jinmee S.

    We went to Shimogamo several years ago. It was really good food so decided to go back for our anniversary this year. When we walked into the restaurant it seemed a little busy not too crowded. We were willing to wait to be seated. However, an older man who might have been the owner walks over to us saying there is no table for us. We just stood there thinking we will wait. He just kept repeating no table as if our business was not welcome. I was very offended and walked out. It almost ruined our anniversary dinner. This has never happened to me before and we will never go back to this restaurant. They only seem to be welcoming customers who are worthy in which we were clearly not.

    (1)

  • Joe M.

    I stopped in looking for a table for just myself. They wouldn't seat just me at a table, and their sushi bar was reserved.

    (1)

  • Brian H.

    This place get packed! so I would get there early or reserve if you got a big group. There really isn't much seating, but there is a room for bigger groups. We sat at the bar at this occasion. It's probably one of the few Japanese restaurants/sushi bars that is owned by fa Japanese family. I feel like most other ones are owned by Koreans. (could be a huge generalization but it's true in many cases). Anyways, the service is good. There were two servers and the owner was helping out as well. Two sushi chefs at the bar who look like they just graduated from high school, but they knew how to cut fish. Thumbs up. I liked the appetizers as we started off on miso soup and seaweed salad. The sushi portions are on the smaller side (6 rolls), but I think the quality is great. The nigiris were awesome and even the rolls tasted really great. They don't go overboard on sauces, so you can taste the different flavors of the fish and ingredients in it. This may not matter to you as long as it taste good overall. Also had the fried icecream which were bomb. I don't know how they make these, but I approve. Great restaurant to try out if you are into sushi!

    (4)

  • Amy S.

    Walked in to a fairly empty dining area and bar, was told since our party of 2 didn't have reservations we wouldn't be seated for over half an hour. Not sure if this is because they just didn't feel like working, or making $, or what exactly. Pretty disappointing. With all the great sushi in the area, was able to take our business to House Modern Sushi- which was great!

    (1)

  • M F.

    Clean, yummy sushi! I had the crazy and California roll for :) hour. $7/$4. They were both great, staff was charming- I just wasn't sure who was kinda taking care of me, although I was sitting at the bar so.. I'll go here again

    (4)

  • Van H.

    Cons: rice is a little on the wet side; a little pricey. Pros: fresh fish, shimogamo ribeye with dipping sauce, great upscale ambiance. Friendly service So-so: Kumamoto oysters

    (4)

  • Joanne W.

    Excellent sushi. Definitely hard to find initially but it's there, next to Cfu gourmet on the right. Not a lot of signage. Had the albacore, escolar, salmon skin hand roll and crazy roll. All awesome! Ambience ok, cool loungy music. Love these hidden gems!

    (5)

  • Dezeray P.

    Extremely poor service. An older man sat us down at our table, with papers on it. Didn't even say hello. He was rude and not friendly. He came to take our drink order and I asked if they had root beer he rudely said "no, beer, what?" So he brought me orange juice which he chose for me. I got up and left before my drinks even came. Took my money and business down the street. They really need to work on hiring better employees. I will not go back again! Went on a Sunday at around 5pm.

    (1)

  • Jeremy S.

    The service and food was so good I tipped 25%

    (5)

  • Amy W.

    I've eaten here probably a total of 20 times now and have sampled pretty much everything on the sushi menu multiple times. I also have been served by just about everyone who works there. I keep coming back because the atmosphere is so nice, the staff is so friendly, and above all the sushi is so tasty. On a super busy night, the wait may be a bit long (happened to me maybe twice), but if you get there before the crowd, you're sure to have a good time. The name Shimogamo, meaning family, is a very touching and appropriate name. The husband and wife who run this restaurant are the sweetest, most mild mannered Japanese couple and make you feel warmly welcomed to take a casual glimpse into their way of life, culture, and family.

    (5)

  • Deb S.

    This swanky little sushi bar was just the ticket on a Tuesday evening for Happy Hour. Shhhhh, don't tell everybody or it'll get too crowded. But wait... Tell everybody so they stay open. Everything was absolutely delicious and fresh as can be. We sat at the bar and watched our chef wrap and roll like nobody's business. I can't wait to go back. Best sushi in this area for sure.

    (5)

  • Barnabas L.

    Alright where to start where to start.... Sushi is in really skimpy portions and not even that good to where spending that much for that little is worth it. I have been to some good sushi places that pack a punch in a 4 piece roll. The soft shell crab was okay, but only 4 pieces?!?!!?!?! Like most of their other sushi it was really salty....REALLY REALLY REALLY SALTY. the wasabi had zero potency. The scallops was chopped up...booo, some other places do that too, the worst part was how much salt there was on it. they should have called that a salt roll with a hint of scallops.. BLECH!!! I also ordered ton katsu curry...soo i got this because someone was raving about it. like the wasabi the curry lacked in the spice category, a lot. Not only that but the pork cutlet was so dried out... and the panko also no spice at all and what in the world, had no flavor at all. it was like eating deepfried mush. my over all rating.....2 because the staff was nice and friendly, otherwise i recommend going somewhere else for sushi/japanese food.. their spicy _"enter random fish name here"___ rolls all taste the same...super fail....and they weren't...yeah you guessed they weren't spicy at all

    (2)

  • Mel A.

    Brought the out of town in-laws back for lunch. They raved about this place since their last visit in '12. I don't blame them it is ah-mazing! Fresh fish all around. Ordered the Las Vegas roll, Citrus roll, and several others which included sashimi. The chef was very considerate and cooked up a few dishes for our 16 month old. I can't stop praising this place. Service was excellent as always. If you want the best sushi in the east valley come to Shimogamo!

    (5)

  • Sam K.

    Shimogamo is a great place for sushi. So nice to have a small, quiet, friendly, and most importantly, authentic Japanese sushi restaurant in Phoenix. No gimmicks, just good quality fish and no skimping on it either. Al the head chef is a friendly guy who also cuts his fish with the best of them. The owner Yoshi and his wife (she's usually busy in the kitchen) have a jewel in the ruff in Shimogamo. For those fans of Japanese curry (I know it's not sushi!) mamasan makes it from scratch and it isn't on the menu. Try a katsu curry plate for dinner sometime. It will blow your tastebuds and mind! Fo real! So next time you're in the mood for some buttery Toro or tasty Hamachi, roll on by Shimogamo

    (4)

  • Larry S.

    I have a couple of complaints: 1. They were out of oysters on the day I went, and I really stopped in exclusively to have them. 2. The prices on the "Happy Hour" menu on their website are incorrect. I paid $6.50 instead of the listed $5.50 for my chicken. The only item I tried was 4.5-star-worthy, and that was the "Japanese Fried Chicken." Lightly breaded and yummily juicy white meat. Very tasty. Small portion for $7.09 though - only about 7 or 8 small bite-sized pieces. The taste made me wish even more that they had not been out of oysters. But as others have noted, the "price to value" equation here is on the pricey side. P.S. It has been pointed out to me by a helpful Yelper that oysters are "not in season" in August, and that's why they were not serving them. That's fine, but I would say to a restaurant owner that if you have something on your menu that is available only in certain months, then you should say that on the menu. *oysters available only in etc etc etc. That way, people won't drive over there to get something which is out of season.

    (3)

  • Tim A.

    Ate there for the first time Saturday evening with a group of 8 people! What an exceptional place!! The service was great, we tried all kinds of sushi rolls, sashimi and various appetizers. I've not dined at many places where I would actually order any of the things I tried again, they were ALL that good. We were in the back dining room, due to the size of our party and the atmosphere was nice and contemporary. Our friends who'd dined there before said you must have reservations. It is my new favorite sushi place and will be headed there again next week.

    (5)

  • Ali H.

    Always fresh sushi and great food! Japanese owners so their food is "REAL Japanese food" Shrimp tempra is very crispy and almost the same quality as restaurants in Japan. They use better rice for Sushi and everything is sooooooo good. Highly recommned for people who would like to have a good sushi and real Japanese food. Manager guy is very nice person too. We come here to eat for our birthdays and aniversaries;)

    (5)

  • Laura K.

    Most delicious shashimi I've ever tasted. Grilled shishito peppers, beef carpaccio, and panko roll are must haves!!

    (4)

  • Zachary H.

    Awful service. Server who basically ignored us to chat with friend behind the sushi bar about trying to get laid.

    (1)

  • Mike H.

    Finally stopped by here.... ohhhh i miss Sushi Kings in Asia,,, but anyways,, we are in Chandler. Sushi here was a 3.5 i would say, Nice atmosphere but a little cozy. Staff very polite. We tried a few different items, and was a little surprised the portion = 2 pieces where most places are min 4.. anyways,, they were very tasty. We will be back, but since the portions are small, that will double our bill since we would order double up on each item. Shrimp Tempura was very light n crispy,,,, Would have like to try the oysters, but either no longer carried or out of season ?? Cya next time..

    (4)

  • Katie H.

    We've searched for great sushi since moving to the area two years ago. Shimogamo has surprisingly good atmosphere hidden behind the generic strip mall. And the sushi is fresh and delicious. They have a great back room for large parties and an affordable, long happy hour.

    (5)

  • Yu K.

    I love this restaurant! Everything is very good!!! You can have really Japanese foods at here! I can promise it, I'm Japanese.

    (4)

  • Jeffrey B.

    While visiting the area, I was taken to Shimogamo. This is now one of my favorite sushi spots. Just excellent.

    (5)

  • Anna Kaira M.

    Went for happy hour, left sorta unhappy. I LOVE SUSHI/ROLLS. And Ive always looked for amazing Sushi joints. When i looked for a decent sushi place near my house, Shimogamo popped up. I was excited to go since I saw the high praises specially for the happy hour. Anyway overall, it's forgettable. The rolls (salmon or cali) were so tiny that I wouldnt purchase it full price. I didn't know if that's really the portion of it (should be) or they lessened it since it's on happy hour? My most faves: Las vegas roll and salmon skin roll were not what I expected them to be. They were seriously lacking on flavor. Service was so-so. The lady was okay but the guy/greeter was rude. We were just looking at the soy sauce container and he said "You dont open it" while getting it from my hands. Geez. Calm yo self. Anyway over all, Id skip this joint. I know places much better and much worth the 62 bucks bill. One star for cleanliness, another for pretty presentation.

    (2)

  • Jamie C.

    Shimogamo is always a treat. It's tucked away in an unassuming plaza at Dobson and Warner next to C-Fu Gourmet. The intersection has a high concentration of Asian businesses, so you know this is the real deal. It's a small-ish restaurant, and I am pretty sure they do have teppan tables, but I think everyone basically comes here for the sushi. This is this east valley place for true sushi and nigiri. It is fresh. And high quality. I suppose I could go on about all the different rolls and beautiful recipes and combos, but those all fall in line when the fish is fresh. So there you go. Here's a tip though-this place has restaurant hours-you can't just drive here at 3pm thinking it's open. Make sure it it. And it's worth it.

    (5)

  • Chris W.

    I've eaten at quite a few sushi places including ones in Japan. Shimogamo is easily in my top three in Arizona. I rarely write reviews - but this place deserves it. Fresh cuts of fish, excellent service, great atmosphere & decoration in the restaurant. This places has a certain level of authenticity that you simply don't find in Arizona (ie. don't look for it at Ra or Stingray). The sushi was crafted with care, the ingredients were of good quality, and they are inventive with certain rolls with out being ridiculous as you'll find with many places catering to more Americanized pallets. Aside from your usual favorites, try the escolar nigiri and the izakaya style appetizers (sort of like Japanese tapas). I was impressed, and I thought the pricing was right (we paid about $32 + tip ea for two ordering 6 dishes total with beer). The value was definitely high. I will definitely be going back.

    (5)

  • Todd P.

    We were there for happy hour on a Friday. We tried the Crazy roll and the Zen roll among others. The Crazy roll was excellent, and the Zen was not bad. Overall this is probably the best sushi I've had in the Phoenix area. The service was very attentive, and the menu variety was very good. I have no problem recommending this place.

    (5)

  • Beth S.

    Nestled right next door to C-Fu Gourmet, it would be easy to miss this little gem but you really have to make an effort to try this place out if you enjoy sushi. The service was excellent and the menu was pretty expansive for such a small place. Because I'm pregnant, I'm trying to limit my exposure to raw fish so I ordered the chicken teriyaki platter. It came with rice, soup, salad, and a full breast of teriyaki chicken. Unfortunately, my food arrived cold. I was disappointed but sucked it up so as not to embarrass our hosts. For this, I lowered my rating one star. Cold food is a pet peeve of mine. My son and our hosts enjoyed the sushi and kept noting its freshness and great flavor. Hubby enjoyed the teriyaki ribs and his meal was served hot hot hot. Not sure what happened with mine, but oh well. I'm looking forward to going back after my pregnancy so I can try out the sushi and hopefully the hot food will be hot.

    (4)

  • Kiersten K.

    Quite seriously the best sushi in Arizona! The place is small and has limited seating. You will want to make a reservation. They do have a large table that seats up to 12 people. The Panko roll is my all time favorite. Order it last as it can be really spicy.

    (5)

  • Josh L.

    They have a great selection of rolls and the sushi is very fresh. Friendly service too!

    (4)

  • Glen U.

    Al does some seriously good fish - get ya sum!!!

    (5)

  • Jamie J.

    We were excited to visit this sushi restaurant. Unfortunately our stomachs were turned as we witnessed the sushi chef bare hand slap the small cockroach that had begun crawling across the glass case in front of us at the sushi bar. Nothing was said, no apologizes were made as we ask for our check, paid for what we hadn't even touch and left.

    (1)

  • Kevin V.

    Let me start with the good. Their fish seemed fresh, and they have some interesting, well conceived rolls. Their Scallop Nigiri was fantastic, fresh, and delicious. Outside of the scallops, their food was 'Meh'. Had Yakisoba, and several rolls; did not try any of their sashimi, because it seemed really expensive (4 pc. Sake Sashimi for $9). We quickly realized why the rolls were cheaper: because there isn't much fish in them. The fish on the rainbow roll we got was sliced so thin, it was hard to tell how quality the fish was. The rice to fish ratio was ridiculous, leaving with me mostly full, but unsatisfied. We were warned before ordering that they were pretty busy, and we should put our sushi order in quickly. While I appreciate the warning, I don't think AN HOUR AND A HALF is an acceptable waiting time with or without warning. The Yakisoba we ordered came out promptly, but after finishing it, we waited another full hour for the sushi. Overall I feel they are overpriced for what you get, and the food is not exactly worth the wait. Not bad by any means, but not worth dealing with the price/service.

    (2)

  • Katy Y.

    Best I've found in the East Valley. Puts Kona to shame and better than Ra. Sushi chef Zach is great. The sauce that comes on the Shimogamo Roll and the fried gyoza is amazing. Best roll is the lollipop roll which is wrapped in cucumber.

    (5)

  • Michael F.

    Shimogamo has some of the best sushi I have ever eaten. My parents took me here for dinner and it was love at first bite. The prices are great and their happy hour prices are event better! The owners and staff are friendly and very accommodating. This is a great place to enjoy a nice relaxing night or to have a celebration. I give this place 5 Sushi out of 5!

    (5)

  • Wowezow E.

    Terrible Service, the food was overpriced for what you get. The squid salad was dry and lacked flavor, the Eel sauce needed more flavor, the rice wasn't sticky enough. The Fish is fresh. But I don't think I would not return. I prefer the The Sushi Room because there is more flavor in their rolls and salads and the rolls are bigger.

    (2)

  • Jessica A.

    For my first visit here, I'm only giving this place 3 stars. This is a small little sushi place, so not really a place for large groups, but great for small intimate groups. My only concern, either way, is that it's not very private in the conversation department. It's that small....A little background music would have made this perfect--but this place did not deliver. Service was ok, i suppose. Our orders were simple, and we had water to drink, so not much to do--plus there were only two of us. The only saving grace was this: i wasn't so hungry i was about to gnaw my arm off (it took forever to get our food and we ordered 2 *simple* rolls a piece) and that i had great company filled with entertaining conversation. If those two things not had been factors in this dinner equation, this could have been much worse. I will say, however, the sushi was pretty good. Fresh fish, unique combinations, and it kept well for take out. I had to bring dinner home for someone and got the thumbs up from them. Seeing as how it was over an hour before i showed up with it after they brought it to me, that's a good sign, lol. I will definitely go back if given the chance, but it's not a place that is high on my radar. If the atmosphere was better i might feel differently.

    (3)

  • Jessica C.

    Best sushi in the valley! They have a great selection of rolls, sushi, and sashimi and the quality is unbeatable. The two sushi chefs are very friendly and knowledgable. They have happy hour every day with some great specials. We won't go anywhere else for sushi!

    (5)

  • Sherita W.

    Just one word to describe my first experience at Shimogamo (note I said my first as I will return for an encore) AWESOME! The sashimi was fresh. The unagi was delicious and the cut rolls were heavenly. Tightwads beware...this place is pricey but oh so worth it. I normally spend about $60 for two on sushi. This place hit us for $96 bucks and that includes only two small bottles of Kirin...

    (5)

  • M G.

    Small quaint place. Hardly anyone else there. Went for happy hour after reading yelp reviews...and so glad we did. It was great! Decent prices and awesome sushi. Nigiri has pretty big pieces also, eel sauce not overly sweet. Vegas roll best I've had in Phoenix. Salmon melts in your mouth. Miso soup good, beef carpaccio cooked very well and not drenched in sauce. Crazy roll is pretty awesome with right amount of spice. Yum! Can't wait to go back

    (5)

  • Shun K.

    Its my go to Japanese Restaurant in Arizona. Name is originated in Kyoto, Japan, where the owner is from. So You can expect real Japanese food here. The got some American sushi rolls here, so all the roll lovers can enjoy the sushi also. Although I haven't tried their sushi's I expect it to be pretty fresh and good. Can be pricey, but that is what you expect when eating at good Japanese restaurant. I only saw one other customer when I was there, hope people in AZ are more into experiencing Japanese foods.

    (4)

  • Jill T.

    Don't bother with this place. I had never been here, my husband and I decided to pick up some food to take home. We ordered a shrimp tempura appetizer, an assorted tempura appetizer, a lobster appetizer, and yakisoba. When we got home the order was totally wrong. Instead of lobster we were given mussels (which were gross), instead of assorted tempura and shrimp tempura we only got assorted tempura with 2... that's right only 2 shrimp in the whole mix. The yakisoba was the only part of the order they got right and it was not that great, pretty bland. I love Japanese food and I was really excited to find a place near by and while we were waiting for our order we were excitedly planning to come back and have their sushi, but after this complete mix up and poor quality food there is no way I would trust them with anything raw. Never going back, such a complete disappointment.

    (1)

  • Ann B.

    One of the best sushi I've ever had! My face here is the caterpillar roll. Love the presentation and atmosphere is warm and inviting.

    (5)

  • Sonty M.

    As a wise person once told me, you can judge a sushi restaurant by the quality of its sushi rice. In the case of Shimogamo, their sushi rice has a good balance of moisture and rice vinegar without being overly sticky. They offer a large variety of sashami and of the fish I have tried, their fish quality is good especially considering the price. I love their albacore tataki salad, which is actually a better value than buying the albacore alone. Shimogamo excels at their selection of appetizers. They offer some Japanese dishes that can be hard to find at most other sushi places, such as BBQ beef tongue or fried oyster. While I haven't had the beef tongue yet, I have tried their fried oyster, beef carpaccio, and dynamite lobster. They were all very good, which leaves me optimistic for the other appetizers. When my wife and I eat here, we generally order quite a few dishes and spend about $20-25 per person. While it is easy to find far cheaper sushi places in the Phoenix area, this place offers a higher quality and more interesting variety that makes the price well worth it. Shimogamo is quickly becoming one of our regular favorites.

    (4)

  • Dan H.

    Updated 8/15/2008 This place used to be the best but it has gone down hill terribly while the prices remained very high. They used to have the freshest fish and now they have some really foul tasting tuna and salmon which has gotten me sick. They advertise their salmon as King Salomon but it really just tastes like raw canned salmon. As I'm a big fan of good Salmon, this will stop me from ever going back. Service has gotten pretty bad also. The new waitress they have was about absent minded as can be. The only things I still like at Shimogamo are the live sweet shrimp (ama ebi) and Sea urchin (Uni) but on the live sweet shrimp they have gotten very stingy as they only give you one head and they split the body in 2 pieces. The establishment stank like rotten cabbage and I've noticed it being not well maintained behind the sushi bar. Another annoyance is that they are only open for lunch on Fridays now. There are much better options around and at this momemnt Sushi Kee 3 blocks east on Warner (at Rural) is a lot better.

    (2)

  • Tiffany V.

    Great place! Atmosphere is very relaxing....EXCELLENT food...and great happy hour prices.

    (5)

  • Jess S.

    This place is GREAT! I must have passed it a million times without knowing that it was tucked away in the complex. The sushi was awesome, the drinks were very reasonabally priced, we loved the decor and the atmosphere was very nice, kinda romantic if you are seated in the back away from the sushi bar. The service was great! We will definitely be going back.

    (4)

  • Charlie G.

    Great! Friendly people, great, fresh fish, good prices, and a nice place. Happy hour 5-7 every day.

    (5)

  • Marce J.

    This is probably the best sushi you can find in the Valley. The owner is from Japan and I believe they import their fish from Japan. My husband and I went in, not expecting much from the food, but we were pleasantly surprised. The pork spare ribs were delectable with a slightly crunchy sweet crust. We didn't try much else except the fish because it was so darn fresh! You need to get here early on weekends because there are not too many tables. Parking can be tough in the strip mall with the dim sum place next door. I would give this place four stars but it is pricey for the portions.

    (4)

  • Misti P.

    Great sushi! Sometimes it is hard to find great sushi in the Phoenix/Tempe area, or anywhere without an ocean...but we really enjoyed Shimogamo. Very small, and in a random shopping mall, but the eating experience is worth it. They also have happy hour 7 days a week from 4-7!!!

    (5)

  • David I.

    Best sushi in the area. Go there for nabe in the winter.

    (5)

  • Keesha G.

    Kemta and Al were my sushi chefs last night at Shimogamo and they were very friendly and hospitable. I finished work last night around 8:30PM and was hungry for sushi. They close at 9PM Mon-Thurs. They welcomed me in, let me know it was no problem to serve me and were so great about it. What great attitudes they have.

    (4)

  • Brian B.

    exceptional albacore salad and white tuna sashimi. Rolls were prepared in a timely manner, looked as good as they tasted.

    (5)

  • Mercy K.

    After a mishap at another restaurant, I gave Shimogamo a call where the owner graciously agreed to cater to a rather large group of us at the last minute. The food was fresh and delicious, and the place itself was very clean and beautiful. There was an easy access to a full bar next door, and the service was amazing. I highly recommend the restaurant!

    (5)

  • Jacqueline D.

    Sushi was great, but unfortunately they were understaffed (only one sushi chef on a Saturday night) so it took almost 2 hours to receive 5 rolls (we didn't get the last roll because by this time we were late). The staff was apologetic and gave us two small dishes on the house, so this doesn't appear to be a common occurrence. I would definitely go back.

    (3)

  • Jennifer H.

    Named after the district in Kyoto that the owners are from, Shimogamo was our *best* Japanese meal in Phoenix during our one week there. It's a close call, with Nobuo and Yasu being quite comparable, but in the end, the umami palette was most refined at Shimogamo. The husband and wife team who own and run this place personally work everyday, ensure high standards for the overall dining experience; he works the dining area, and she is head chef in the kitchen. The highlight dishes were the Spanish Mackerel sashimi with the bones deep fried, the fine kelp soup with taroro, an outstanding delicate citrus miso dressing on the daikon radish & cucumber salad, the emaebi with spectacular deep fried heads, wild alaskan salmon and impressively fresh uni. Zach, the sushi chef, prepared everything very skillfully and was great to talk to.

    (5)

  • Dave H.

    The place is not cheap, but it is worth it. The best way is to go in and let the chef and owner pick your food. You'll eat some crazy thing you would have never ordered and love it. If you are a weekly sushi eater, this place might get a little pricey. If you want to experience the full range of Japanese food, this is the place.

    (4)

  • Roger W.

    this is a good sushi spot. get to know the owner, yoshi, and he will treat you like royalty. regarding the comments on price: hello! this is sushi not a hamburger, you should expect to pay for good quality. its raw fish. you dont want to be getting bargain fish when its raw. the prices are in line with the costs of good quality fish and service. regarding portion size: this is sushi not a big meal. the portions here are correct.

    (4)

  • Elizabeth S.

    Wonderful food, classy atmosphere, but from almost the minute we sat down they were telling us that the food would take a very long time and that the service was very slow. Man they were not kidding. Drinks went empty several times, tried to order a second round of sushi only to change our minds after our waiter walked by our table without taking the filled out menu at least 5 times. Then it took another 20minutes to settle the bill, which by the way was outrageous. I would never go back and I would never recommend it to anybody. I can get happy hour sushi a mile up the road for a fraction of the price in half the time and they will smile at me while I keep ordering. Good food is one part of having a restaurant, its usually not the most important part. People pay for good service and that is what keeps them coming back. I will never go back to Shimogamo.

    (1)

  • Pucca P.

    I used to eat here when I first moved to Chandler and didn't have an option if I wanted to eat sushi. The quality is solid and the service is pretty good. The problem is that the size of the nigiri, sashimi and maki are laughably TEENY TINY. On top of that, the price is exponentially opposite. My fiance and I would go and eat up $60-$70 worth of sushi and we would be getting the check and heading to In and Out. Not because we're pigs (both of our BMI are under 19), but because the amount is so tiny. I have no idea how they justify charing half of your mortgage to eat there, it's not THAT good. I would pay $70/piece to eat if Chef Nobu was cooking. Skip this place and head to Sushi In Motion in downtown Chandler (see my review). And if you're tight on budget and could careless about service, head to Ken Sushi.

    (2)

  • Danielle C.

    This is the best hidden gem in Chandler!! Best sushi I have ever had! It is fresh and prepared right in front of you! They display the fish they are using, so you know it hasn't been sitting out all day. You can see how tender and fresh it looks! The service is quick! You would never find it if you weren't informed about it. The inside is tiny, but it's never too packed in there. You can sit up at the bar and the sushi chef is really knowledgeable and enjoys talking about the sushi with you as well! There is a back room for private events. I found out about Shimogamo for a birthday party I attended in the back room, and it is intimate, but not too restricted! Try the best sushi in town!

    (5)

  • Dave J.

    If I can give this place a zero star I would. The worst service ever in my entire dining experience. We showed up Friday night and they are semi busy. We were immediately seated. However, it took an unreasonably long time before a wait staff came by to get our drink order and it ended up being the "host". Then it took a while before the waitress came by and took our order. We were told that they are out of salmon. Ok no problem. We ordered some sushi. After quite a wait, we received 2 of our 4 items. It was ok, nothing exceptional. Then came the long wait. Finally the "host" came by and tells us that they are out of eel. Uh....shouldn't they know before we put in the order? However, he had no clue we had another order as well. We asked what about our other sushi order. He went checked, came back and told us they are out of snow crab also. So we said, ok then can we please have our check please since they have nothing to eat. The guy just disappeared and no where to be found. At the same time we never see our waitress again that night. After we waited, and waited, and waited, we finally saw him reemerge from the back. The entire time we didn't see any other wait staff in the front part of the restaurant. He's still completely oblivious. We had to waive him down and gave him the evil eye. He didn't even acknowledge us. And finally after he ducks in the back again he came back with the check. What a nightmare experience. Plus, we don't even really know how they foods are since they have absolutely nothing.... Will never ever go back again. Never had service this awful!

    (1)

  • Garci M.

    The restaurant is kind of hidden, tucked back in a strip mall -- it's located katty-korner across from Lee Lee's Oriental supermarket. I was dying to try it and was totally satisfied! It is not a huge restaurant and reservations are recommended. Our appetizers were edamame and the beef tongue, which was sliced very thinly and salt/pepper seasoned. We had several rolls and nigiri, and our favorite was the oyster roll. The seafood was very fresh and well-prepared. I'd have to say it was the best sushi I've ever eaten. Service was swift and efficient. I highly recommend this restaurant!

    (5)

  • Tina N.

    if money was no object then this place is just superb. the space is clean, dark, and modern, but i think i'm biased because a friend of mine designed the interior. i love the sushi bar area where you can watch the chefs while you eat. the service is attentive and the sushi is wonderful. the caterpillar roll (one of my favorites) is just awesome along with everything else. the downside? the spicy tuna rolls are tiny and the bill is always large!

    (4)

  • Georgia R.

    I'm always down to try a new sushi place and Shimogamo doesn't disappoint. You'll find the normal Japanese dishes on the menu, from teppanyaki to miso soup and they have a full list of sushi for you to choose from. But you'll also see some more inventive items, including the three colored fried tofu, which is actually very good. I've also had the tempura udon noodles and it was delish. The restaurant was clean, the servers were friendly and fast and the prices are reasonable. Give it a whirl- it's a great place for lunch or dinner!

    (4)

  • Nizhoni S.

    One of the best, if not the best sushi in East Valley. Service was excellent. Family-owned business and able to answer all questions. Atmosphere and decor were high-end but comfortable, music couldn't have been better. Happy Hour menu could use some more items, however that's not why we choose to eat there. Love, love, loved Chirashi Sushi bowl. Special strawberry custard crepe dessert was amazing! Definitely adding to my favorite sushi restaurants, can't wait to go back.

    (5)

  • Koss L.

    Good sushi.Training new chef while we ate who just starred at us with no conversation.Outside of the creepy factor of that...enjoyed my Baja California plate and spicy yellow tail rolls.

    (4)

  • Carrie B.

    Two words....AMAZINGLY FRESH!!!! Ok ok I seriously love this place. True sushi not fried covered in spicy mayo sauce. The owners so kind and sweet!

    (5)

  • Brian G.

    Best sushi in the valley, period. Awesome! Good service, classy atmosphere, still casual and laid back. Prices aren't bad, either, and there is a pretty good happy hour!

    (5)

  • Jason K.

    The food was really nicely presented and tasted just as good as it looked.

    (5)

  • Tony S.

    Enjoyed a wonderful meal here with my family and friends. The restaurant itself is very small and is a sublet of the C-FU Gourmet it looks like. The food was expertly served and presentation was a great as the taste and quality! This is definitely a repeat for me! Minor complaint: wife got the chicken teriyaki and noted it was cold. I had the teriyaki ribs and they were served hot. Hopefully next time we go back the chicken will be served properly: HOT. Desert was nice too, great selection of items. The Red Bean ice cream is amazing. ENJOY!

    (5)

  • Nancy T.

    We make it there once a week. Al has completely spoiled us.

    (5)

  • Marti L.

    I finally checked this place out on a Saturday night and was amazed to find that they actually have happy hour EVERY day from 5-7! Their hours are a little weird though...they're closed from 2-5 daily...what if I'm craving sushi?? We got there around 5:15 and were the first and only party there until a couple arrived a little later...it's a small place, no more than 10 tables and a sushi bar, of course. The sushi guys were hispanic and talking in Spanish the whole time when they weren't checking to see how our sushi was or asking if we needed anything else...not too professional and made me wish we'd sat at a table instead. So...started off with edamame...cant go wrong there, right? Uh, it was overcooked (believe it), and I felt as though it was a childs portion... The baked oysters were absolutely amazing but they were served with a barbeque sauce....not a fan of the combo...but they were soooo good just by themselves so I managed. The crazy roll, shrimp tempura, and eel & cucumber rolls were all on happy hour and all really fresh and yummy. Pretty standard though. I almost feel like I should go back and give them another chance but don't really wanna drop another $36 on it...

    (3)

  • Emily M.

    Shimogamo has been one of my favorites for a few years now so, i thought it was time to give them a YELP! Every time I visit I am always greeted by the owner (Yoshi) who happens to be Japanese and runs the restaurant as such. Fish is always fresh and consistently high quality, sushi chefs are friendly and always willing to let you try something new. They also have a nice selection of cold sake's available and some random ones in stock off the menu if you ask the owner. Atmosphere is very modern/contemporary and in a small suite located next to C-Fu Gourmet. They also have a traditional Japanese seating room in the back that is fun for larger groups etc.. If you are a sushi lover or even a newbie to this style, you will love it!

    (4)

  • John D.

    Fantastic sushi and wonderful happy hour!

    (5)

  • Melissa W.

    I have no clue why I was expecting zen-like music or a Japanese bamboo deer scarer water fountain... but instead found jazz music with 2 non-Asian sushi chefs. I shouldn't judge, I make an awesome spaghetti carbonara. Ask the chef what he'd recommend for the day off the white board. The sushi & sashimi is uber fresh and probably the best in the E.V., with the kampachi (Hawaiian yellowtail) being the fave... delicate taste and firm flesh (doesn't mushy fish gross you out??). Next time I'd save my $ on the toro to get more kampachi! The rolls were great, Big & Spicy and Futomaki! That said, I'd stay away from the panko anything. We did the assorted platter -...worst.deep.fried.Japanese.ever. The oil tasted old or the panko off (is that even possible?), but we had the gamut of salmon, pork chop, vegs, a shrimp and oyster... it was just plain bad. You're going here for sushi and sashimi, stick with it!

    (4)

  • J B.

    One of my favorite sushi places in the Phoenix area. Continued excellent service. Always great recommendations from the staff.

    (5)

  • Sarah H.

    Unless you like ama ebi Or uni Or really any of the "rarer" sushis, I wouldn't recommend this place. Its very good, very fast, very fresh, but also very expensive Personally I stick with basic nigiris, so this place is just too much for what it is!

    (3)

  • Evo T.

    Without a doubt the freshest sushi I've ever eaten. I stuck to the plan of "order what's on the special board" and "take the server's advice" and it didn't fail me. At all. I love me some spider crab. Most places it's over cooked and/or gets drowned out by the other flavors in the roll. Not this time. Loads of crab flavor. And the unagi was sublime. I normally pass, as the over-sweet sauce just doesn't cut it for me. But I gave it a shot. Wow. Skip the sauce. Just enjoy the incredible flavor. Wonderful. Their rice-less roll (tsunami?) was sublime. Every bite was fresh layered on top of fresh. The tempura battering was light and flakey. Highly recommended. The only strikes were selection. Two of the items we ordered weren't available. Not necessarily a bad thing, as I think that speaks to the the freshness. They order enough for the day. And we ate late, so I'm not terribly surprised they were out. That, and the under-chef convinced me to forgo the ikura with quail egg in favor of tobikko with quail egg. It was good, and in his defense he offered to not charge me for it if I didn't like it. But I did like it. Just not as much as I would have if I would have capped my meal with the ikura/quail combo. Mine may not be traditional. And it may be heretical. But it's fab. So I'll get that next time and stick to my guns. Because, oh yes... we'll be back!

    (4)

  • Lori M.

    Don't be scared away from the location. I've only been here at night, but the area looks deserted. The sushi here is so fresh and good. I completely agree with another poster who said it just melts in your mouth. And let the chef be creative and make something off the menu for you. You can't go wrong. I haven't tried anything here that I didn't like. I also think it's a bit pricey, but worth it if you're looking to splurge on the good stuff. I love funky/industrial design of the curtains in the backroom. I must add that I've been lucky enough to never have had to pay for a meal here. :)

    (4)

  • Matthew C.

    I went there last night with my girl based on some of the reviews I read on Yelp. Very helpful! I totally loved it. It is a small restaurant. We sat at the Sushi bar and our Chef (Al) answered all our silly question with a smile. Yep, we are pretty silly. Anyways, we pretty much plundered the awesome Happy Hour menu with my addition token Yellowtail Nigiri. We ordered: Fried Chicken (amazing) Unagi Sake (Salmon) Yellowtail Shimogamo Roll Panko Roll 1 Sake Bomber 2 small sakes The Nigiri was super fresh and far outweighed the rice it sat on. The roll were prepped with super care and they looked fab! My personal Fave was the Panko Roll. It was the very subtle in its flavor. The sauce around the side of the plate was perfect and the one dot of Sriracha put it over the top. We walked out with all that food for under $50. It was perfecto, thanks and I will be back!

    (5)

  • chris r.

    In a desert state, finding sushi this fresh is an exciting surprise. Finding it just around the corner from my house makes it that much better, though that second part is really just for my wife and I. Shimogamo was impressive. Fun atmosphere, intimate setting, friendly staff, and above all incredible food. It was amazing the difference in quality between this place and our regular sushi spots; we are very happy to have a new place to go when the sushi craving strikes. Will definitely be going back... a lot.

    (5)

  • Cadence C.

    Authentic as it gets in AZ. However, small portions and very pricy. Just like back in Japan :p ... except we gotta tip and the tax rate is higher

    (4)

  • Sheetal R.

    I proclaim that this is the best sushi/sashimi I have had thus far in Phx. I love sushi but its been so hard to find a place that has good enough fish where it reminds me of eating clouds (yes, good fish should taste more like clouds than fish!) Anyways, the 5 stars is not because it is the best fish I have ever had, but it is the closest thing I have gotten in the state. The price is higher than other sushi bars in the area, but once you try it, you'll understand why. The quality of fish it top notch and the sushi chefs will even tell you which fish is in season. I first ordered a sake bomber (large beer and small sake) for $6.50. We ordered the Agedashi tofu and mixed veggie tempura. The tofu had a great soft, almost custard like, texture and tasted perfect. The tempura was good, nothing exciting to note. For entree, we got the Chirashi bowl, a spicy yellowtail roll, crazy roll, yellowtail sashimi and albacore sashimi. The chirashi was a very pleasant surprise with the amount of fresh cut fish but what solidified our decision for best sushi in AZ thus far, was the sashimi. The albacor was PERFECT and made me reminisce about the best sushi I had in Seattle, which did taste like clouds in my mouth. The dessert special of the day was crepes and they made my mouth very happy and was a perfect end to the meal. Overall, with the Yelp Check-in and 10% off our bill, we got out of there for $81 including tax and tip. As a said before, not cheap but not a bad price considering all that was ordered. Note: if you plan to come here on a Friday, its best to make a reservation because it can get crowded. Also happy hour is until 7pm.

    (5)

  • Gastrognome Z.

    Pros: *Quaint, clean, and classy ambiance in a small package. *Fish cut well *service friendly enough. Cons: *Sushi rice was bland and undercooked. *Some lesser ordered fish failed to deliver on freshness. This is a small spot located / connected to C-Fu Gourmet in Chandler. Great things come in small packages, and I was excited to see what this charming little place had to offer. The place is clean, classy, and comfortingly familiar if you make a practice of seeking out the smaller guys. Young kids behind the sushi bar, which I do my best not to sway my verdict...but does raise the question of experience. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that the twenty something ASU kids are incapable, but the classic sushi chefs are apprenticed for years, and don't even get to touch the fish for the entire first year. They spend that first year learning how to perfect the rice. I raise this point NOT in order to boast about my familiarity with the art of sushi, but because the rice was Shimogamos greatest failing. The order: All sushi (nigiri) *Mackerel (Saba), Salmon Roe (Ikura), Tuna (Maguro), Eel (Unagi), Albacore (Shiro Maguro), Yellowtail (Hamachi) The fish itself in all fairness was cut well, portions are modest and not atypical but the freshness seemed to take a hit on some of the less commonly ordered fish. Mackerel is an extremely "fishy" fish and spoils quickly and usually served salt cured and washed in rice vinegar, but this process often leads to over curing it or just letting it hang out for a little longer than it should which seemed to be the case. We usually save the Unagi, a cooked eel, with a sweet teriyaki like sauce for last, it's like a sushi dessert, like the cherry on top, the wonderful last bite to end your meal, this was not the case. The Unagi was dry, old, stringy, and tendon-y...not as hoped. Even the eel sauce failed to cover this up, which lets be honest, is so rich that it often can.. All of this, and the rice. That poor rice, embarrassingly flaunted around in its undercooked, flavorless garb, passed off and billed as sushi rice. This was not sushi rice...this was your college roommate's rice cooker at work, and though the maguro, and shiro maguro cuts of fish were cut just fine (and presumably because of their high order rate, kept fresh) the failing of that rice pulled the rug right out from under them....literally. It was so undercooked and poorly packed that it fell apart as you gingerly lifted them up with your chopsticks. The irony here is that the fresh fish was great, the minor missteps happened in the details, the cooked or brined fish, and of course the rice. If we had skipped the mackerel and unagi and ordered everything sashimi instead, this could be a glowing 3 or even a 4 star review. Total for the order came to $70, plus tip. The company from behind the bar was friendly which always makes this kind of review more difficult. Perhaps the rice was just off that night. Guess we won't know unless we try again.

    (2)

  • Hamid J.

    This place was a great find! It reminds me of the little Japanese places that litter LA, and for which I constantly long. Being our first time at this place, we stuck to the basics and ordered several types of Nigiri and hot sake. The Nigiri was excellent. Although we tried some of the more exotic choices, we found that the basic salmon and albacore were our favorites. Their house hot sake is also not your typical cheap and bitter California-brewed variety you get at most places. Their's is both sweet and smooth and perfectly drinkable! I love that they let you pick your own sake glass too. We will definitely be back to Shimogamo!

    (4)

  • Jon N.

    I have lived here for nearly 10 years. I acquired my sushi addiction back in NY/NJ and am always in search of some good quality fish. Most places in AZ are a dime a dozen. Nothing special, completely average and nothing to separate one from another. But, then there is Shimogamo. I have been here 10+ times. This is my base for top notch sushi. I have not been disappointed yet and I have tried a majority of their raw offerings. Sit at the bar, grab a beer, some cold sake and prepare to have a food-gasm. Their happy hour (7-days a week) prices are awesome. Lots of nigiri, rolls, beer/sake and appetizers to choose from on that menu. For the best eats, the list to focus on is the board behind the bar. It has all their weekly specials. The freshest items they get will be listed up there. Do not hesitate to try new things. Bonus points about this place is that the owner is Japanese! Even back east that is a rarity. Koreans (and even Chinese) own a large percentage of sushi joints. The chefs here are great at just making something unique for you that isn't on the menu. We usually get a round of some of our favorites, then let them freestyle the rest of the way. Don't confuse pricey with over priced. Great fresh fish is not cheap. There are plenty of cheap sushi joints with all you can eat and less than stellar grades of fish. If you always strive for better sushi and aren't content with the imitation crab (Krab = whitefish) that nearly 100% of other places use, step into the big leagues with Shimogamo.

    (5)

  • Stefanie M.

    Went here this past weekend and it was NOT a good experience. The food was ok but the service was horrible as soon as we walked in the door. Definitely won't be going back.

    (2)

  • Trisha M.

    Excellent sushi! Always friendly, helpful service. Very fresh tasting, and nice atmosphere.

    (5)

  • Kasey C.

    What a great place to find in Chandler! It's a tiny little space, but don't let that fool you. The flavors of the food are big! Not only was the food really good, and reasonably priced, but the staff was super friendly. We felt like regulars on our first visit. I will be back for sure! Thanks, Yoshi!

    (5)

  • Adam M.

    I was in the hood and visited for lunch today.... was super impressed. I ordered the special, which was a Japanese hamburger. The beef was tender and delicious. The burger was huge, and had a tasty sauce which made the burger, like, super duper umami. It came with a salad that had a tasty dressing, a bowl of rice, and a small seaweed salad. What a delicious meal! I didn't order sushi, but split an order of monkfish liver (!!!!!!!!!!! a favorite of mine) with the guys I had lunch with, it was sublime and wonderful. Most of their lunch menu items are $9-$11, for the quality and quantity they served, I felt it was a good value. I will def. be back!!

    (4)

  • Michael K.

    I kinda don't get the ratings on this one. The atmosphere is nice and the staff is friendly, but the food is very mediocre. The quality of the fish is so-so and the portions aren't really all that great. On top of that the prices are outrageous. I've been here twice now,just to give it a chance, and I probably wouldn't go back. Really- you can get better sushi at a MUCH better price at plenty of places near here.

    (3)

  • Sheila D.

    I tend to be a bit of a snob when it comes to sushi. Rarely have I been blown away by the sushi restaurant. I find typically that the sushi is ok but nothing special. However, this was not the case at Shimogamo. Everything was quite fresh so much so that they were out of several of the items we wanted. We tried several of their specialty items and were quite impressed with each. I highly recommend the miso marinated salmon and the tsunami roll were amazing. I ordered two items that are almost staples in my sushi: caterpillar roll and unagi. The unagi was so fresh and fabulous. I did not add my normal extra eel sauce because of the incredible taste of the eel itself. The caterpillar roll tasted good but really paled in comparison to everything else! The staff was quite attentive and helpful. I never had to wait for a refill of my drink. The atmosphere is nice. I like the simplistic decor and light music. I will be back again and again and again!

    (4)

  • Tim H.

    Shimogamo is one of those hidden gems of locally owned sushi restaurants and easily the best sushi and traditional home style Japanese food in the east valley. I agree with another reviewer, the best way to eat here is to put yourself in the hands of the sushi chef and kitchen cook and let them take care of you. If you don't mind spending a bit more, they are open to creating an omakase for $50-100+range or tweaking a lunch special to suit your taste. Best bets for lunch: Assorted sushi - $19 (or $30-35) if you want to upgrade to uni, ama ebi, toro if available/ Daily bento box lunch - $8.50 Super cheap and amazing, true Japanese comfort food.

    (5)

  • Justin S.

    Shimogamo ha saikouda! The sushi was good, I had the shimogamo and Vegas roll, hamachi and creamy hotate. They had a Kobe beef roll and a delicious looking okonomiyaki that was served at the other table... Next time I will definitely try those. I wanted to grab some standard sushi because the sushi chef was fantastic. I've watched sushi chefs my whole life, really really good ones, Japanese born and bred, through all the rigor and tests... In Hawaii and japan. The young man behind the bar crafting the sushi has the talent to go quite far. I think his name was Seth, but I'm not sure. I will get it next time. If you ever read this: you are good! Keep practicing and I think you will make a great ryoricho one day, head your own restaurant. I will bring you business! Just one thing.. Learn the Japanese pronunciation! Fish was pretty fresh, i inspected closely! The hamachi had a hint of bitter orange, I found out later there is an orange-hamachi, that must be where that came from. Miso-mayo is a good aioli, very few places use it, normally I need to just make it at home. My compliments, I will be back later, and I will tell everyone I know about shimogamo. The sushi bar not Kyoto!

    (4)

  • Dave E.

    This is the best sushi around. They have the freshest fish and high-grade as well. The Toro melts in your mouth and I recommend as sashimi. The food is so fresh that one time they had Ama Ebi on special and they billed it as fresh. I assumed it was flown in fresh. In actuality is was alive in a tank in the back. This place is pricey, but well worth it. They do have some great deals on some items during Happy Hour. Also, they have some special rolls not on the menu that they will make when it is not too busy...I highly recommend the citrus roll.

    (5)

  • Helen Y.

    Friendly neighborhood sushi bar...think Cheers with raw fish and nicer decor. Solid quality of fish with a nice selection of all the usual suspects. Also good selection of cooked dishes for the non-raw eaters.

    (3)

  • Eric W.

    My girlfriend surprised me with a birthday dinner at Shimogamo. It was one of the best sushi restaurants that I have ever been to (I have been to a lot), and hands down the best I have been to in AZ. We did as another reviewer recommended and, after giving our server some guidelines, allowed the chef and owner to send us whatever they wanted from the sushi bar and kitchen. All of the sushi was very fresh and some of the dishes were as creative as they were delicious. However, our favorite was the miso cod from the kitchen. In terms of price, our bill was in the $60 - 70 for two people, with a number of dishes and no alcohol. Yes, this would be expensive for a weekly sushi dinner, but for a special occasion it was actually cheaper than other nice restaurants that we have been to. I recommend this restaurant for a special occasion for any sushi lover and for any occasion for the diner who can both appreciate and afford fine sushi.

    (5)

  • Austin H.

    I frequent many sushi bars in the area and I would not recommend this place at all. My usual meal at every sushi restaurant is a chirashi bowl and a spicy tuna roll. A chirashi bowl is a bowl of mixed sashimi on a bed of rice. For me it is always a good way to determine just how good the sushi restaurant because this bowl has almost every type of sashimi you find on their menus - albacore, tuna, salmon, squid, egg, yellowtail, tuna belly, fish eggs, etc. Now concerning Shimogamo, not only were the portions very small for both the chirashi bowl and the spicy tuna roll, there was absolutely no flavor in the fish, neither did it look fresh. They charge high prices here -the chirashi bowl was $25, the spicy tuna roll was $6.25. The rice in the chirashi bowl was also dry, hard, and not cooked properly to be sushi rice I would recommend going to Sakana, specifically the location in ahwatukee. Portions are good sized, the fish is fresh, has flavor, and prices are reasonable. A chirashi bowl at Sakana is $16 while a spicy tuna roll is about $6. Also they are always consistent here, which is a huge factor in Japanese restaurants. If you don't believe give Shimogamo a shot, Sakana in ahwatukee a shot, and then you'll realize how much time, money, and effort you've wasted.

    (1)

  • Mike M.

    First and most importantly, this place has excellent, fresh sushi. Tried the albacore sashimi, uni, salmon sashimi in a salad with truffle oil, vegas roll, and seaweed salad. Only disappointing dish was the uni. The rest were superb. Total bill was under $75 including tip and 5 drinks (most everything was happy hour priced). Friendly service at the sushi bar and a fun atmosphere. Good date place.

    (4)

  • Tony R.

    Great food, great service. Excellent quality and yes, you pay for quality sushi. The owner, wait staff and chef are always friendly and extremely attentive. We have a favorite deemed the "Saturday Night Special" created by a chef after we sat at the bar and sampled some of his creativity. We arrived at one we really liked and, being Saturday, adopted the name. Great place and very unexpected for Chandler! Locals would like to keep it to ourselves but the word is out and well deserving of your business! My favorite sushi place - not snooty, great food, great service and no long wait. What's not to love?

    (5)

  • June J.

    Great happy hour, great service.

    (4)

  • Mel M.

    First the good: the sushi. Can't complain about the food. Will go again. Now the bad: service sucked. So many things went wrong on my first visit that I can't even type it out. All I will say is the sushi was good enough for me to go back but I will be sitting at the sushi bar.

    (3)

  • Akiko I.

    Chandler residents, try this place if you like Sushi. If you live around Chandler/Mesa area, you know how hard it is to find a descent sushi place unlike areas around north Scottsdale. We ordered few appetizers, multiple sushi and few rolls. The appetizers and the sushi were pretty good for the most part. But I do have to mention that the rice for one of the sushi was horrifying. I've never had rice fall apart on me when I tried to pick it up. It was soggy and all I could taste was sugar. Honestly, I'm amazed that the rice kept its nigiri shape on the plate. I don't know what happened on that particular sushi but yeah, that was unappetizing. The rolls were ok but nothing special at all. The portions were tiny and the flavor was barely there. So, from our point of view, this restaurant is pretty much on the same level as Kabuki in Old Town Pasadena, CA with an authentic Japanese sushi restaurant feel b/c of the presence of Japanese staff and the decor. That being said, it was really interesting to us because usually, a non-authentic sushi restaurants try to cover their lack of skill by serving pretty good rolls (which is basically an Americanized sushi.) But this place served better sushi than rolls. So kudos to them. Hence, it affected my rating along with the location to 4 stars. *Location = thank goodness that there is at least one pretty good sushi place around Chandler area *Food = pretty good *Service = very good *Atmosphere = nice and hip *Price = expected for AZ sushi place = over $100/a couple

    (4)

  • Frank E.

    My dentist recommended this place to me five years ago and every since then, I keep a keen ear to any of her recommendations as Shimagamo is the best sushi I've had anywhere. I've had sushi in CA, NY, TX and HI. The fish tastes fresh and the portions are generous. One piece of advice is to eat at the sushi bar rather than one of the booths, assuming you are having sushi. In my experience, sushi tastes better served as soon as each sushi piece prep is done rather than waiting for the entire sushi order to be completed. This place has the best Unagi and an awesome Escolar (which I haven't found anywhere else.) The Suprise Crazy Roll, served with a sweet wasabi sauce, is always on our Sushi order. The only con is that this place is pricey, but they do have a daily 5-7 happy hour that contains some great options. However, the best stuff is usually not on the happy hour menu. Also, this isn't a place to have Sake bombs. It's a very low key atmosphere for those just looking for an excellent meal. You'll likely notice early on how many folks are regulars. I was told this was the spot where many Japanese baseball players come to have their Sushi. The restaurant is very non-descript. It sits in a corner of a shopping mall and is easily overshadowed by it's neighbor C-Fu Gourmet.

    (5)

  • Eric P.

    The good: Great sushi, very fresh and good variety of rolls, sushi, and cooked dishes/entrees. Ambiance is clean and upscale. Owner and staff are delightful. For large groups, I recommend asking for the large table in back. The sushi bar is also enjoyable for single or party of two. Our favorite sushi restaurant in the east valley! The bad: It's a small place, so call ahead for reservations especially on weekend nights.

    (5)

  • Minh L.

    Really great place. Great service. Well, when we first came in, the guy said the wait will be at least an hour. But we were willing to wait. So we sat down and the guy suggested we go do something to kill time, so we did. We walked around Lee Lee's Oriental Market for a while. Well, before I left Shimogamo, the guy told me to give him my number and he will call me when a table is ready. Well, we got lucky and someone canceled their reservations so we got in. During our meal time, everyone was so polite. The food came to us in a reasonable amount of time. I ordered Tonkatsu and it was very delicious. I liked it. I will come back soon, but earlier this time haha

    (5)

  • Timothy B.

    I've heard it said that there's no such thing as good seafood in Arizona. While I can certainly understand the logic behind this reasoning, a worthy and notable exception has been found in Shimogamo. Shimogamo has carried my personal label of "Best Sushi in Arizona" for well over a year now. I've tried plenty of other sushi restaurants, including a number that have been touted as "the best" by friends, but Shimogamo consistently wins out in my personal opinion. The restaurant wins a five star review across all relevant categories of scoring, too: it's not just the food that's outstanding; it's the service, the consistent quality, the ambiance. I could still recount every detail from the very first time I ever stepped foot in Shimogamo. I fact, it was Yelp that led me there! VERY rarely does ANY place make such a distinct and pleasurable impression. Every time I've ever walked through the front door, I have been calmly and kindly greeted by the owner. He is quiet and polite and seems somewhat disaffected, but in a very gentlemanly sort of way. You can tell that he takes his business very seriously. The interior is small but classy; quiet, but in a calming way. All surfaces are consistently pristine and dirty dishes are removed from your area almost as quickly as you can create them. The sushi chefs are consistently cheerful and talkative, humorous and professional as well. Tonight I saw my favorite, Zach, as usual (I think he might live there), but also had the good fortune of meeting and being served by Josh, a four-day-young addition to the chef team. As always, the food was superb. Josh was fun to talk to, very funny, and a very capable sushi chef as well. I'm sure he'll be around for a long time. Zach came over to make conversation occasionally, too. Point being: Shimogamo feels like home. If there is one place that I am consistently EXCITED to tell people about and introduce friends to, it's Shimogamo. I honestly can't believe I haven't reviewed it sooner! The food is somewhat pricey, but I have never been happier to fork over some $$$ for anything. Besides, they have a great Happy Hour menu for not-rich people like myself! ;) If you haven't been to Shimogamo, you need to check it out for yourself. If you HAVE been, I don't know why you've read this far, because you already know all this first-hand! Well done, Shimogamo (Zach, Josh, and the rest of you)! Thank you for always being SO well worth the drive, the time, and the cost. Keep it up! And I'll keep sending new customers your way.

    (5)

  • Michael C.

    Sushi rolls for the connoisseur (if there is such a thing). Shimogamo's home in an Asian focused strip mall is a good indication that this place is the real deal. Another indication is the need for a reservation, its a good idea to call ahead. The only thing that did not feel authentic was the service with a smile, the service was impeccable. The food: - The pan fried dumplings are obviously made in-house to order. The flour dough wrapping had crispy edges and tasty filling. Yum! - The Big N' Spicy Roll was delicious and the spiciest roll I have ever had. I am pretty hardcore when it comes to heat and I would call this medium. - The Salmon Skin Roll is a little off the beaten path, again these were the best I have had anywhere bar none (e.i. Japan/Hawaii/CA/FL...). I don't know if they shaved the skin, but it was crispy and oily (omega-3) almost like bacon (not-omega-3). The table also shared a Roasted Roll, California Roll and a Futomaki Roll. All of which were well made with fresh ingredients. If you are going to try sushi once, try it here. Just call ahead!

    (5)

  • Jessica P.

    I love sushi. And not this trendy americanized sushi... I like fresh fish that's not drowning in sauce, which hides its flavor, that is true to Japanese style sushi. The vast majority of sushi places I have tried are americanized. Not this place. I am so glad I read thru the reviews of this place and that it's only a few miles away from me now. Tucked into the corner of a strip mall, sharing a bathroom with the C-Fu Gourmet, this place is very unassuming looking and simple. We were surprised to show up at 515pm on a Tuesday (they open at 5) and already most tables were filled. The decor and ambiance was perfect. Music was a jazzy fusion feel and it was nice and dark colored with light accents. We sat in the back room, feeling like mobsters doing a business deal. The center of this room has a huge family style table with a classy beaded drape that could be used as separaters. On the wall was a classy sign showing their specials. When I asked our server about it, she explained, without prompting, which fish was freshest and how a couple specials are cooked. Just with that, this place got 5 stars from me and I hadn't even tried their food yet. Side note for people with dietary restrictions: I have Celiac Disease and I am 100% gluten free so everything I ate or drank is gluten free. See the end of the review for my glowing gluten free/cross contamination review. I ordered a plum wine that came in a beautiful little glass that forces you to enjoy the wine, not suck it down. In other words, you refill this tiny thing from a carafe that holds the full glass. I also tried some of my husbands house sake he got with the expectation that it would be the normal bitter taste, like usual, and no. It wasn't bitter at all! It actually had a sweet ending! I was blown away. We started with a nice fresh seaweed salad. We ordered what was inherently gluten free, staying away from any imitation krab or breaded/fried items. We ordered: Alaska roll - snow crab was used and copper river salmon - smoky, awesome crab with a slightly citrus taste. Not jam packed with a ton of ingredients or sauce. SO AMAZING. Expensive but damn worth it. Spicy salmon - smoky and spicy Philly roll - strong cream cheese but good like that Citrus roll - very good balance of acidity and spice with a fresh ending Uni was super fresh and creamy. Uni is normally creamy, but this was the ULTIMATE creamy. I don't think I've ever had such fresh uni. We ended the evening with green tea ice cream for myself and red bean for the hubs. Excellent as usual. I have held off on writing this a couple days... I typically go to sushi with the expectation that I likely will get some sort of glutening due to how many places that use non-gluten free soy sauce in their sauce mixes. I was never glutened at all. No reaction. This could mean 2 things: 1) they use gluten free soy in their mixes or 2) they don't use soy sauce at all in their sauce mixes. I'm betting on that they don't use soy sauce at all and leave it to you to add it when eating if you wish. Add all that together... amazing food, amazing ambiance, not getting glutened... I would give this place 10 stars if I could. Totally worth the cost. Go here if you love sushi.

    (5)

  • Tarrah C.

    So, I don't know why I left such a short review last time, but this place definitely deserves more of my attention, because they truly are awesome. Whenever we travel, my husband and I usually make it a point to try and find a good sushi restaurant. The truth is, I no longer want to do that because I am so satisfied with Shimogamo! As funny as that sounds, I know, strange to find sushi of that quality in the desert, but, it's there! First off, this place is ALWAYS busy, if you go on the weekend, you will want to make a reservation for sure. In fact, you usually find a group of Japanese dining in the restaurant (a good sign of authenticity in my book) We've become such regulars, we have developed a nice relationship with the sushi chef and owner. They totally make us things off menu when we ask them too, (we have some favorite Japanese dishes we can find other places, far away, but not here) and they always do, and they make it well! For instance, one time they got in some fresh Sea Robin, we ordered the sashimi and then afterward they went ahead and fried the whole body for us to munch on, so good!!! (something we had seen at a restaurant in Vegas) So, what to try? Uni. if uni is your thing, you'll want to get it here. It's always fresh, and AMAZING....if it's not up to par, they won't serve it. (you don't want to eat runny uni, fyi, but you won't find that here) I never fail to order the Escolar (on the HH menu as well) it comes with a smoked pickled jalapeño on top, which at times can be really spicy, but sooooooo gooood....that's always a must for sure. All of their sashimi is fresh and of the highest quality, and Zach, their head Sushi chef, often brings in fun, fancy ingredients to play with every now and then. (we got baluga caviar on top our uni last time! ) Every now and then he'll get some special fish, such as the sea robbin mentioned above, Spanish mackerel (aji)....etc. In fact, it's good to follow their instagram as they often post what specials they have, and what special ingredients came in for the week (@shimogamoaz) Some of our favorite plates from the kitchen: absolutely have to get the truffle amberjack.....it's to die for. And we ALWAYS order the beef tongue, it's so good....be sure to dip it in the lemon juice they bring out with it! As for service, they are a great bunch of people, but be forewarned, sometimes at their busiest times (think weekend evenings) service can lag a little. But, I think they may have recently hired more help, because the last time we went, there was a new waiter and service was spot on the whole night. Bottom Line: You just can't go wrong with Shimo....

    (5)

  • Julie G.

    Great food. Very casual atmosphere. We were there for 2.5+ hours and felt at home. Lovely bacon scallops, yummy Vegas roll, ribs, Escobar, and many more...so amazing! Don't be scared by the location. Nice happy hour from 5-7pm. Can't wait to go back. First of many.

    (5)

  • Patricia M.

    Little hidden treasure! Amazing food, great ambiance! Everything on the menu is delicious! This place will continue to be our sushi spot!

    (5)

  • Kai Y.

    Love this place. Every time I'm up in the Phoenix area I try and stop in for one meal. Fish is always fresh and flavorful. Service is pretty good. The owner seats you but doesn't do much after that, and he's pretty quiet; not rude but no super friendly. Two young guys are the sushi chefs. The rolls are pretty good, but what does it for me here is the sushi. They also have a really good bbq beef tongue. If you happen to go between 5-7pm, they have a happy hour. Some drinks, sushi, rolls, and appetizers at a discount. Not a bad deal. I've happened to dine twice during happy hour and ordered about half my meal off the HH menu and half off the regular menu. Some fishes I crave aren't on the HH menu. The atmosphere is laid back, and I've always gone dressed casual. Some people do get dressed up but it's not necessary. Try this place, it's legit!

    (5)

  • Mike D.

    Goodness. I can't understand what took me so long to find this place. The sushi is remarkably good. The rest of the food is visually stunning and delicious. The decor is nice for the limited size of the restaurant and the service was excellent. Pricewise you're going to spend more than your typical sushi place but when you factor in the quality you're getting a great value. I'd recommend the gyoza for an appetizer and as much sushi as you can handle. I look forward to coming back here multiple times to have a full sampling of the menu.

    (5)

  • Jocelyn V.

    This is a late post, but here I am! I went here for the first time on my birthday and it was AMAZING. Hands down the best sushi I have had in a land locked state! It was a little hard to find because it is tucked away in an assuming plaza, but hey, if this creates less foot traffic then I am happy!

    (5)

  • Rick R.

    Good stuff here tonight. Authentic. Owner is from Japan. Nice guy. Miss Sushi chef Al but Zach is great.. Younger Asian kid too. I appreciate the grade of their fish..this place is not for "all you can eat" types....... Oh...the Panko ice cream was so good..

    (4)

  • Kevin P.

    This place was clean with a classy look. It has a relaxing atmosphere and their servers were pleasant. I noticed from the first bite that their stock is VERY fresh. I believe that the gentleman behind bar is the owner. I noticed that he was quite skilled with a blade and quick with a dish. I was impressed with Shimogamo and I will be coming back soon. It would be a great place for a good first impression on a date.

    (5)

  • Leah P.

    I ordered the Salmon Teriyaki with the side dishes. You have to order them separately. I had rice, miso soup, small salad and a tuna salad. All the food tasted fresh and yummy! My favorite thing was the mochi ice-cream!! I had the strawberry! The mochi was a perfect texture and thickness!! The servers were very nice, and friendly. My husband and I were seated in the back room, away from the main room, and it was nice and quiet and relaxing! I want to go back and try some sushi rolls soon!

    (4)

  • Mimi M.

    Shimogamo has absolutely wonderful sushi!!! This has to be one of the best places to get sushi in Phoenix. Shimogamo has very fresh sashimi, some interesting rolls, and a nice sake list. This small restaurant has a pleasant atmosphere and competent servers!!! What's not to love at Shimogamo?!?!?!?!?!

    (5)

  • Jaime G.

    Sometimes the hype creates high expectations. This is what happed here. I conatantly read great reviews. So i gave it a try and i was unimpressed. The crazy roll was blah. The spicy scallop was weird and partially shredded. Never had it like that and dont think i ever want to again. Well atleast i gave this place a try.

    (3)

  • Austin M.

    Shimogao is an exceptional sushi place and is well worth the price. It was a little bit of a drive from where I live, but the reservations made it extremely fluid and easy to be quickly seated. The restaurant was clean, well maintained and well staffed. The employees were friendly and our waiter happily gave their menu recommendations and favorites, also offering us advice as we are not huge sushi fanatics. The food we ordered took about twenty-five minutes to come to our table, which was great time considering how small the restaurant was and how many people they were serving. The staff were very keen to always keep our drinks filled and asked us very frequently if we had any needs for them. When we got our food, it was very fresh and smelled wonderful, the staff made sure the table was kept clean and it was probably one of the neatest meals I've ever eaten because of that. The Shimogamo roll is to die for and this place's sushi is incomparable to any I've had before. I definitely recommend this as a place to go visit.

    (5)

  • Robert C.

    Average. Came here with my son and wife. Good service. Prompt seating. Okay prices. Soups-not hot, just barely warm miso and sobo noodle, which is disappointing as the broth was yummy. We primarily ordered sushi rolls. Nothing to write home about. It clearly reminded me that Mesa is not near the ocean. I will probably return to check out the Chinese restaurant next door. Massive setting with Asian stage.

    (3)

  • Michael Z.

    Just ate here a couple hours ago. Loved the food. Their happy hour menu had great prices and their normal prices are actually extremely competitive. Definitely way lower than most of the sushi places that I've eaten at in AZ. Other than the sushi, we had gyoza, miso soup as a tempura don. The tempura don was an accident; I ordered a tempura roll and the waitress brought me a tempura don. However, it looked delicious and tasted great so I didn't complain. The staff was very nice. The servers made sure our waters were always full and we were always helped quickly. I will definitely be back here.

    (4)

  • John N.

    Amazing find. Great every time. Every order is made by someone who actually cares about your experience along with a wonderful presentation. Recommended for a group or a date if you need to impress.

    (5)

  • Rob C.

    My wife and I enjoy going here for sushi and Japanese food. It's a small, cozy place and it's not easy to get a seat on Friday and Saturday nights because it's soo good. Good food and a great vibe.

    (5)

  • Jeffrey T.

    After having lots of Japanese food in New York, Tokyo and the in-laws house in Hasuda, I was knocked out. They do it right here. I never thought I could get this quality and style of food in AZ. Extra bonus is that it was 2 miles from my parent's house in Chandler! We will definitely go again when we come back to AZ.

    (4)

  • Chetan S.

    We went to Shimogamo last month on a Saturday, We sat at the sushi bar. The sushi chef was very informative about their fresh calk board specials. We ordered one of each.... Amazing is the word! Cute little place, great find in the east valley. If you are into the cream cheese fried sushi this place is not for you. I would recommend this place to a sushi purist.

    (5)

  • Kristen C.

    I have gone here twice now where the owner won't seat me because I have a child. He says the place is full and reserved and both times it's been at 4-5pm with the entire place empty. My friend also told me he did the same thing to them with their daughter. I have been there without my son and the food is okay and I went back because I live right there. Very disappointed.

    (1)

  • Ron R.

    Shimogamo is BAR-NONE my favorite Sushi place in the Valley. It's not as inexpensive as some, but the quality of the sushi is truly impressive. I've gone to every sushi place I can in the valley (I live on this side of town) and many places outside of Phoenix (Seattle & San Francisco being the most notable) and I'd place Shimogamo against ANY of them. I'd recommend thier signature roll, as well as many of their sushi pieces, as I've had sushi there that I don't really like anywhere else (quail egg & uni). Go there. Try it. It's a small intimate place with great service and even better sushi. Reservations probably needed for the weekend and they even have a larger table in the back (a NICE back area) for larger groups. If there were six stars I'd give them that.

    (5)

  • Papa U.

    5 stars only because I can't give MORE!! Never a disappointment in the quality and service. Been dining here for years and always recommend it to friends looking for legit high grade sushi in AZ!!!

    (5)

  • Navid A.

    A true Chandler gem, must try. Everything is fresh and delicious. Personal favorites are the beef tongue, yakisoba noodles, and teriyaki chicken. They have many off-menu items that vary and you should give the fish head/cheeks a go they're spectacular. Best way to order is as a combo you really get a lot for the money considering the atmosphere and quality of ingredients. Best to reserve in advance as the space is small. The best place to sit is in the back room. Another potential downside is that they do run out of menu items from time to time.

    (5)

  • Lisa U.

    Citrus and Zen rolls were fantastic. Getting those every time I come. And I will come back often!

    (4)

  • Anila L.

    We wanted to try this place for so long, but what a disappointment it turned out to be! Maybe Monday evening is not the best time to get fresh ingredients from this place. Maybe it was not the right chef there at the moment. Maybe you get mediocre food when you "take it out". I have no idea what went wrong, but if the place is consistently good, these factors should not matter, especially when your bill is $88 for 2 (food only). Where do we begin? The presentation. I will give them that, almost everything looked neat and appetizing. I know size of sushi maybe a problem for some people, but not for us. We like small pieces with thinly sliced fish. In our mind that is how sushi are supposed to be, not gigantic pieces of thick fish for the added value. There are 2 potential problems here and we had both: freshness of fish and the way their rice is prepared. It was too sticky, too mushy and seemed to be too salty. At least it was not pressed as they usually do at stores (and unfortunately at some restaurants, yuck!) Same applies to the rolls we ordered (btw when a customer insists on no cucumber for both rolls, you repeat it while talking an order, it is a huge disappointment to find cucumber in both rolls!). Real crab sushi was too salty for me, ok for my husband. He said Eel sushi was good. Albacore Tuna Tataki salad - very fresh greens, nice sauce on a side, thank you for that, but not so fresh tasting albacore tuna! Could not finish it, put it aside after trying one piece. Same thing was with albacore tuna sushi. Lobster dynamite - a mess of a baked mayo with langostino tails on the bottom (Costco?). If we ignore a huge amount of baked mayo for a second, I don't understand how you can replace a lobster with langostino tails without letting your customers know. There is a difference, it is not the same, and do not try to convince me otherwise! It is not ethical to call langostino a lobster, and it is not ethical to substitute one with another without letting your customers know (have no idea what was the case, but I suspect the first scenario) Also, please do not put slices of overripen avocado with tiny brown spots on a side - just skip it if you don't have a fresh one. I do not get all these 5 star yelp reviews for this place. Besides, they do not even have half of the items pictured here from 2013. It is possible that the owner or chefs changed from those glorious times, but I am just speculating at this point. One positive thing Pan Fried Gyoza and Yakisoba were quite tasty, but these dishes are not the main reason I go to a sushi restaurant, fresh fish and properly cooked rice are. My husband and I got severe stomach ache the night after eating this dinner. I usually can eat nails and while people around me feel as if they were poisoned, I either feel nothing or very little. This is the first time in a few years I got poisoned. Without this last fact or if we had eaten or drank something else besides this dinner, it would have been 2 stars. Since I woke up in the middle of the night with a stomach ache, it is just 1 star, sorry. In the evening I was willing to give them a second chance, but in the morning I do not feel so generous at all! Waste of our time, energy and money.

    (1)

  • Sarah-Louise R.

    This place has an authentic quality that is hard to find these days. It is the best quality sushi for miles. I would highly recommend trying it out. Ive never been dissatisfied here (:

    (5)

  • Troy K.

    Exquisitely amazing quality raw fish! Nice and cozy . Friendly service. Might be a little high on the prices but you totally get what you'd pay for.

    (5)

  • Ursula D.

    I've been trying to shrink my "To-Do"/"Bookmark" list on Yelp. Shimogamo was on my list for quite some time and I was happy to stop by late last year! I really wish that I had gone long before. This is now my favorite place for sushi in the valley and I keep going back and forth between 4 and 5 stars. Let's see by the end of the review where I'll leave it. Shimogamo sits in a strip mall at the corner of Warner and Dobson Road, just barely inside of the Chandler city limits. It share a wall and a door in that wall with a popular DimSum restaurant. I have assumed that the 2 are sister companies because of the door. Shimogamo is definitely a modern day sushi/Asian establishment with a modern feel to it. It can appear kind of cold, but I guess when you're dealing with sushi, you need things to be cold. Needless to say, I think that this place is fantastic. One of the things that I like about Shimogamo is the fact that the quality of the sushi is stellar. The fish that they use is incredibly fresh. The sushi that I've tried is unique and creative. My favorite roll is the Big and Spicy Roll. It lives up to its name too! While just spicy enough for me, the smokey oil marinated jalapeno's may be a bit much for others. Since size does matter, this big role is a perfect fit for my appetite! I love to eat Black Cod cooked in Japanese restaurants....Amazing delicate and flaky. Seasoned well and simply delicious! Shimogamo did not disappoint. The service is attentive and professional. They have a large room in the back from a semi-private dining experience for large groups. The best part about Shimogamo is I spend less money here than I do in other sushi establishments in the valley, but I have had a far better experience with respect to flavor, creativity and freshness! I've decided given the quality of their sushi and the price... this is the best sushi in Phoenix. If you disagree, send me a compliment with your suggestion.

    (5)

  • Valerie M.

    We arrived so early that we were the first customers on this particular day. Greeted promptly and seated at the bar. Our host, the waitress, and our sushi chef were polite and efficient. The music I would classify as synthetic meh and the restaurant very small but the décor was pleasant. The food was real and very tasty. The Copper River Salmon nigiri was rich, dense, fresh and delicious. Agadashi was served like a soup with a fried Serrano garnish. We had a couple of the Happy Hour rolls -Shimogamo was fresh and had a surprising hint of lemon. Crazy roll was wrapped with rice paper so it even presented very differently. The Eel & cucumber was also very nice. As a whole the food and service were very nice, but I think the prices were a bit above what I may have paid elsewhere. Or maybe it's possible the prices really didn't seem to match well to the portions or cut of a couple of things. It's was $70 for two of us, two beverages -not cocktails, two rolls, one nigiri, and agadashi. Just seemed a bit steep, especially with two of the items being part of the happy hour savings.

    (4)

  • Glenn G.

    Very good quality sushi with a very nice happy hour menu. The service at the sushi bar was impressive and very personal. We enjoyed our time here and will definetly be back a number of times.

    (5)

  • Brendan W.

    Panko roll was excellent with a touch of heat from Wasabi. Rainbow roll is a great treat of several items including shrimp, yellow tail, and salmon. Las Vegas roll is always a favorite with eel sauce. This place is hidden next to C-Fu Gourmet.

    (5)

  • Liwi C.

    We have been very impressed with Shimogamo having partaken of both their Happy Hour Specials and regular menus on two occasions. The ingredients are always very fresh and I love being able to watch the chef cut, mold, roll, and create the tasty little packages. The offerings on their HH menu are pretty standard as far as HH sushi goes, but you can taste the quality. They also have fresh wasabi available for those not faint of heart. The staff is attentive and friendly. You can tell a lot of intention went into the execution of the decor. It's cozy but still a little edgy and you certainly wouldn't know you were in Chandler while sitting on the leather benches surrounded by metal, ball chain curtains in the back room. Their specials, while not inexpensive (which would be suspect when it comes to sushi anyway) are delicious. We tried the bacon wrapped scallops and, I mean, c'mon! BACON wrapped scallops! It seems like many reviewers compare any sushi here in the Valley to sushi they have eaten in places that are not land-locked deserts. Look, your meal had to be plucked from an ocean (at closest several hundred miles away), packed, and flown here. Seriously, People--that's comparing apples to oranges. Shimogamo is definitely in my top 3 of Phoenix-area Sushi and I'm thrilled they are so close to home.

    (4)

  • Jordi L.

    I have been here so many times now and have tried all of their specialty rolls. Everything is delicious. Our favorite is the tsunami roll, which has no rice. Their calamari in the best I have ever had. I never really ordered calamari anywhere else until I had it here. Now my expectations are too high when I order it elsewhere and I am always disappointed. Also, order a side of the soy jalapenos, they are great on top of sushi. The restaurant is small and very cozy. It is always very clean and the food is very fresh. The staff are very friendly and welcoming. I have never had a bad experience here.

    (5)

  • Kelli Michelle G.

    Very seldom do I give anything five stars but this place deserves 5+. Took two of my good friends to dinner here and was treated like royalty. This place has the most amazing sushi menu, fresh and beautiful display. Nothing is spared it is expensive but worth every dime. The sushi chef made certain that we knew that everything was fresh that day. Awesome experience I would definitely go there again soon.

    (5)

  • Marla T.

    We are from Los Angeles and eaten at numerous sushi restaurants there and here in Arizona. We have driven all over Phoenix, Gilbert, Mesa, Chandler and Glendale. For fresh good quality fish this is the place you want to go. They fly in their fish fresh several times a week. We had yellowtail, amberjack, escolar, live ama ebi, uni, eel cooked in house, albacore, toro. We also had a yellowtail hand roll with fresh lemon it was amazing. Everything was so fresh I forgot for a bit we were in AZ. This place is the real deal. Make sure you make a reservation!

    (5)

  • Ying L.

    My Japanese girlfriend recommended me to this place, the food is very good. The place is nice and clean. I will surely go back next time when I'm in Chandler.

    (5)

  • Frances L.

    Shimogamo was excellent! I've bookmarked this place for a long time now and have finally made RSVP to go. I was greeted and sat right away. We made RSVPs because reviews said they get packed and lucky we did because they sure did! Service was great. The quality of the fish we had ordered was beyond what we expected! We had also ordered beef tongue, which was grilled to perfection. We will def be back again!!

    (5)

  • Eric B.

    This is a cool Sushi spot with great decor. My wife and I go here once every other month and the food is consistent.

    (4)

  • Samnith P.

    First time eating here after reading the reviews of other yelpers. I must say that I was pretty impressed with the dishes that came out to us. They did not disappoint! We ordered the prime rib steak dinner, and some sushi platters. Every bit of taste, and texture was spot on right to the last bite. I will definitely be back!

    (5)

  • Susan P.

    Sushi AND happy hour? Ok, you got my attention... =) This place is super close to my house and I'm actually in this area all the time yet I've never even heard about it. I met my friend here for happy hour last week. We ordered so many rolls that I can't even remember them all. The philly roll, las vegas roll, shimogamo roll, and much much more and ended with some oysters. We sat at the bar and everyone was extremely friendly. I thought that the sushi was actually reallyyyyyy fresh. I love Philly rolls so I always have to try them everywhere I go. This was probably the best Philly roll I've ever had. It was everything I asked for. lol. They also have drink specials as well. My friend ordered some sake while I got their Red house wine. Two of those glasses and I was gone. lol. I felt like it wasn't HAPPY hour because even with happy hour pricing it was still pretty expensive. I think everything came out to about $70+. Doesn't sound like happy hour pricing to me. lol. I would definitely come back though. I really loved everything and it's so close to my home. I left completely satisfied. =)

    (4)

  • Kali A.

    This place was awesome! I'm definitely going back... It's a little spendy but the service was fantastic! We sat at the bar and the chef had us laughing almost throughout our whole dinner. It's a very romantic place for a date night as well. The food was awesome too.

    (5)

  • Raquel R.

    Not the best sushi I've ever had (I prefer Bei or Akai Hana) but it does the job... And they have some good lunch specials and service was excellent.

    (4)

  • Toryanni E.

    Very nice! I only had a small 5 piece roll but it was very delicious...the layout of the building is a bit odd but it was good sushi!

    (4)

  • LadyC C.

    We ended up at Shimogamo trying to quench a sushi craving. We picked Shimogamo because of the Yelp reviews and it's proximity to us. I was not impressed at all... We started off with the fried calamari. It looked great but tasted awful. It was sooo overcooked that I could barely bite in to some of the pieces and it also consisted of mostly tentacles. We ended up arriving at the end of happy hour so we ordered a few items off of the special happy hour list and some from the regular dinner menu. I appreciate that sushi rolls can take time to craft but it took an exorbitantly long amount of time to get from our appetizer to our rolls. And the restaurant was not overly packed. After the rolls finally arrived they were average, very bland, and some of the rolls flavors seemed off. There was nothing about them that made me want to eat the next piece. As a result, we put our utensils down and requested the check. Unfortunately Shimogamo left a bad taste in my mouth. This is the fourth sushi place I've been to since moving to Phoenix two months ago and it won't be on my go to list. There are much better establishments in the area - Roku in Scottsdale is amazing. I would even rate How We Roll in Phoenix better than this place. I was surprised on the way out of the restaurant when I realized there were two American guys rolling the sushi. On another note ... The atmosphere was nice. There are tables in the back that are more intimate and the waitress was very nice.

    (2)

  • Melchior P.

    Happy hour from 5-7 is great. Best sushi and other Japanese cuisine in the valley. Décor is simple and not snooty. Service is great and quick.

    (5)

  • Chris F.

    Awesome sushi, great quality and perfect service. Ate there last night with my folks and the four of us enjoyed every aspect of the experience. Solid, solid, solid.

    (5)

  • Andrew O.

    Really good sushi! Actually best I have found in the area. I would suggest making a reservation before hand

    (5)

  • Roxanne R.

    The edemame, gyoza, mussels, the little chicken tidbits, udon, crazy roll, yakisoba - were all great!!! You cannot miss the plum wine - a must try!

    (5)

  • Alyssa R.

    I have been to this restaurant twice and was not at all impressed my first visit. I would've given this spot 2 stars based on that visit. The service was just okay and the sushi was very bland and not cold enough. My 2nd visit was significantly better. The service still was not good, however the sushi was much better. The Citrus Roll was excellent and I highly recommend trying that roll. My boyfriend and I were sat in the back room on this visit and it was nice in that room - minus the creepy painting on the wall of a torture room or something?? That painting is hideous and grosses me out. It looks like a room from a Saw movie. Who wants to looks at that while they eat raw fish? Anyway, the 2nd visit was much better but still I'm not sure if I will be back. I hate it when restaurants are inconsistent in regards to their food. Service I can understand, but I think the food should always be consistent.

    (4)

  • kay s.

    Food came fast. Fish was okay. Price was a high. $14 for 4 slices of tuna sashimi with no rice no miso. I was also shocked by $2.5 for a cup of hot green tea on my bill.

    (3)

  • Monica J.

    I was a little disappointed in Simogamo but that is probably just because my expectations were too high since there are so many reviews raving about this place. I am certainly not a sushi or Japanese food expert but I thought that the descriptions of their rolls sounded kind of boring and unoriginal. So, I went with the sushi sampler instead which is 8 pieces of nigiri and a plain tuna roll for $19. Clearly not exciting stuff but it ended up that I loved all of it! The strength of this place definitely is the freshness of their fish. All of it tasted like the very highest quality. One of them was a fish I had never tried before (already forgot the name, ugh) and I really loved, one was mackerel which I usually can't stand but this one was very mild and tasty, and once was octopus which was the best I have ever had. Another plus was that they do offer many other Japanese entrees besides sushi so the hubby was able to get some teriyaki spare ribs and that put a big smile on his face. Their prices were a little higher than our favorite sushi place but still reasonable. The service was good but nothing out of the ordinary. The ambiance was not as nice as I was expecting but again that was based on the rave reviews... really for a mom and pop joint in a suburban shopping strip it is pretty nice. I was a little surprised at how small it was - this is for sure a date night place, it wouldn't really work for a big group or family meal. So, even though it probably won't replace Mido as our go-to sushi place (seriously they are so cheap!) I would definitely return to Shimogamo just for the quality of the fish. If you like sashimi or nigiri this is the place for you. If you prefer places like Ra with all the crazy rolls with a bunch of stuff in them and sauces drizzled on them or ayce type sushi places then this may not be your best bet.

    (3)

  • Jalecia W.

    This place is great. The sushi is delicious, there's not a long wait time on the sushi orders and the employees are very attentive. I also love the intimacy and ambiance of the restaurant. Definitely would recommend this place to my friends and family, or a really nice date.

    (5)

  • Dale S.

    Coming from Los Angeles, it was a point of great concern that I wouldn't be able to find a quality "go to" sushi spot living in the valley. After digging around for recommendations I arrived at Shimogamo. My expectations were met and then some! My friend and I were seated at the bar with Zach, who was quick with recommendations and great conversation. The rest of the staff was warm and inviting and we felt right at home. I'm pretty simple with my sushi, I generally prefer sashimi or nigiri only and stay away from most intricate or fancy rolls. The flavors were fresh, clean, and delicious. We tore through orders of Halibut, Salmon, Saba(mackerel), tuna, kanpachi, amaebi, and more. Everything was good to to great and some dishes were just outstanding. The miso soup was solid, and the Sapporo was plentiful. We didn't order any of the more creative rolls but we did spy a few diners ordering them and watched the preparation of several and they looked excellent as well. Placed reservations for my next visit before I even left.

    (5)

  • Joanne L.

    Food is excellent here. I had the beef tongue, salmon skin sushi roll, and the black miso cod. All was tasty and beautifully executed. The service is very attentive. I would definitely come back again. I regret not finding out about this place sooner.

    (5)

  • Ashley S.

    My absolute favorite Japanese and sushi place. I highly suggest making reservations because it is small and it fills up fast. The Korean ribs are fantastic and the flavors really rock. We always get loads of sushi and I order the tempura udon soup which always satisfies. Love it!

    (5)

  • Alice B.

    By far best sushi in Chandler! Their rolls are fresh and clean tasting- not full on mayonnaise or other western ingredients. Their food is authentic and delicious! I have been going here for years and have never been let down. Every dish is superb and worth a taste!

    (5)

  • Monika W.

    We were basically pushed out of the restaurant because we had kids. The hostess was rude and I was excited to try this place but I won't ever be back due to the way I was treated tonight when I walked in with my kids. Horrible.

    (1)

  • Theresa N.

    The sushi was great (one of the better sushi restaurants in Chandler), but the service was SLOW and the servers were RUDE. My friend and I placed our order and after about 45 minutes, it arrived. The portions were small, we decided we would order another couple items. We tried for 30 minutes to get the attention of the waitstaff (and considering this place seats maybe 30-40, it shouldn't have been hard...), but they blatantly ignored us and walked by our table at least 4 times, avoiding eye contact and seemingly deaf. This would have easily rated 5 stars, but the service made the experience almost painful...Will never return.

    (2)

  • Lenore B.

    Fresh and excellent sushi! I've been going here since 2005 and always get great service and excellent food. I especially enjoy going for happy hour from 5pm-7pm and sitting at the sushi bar. This place is tucked away in the corner of a strip mall and has an intimate vibe. It's great for a date night or for a night out with some friends. It's best to make reservations on the weekends, though, because it gets quite busy. My favorites: pan-fried gyoza, spicy tuna roll, Shimogamo roll, panko roll, spider roll, tsunami roll, caterpillar roll & rainbow roll.

    (5)

  • Liya F.

    I liked it here! The food was pretty great. I ordered the cucumber roll, veggie roll, and eel/cucumber roll. I love my cucumber, obviously! The rolls were a little small but they were tasty. I wish the rice had a little more seasoning, but it was definitely not bad at all! I also ordered the sunomono salad, which had shredded crab meat in it as well as some seaweed. It was very yummy but maybe a little too much vinegar. No big deal! My boyfriend ordered the shrimp tempura, calamari and chicken cutlet. He was not a fan of the calamari - it was a little tough and way spicy. That's okay - the rest of the food he said was delicious! Overall it was a little pricey for what we got ($56 for two people), but it was great. I'd recommend them to anyone in the area!

    (4)

  • Dougie F.

    best sushi ive had in phoenix. fish was fresh and melted in my mouth. not the cheapest, but the best so far.

    (5)

  • Rita H.

    Why do people love this place? It was way overpriced. Sushi was typical. Didn't feel like it was worth it at all. Don't get me wrong. Food was fine but with those prices I would expect a lot more. It doesn't help that the complex it is in doesn't say high class. Overall, middle of the road sushi, high class price.

    (3)

  • Richard T.

    Best Sushi in AZ so far in my opinion. The Citrus Roll is unreal. I have been here 5 times now, and each time was great, minus one visit. That one time, they were slammed and my rolls were not on par with how they were on other visits. Last night, we went for my best friend's b-day, and Yoshi (the owner I think) gave the b-day boy a free "Stamina Drink".. I had a small sip it. Tasted like isopropyl alcohal on ice with a splash of grape flavor. So.. pretty legit. On the way out, Yoshi told my friend, "Your life is wrong!" then burst into laughter. This was hilarious to me. I asked my friend if maybe he meant, "Your life is LONG?" maybe just a pronunciation error?? But WRONG is much funnier. Good Times :)

    (4)

  • Taylor E.

    This place was awesome!! Amazing food & prices were cheap as well, happy hour choices were good too!

    (5)

  • Matt J.

    Best sushi in Phoenix. Always fresh, innovative combinations. Ask for the head chef, Zack.

    (5)

  • Laura J.

    We must have tried at least 4 or 5 other sushi places in the Chandler area before finding this gem. My favorite is the salmon nigiri, always so smooth and buttery. The staff is always pleasant and helpful. I have Celiac and am on a gluten free diet, so I often request that my boyfriend's order is plated separately from mine, and they are always willing to accommodate. Never been glutened eating here either, so it's one of my go-to places.

    (5)

  • Julie G.

    Wow. Between my husband and I, we have had some good sushi before but that was fantastic. By far the best quality we have had to date. Every piece had the perfect texture and flavor. Be sure to make a reservation though because it had a line out the door by 7:00 on a Tuesday- open table worked great for us. Couldn't say enough good things about this place. It will now be our go to sushi joint. While we both joked about it at our table, it really must be true because when we walked out we overheard another group say "it's like Jiro dreams of sushi"

    (5)

  • Nick M.

    If ever in the chandler area and sushi is on your mind, shimogamo is best in town. Although it's in a strip mall the service is awesome, sushi chefs are amazing, seafood is always fresh, and although small, the place is all class.

    (5)

  • Chicky B.

    We were here for my birthday last night (Friday). I'm giving this place a 10! A small quaint place tucked in a strip mall but don't let that fool you. Definitely make reservations because it is not a walk-in kinda place...it is packed full all night long. If you're looking for a "Ra Sushi" atmosphere this is not the place. Being Japanese I would definitely say this is as authentic Japanese Sushi/Restaurant as it gets. You know it's damn good when the owners and chefs are Japanese AND there are hordes of Japanese clients eating there. The sushi was fresh and melt in your mouth good. Sushi is all about the fresh fish and the rice, and they have the best sushi rice in town..it's not frigidly cold or clumpy...it's room temp and just falls apart when you eat it. Perfection! We got all of the Fall Special Sushi....Live Amaebi, Ankimo (monkfish liver), Toro, King Salmon, Uni, and Tai. Every single one of them were super fresh. We also had Kanpachi, Mackerel, and Unagi. No frills...no strange sauces on the plate to mask the fish...just plane and simple fresh fish on rice. As it should always be. We also ordered the Shimogamo Roll. The size was perfect. No cream cheese here... it had lemon rind inside that gave it a fresh taste. Again perfect! I eat a lot of sushi and I know real good sushi (being Japanese and living in Japan and all)...Shimogamo is by far my all time favorite Sushi Restaurant in AZ, proves that you don't need to go to Scottsdale to find a good meal. Will keep coming back over and over again.

    (5)

  • Stephanie C.

    I've been to a few different places for sushi and Shimogamo is really what the 5 star rating is meant to be As good as it gets! The Shimogamo roll is probably my favorite along with the Crazy Roll. Mr. Yoshi is a great guy and always welcomes you. It's a hidden gem best place for sushi.

    (5)

  • Lauren F.

    I get tired of the same chain sushi places so I tried this place out the other night. They do have happy hour every day from 5-7 even on the weekends. That's pretty cool. I didn't love any of the appetizers or rolls that I tried, in particular. I'd say it was just average. We were also stuck sitting at a tiny 2 top table in a room (almost seemed like a private party type of room) where a party of about 10 women were already seated at a large table in the middle. So it was pretty loud and we eventually had to ignore or laugh at whatever the ladies were so loudly discussing. One thing that could be easily changed is the name of this place. I can't pronounce it and definitely can't remember it to tell a friend. I wasn't super impressed like I said, so I guess that won't be too much of a problem after all.

    (3)

  • Chris S.

    Certainly one of the top sushi restaurants in the valley and getting better every day. I've been to them all and Shimogamo, Yasu's, and Toyama are high above the rest of them. Warm and inviting, this place is a classy well decorated and lit restaurant tucked into a strip mall. Head sushi chef Zach has an appetite for bringing in interesting fish and items and is never allowing his customers to get board. His efforts to bring in new and fresh fish are a reward for those of us who have eaten sushi all of our lives. It is also a great place to go to early and get some great prices on beer and food. $4 large Sapporo when many places try and get $8-$10. A few things are a must if you come here. The salmon skin rolls here is done 10X better than any place I have ever eaten at. They make sure the skin is warm and crispy and loaded up. The sweet shrimp are also a winner. I spent most of my life not liking raw shrimp but Shimogamo has changed my mind. I also love all of the crispy parts of the body that are cooked. Oysters are always wonderful here as are the fresh scallops when they have them. An absolute must is the Escolar with the Jalapeno. I never ate Escolar prior and I would normally think that a Jalapeno would overpower such a mild fish but just GET IT. They torch the fish to draw out some fats and the Jalapeno has wicked smoky flavor. If you don't like it I can truly say you are strange! :) The toro the last few times is better than anything I have tasted in a decade. The king salmon, fresh mackerel, and Uni are always fresh and perfect. Everything we have had from the "cooked" kitchen is also very good so even if your friends do not eat sushi I would not hesitate to bring them along. Be careful for lunch because they are only open on Friday I believe. Reservations are a good idea unless you are there very early or late. Music is always right on with nice ambient grooves from Thievery Corp and similar bands. Lastly if you have a large private party for a special occasion they have a back room that can feel very private and classy. We had a B-day there for 12 and it was perfect.

    (5)

  • GorGor T.

    We liked the service.....sushi also fresh....steak cooked right....generally pretty good

    (3)

  • Wendy G.

    10 out of 5 stars for the Grilled beef!!! You will not be disappointed! Also love their Lobster dynamite roll. Everything else are good as well. As for sushi, this place is ranked #1 on my list of best sushi in town. The place is small, so make reservation before you go.

    (5)

  • Yasmin K.

    I'm going to revise my original post after going on the maricopa.gov restaurant inspection list. It appears Shimogamo has a few citations for not keeping their fish at the appropriate temperature of below 41 degrees. In fact, these citations say it was up to 54 degrees. As someone who checks the Maricopa.gov site regularly on these restaurant checks, I know that there are some citations that are really stupid (for example - they got cited for not putting the "consuming raw fish etc is bad for your health". Duh, it's a sushi restaurant. But, raw fish storage to me is important, since that's how many people get sick from sushi restaurants. As much as I liked this place, I am going to hold off a couple months until the next inspection to make sure this isn't re-occuring .

    (3)

  • Jared R.

    My mom came to town to help me out with surgery and on her last night we wanted to go out somewhere for a good dinner to celebrate me feeling better. After a bit of thinking i remember this place. We came here durring happy hour which was great as they have some great prices especially for the quality. The nigiri here is phenomenal we had both Escolar and Albacore both of which were amazing. Surprisingly the escolar was cooked (with hand held torch) but had amazing flavor and great texture (and i am not a big fan of cooked sushi). We also had the Crazy roll (half off for happy hour), the big and spicy roll (still great), a negi-yellowtail (not chopped up like most places just shashimi cuts with scallion and wrapped), and i had a spicy tuna hand roll. All of it was great and the fish quality top notch. We also had the house cold sake (too sweet for my taste but not bad). The only downsides were the miso was again a bit cold (the tofu is not soaked in the the soup but tossed in cold). And also there was an odd smell that i am pretty sure is from the fish joint next door but not from here. For the 2 of us with the sake it was $50 and worth it all. As for price it is about the same i expect for a dinner from Ra, Kona, Sakana, ect but the quality of fish is so much higher and the taste is way better. Have to say Shimogamo is rapidly becoming my favorite sushi place in the valley

    (4)

  • Eric M.

    Great! I was in town for work and needed good sushi. I was not disappointed! Michael at the sushi bar was awesome! I come to Phoenix for work often and and happy I found this place and will definitely be coming back!

    (5)

  • Kevin W.

    Been going here for years. Since New Times voted them Best Sushi in Az. Small cozy atmosphere we always sit at the sushi bar (Tip if u want most experienced chef sit to far left of bar) really good happy hour 7 days a week 5-7. All of the fish is not older than 48 hours. I can not tell you how amazing the service and food is. My only negatives 1. busy on weekends 2. Kinda pricey if you don't go during happy hour. 3. Recent sushi chef changes. But with all that if u want sushi that's on point then go here. Love this place!

    (5)

  • Christopher M.

    My girlfriend and I went here for her first trip to a sushi bar, and we were not disappointed. Everyone there was very friendly and talkative, and Alan even helped us pick a roll based on our personal tastes. The atmosphere was inviting and intimate, unlike many of the sushi bars I've been to in the valley. The Crazy roll and Big and Spicy roll were very delicious and we plan on going back very soon!

    (5)

  • Karen R.

    Best sushi ever!!!

    (5)

  • Malcolm M.

    Quality sushi, fun ambiance, and the chefs there are a blast to talk with. Definitely worth a visit.

    (5)

  • Jesse J.

    Went to grab some sushi with Jared R. tonight. He recommended this place from reading the reviews on here. We started off with the miso soup which was pretty good. Lots of Tofu and the broth had a nice flavor. We both ordered some sake bombers to gulp down with our meal. We got 5 rolls which were all really good. The first set was the yellowfin roll and the fiery shrimp. They both were really good. The fiery shrimp was exactly as the name said. It had just the perfect amount of kick and shrimp. The next roll to come out was the Tsunami Roll which was my favorite. It had a fried outside and lots of flavor. The sauce that came on the plate was more than just a decoration. Lastly we had the big and spicy roll and the spicy tuna roll. They both had a great amount of kick. The big and spicy was very good and the best part was the pickled jalapenos on the top. Overall this place was really good and I would totally go back again. Thanks again for another good find Yelp.com

    (4)

  • Emily M.

    Just love this place! I dont get over much anymore but when I do it is consistently amazing , clean, and wonderful friendly service- not to mention the food is FABU! Yoshi (owner) always does a great job making sure everyone is taken care of and will participate in your celebrations on occasion. Keep up the great work guys!

    (5)

  • Chris W.

    Let me start by saying WOW!!!! Talk about great sushi......I have been to a ton of places in PHX,Seattle, San Diego, San Fran etc. and this is by far the best I have had...I'm a little apprehensive on actually posting this just because there is limited spaces to eat at this place and I don't want a ton more people showing up but I thought that would be a little selfish and I don't really have a ton of people reading my post so it couldnt really hurt. But if you are in the area and you are reading this I would recommend you take a second and try this place out. Again great sushi and great service.

    (5)

  • Charlie C.

    awesome sushi, good happy hour, good service. ORDER THE JAPANESE FRIED CHICKEN AS AN APPETIZER. YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.

    (5)

  • Aly D.

    i loved it here! walking in it was really nice to see that almost every table was filled and that everyone looked pretty happy. we decided to sit at the sushi bar where we were greeted by the nicest sushi chefs ever! they were super friendly, talkative, and created some really delicious tasty goodness. it instantly felt like i was in someones living room having some really good food. shimagamo also has what looks to be an outstanding happy hour. i havent tried it yet but i plan on being a regular so i'll let you know how that goes :). definitely the best sushi experience i've had since moving to Phoenix. love it!

    (5)

  • Sara T.

    We showed up with a group of 11, which is a big group, I'll admit. However, they straight up told us they could not seat us and pushed us away. They didn't explain to us why at all which was very rude. Maybe everything would be okay if we had a reservation, but who knows for sure. I won't be back to find out.

    (1)

  • Peggy C.

    My hubby and I have been searching for a real authentic Japanese restaurant in Arizona for long and got disappointed by so many that were rated 4 to 5 stars on Yelp. The other day, I found Shimogamo from a Japanese community website in Arizona ( japanese-in-arizona.com ), and I thought it should be authentic and good enough to be posted on that website, so we went there for my birthday to give it a try! AND FINALLY!!!!! A real authentic Japanese restaurant TwT!!! It's a rather small and unnoticeable restaurant sitting beside C-Fu, but the moment we got closer to the restaurant, we were already amazed by the beautiful interior of the restaurant! The owner (I guess) came to welcome us as we entered, and seated us at the sushi bar. The whole atmosphere was great, with the jazz and/or bossa nova music in the background, every staff smiling, I felt like going back to Japan again (we were surrounded by lots of Japanese diners in the restaurant too)!! I ordered sushi pieces and my hubby ordered a grilled beef with herb sauce entree. From our experience that we had from other Japanese restaurants in the valley, entrees like grilled beef are usually very teriyaki like, the way I guess many non-asians are used to and prefer, but we were actually amazed and impressed by the beautiful and delicious grilled beef Shimogamo served!! The arrangement of the plate was a surprise: some carefully sliced mushrooms put underneath, with grilled beef and some veggies on the top, served on a beautiful modern plate (see picture). It just looked so nice! And we were amazed again when we tasted it; the beef was so tender and the aroma of the herb sauce lingered around your mouth...*w* The sushi I ordered were fresh and tender; the fish would just melt in your mouth (including uni and toro)!! I miss this feeling so much since I moved to Arizona last year and haven't been touched by eating any other Japanese food here. I also ordered a plum wine where its sweetness and light, lovely aroma made me feel soooo relaxed and happy *w*.... Definitely should go for a visit if you're a very picky diner and searching for authentic Japanese food like me! :D

    (5)

  • Raquel R.

    Love this place! Some of the best sushi I've ever had. Two words to describe everything: fresh and delicious! Good service even when crowded, food may take a little while bit well worth the wait.!

    (5)

  • Victoria R.

    Authentic and high quality! They make their own fish stock here instead of using instant and the attention to detail is evident in other dishes as well. This in not your typical sushi "bar". The atmosphere is much more intimate. You will impress your date if you bring them here.

    (5)

  • Rick S.

    While on a business trip to Chandler, AZ I found this little gem. The sushi was fresh (the salmon melted in your mouth), but beyond that the service was excellent. I sat at the bar and ordered from their happy our menu. While sitting there I noticed the sushi chef very engaged with the other customers at the bar. He new them by name and was servicing them some interesting rolls that were obviously not on the menu. Being the outgoing person I am I asked and was introduced to some great chef inspired rolls. The Shimogamo roll (that is on the menu) was amazing. It was fresh and just fantastic. Sitting next to me was a regular who ordered a Diamondback roll (being in AZ) that was great. They make a sauce with roasted jalapenos and other asian inspired ingrediants. Awesome. The service was excellent, the staff was fantastic and the customers great! This is my go to place while in Chandler. Check it out!!

    (5)

  • Mai V.

    I'm absolutely surprised to see some bad reviews on Yelp! My boyfriend and I have been there a few times and we absolutely love how intimate and friendly the atmosphere is. We are always greeted by the owner with a friendly smile. We've sat at the tables a couple of times and sushi bar once and have always received excellent service by our server and others who come by to pre-bust our tables. Al, the sushi cheft is just absolutely wonderful! Very passionate about the art of every plate that comes out... Literally a piece of art! Although it is a small restaurant, my dine-in experience has alway been pleasant. Very pleased with the service given. Most of all, the atmosphere is very intimate and that's what I most love about this place. Oh... And happy hour is everyday from 5-7 can I say AMAZING?! Hallelujah! Finally... A restaurant that has happy hour everyday! The quality of the food is worth every dollar spent! I rather give my money to an authentic-good quality-freaking awesome-small business than a massive chain with no quality and intimacy. If you have gone here and did not have a great experience, then I would just say, it is worth another try and I promise you won't regret it.

    (5)

  • Laura J.

    Good food and good service. We waited a half hour for just two of us but worth the wait. We loved it!

    (5)

  • Dan P.

    If you are a sushi lover, you will love Shimogamo. We stuck mostly to their happy hour menu and really enjoyed every dish. The fish tasted very fresh and the employees including our server were all excellent. I love shrimp anything and their Tempura (5pc) $6 was one of the best I have ever tried.

    (5)

  • AJ B.

    We went to the Shimogamo for the first time on Friday night. A dour man who appeared to be the manager approached us and said "We have no more space." Not a greeting, not offer of a wait time, not anything but "no more space". We left without having an food because we were definitely not welcome; more of an inconvenience the manager.

    (1)

  • Adrienne E.

    Always an awesome time. The whole team there is great and the fish is fresh. You're in for a treat, especially if they have baby yellowtail. Try the beef carpaccio...delish. Al is rad.

    (5)

  • Jarrod K.

    I've came in here with my friends and family numerous times and all I have to say is whatever you order, you won't be disappointed. But I absolutely love their miso marinated cod!

    (5)

  • harumi s.

    love this place. I'm Japanese and I'm picky about Japanese food. I was a little surprised by non japanese sushi chefs but I trust the Japanese owner and the food was amazing. if you are on the budget, their happy hour has great deals!

    (5)

  • Alicia H.

    Loooove this place! Yes it's pricey, but good sushi usually is. The guys making the rolls were friendly. The atmosphere is nice. Hubby absolutely loved the quail eggs and I couldn't get enough of the spicy shrimp roll. Seriously, try it. You won't be disappointed!

    (5)

  • Ben C.

    First of all, I must say Sushi is my favorite food. I have tried not all but most Japanese restaurant in town. This would be the best of all among others, although it might not be perfect each time but their food is fairly consistent. Fish is fresh, the rice cooked just right. Place is a bit small but they are usually not that busy. I will vote this best of Japanese restaurant in town and I will recommend everyone to try at least once.

    (5)

  • Michael C.

    Shimogamo is easy to miss tucked away in the corner of this strip mall next to C-Fu Gourmet. Make the effort to find it, it's well worth it! Not a huge raw fish fan, so I always keenly interested in the other stuff a "sushi" place serves. This place has a great selection! From dumplings to tempura to soup. There's plenty deliciousness to find here even if your not in the mood for sushi or sashimi. However, if you are in the mood for fishy - this place is hard to beat. Great variety, excellent preparation, and wonderful service. Very intimate and always busy, this is one of those place that you just have to experience for yourself.

    (4)

  • Chandler G.

    Best quality sashimi in the valley - not the place to come to for fried sushi rolls filled with cream cheese (these are not on the menu). the owners are actually Japanesee and pride themselves on being a real Jaoanese restaurant. Good happy hours - worth checking out It''s a small restaurant that fills up fast - either reserve ahead of time or prepare to wait.

    (4)

  • Golnaz P.

    This Japanese restaurant is run by a Japanese family. The service is exceptional. I love the thin slices of lemon in the water. The sushi is incredibly fresh. I ordered the Chirashi bowl for $25 and it was incredibly filling. It was full of delicious slices of fish. You pay for what you get here and it is all incredibly tasty and high quality. The restaurant is cute and usually packed. Reservations are highly encouraged. They have a cute table in the back for larger parties as well.

    (5)

  • Joe G.

    I have eaten at a lot of sushi places and even though I have dined here once, it was very, very good! Next time I go, I will update this accordingly, but so far I was pleasantly surprised.

    (4)

  • Danielle B.

    Great sushi and a wonderful ambiance. The service is excellent; my non-sushi eating mother interrogated our waiter on nearly all of the menu options, and the waiter politely responded to all of our inquiries, later explaining that all of the items were explained on the regular menu. We were there for happy hour and were able to order several rolls for an amazing price, especially given the high quality. I am already craving Shimogamo and will return later this weekend! FANTASTIC!

    (4)

  • Paul L.

    Well, 473rd meal at Shimogamo...Chef Zach and Chef Aaron continue to surprise me with their creation. Last night Chef Aaron delighted me with his version of Chirashi as well as the best Ankimo I've had there in it's eleven year history (the texture was exquisite)...& unfortunately they ran out. Today at lunch Chef Zach surprised me with Pompano prepare Karage style with perfect blend of seasonings as to not overpower such a delicate butterfish. It was superb, with each meal always better than the next! If you've never tried it then you are missing out on this hidden sushi gem of the best in North America. But don't believe me, let your taste buds decide for you!

    (5)

  • Ms. K.

    Another fantastic dinner! Need I say more. Sushi Chef Aaron presented me with one of my best dinners, a Chef Choice Chirashi Creation. Thank you!

    (5)

  • Paul L.

    Well, 473rd meal at Shimogamo...Chef Zach and Chef Aaron continue to surprise me with their creation. Last night Chef Aaron delighted me with his version of Chirashi as well as the best Ankimo I've had there in it's eleven year history (the texture was exquisite)...& unfortunately they ran out. Today at lunch Chef Zach surprised me with Pompano prepare Karage style with perfect blend of seasonings as to not overpower such a delicate butterfish. It was superb, with each meal always better than the next! If you've never tried it then you are missing out on this hidden sushi gem of the best in North America. But don't believe me, let your taste buds decide for you!

    (5)

  • Ms. K.

    Another fantastic dinner! Need I say more. Sushi Chef Aaron presented me with one of my best dinners, a Chef Choice Chirashi Creation. Thank you!

    (5)

  • Timothy B.

    I've heard it said that there's no such thing as good seafood in Arizona. While I can certainly understand the logic behind this reasoning, a worthy and notable exception has been found in Shimogamo. Shimogamo has carried my personal label of "Best Sushi in Arizona" for well over a year now. I've tried plenty of other sushi restaurants, including a number that have been touted as "the best" by friends, but Shimogamo consistently wins out in my personal opinion. The restaurant wins a five star review across all relevant categories of scoring, too: it's not just the food that's outstanding; it's the service, the consistent quality, the ambiance. I could still recount every detail from the very first time I ever stepped foot in Shimogamo. I fact, it was Yelp that led me there! VERY rarely does ANY place make such a distinct and pleasurable impression. Every time I've ever walked through the front door, I have been calmly and kindly greeted by the owner. He is quiet and polite and seems somewhat disaffected, but in a very gentlemanly sort of way. You can tell that he takes his business very seriously. The interior is small but classy; quiet, but in a calming way. All surfaces are consistently pristine and dirty dishes are removed from your area almost as quickly as you can create them. The sushi chefs are consistently cheerful and talkative, humorous and professional as well. Tonight I saw my favorite, Zach, as usual (I think he might live there), but also had the good fortune of meeting and being served by Josh, a four-day-young addition to the chef team. As always, the food was superb. Josh was fun to talk to, very funny, and a very capable sushi chef as well. I'm sure he'll be around for a long time. Zach came over to make conversation occasionally, too. Point being: Shimogamo feels like home. If there is one place that I am consistently EXCITED to tell people about and introduce friends to, it's Shimogamo. I honestly can't believe I haven't reviewed it sooner! The food is somewhat pricey, but I have never been happier to fork over some $$$ for anything. Besides, they have a great Happy Hour menu for not-rich people like myself! ;) If you haven't been to Shimogamo, you need to check it out for yourself. If you HAVE been, I don't know why you've read this far, because you already know all this first-hand! Well done, Shimogamo (Zach, Josh, and the rest of you)! Thank you for always being SO well worth the drive, the time, and the cost. Keep it up! And I'll keep sending new customers your way.

    (5)

  • Michael C.

    Sushi rolls for the connoisseur (if there is such a thing). Shimogamo's home in an Asian focused strip mall is a good indication that this place is the real deal. Another indication is the need for a reservation, its a good idea to call ahead. The only thing that did not feel authentic was the service with a smile, the service was impeccable. The food: - The pan fried dumplings are obviously made in-house to order. The flour dough wrapping had crispy edges and tasty filling. Yum! - The Big N' Spicy Roll was delicious and the spiciest roll I have ever had. I am pretty hardcore when it comes to heat and I would call this medium. - The Salmon Skin Roll is a little off the beaten path, again these were the best I have had anywhere bar none (e.i. Japan/Hawaii/CA/FL...). I don't know if they shaved the skin, but it was crispy and oily (omega-3) almost like bacon (not-omega-3). The table also shared a Roasted Roll, California Roll and a Futomaki Roll. All of which were well made with fresh ingredients. If you are going to try sushi once, try it here. Just call ahead!

    (5)

  • Jessica P.

    I love sushi. And not this trendy americanized sushi... I like fresh fish that's not drowning in sauce, which hides its flavor, that is true to Japanese style sushi. The vast majority of sushi places I have tried are americanized. Not this place. I am so glad I read thru the reviews of this place and that it's only a few miles away from me now. Tucked into the corner of a strip mall, sharing a bathroom with the C-Fu Gourmet, this place is very unassuming looking and simple. We were surprised to show up at 515pm on a Tuesday (they open at 5) and already most tables were filled. The decor and ambiance was perfect. Music was a jazzy fusion feel and it was nice and dark colored with light accents. We sat in the back room, feeling like mobsters doing a business deal. The center of this room has a huge family style table with a classy beaded drape that could be used as separaters. On the wall was a classy sign showing their specials. When I asked our server about it, she explained, without prompting, which fish was freshest and how a couple specials are cooked. Just with that, this place got 5 stars from me and I hadn't even tried their food yet. Side note for people with dietary restrictions: I have Celiac Disease and I am 100% gluten free so everything I ate or drank is gluten free. See the end of the review for my glowing gluten free/cross contamination review. I ordered a plum wine that came in a beautiful little glass that forces you to enjoy the wine, not suck it down. In other words, you refill this tiny thing from a carafe that holds the full glass. I also tried some of my husbands house sake he got with the expectation that it would be the normal bitter taste, like usual, and no. It wasn't bitter at all! It actually had a sweet ending! I was blown away. We started with a nice fresh seaweed salad. We ordered what was inherently gluten free, staying away from any imitation krab or breaded/fried items. We ordered: Alaska roll - snow crab was used and copper river salmon - smoky, awesome crab with a slightly citrus taste. Not jam packed with a ton of ingredients or sauce. SO AMAZING. Expensive but damn worth it. Spicy salmon - smoky and spicy Philly roll - strong cream cheese but good like that Citrus roll - very good balance of acidity and spice with a fresh ending Uni was super fresh and creamy. Uni is normally creamy, but this was the ULTIMATE creamy. I don't think I've ever had such fresh uni. We ended the evening with green tea ice cream for myself and red bean for the hubs. Excellent as usual. I have held off on writing this a couple days... I typically go to sushi with the expectation that I likely will get some sort of glutening due to how many places that use non-gluten free soy sauce in their sauce mixes. I was never glutened at all. No reaction. This could mean 2 things: 1) they use gluten free soy in their mixes or 2) they don't use soy sauce at all in their sauce mixes. I'm betting on that they don't use soy sauce at all and leave it to you to add it when eating if you wish. Add all that together... amazing food, amazing ambiance, not getting glutened... I would give this place 10 stars if I could. Totally worth the cost. Go here if you love sushi.

    (5)

  • Tarrah C.

    So, I don't know why I left such a short review last time, but this place definitely deserves more of my attention, because they truly are awesome. Whenever we travel, my husband and I usually make it a point to try and find a good sushi restaurant. The truth is, I no longer want to do that because I am so satisfied with Shimogamo! As funny as that sounds, I know, strange to find sushi of that quality in the desert, but, it's there! First off, this place is ALWAYS busy, if you go on the weekend, you will want to make a reservation for sure. In fact, you usually find a group of Japanese dining in the restaurant (a good sign of authenticity in my book) We've become such regulars, we have developed a nice relationship with the sushi chef and owner. They totally make us things off menu when we ask them too, (we have some favorite Japanese dishes we can find other places, far away, but not here) and they always do, and they make it well! For instance, one time they got in some fresh Sea Robin, we ordered the sashimi and then afterward they went ahead and fried the whole body for us to munch on, so good!!! (something we had seen at a restaurant in Vegas) So, what to try? Uni. if uni is your thing, you'll want to get it here. It's always fresh, and AMAZING....if it's not up to par, they won't serve it. (you don't want to eat runny uni, fyi, but you won't find that here) I never fail to order the Escolar (on the HH menu as well) it comes with a smoked pickled jalapeño on top, which at times can be really spicy, but sooooooo gooood....that's always a must for sure. All of their sashimi is fresh and of the highest quality, and Zach, their head Sushi chef, often brings in fun, fancy ingredients to play with every now and then. (we got baluga caviar on top our uni last time! ) Every now and then he'll get some special fish, such as the sea robbin mentioned above, Spanish mackerel (aji)....etc. In fact, it's good to follow their instagram as they often post what specials they have, and what special ingredients came in for the week (@shimogamoaz) Some of our favorite plates from the kitchen: absolutely have to get the truffle amberjack.....it's to die for. And we ALWAYS order the beef tongue, it's so good....be sure to dip it in the lemon juice they bring out with it! As for service, they are a great bunch of people, but be forewarned, sometimes at their busiest times (think weekend evenings) service can lag a little. But, I think they may have recently hired more help, because the last time we went, there was a new waiter and service was spot on the whole night. Bottom Line: You just can't go wrong with Shimo....

    (5)

  • Julie G.

    Great food. Very casual atmosphere. We were there for 2.5+ hours and felt at home. Lovely bacon scallops, yummy Vegas roll, ribs, Escobar, and many more...so amazing! Don't be scared by the location. Nice happy hour from 5-7pm. Can't wait to go back. First of many.

    (5)

  • Patricia M.

    Little hidden treasure! Amazing food, great ambiance! Everything on the menu is delicious! This place will continue to be our sushi spot!

    (5)

  • Kai Y.

    Love this place. Every time I'm up in the Phoenix area I try and stop in for one meal. Fish is always fresh and flavorful. Service is pretty good. The owner seats you but doesn't do much after that, and he's pretty quiet; not rude but no super friendly. Two young guys are the sushi chefs. The rolls are pretty good, but what does it for me here is the sushi. They also have a really good bbq beef tongue. If you happen to go between 5-7pm, they have a happy hour. Some drinks, sushi, rolls, and appetizers at a discount. Not a bad deal. I've happened to dine twice during happy hour and ordered about half my meal off the HH menu and half off the regular menu. Some fishes I crave aren't on the HH menu. The atmosphere is laid back, and I've always gone dressed casual. Some people do get dressed up but it's not necessary. Try this place, it's legit!

    (5)

  • Mike D.

    Goodness. I can't understand what took me so long to find this place. The sushi is remarkably good. The rest of the food is visually stunning and delicious. The decor is nice for the limited size of the restaurant and the service was excellent. Pricewise you're going to spend more than your typical sushi place but when you factor in the quality you're getting a great value. I'd recommend the gyoza for an appetizer and as much sushi as you can handle. I look forward to coming back here multiple times to have a full sampling of the menu.

    (5)

  • Jocelyn V.

    This is a late post, but here I am! I went here for the first time on my birthday and it was AMAZING. Hands down the best sushi I have had in a land locked state! It was a little hard to find because it is tucked away in an assuming plaza, but hey, if this creates less foot traffic then I am happy!

    (5)

  • Rick R.

    Good stuff here tonight. Authentic. Owner is from Japan. Nice guy. Miss Sushi chef Al but Zach is great.. Younger Asian kid too. I appreciate the grade of their fish..this place is not for "all you can eat" types....... Oh...the Panko ice cream was so good..

    (4)

  • Kevin P.

    This place was clean with a classy look. It has a relaxing atmosphere and their servers were pleasant. I noticed from the first bite that their stock is VERY fresh. I believe that the gentleman behind bar is the owner. I noticed that he was quite skilled with a blade and quick with a dish. I was impressed with Shimogamo and I will be coming back soon. It would be a great place for a good first impression on a date.

    (5)

  • Leah P.

    I ordered the Salmon Teriyaki with the side dishes. You have to order them separately. I had rice, miso soup, small salad and a tuna salad. All the food tasted fresh and yummy! My favorite thing was the mochi ice-cream!! I had the strawberry! The mochi was a perfect texture and thickness!! The servers were very nice, and friendly. My husband and I were seated in the back room, away from the main room, and it was nice and quiet and relaxing! I want to go back and try some sushi rolls soon!

    (4)

  • Eric P.

    The good: Great sushi, very fresh and good variety of rolls, sushi, and cooked dishes/entrees. Ambiance is clean and upscale. Owner and staff are delightful. For large groups, I recommend asking for the large table in back. The sushi bar is also enjoyable for single or party of two. Our favorite sushi restaurant in the east valley! The bad: It's a small place, so call ahead for reservations especially on weekend nights.

    (5)

  • Minh L.

    Really great place. Great service. Well, when we first came in, the guy said the wait will be at least an hour. But we were willing to wait. So we sat down and the guy suggested we go do something to kill time, so we did. We walked around Lee Lee's Oriental Market for a while. Well, before I left Shimogamo, the guy told me to give him my number and he will call me when a table is ready. Well, we got lucky and someone canceled their reservations so we got in. During our meal time, everyone was so polite. The food came to us in a reasonable amount of time. I ordered Tonkatsu and it was very delicious. I liked it. I will come back soon, but earlier this time haha

    (5)

  • Mimi M.

    Shimogamo has absolutely wonderful sushi!!! This has to be one of the best places to get sushi in Phoenix. Shimogamo has very fresh sashimi, some interesting rolls, and a nice sake list. This small restaurant has a pleasant atmosphere and competent servers!!! What's not to love at Shimogamo?!?!?!?!?!

    (5)

  • Jaime G.

    Sometimes the hype creates high expectations. This is what happed here. I conatantly read great reviews. So i gave it a try and i was unimpressed. The crazy roll was blah. The spicy scallop was weird and partially shredded. Never had it like that and dont think i ever want to again. Well atleast i gave this place a try.

    (3)

  • Austin M.

    Shimogao is an exceptional sushi place and is well worth the price. It was a little bit of a drive from where I live, but the reservations made it extremely fluid and easy to be quickly seated. The restaurant was clean, well maintained and well staffed. The employees were friendly and our waiter happily gave their menu recommendations and favorites, also offering us advice as we are not huge sushi fanatics. The food we ordered took about twenty-five minutes to come to our table, which was great time considering how small the restaurant was and how many people they were serving. The staff were very keen to always keep our drinks filled and asked us very frequently if we had any needs for them. When we got our food, it was very fresh and smelled wonderful, the staff made sure the table was kept clean and it was probably one of the neatest meals I've ever eaten because of that. The Shimogamo roll is to die for and this place's sushi is incomparable to any I've had before. I definitely recommend this as a place to go visit.

    (5)

  • Robert C.

    Average. Came here with my son and wife. Good service. Prompt seating. Okay prices. Soups-not hot, just barely warm miso and sobo noodle, which is disappointing as the broth was yummy. We primarily ordered sushi rolls. Nothing to write home about. It clearly reminded me that Mesa is not near the ocean. I will probably return to check out the Chinese restaurant next door. Massive setting with Asian stage.

    (3)

  • Michael Z.

    Just ate here a couple hours ago. Loved the food. Their happy hour menu had great prices and their normal prices are actually extremely competitive. Definitely way lower than most of the sushi places that I've eaten at in AZ. Other than the sushi, we had gyoza, miso soup as a tempura don. The tempura don was an accident; I ordered a tempura roll and the waitress brought me a tempura don. However, it looked delicious and tasted great so I didn't complain. The staff was very nice. The servers made sure our waters were always full and we were always helped quickly. I will definitely be back here.

    (4)

  • John N.

    Amazing find. Great every time. Every order is made by someone who actually cares about your experience along with a wonderful presentation. Recommended for a group or a date if you need to impress.

    (5)

  • Rob C.

    My wife and I enjoy going here for sushi and Japanese food. It's a small, cozy place and it's not easy to get a seat on Friday and Saturday nights because it's soo good. Good food and a great vibe.

    (5)

  • Jeffrey T.

    After having lots of Japanese food in New York, Tokyo and the in-laws house in Hasuda, I was knocked out. They do it right here. I never thought I could get this quality and style of food in AZ. Extra bonus is that it was 2 miles from my parent's house in Chandler! We will definitely go again when we come back to AZ.

    (4)

  • Chetan S.

    We went to Shimogamo last month on a Saturday, We sat at the sushi bar. The sushi chef was very informative about their fresh calk board specials. We ordered one of each.... Amazing is the word! Cute little place, great find in the east valley. If you are into the cream cheese fried sushi this place is not for you. I would recommend this place to a sushi purist.

    (5)

  • Kristen C.

    I have gone here twice now where the owner won't seat me because I have a child. He says the place is full and reserved and both times it's been at 4-5pm with the entire place empty. My friend also told me he did the same thing to them with their daughter. I have been there without my son and the food is okay and I went back because I live right there. Very disappointed.

    (1)

  • Ron R.

    Shimogamo is BAR-NONE my favorite Sushi place in the Valley. It's not as inexpensive as some, but the quality of the sushi is truly impressive. I've gone to every sushi place I can in the valley (I live on this side of town) and many places outside of Phoenix (Seattle & San Francisco being the most notable) and I'd place Shimogamo against ANY of them. I'd recommend thier signature roll, as well as many of their sushi pieces, as I've had sushi there that I don't really like anywhere else (quail egg & uni). Go there. Try it. It's a small intimate place with great service and even better sushi. Reservations probably needed for the weekend and they even have a larger table in the back (a NICE back area) for larger groups. If there were six stars I'd give them that.

    (5)

  • Papa U.

    5 stars only because I can't give MORE!! Never a disappointment in the quality and service. Been dining here for years and always recommend it to friends looking for legit high grade sushi in AZ!!!

    (5)

  • Anila L.

    We wanted to try this place for so long, but what a disappointment it turned out to be! Maybe Monday evening is not the best time to get fresh ingredients from this place. Maybe it was not the right chef there at the moment. Maybe you get mediocre food when you "take it out". I have no idea what went wrong, but if the place is consistently good, these factors should not matter, especially when your bill is $88 for 2 (food only). Where do we begin? The presentation. I will give them that, almost everything looked neat and appetizing. I know size of sushi maybe a problem for some people, but not for us. We like small pieces with thinly sliced fish. In our mind that is how sushi are supposed to be, not gigantic pieces of thick fish for the added value. There are 2 potential problems here and we had both: freshness of fish and the way their rice is prepared. It was too sticky, too mushy and seemed to be too salty. At least it was not pressed as they usually do at stores (and unfortunately at some restaurants, yuck!) Same applies to the rolls we ordered (btw when a customer insists on no cucumber for both rolls, you repeat it while talking an order, it is a huge disappointment to find cucumber in both rolls!). Real crab sushi was too salty for me, ok for my husband. He said Eel sushi was good. Albacore Tuna Tataki salad - very fresh greens, nice sauce on a side, thank you for that, but not so fresh tasting albacore tuna! Could not finish it, put it aside after trying one piece. Same thing was with albacore tuna sushi. Lobster dynamite - a mess of a baked mayo with langostino tails on the bottom (Costco?). If we ignore a huge amount of baked mayo for a second, I don't understand how you can replace a lobster with langostino tails without letting your customers know. There is a difference, it is not the same, and do not try to convince me otherwise! It is not ethical to call langostino a lobster, and it is not ethical to substitute one with another without letting your customers know (have no idea what was the case, but I suspect the first scenario) Also, please do not put slices of overripen avocado with tiny brown spots on a side - just skip it if you don't have a fresh one. I do not get all these 5 star yelp reviews for this place. Besides, they do not even have half of the items pictured here from 2013. It is possible that the owner or chefs changed from those glorious times, but I am just speculating at this point. One positive thing Pan Fried Gyoza and Yakisoba were quite tasty, but these dishes are not the main reason I go to a sushi restaurant, fresh fish and properly cooked rice are. My husband and I got severe stomach ache the night after eating this dinner. I usually can eat nails and while people around me feel as if they were poisoned, I either feel nothing or very little. This is the first time in a few years I got poisoned. Without this last fact or if we had eaten or drank something else besides this dinner, it would have been 2 stars. Since I woke up in the middle of the night with a stomach ache, it is just 1 star, sorry. In the evening I was willing to give them a second chance, but in the morning I do not feel so generous at all! Waste of our time, energy and money.

    (1)

  • Sarah-Louise R.

    This place has an authentic quality that is hard to find these days. It is the best quality sushi for miles. I would highly recommend trying it out. Ive never been dissatisfied here (:

    (5)

  • Troy K.

    Exquisitely amazing quality raw fish! Nice and cozy . Friendly service. Might be a little high on the prices but you totally get what you'd pay for.

    (5)

  • Ursula D.

    I've been trying to shrink my "To-Do"/"Bookmark" list on Yelp. Shimogamo was on my list for quite some time and I was happy to stop by late last year! I really wish that I had gone long before. This is now my favorite place for sushi in the valley and I keep going back and forth between 4 and 5 stars. Let's see by the end of the review where I'll leave it. Shimogamo sits in a strip mall at the corner of Warner and Dobson Road, just barely inside of the Chandler city limits. It share a wall and a door in that wall with a popular DimSum restaurant. I have assumed that the 2 are sister companies because of the door. Shimogamo is definitely a modern day sushi/Asian establishment with a modern feel to it. It can appear kind of cold, but I guess when you're dealing with sushi, you need things to be cold. Needless to say, I think that this place is fantastic. One of the things that I like about Shimogamo is the fact that the quality of the sushi is stellar. The fish that they use is incredibly fresh. The sushi that I've tried is unique and creative. My favorite roll is the Big and Spicy Roll. It lives up to its name too! While just spicy enough for me, the smokey oil marinated jalapeno's may be a bit much for others. Since size does matter, this big role is a perfect fit for my appetite! I love to eat Black Cod cooked in Japanese restaurants....Amazing delicate and flaky. Seasoned well and simply delicious! Shimogamo did not disappoint. The service is attentive and professional. They have a large room in the back from a semi-private dining experience for large groups. The best part about Shimogamo is I spend less money here than I do in other sushi establishments in the valley, but I have had a far better experience with respect to flavor, creativity and freshness! I've decided given the quality of their sushi and the price... this is the best sushi in Phoenix. If you disagree, send me a compliment with your suggestion.

    (5)

  • Valerie M.

    We arrived so early that we were the first customers on this particular day. Greeted promptly and seated at the bar. Our host, the waitress, and our sushi chef were polite and efficient. The music I would classify as synthetic meh and the restaurant very small but the décor was pleasant. The food was real and very tasty. The Copper River Salmon nigiri was rich, dense, fresh and delicious. Agadashi was served like a soup with a fried Serrano garnish. We had a couple of the Happy Hour rolls -Shimogamo was fresh and had a surprising hint of lemon. Crazy roll was wrapped with rice paper so it even presented very differently. The Eel & cucumber was also very nice. As a whole the food and service were very nice, but I think the prices were a bit above what I may have paid elsewhere. Or maybe it's possible the prices really didn't seem to match well to the portions or cut of a couple of things. It's was $70 for two of us, two beverages -not cocktails, two rolls, one nigiri, and agadashi. Just seemed a bit steep, especially with two of the items being part of the happy hour savings.

    (4)

  • Glenn G.

    Very good quality sushi with a very nice happy hour menu. The service at the sushi bar was impressive and very personal. We enjoyed our time here and will definetly be back a number of times.

    (5)

  • Brendan W.

    Panko roll was excellent with a touch of heat from Wasabi. Rainbow roll is a great treat of several items including shrimp, yellow tail, and salmon. Las Vegas roll is always a favorite with eel sauce. This place is hidden next to C-Fu Gourmet.

    (5)

  • Liwi C.

    We have been very impressed with Shimogamo having partaken of both their Happy Hour Specials and regular menus on two occasions. The ingredients are always very fresh and I love being able to watch the chef cut, mold, roll, and create the tasty little packages. The offerings on their HH menu are pretty standard as far as HH sushi goes, but you can taste the quality. They also have fresh wasabi available for those not faint of heart. The staff is attentive and friendly. You can tell a lot of intention went into the execution of the decor. It's cozy but still a little edgy and you certainly wouldn't know you were in Chandler while sitting on the leather benches surrounded by metal, ball chain curtains in the back room. Their specials, while not inexpensive (which would be suspect when it comes to sushi anyway) are delicious. We tried the bacon wrapped scallops and, I mean, c'mon! BACON wrapped scallops! It seems like many reviewers compare any sushi here in the Valley to sushi they have eaten in places that are not land-locked deserts. Look, your meal had to be plucked from an ocean (at closest several hundred miles away), packed, and flown here. Seriously, People--that's comparing apples to oranges. Shimogamo is definitely in my top 3 of Phoenix-area Sushi and I'm thrilled they are so close to home.

    (4)

  • Jordi L.

    I have been here so many times now and have tried all of their specialty rolls. Everything is delicious. Our favorite is the tsunami roll, which has no rice. Their calamari in the best I have ever had. I never really ordered calamari anywhere else until I had it here. Now my expectations are too high when I order it elsewhere and I am always disappointed. Also, order a side of the soy jalapenos, they are great on top of sushi. The restaurant is small and very cozy. It is always very clean and the food is very fresh. The staff are very friendly and welcoming. I have never had a bad experience here.

    (5)

  • Kelli Michelle G.

    Very seldom do I give anything five stars but this place deserves 5+. Took two of my good friends to dinner here and was treated like royalty. This place has the most amazing sushi menu, fresh and beautiful display. Nothing is spared it is expensive but worth every dime. The sushi chef made certain that we knew that everything was fresh that day. Awesome experience I would definitely go there again soon.

    (5)

  • Marla T.

    We are from Los Angeles and eaten at numerous sushi restaurants there and here in Arizona. We have driven all over Phoenix, Gilbert, Mesa, Chandler and Glendale. For fresh good quality fish this is the place you want to go. They fly in their fish fresh several times a week. We had yellowtail, amberjack, escolar, live ama ebi, uni, eel cooked in house, albacore, toro. We also had a yellowtail hand roll with fresh lemon it was amazing. Everything was so fresh I forgot for a bit we were in AZ. This place is the real deal. Make sure you make a reservation!

    (5)

  • Ying L.

    My Japanese girlfriend recommended me to this place, the food is very good. The place is nice and clean. I will surely go back next time when I'm in Chandler.

    (5)

  • Navid A.

    A true Chandler gem, must try. Everything is fresh and delicious. Personal favorites are the beef tongue, yakisoba noodles, and teriyaki chicken. They have many off-menu items that vary and you should give the fish head/cheeks a go they're spectacular. Best way to order is as a combo you really get a lot for the money considering the atmosphere and quality of ingredients. Best to reserve in advance as the space is small. The best place to sit is in the back room. Another potential downside is that they do run out of menu items from time to time.

    (5)

  • Lisa U.

    Citrus and Zen rolls were fantastic. Getting those every time I come. And I will come back often!

    (4)

  • Frances L.

    Shimogamo was excellent! I've bookmarked this place for a long time now and have finally made RSVP to go. I was greeted and sat right away. We made RSVPs because reviews said they get packed and lucky we did because they sure did! Service was great. The quality of the fish we had ordered was beyond what we expected! We had also ordered beef tongue, which was grilled to perfection. We will def be back again!!

    (5)

  • Eric B.

    This is a cool Sushi spot with great decor. My wife and I go here once every other month and the food is consistent.

    (4)

  • Samnith P.

    First time eating here after reading the reviews of other yelpers. I must say that I was pretty impressed with the dishes that came out to us. They did not disappoint! We ordered the prime rib steak dinner, and some sushi platters. Every bit of taste, and texture was spot on right to the last bite. I will definitely be back!

    (5)

  • Susan P.

    Sushi AND happy hour? Ok, you got my attention... =) This place is super close to my house and I'm actually in this area all the time yet I've never even heard about it. I met my friend here for happy hour last week. We ordered so many rolls that I can't even remember them all. The philly roll, las vegas roll, shimogamo roll, and much much more and ended with some oysters. We sat at the bar and everyone was extremely friendly. I thought that the sushi was actually reallyyyyyy fresh. I love Philly rolls so I always have to try them everywhere I go. This was probably the best Philly roll I've ever had. It was everything I asked for. lol. They also have drink specials as well. My friend ordered some sake while I got their Red house wine. Two of those glasses and I was gone. lol. I felt like it wasn't HAPPY hour because even with happy hour pricing it was still pretty expensive. I think everything came out to about $70+. Doesn't sound like happy hour pricing to me. lol. I would definitely come back though. I really loved everything and it's so close to my home. I left completely satisfied. =)

    (4)

  • Kali A.

    This place was awesome! I'm definitely going back... It's a little spendy but the service was fantastic! We sat at the bar and the chef had us laughing almost throughout our whole dinner. It's a very romantic place for a date night as well. The food was awesome too.

    (5)

  • Raquel R.

    Not the best sushi I've ever had (I prefer Bei or Akai Hana) but it does the job... And they have some good lunch specials and service was excellent.

    (4)

  • Toryanni E.

    Very nice! I only had a small 5 piece roll but it was very delicious...the layout of the building is a bit odd but it was good sushi!

    (4)

  • LadyC C.

    We ended up at Shimogamo trying to quench a sushi craving. We picked Shimogamo because of the Yelp reviews and it's proximity to us. I was not impressed at all... We started off with the fried calamari. It looked great but tasted awful. It was sooo overcooked that I could barely bite in to some of the pieces and it also consisted of mostly tentacles. We ended up arriving at the end of happy hour so we ordered a few items off of the special happy hour list and some from the regular dinner menu. I appreciate that sushi rolls can take time to craft but it took an exorbitantly long amount of time to get from our appetizer to our rolls. And the restaurant was not overly packed. After the rolls finally arrived they were average, very bland, and some of the rolls flavors seemed off. There was nothing about them that made me want to eat the next piece. As a result, we put our utensils down and requested the check. Unfortunately Shimogamo left a bad taste in my mouth. This is the fourth sushi place I've been to since moving to Phoenix two months ago and it won't be on my go to list. There are much better establishments in the area - Roku in Scottsdale is amazing. I would even rate How We Roll in Phoenix better than this place. I was surprised on the way out of the restaurant when I realized there were two American guys rolling the sushi. On another note ... The atmosphere was nice. There are tables in the back that are more intimate and the waitress was very nice.

    (2)

  • Melchior P.

    Happy hour from 5-7 is great. Best sushi and other Japanese cuisine in the valley. Décor is simple and not snooty. Service is great and quick.

    (5)

  • Chris F.

    Awesome sushi, great quality and perfect service. Ate there last night with my folks and the four of us enjoyed every aspect of the experience. Solid, solid, solid.

    (5)

  • Andrew O.

    Really good sushi! Actually best I have found in the area. I would suggest making a reservation before hand

    (5)

  • Roxanne R.

    The edemame, gyoza, mussels, the little chicken tidbits, udon, crazy roll, yakisoba - were all great!!! You cannot miss the plum wine - a must try!

    (5)

  • Alyssa R.

    I have been to this restaurant twice and was not at all impressed my first visit. I would've given this spot 2 stars based on that visit. The service was just okay and the sushi was very bland and not cold enough. My 2nd visit was significantly better. The service still was not good, however the sushi was much better. The Citrus Roll was excellent and I highly recommend trying that roll. My boyfriend and I were sat in the back room on this visit and it was nice in that room - minus the creepy painting on the wall of a torture room or something?? That painting is hideous and grosses me out. It looks like a room from a Saw movie. Who wants to looks at that while they eat raw fish? Anyway, the 2nd visit was much better but still I'm not sure if I will be back. I hate it when restaurants are inconsistent in regards to their food. Service I can understand, but I think the food should always be consistent.

    (4)

  • Monica J.

    I was a little disappointed in Simogamo but that is probably just because my expectations were too high since there are so many reviews raving about this place. I am certainly not a sushi or Japanese food expert but I thought that the descriptions of their rolls sounded kind of boring and unoriginal. So, I went with the sushi sampler instead which is 8 pieces of nigiri and a plain tuna roll for $19. Clearly not exciting stuff but it ended up that I loved all of it! The strength of this place definitely is the freshness of their fish. All of it tasted like the very highest quality. One of them was a fish I had never tried before (already forgot the name, ugh) and I really loved, one was mackerel which I usually can't stand but this one was very mild and tasty, and once was octopus which was the best I have ever had. Another plus was that they do offer many other Japanese entrees besides sushi so the hubby was able to get some teriyaki spare ribs and that put a big smile on his face. Their prices were a little higher than our favorite sushi place but still reasonable. The service was good but nothing out of the ordinary. The ambiance was not as nice as I was expecting but again that was based on the rave reviews... really for a mom and pop joint in a suburban shopping strip it is pretty nice. I was a little surprised at how small it was - this is for sure a date night place, it wouldn't really work for a big group or family meal. So, even though it probably won't replace Mido as our go-to sushi place (seriously they are so cheap!) I would definitely return to Shimogamo just for the quality of the fish. If you like sashimi or nigiri this is the place for you. If you prefer places like Ra with all the crazy rolls with a bunch of stuff in them and sauces drizzled on them or ayce type sushi places then this may not be your best bet.

    (3)

  • Jalecia W.

    This place is great. The sushi is delicious, there's not a long wait time on the sushi orders and the employees are very attentive. I also love the intimacy and ambiance of the restaurant. Definitely would recommend this place to my friends and family, or a really nice date.

    (5)

  • Dale S.

    Coming from Los Angeles, it was a point of great concern that I wouldn't be able to find a quality "go to" sushi spot living in the valley. After digging around for recommendations I arrived at Shimogamo. My expectations were met and then some! My friend and I were seated at the bar with Zach, who was quick with recommendations and great conversation. The rest of the staff was warm and inviting and we felt right at home. I'm pretty simple with my sushi, I generally prefer sashimi or nigiri only and stay away from most intricate or fancy rolls. The flavors were fresh, clean, and delicious. We tore through orders of Halibut, Salmon, Saba(mackerel), tuna, kanpachi, amaebi, and more. Everything was good to to great and some dishes were just outstanding. The miso soup was solid, and the Sapporo was plentiful. We didn't order any of the more creative rolls but we did spy a few diners ordering them and watched the preparation of several and they looked excellent as well. Placed reservations for my next visit before I even left.

    (5)

  • Joanne L.

    Food is excellent here. I had the beef tongue, salmon skin sushi roll, and the black miso cod. All was tasty and beautifully executed. The service is very attentive. I would definitely come back again. I regret not finding out about this place sooner.

    (5)

  • kay s.

    Food came fast. Fish was okay. Price was a high. $14 for 4 slices of tuna sashimi with no rice no miso. I was also shocked by $2.5 for a cup of hot green tea on my bill.

    (3)

  • Ashley S.

    My absolute favorite Japanese and sushi place. I highly suggest making reservations because it is small and it fills up fast. The Korean ribs are fantastic and the flavors really rock. We always get loads of sushi and I order the tempura udon soup which always satisfies. Love it!

    (5)

  • Alice B.

    By far best sushi in Chandler! Their rolls are fresh and clean tasting- not full on mayonnaise or other western ingredients. Their food is authentic and delicious! I have been going here for years and have never been let down. Every dish is superb and worth a taste!

    (5)

  • Monika W.

    We were basically pushed out of the restaurant because we had kids. The hostess was rude and I was excited to try this place but I won't ever be back due to the way I was treated tonight when I walked in with my kids. Horrible.

    (1)

  • Theresa N.

    The sushi was great (one of the better sushi restaurants in Chandler), but the service was SLOW and the servers were RUDE. My friend and I placed our order and after about 45 minutes, it arrived. The portions were small, we decided we would order another couple items. We tried for 30 minutes to get the attention of the waitstaff (and considering this place seats maybe 30-40, it shouldn't have been hard...), but they blatantly ignored us and walked by our table at least 4 times, avoiding eye contact and seemingly deaf. This would have easily rated 5 stars, but the service made the experience almost painful...Will never return.

    (2)

  • Lenore B.

    Fresh and excellent sushi! I've been going here since 2005 and always get great service and excellent food. I especially enjoy going for happy hour from 5pm-7pm and sitting at the sushi bar. This place is tucked away in the corner of a strip mall and has an intimate vibe. It's great for a date night or for a night out with some friends. It's best to make reservations on the weekends, though, because it gets quite busy. My favorites: pan-fried gyoza, spicy tuna roll, Shimogamo roll, panko roll, spider roll, tsunami roll, caterpillar roll & rainbow roll.

    (5)

  • Liya F.

    I liked it here! The food was pretty great. I ordered the cucumber roll, veggie roll, and eel/cucumber roll. I love my cucumber, obviously! The rolls were a little small but they were tasty. I wish the rice had a little more seasoning, but it was definitely not bad at all! I also ordered the sunomono salad, which had shredded crab meat in it as well as some seaweed. It was very yummy but maybe a little too much vinegar. No big deal! My boyfriend ordered the shrimp tempura, calamari and chicken cutlet. He was not a fan of the calamari - it was a little tough and way spicy. That's okay - the rest of the food he said was delicious! Overall it was a little pricey for what we got ($56 for two people), but it was great. I'd recommend them to anyone in the area!

    (4)

  • Dougie F.

    best sushi ive had in phoenix. fish was fresh and melted in my mouth. not the cheapest, but the best so far.

    (5)

  • Rita H.

    Why do people love this place? It was way overpriced. Sushi was typical. Didn't feel like it was worth it at all. Don't get me wrong. Food was fine but with those prices I would expect a lot more. It doesn't help that the complex it is in doesn't say high class. Overall, middle of the road sushi, high class price.

    (3)

  • Richard T.

    Best Sushi in AZ so far in my opinion. The Citrus Roll is unreal. I have been here 5 times now, and each time was great, minus one visit. That one time, they were slammed and my rolls were not on par with how they were on other visits. Last night, we went for my best friend's b-day, and Yoshi (the owner I think) gave the b-day boy a free "Stamina Drink".. I had a small sip it. Tasted like isopropyl alcohal on ice with a splash of grape flavor. So.. pretty legit. On the way out, Yoshi told my friend, "Your life is wrong!" then burst into laughter. This was hilarious to me. I asked my friend if maybe he meant, "Your life is LONG?" maybe just a pronunciation error?? But WRONG is much funnier. Good Times :)

    (4)

  • Taylor E.

    This place was awesome!! Amazing food & prices were cheap as well, happy hour choices were good too!

    (5)

  • Matt J.

    Best sushi in Phoenix. Always fresh, innovative combinations. Ask for the head chef, Zack.

    (5)

  • Laura J.

    We must have tried at least 4 or 5 other sushi places in the Chandler area before finding this gem. My favorite is the salmon nigiri, always so smooth and buttery. The staff is always pleasant and helpful. I have Celiac and am on a gluten free diet, so I often request that my boyfriend's order is plated separately from mine, and they are always willing to accommodate. Never been glutened eating here either, so it's one of my go-to places.

    (5)

  • Julie G.

    Wow. Between my husband and I, we have had some good sushi before but that was fantastic. By far the best quality we have had to date. Every piece had the perfect texture and flavor. Be sure to make a reservation though because it had a line out the door by 7:00 on a Tuesday- open table worked great for us. Couldn't say enough good things about this place. It will now be our go to sushi joint. While we both joked about it at our table, it really must be true because when we walked out we overheard another group say "it's like Jiro dreams of sushi"

    (5)

  • Nick M.

    If ever in the chandler area and sushi is on your mind, shimogamo is best in town. Although it's in a strip mall the service is awesome, sushi chefs are amazing, seafood is always fresh, and although small, the place is all class.

    (5)

  • Chicky B.

    We were here for my birthday last night (Friday). I'm giving this place a 10! A small quaint place tucked in a strip mall but don't let that fool you. Definitely make reservations because it is not a walk-in kinda place...it is packed full all night long. If you're looking for a "Ra Sushi" atmosphere this is not the place. Being Japanese I would definitely say this is as authentic Japanese Sushi/Restaurant as it gets. You know it's damn good when the owners and chefs are Japanese AND there are hordes of Japanese clients eating there. The sushi was fresh and melt in your mouth good. Sushi is all about the fresh fish and the rice, and they have the best sushi rice in town..it's not frigidly cold or clumpy...it's room temp and just falls apart when you eat it. Perfection! We got all of the Fall Special Sushi....Live Amaebi, Ankimo (monkfish liver), Toro, King Salmon, Uni, and Tai. Every single one of them were super fresh. We also had Kanpachi, Mackerel, and Unagi. No frills...no strange sauces on the plate to mask the fish...just plane and simple fresh fish on rice. As it should always be. We also ordered the Shimogamo Roll. The size was perfect. No cream cheese here... it had lemon rind inside that gave it a fresh taste. Again perfect! I eat a lot of sushi and I know real good sushi (being Japanese and living in Japan and all)...Shimogamo is by far my all time favorite Sushi Restaurant in AZ, proves that you don't need to go to Scottsdale to find a good meal. Will keep coming back over and over again.

    (5)

  • Stephanie C.

    I've been to a few different places for sushi and Shimogamo is really what the 5 star rating is meant to be As good as it gets! The Shimogamo roll is probably my favorite along with the Crazy Roll. Mr. Yoshi is a great guy and always welcomes you. It's a hidden gem best place for sushi.

    (5)

  • Lauren F.

    I get tired of the same chain sushi places so I tried this place out the other night. They do have happy hour every day from 5-7 even on the weekends. That's pretty cool. I didn't love any of the appetizers or rolls that I tried, in particular. I'd say it was just average. We were also stuck sitting at a tiny 2 top table in a room (almost seemed like a private party type of room) where a party of about 10 women were already seated at a large table in the middle. So it was pretty loud and we eventually had to ignore or laugh at whatever the ladies were so loudly discussing. One thing that could be easily changed is the name of this place. I can't pronounce it and definitely can't remember it to tell a friend. I wasn't super impressed like I said, so I guess that won't be too much of a problem after all.

    (3)

  • Chris S.

    Certainly one of the top sushi restaurants in the valley and getting better every day. I've been to them all and Shimogamo, Yasu's, and Toyama are high above the rest of them. Warm and inviting, this place is a classy well decorated and lit restaurant tucked into a strip mall. Head sushi chef Zach has an appetite for bringing in interesting fish and items and is never allowing his customers to get board. His efforts to bring in new and fresh fish are a reward for those of us who have eaten sushi all of our lives. It is also a great place to go to early and get some great prices on beer and food. $4 large Sapporo when many places try and get $8-$10. A few things are a must if you come here. The salmon skin rolls here is done 10X better than any place I have ever eaten at. They make sure the skin is warm and crispy and loaded up. The sweet shrimp are also a winner. I spent most of my life not liking raw shrimp but Shimogamo has changed my mind. I also love all of the crispy parts of the body that are cooked. Oysters are always wonderful here as are the fresh scallops when they have them. An absolute must is the Escolar with the Jalapeno. I never ate Escolar prior and I would normally think that a Jalapeno would overpower such a mild fish but just GET IT. They torch the fish to draw out some fats and the Jalapeno has wicked smoky flavor. If you don't like it I can truly say you are strange! :) The toro the last few times is better than anything I have tasted in a decade. The king salmon, fresh mackerel, and Uni are always fresh and perfect. Everything we have had from the "cooked" kitchen is also very good so even if your friends do not eat sushi I would not hesitate to bring them along. Be careful for lunch because they are only open on Friday I believe. Reservations are a good idea unless you are there very early or late. Music is always right on with nice ambient grooves from Thievery Corp and similar bands. Lastly if you have a large private party for a special occasion they have a back room that can feel very private and classy. We had a B-day there for 12 and it was perfect.

    (5)

  • GorGor T.

    We liked the service.....sushi also fresh....steak cooked right....generally pretty good

    (3)

  • Wendy G.

    10 out of 5 stars for the Grilled beef!!! You will not be disappointed! Also love their Lobster dynamite roll. Everything else are good as well. As for sushi, this place is ranked #1 on my list of best sushi in town. The place is small, so make reservation before you go.

    (5)

  • Scott S.

    I have to say that I am impressed with the Sushi/Sashimi/Rolls. That is not why I'm giving them 2 stars. My wife and I dined there a few times and the sushi was fresh and the service was good. I am, however, very annoyed at the fact that they advertise takeout and I have called on two occasions and was denied my order. The first time was last summer and they said that it was too hot outside. Really?!?!? I called tonight and they said that they were too busy. I strongly suggest that the restaurant inform their customers of the possibility that they will refuse to take an order.

    (2)

  • Candace R.

    4 for atmosphere, 3 for food and service I found this place on Yelp for dinner last night and my friend and I hung out in our care a few minutes before they opened at 5pm. We were quickly seated and we took a look at the HH menu and figured out what we wanted. We shared an order of the shrimp tempura, and I had a California roll and spicy tuna roll and my friend had a Vegas roll and rainbow roll. Our server was very nice, but the time between his stops at our table and how the food came out was really long. It took probably 10 minutes for our appetizer to come out, and then from the first sushi roll coming out, it probably took another 10 minutes to get all 4 of our rolls on the table. They weren't overly busy, but it looked like food was coming out to different tables at different times which seemed strange. My rolls were okay - nothing mind blowing. While I waited a lot, I was fascinated by a little private room they have in the back which was super cute and chic. The restaurant has a very NY vibe to it. I'll probably return

    (3)

  • richard o.

    I've eaten here about twenty times and I can't believe I haven't reviewed it yet. It is one of my favorite restaurants in the valley and top three for Japanese (Shinbay, here, Hana, maybe Roka) The drink prices are great and even better at happy hour. The sushi is great but so are the reasonably prices kitchen items. If you aren't a piggy like me you can eat here very reasonably. We love the owner, Yoshi. Try the boars specials, always great!!

    (5)

  • Corie W.

    Yummy...Found so great sushi in Chandler.... We will definitely come again. BIG AND SPICY ROLL...

    (5)

  • Angeline T.

    We went during happy hour. Got the crazy, las vegas, spicy yellowtail, california roll, assorted tempura and tempera ice cream for dessert all for $40. All the rolls were delish, but relatively small compared to other sushi places. Tempura was more on the greasy side, but had a good variety (shrimp, carrots, green chili, onion, green bean and eggplant). Tempura ice cream was great. They give you 1 green tea and 1 vanilla covered with a lightly pound cake and tempura batter. Only reason why I gave it a 4 star is the size of the rolls, other than that great tasting sushi!

    (4)

  • Joshua W.

    The last thing you're expecting to hear when you walk into this traditional Japanese restaurant is Dr Dre but I continue to be amazed by this place. Flawless!

    (5)

  • G J.

    Totally blown away by the sushi and sashimi. Had yellowtail sashimi and was presented generously sized pieces. Very fresh and served at the perfect temp. Then ordered Escolar, tuna and Spanish mackerel sushi. They did not have toro but hopefully they'll have it on the next trip. We tried a few of the rolls - names I cannot remember - and they were delicate and delicious. The rolls were not tricked up and over sauced like the rolls you find at Ra or most other sushi bars that have adapted to American tastes.

    (5)

  • ChristyAnna Z.

    I'm not a local, so I chose this place based on the other reviews. I was really pleased with the sushi. I also had the fried calamari and it was really good. I would definitely go here again if I was in the area. It's a pretty small place so I was happy that I made a reservation. When we arrived, our table was waiting for us. The service was great.

    (4)

  • Cynthia S.

    Very disappointed there was no sushi. Food was meh. We got ignored most of the night. Oriental people came in 40 mins after us and got served before us.

    (1)

  • Mike S.

    Excellent service, very quaint atmosphere and the sushi is very fresh. The miso soup and miso salad were great, not to mention great sashimi and house rolls. This place is a hidden gem.

    (4)

  • Scott P.

    First off, get yourselves ready for some vulgarity. I have a LOT of great things to say about this restaurant, and absolutely zero tolerance for some of the douchepickles who have written reviews about it. That's right: you're all a bunch of wanna-be foodies who need to keep your boojie ( urbandictionary.com/defi… ) asses glued to the bars at Ra and Blue Wasabi. You don't deserve to eat at a place like this and no one wants to hear your opinions. I absolutely love this place. I've been looking for this place for YEARS, and it just so happens to be in my backward. I've tried a BUNCH of sushi/Japan restaurants in the area, and I've always walked away disappointed. They're perfect for you types who love to tell your friends how edgy you are because you 'LUV SUSHI OMG LOL!" but have never tried melt-in-your-mouth toro, explosive ikura, or FRESH scallops. Your expertise lies in the fields of California rolls, spicy tuna, and cream-cheese. I don't frequent these places because they don't have what I want (the aforementioned toro, ikura, and uni), and I'd been searching for a place where I could get my fix. Came here with my girlfriend tonight and was a little wary... but hopeful. Saddled up to the sushi bar and looked over the menu. I should preface this review by mentioning how I even found this place: I searched for 'uni' near Gilbert, and this was one of the first places that came up. I was fiending for some uni, and nothing less than perfection would do. So here we were, walking into a new sushi place, with high hopes that were just begging to be dashed upon the shores of disappointment beach. Hesitantly, I asked the itamae about the availability of uni. He just smiled and said: "Oh yeah, we have it tonight!". Furrowing my brow, I imagined that he must simply be toying with my emotions. Casting an apprehensive eye back to the menu, I noticed that they had 'toro' listed. An inquiry as to it's availability was met with a big smile and a reply of "Yes, we have toro, and it's great!". A similar reply came when I asked about ikura. And so, we checked off a few boxes, ordered some carpaccio, and watched the man go to work. The first few morsels appeared: sake, hamachi sashimi, and escolar. Now I'm not hugely familiar with escolar, and was wondering what was going on when my dude took a blowtorch to it. He was more than happy to explain: escolar is a really fatty fish so we hit it with a bit of heat and throw one of our in-house roasted jalapeno slices on top. Now, I'm pretty puritanical when it comes to my sushi... but I have to say, this shit was RIGHT. The escolar was immaculate, and no less pleasing was the sashimi and salmon. Narrowing my eyes, I nodded thoughtfully as hope began to build within my weary soul. Our rolls were delivered, and were promptly consumed: the shimogama roll was nicely presented with a great texture of crunch and mayo, but it was the salmon skin roll that really twisted my titty hairs. It was PERFECTLY crisped, with a delightful flavor that is HARD to find in salmon skin rolls (read my others sushi reviews- salmon skin rolls is one of my go-to items that I use to judge a prospective place). In short, the salmon skin roll was fucking mind-blowing. No sooner had we polished those rolls off then our next plate came: toro and uni. I'm not going to lie to you... I was praying with every ounce of my soul for these pieces of sushi to suck sleepy ass so that I could continue my search and keep yearning for perfection... but then I'd be lying. I would be blatantly lying to your face, dear reader, if I told you right here and right now that it was anything less than spectacularific. The toro *LITERALLY* melted in my mouth- a few chews, a few swishes, and the meat had dissolved into a fatty delicious vapor which danced tantalizingly along my tongue. The uni was no less skeet-inducing. The good itamae showed us the package that it had come in, and was all-too-pleased to inform us that: "This box was shipped in today. It was probably picked out of the urchins earlier today. We have people who come in and buy entire boxes of this... I don't know how they afford it, but they do- they call in advance and order a whole box of this." After tasting it, I know that the man is worth every grain of rice in his nigiri. As I mentioned earlier, I was CRAVING uni, and Shimogamo knocked it out of the park. It was exactly what I was looking for. Then came my ikura (with a quail egg floating happily inside), and I ate it. I ate the shit out of that gunkan-maki, and I wanted to tap my girlfriend on the other side of her shoulder and steal the other out of her hand when she turned around. Because I'm devious like that and I care only for my own happiness. Yeah I said it. Well shit. I'm out of space. Come eat at Shimogamo. Now.

    (5)

  • Carl C.

    Went to Shimogamo tonight, absolutely amazing fish! Some of the best fish in AZ. Michael, one of the sushi chefs showed me amazing technique and skill. Along with knowledge and precision. Honestly, it was one of the best sushi experiences I have had. If you aren't a big fan of over sauced sushi rolls and just appreciate the quality of fish and expertise of how it is treated, Shimogamo is where to go.

    (5)

  • Gehan K.

    A Great secret place tucked away in a strip mall. You should go and discover for yourself.

    (5)

  • Mike M.

    Who knew the desert can host quality fish. Really great food with reasonable pricing. Japanese owned and ran Japanese restaurant.

    (5)

  • Nicole G.

    Don't go here! Because once you do...the bar will be raised, and you will forever need/crave/save up for this place. Yes, it's a bit pricey - But you're eating RAW FISH. It's worth it. The Salmon Sashimi was lovely : ) Big Fan of the YellowTail. I also, had the Beef Carpaccio (I know, I know), which was to die for...and I am a sushi snob. The fish is super fresh, the owners were attentive. Any comments about the owner being a snob might be true...but I honestly liked the guy. It's his place, and he knows what he's talking about. Basically, he's allowed to be a snob. Just go - You'll love it and you'll agree with all the other 5 star reviews. Now, if you need someone to hold your hand, and artificially smile at you while you slam your sake bombers and eat your deep friend Las Vegas rolls - This might not be the place for you. Go back to Mill.

    (5)

  • Josh B.

    Shimogomo is our new sushi place. Best in the east valley by far. Enjoyed a great happy hour menu. Every roll we ordered was fresh and tasted excellent. We will be back here every pay day now.

    (5)

  • Jasmine C.

    Went for my son's 15th birthday to enjoy lunch. Sushi is his favorite. This place is small and you have to go into the restaurant next door for the restroom. The menu is fairly limited and expensive, in my opinion. The service was average and the food was just okay. I don't think we would bother to go back.

    (2)

  • Julie M.

    I'm changing my rating. We have returned to this place several times. And the sushi is top notch for az. This is now our go to place for sushi in the east valley.

    (5)

  • J J.

    Great family restaurant, with excellent Sushi. Love the small quaint atmosphere and the personal service. The Oyster/Uni shooters are awesome. Go here and you will not be disappointed. I've had almost everything on the menu and it is great. Shimogamo roll, tempera shrimp, salmon roll, tuna roll, live scallop hand roll...well..,you get the point. Delish!

    (5)

  • Elissha D.

    Very cute place on the inside and the sushi was good but not as interesting as we hoped as far as choices, ingredients, etc. Still like Sakana better but it's far from home. Still looking for awesome, interesting, amazing sushi near south Chandler.

    (3)

  • Jeremy P.

    The sushi quest continues. And we decided to check out one of the more promising places in the East Valley. So we rolled into Shimogamo, a small place next to C-Fu Gourmet and across the street from Lee Lee Market. With neighbors this Asian, they have to be legit, right? The first thing I noticed was a nice list of fish and roll options, but a limited set of specials. That's fine, maybe we can see if there's anything they're not telling us about... Or ask the chef to make us something interesting. We started with the beef carpaccio. Carpaccio is typically thinly sliced meat, served raw with some marinade, scallions, and other garnishes. This one was supposed to be seared, but it came out medium. It was pretty good, but could have been much better if it were actually served rare. Next, we had something we asked the chef to surprise us with. Disappointingly, the chef didn't come over and tell us what he made, and the waitress didn't seem to know. But it involved a tempura-fried whitefish on a bed of Japanese veggies and a tough of tobiko. It was good, but we were definitely hoping for something a little more interesting. Probably the least memorable surprise we've had from a sushi chef yet. Next, we had albacore and escolar sushi. They were both good, and came garnished, so I didn't add any soy sauce to those... And they were conveniently on the happy hour menu. Bonus! We had a spider roll afterwards, and while I'm not usually a fan of rolls, I always like a good soft-shelled crab. This one was better than some of the others I've had, on account of the fact that it also had avocado. The waitress then brought us our shrimp sashimi (with the fried shrimp heads - make sure you ask for that if you order the fresh shrimp!). These shrimp were huge, and fresh. Plus, as an added bonus, the heads came stuffed to the brim with "goodies." I'm not exactly sure what the goodies are, but they have a distinct flavor, and I suspect it is a mix of central nervous system and the free-form liver/pancreatic capabilities that most crustaceans are endowed with. We had the tuna poke, which seems to be Shimogamo's signature dish. It tastes great, but it is quite basic. Basically just tuna and avocado topped with a lightly fried quail egg. This is one of those times when "less is more" is true. After this, we had another item on the specials board, the orange yellowtail. This is yellowtail sashimi marinaded with citrus flavor, served with sliced avocado and a touch of sriracha. This was actually pretty delicious. Finally, we finished with salmon roe and scallop nigiri, and quail eggs. The salmon roe was some of the best I've had in awhile (they didn't have that fishy flavor that you sometimes get at a place with limited quality control). Unfortunately, a few of the things we wanted to order were not available. They didn't have any uni, baby yellowtail, or toro, which was really quite a bummer. The owner explained to us that the market price is simply too high right now for him to be able to avoid throwing a bunch out, so I appreciate his willingness to only serve what he can guarantee to be fresh. Some of this is the fault of their clientele, who from what I could tell, is very caucasian, and might not be interested in paying top dollar for a great cut of fish. My final verdict on Shimogamo is that it's good, but a clear step below the best sushi places I've been to. Everything was fresh, and the dishes were well-executed. Furthermore, the prices were reasonable. All of these make it a very respectable location, and potentially the best in the East Valley (we'll have to try the competition, of course). Where they fall short is in two areas: first, the menu (and it seems the chefs) lack creativity. They do a limited set of dishes well, but they don't seem to be food artists. It's a little too generic. Second, the waitress didn't seem very knowledgeable about some of the menu items, and had to ask the chef about a few things. If she is relatively new, I could give her a pass. Shimogamo may compete for the "best in East Valley" subcategory, but it can't quite hang in the top tier.

    (4)

  • Nick G.

    These guys do a great job. One of the top 5 sushi joints in the valley, and top 2 for overall value. Lots of items on the special board, great service, and reasonable pricing. I'd give them 5 stars if the kitchen did as good of a job as the sushi chefs. If you're looking for "real" sushi (not 100+ special rolls) such as great fish, oysters, and Japanese cuisine this is your spot in the valley. If you want better you'll need to pony up the money (2x $) for shinbay or Roma Akor. Great job shimagamo.

    (4)

  • Nate T.

    I was in town visitng from LA with a close friend and found this place on Yelp...sushi quality was good but could be better for the price. The uni was the highlight and we ended up ordering 4 pcs total. The sweet shrimp could be a little more moist, it was dry and the fried head was just to oily. The scallops were a bit dry as well but still had good flavor. The rolls I got to try a piece of, I couldn't tell what fish was inside as it was covered up by the sauces. The beef tongue was good if you're feeling adventurous. In any case, it's hard to say I could come back if I were Chandler again without trying the couple of other places around.

    (3)

  • Christina N.

    Okay, you ready for this one? My boyfriend...loves sushi! Me...let's just say I've had my issues with experiencing sushi but I wished I liked it because I know it is good for you and it looks amazing. So, of course being adventurous people we decide to branch out and try a new restaurant. When you pull into the parking lot it is tucked away in the corner so make sure you do not miss it. You walk in and you get this great small business feel to it. The best way to describe its ambiance is that it is a cozy, average-lit, clean, modernized sushi hole in the wall! Love it! We were sat up at the sushi bar which probably holdds around 15-20 people max. (see picture) Along the wall there were around 5 small tables and in the back there is a private 'party' room. (See picture) We were automatically brought water, and served small plates with fresh wasabi and sliced ginger as well as given soy dipping dishes. we decided to order a cold sake and it was recommended by our waiter (good choice). My boyfriend is the sushi expert and decides to just pick a few random things for us to share. We had the spicy tuna roll (the only one I did not try), the octopus, the eel, the yellowtail, sea urchin, spicy scallop hand roll and escolar. Let me tell you...wow!! The seafood was really very fresh. The escolar was my favorite or as the awesome sushi-ya (Zach) put it baby dolphin! LOL. I told him they should put that up on their specials board. Have it read: fresh flipper rolls! Oh, and by the way, they have live shrimp that you can eat after watching them prepare it to special standards! (see picture) So, back to the quality of the food. The only comment my boyfriend really had was about their octopus. He was expalining to me the difference between good octopus and bad...it's the texture and firmness of it. The food looked beautiful and tasted very clean and elegant. I most definately seeing us coming back here again. Especially to talk more about baby dolphins being freshly clubbed daily with Zach! :) Thank you for making our evening very fun and very special! I will remember this sushi moment forever!

    (4)

  • Josh M.

    Simply amazing. Thanks to chef Al for great conversation, food and suggestions. We felt right at home from the beginning here. The atmosphere is sheik and intimate. The tempura was perfectly crisp and light, the fish all incredibly fresh (shrimp was killed/prepared right in front of us fresh), rolls were truly an explosion of flavor in every bite and the dessert (Japanese crepes) were heavenly. We can't wait until next time!

    (5)

  • Dick Harmon E.

    Amazing fresh salmon...great cuts... I only wish we could've saved Harvey...Ama Ebi ...poor little guy was dying and no one gave him mouth to mouth...he died in my arms...no, mouth LOL tuna sashimi was amazingly fresh

    (5)

  • Matt D.

    This was an incredible sushi experience. I had never had sushi from anywhere but Panda Express so I was in for a true treat when dining in at this very aesthetic and clean restaurant. The wait staff was very attentive and friendly, suggesting different types of rolls and sushi for my party.everything was so fresh and well made. I highly recommend the Crazy Roll and Rainbow Roll.

    (5)

  • Mona D.

    The service is genuinely lacking at this place, but the food is great. When you order appetizers or happy hour items, don't expect them to come prior to your entree. They will likely come intermittently during, and after (think of your sushi roll as your dessert). I completely forgot about one of the appetizers we had ordered, and by the time it came, our entrees were done. They serve everyone as the entree is ready as well... Not great when there are 4-5 of you and each person is waiting out of courtesy to begin their meal. There are numerous times where I have been here where they have been out of certain dishes due to issues with the kitchen. The ambiance is good- small tables, but a nice seating area in the back if you have a large enough group.

    (3)

  • Meagan B.

    My friend came into town on a Thursday night for a visit, so my boyfriend and I decided to take her out for something she hadn't been able to find much of in Wisconsin: SUSHI! We hadn't been here yet, so it was a bit of a gamble just telling her, "Yelp said it was a GREAT place!" Safe to say, BEST sushi on this side of town! Great ambience, fresh sushi (we tried several of the rolls and some sashimi), had a fun time doing sake bombers. Service was prompt and friendly. Will definitely be coming back for happy hour!

    (4)

  • Sarah K.

    Shimogamo ruined my life. Why 5 stars you ask? I can no longer eat sushi anywhere else. Best sushi I've had anywhere. And in Arizona no less! The fish is so fresh - I usually prefer it on its own, not in a roll. I feel like usually I order rolls because the fish isn't so great so I'd like some mayo concoction to hide the taste of the fish. Not so here. Escolar is the best. Salmon is incredible. Tuna - yum. You can't go wrong. There's a poke appetizer that they sometimes have that is outstanding. Ambiance is pleasant, staff is nice, but the fish... oh the fish. Any time I want sushi and I consider another place, I'm like, why? Who are we kidding let's just go to Shimogamo. Go - you won't regret it.

    (5)

  • Diane N.

    A small place with a charming contemporary design and limited seating, but this has to be one of the best sushi restaurants I've been to in the Chandler, AZ area. We ordered a lot of food and they were wonderful. I'm giving this place 5 star for a combination of their food and service! Will definitely come back. They had the best fried gyoza ever (it was the sweet chili sauce that did it for me)!

    (5)

  • Nicolas B.

    This is my favorite traditional Japanese restaurant in the valley. Shimogamo is a great place to go on a date if you want something nicer without a hefty bill. It's a smaller restaurant and is generally fairly quiet, for more privacy ask for seating in the back. Food is delicious and they have a good selection from dinner combinations to appetizers and sushi. Owners and sushi chef have always been very nice and sociable on my visits.

    (5)

  • Meg G.

    What happened to Shimogamo? I had a good experience there 2 years ago. It was a 4 star sushi restaurant for me that time with good quality of food and service and that's why we went back there for our 3rd wedding anniversary. But our anniversary was totally ruined. Their service was terrible, just terrible. The only thing they did right was taking order of our drinks and brought them quick. After that things just went wrong in every way. It was like we were totally not served. For starter, we ordered beer and they only brought the bottle, no glass although other tables got glasses. That was fine. We tried to get a glass but the waiter never came back to us, even to take orders. We couldn't find the waiter for about 10 mins so we decided to order things we could order directly to the chef at the sushi bar we were seating. Then they forgot to bring 2 out of 8 dishes we ordered including our appetizer. My husband got his dish around 20 mins after ordering and I had to wait another 15 minutes for mine. My husband finished his drink but had to wait for 20 minutes to get another drink. We again waited for 20 mins for just for the bill, etc.. And every time we needed something, we had to wave them as they never come by us. "Waiting" is the word that explains our experience at Shimogamo this time. It seemed the chefs at the sushi bar and waiter/waitress were confused about orders all the time. They brought at least 3 dishes to wrong tables. We heard someone dropped dish(es) with a big noise in the kitchen. Even the quality of sushi was not good this time. The fish was totally not fresh and didn't taste almost at all. It's a fast food restaurant quality. I think this was our worst experience at a restaurant ever. Sometimes we get not-so-good service or they forget our order but I've never seen my husband so disappointed before. He is a sweet person and gives at least 20% tip even if they forget our order but this time, he only left 15% tip. But I understand that after seeing him waiting miserably for his drink for 20 mins trying to get attention from them without success. Yes, we just felt ignored and miserable. A waitress even got to the sushi bar and asked the chef in front of us whether he's thirsty and needed something to drink but my husband was totally left without any drink for too long. And for the first time, I heard my husband saying "I will never go back to the restaurant."

    (1)

  • Halo B.

    What you should know! This place is TINY!!! and you most definitely need a reservation! We stopped by around 4. Were told they didn't reopen until 5, or 6 (and the guy was ultimate hipster SNOOTY!, and didn't specify we would need res. Perhaps we didn't look ''hip' enough!)We thought NP and did our grocery shopping at Lee-Lee's. Got back around 6 to find zero availability! Owner was the epitome of both dignity and customer conciliation: which is one of the reasons we will (with reservations!) return. That and the fact the food looked PHENOMENAL!!!! So, full stars even though we have not yet sampled. We walked a few feet next door and had a lovely meal at the much lauded C-Fu Gourmet.

    (5)

  • Veronica D.

    The food is unbelievably amazing; it is perhaps my favorite sushi place in Chandler! The meals are fantastic as well. Their potato salad is some of the best I have had, which is interesting given the other food items on the menu. A single complaint would be that the sushi making process is a little slow, but it is definitely worth it.

    (5)

  • Ross A.

    This is the best sushi I have had in AZ by far. Sushi expert cred: I lived in Japan for three years and have eaten sushi in large cities (Tokyo) and small cities (Yonago). This place is REAL sushi. If you want fried cream cheese in your sushi go elsewhere. The owner is a man from Kyoto and he isn't doing much pandering to American palates. The highlight of this place is the actual quality of the fish. The nigiri sushi is what you should order so you can fully appreciate the flavor and texture. I'd recommend the unagi, the salmon, and the escolar to get you started. All exquisite.

    (5)

  • Erin A.

    I came here because a couple of my classmates enjoyed the place. After a long day we decided to try this place out. I ordered the Spicy Salmon and the Crazy roll. I would say the rolls do taste fresh and light. Happy hour gives a modest $1-2 off regular prices on rolls. Overall, I thought the place was OK. The main reason I'm giving it 3 stars is because my party of three was asked to leave to make room for another group. I have never been asked to leave a restaurant -- it was very abrupt and kinda rude. My party said that we never experienced something like that before. This is not a place I would come back to.

    (3)

  • Danielle C.

    I am a bit upset with this place. The sushi is fantastic and I would love to have more of it, but I get denied EVERY time I call an order in. Last summer, I called for a to-go order but they wouldn't allow it because of the weather outside.....ok......so I was a bit perturbed by this and tried again last week. Mind you it is February!!! I called for a to-go order again and the man who answered said "no, we can't do it. We are wayyyy too busy!!!" Excuse me?! I thought this was completely unacceptable and unfortunately, they have lost me as a customer. As good as the food is, it doesn't make up for this horrible customer service.

    (2)

  • Andrew C.

    I was recommended to come here by a pastry chef/owner of a high end restaurant here in town. We had been talking sushi, and she suggested I come here. Boy, was she absolutely dead on right. We came at 12:30. There was something of a lunch crowd in this smallish sushi restaurant, with a nice looking bar and tables. We were seated promptly by, I believe, the owner. Our waitress was attentive and quick. We ordered a seaweed salad to start, which was very very good. I had a lunch "sushi platter" which was 8 pieces of Nigiri, one tuna roll, and Miso soup for $19, an excellent value. My wife had the "Citrus Roll". She commented that it was excellent. My sushi was fresh, well prepared, beautiful. The Nigiri was beautifully presented, tasty and fresh. The tuna roll was wrapped well. Overall, I believe this was both an excellent value AS WELL as excellent food. We will be returning!

    (5)

  • Susan S.

    Fast, friendly, clean, delicious!! And happy hour is great! This place is right next to C-Fu Gourmet Chinese restaurant. You enter right at the sushi bar. It's got a cool contemporary vibe. It's small but not cramped. There is a back room for large parties. There were 2 guys manning the sushi bar and I have to say, I have never received my order to my table so fast! But it was not sloppily made, they were as nice and eye catching as any other sushi bar I've been to. The place was not dead either fairly busy for 6pm happy hour. I'd say these guys are very efficient in their work. We tried 3 rolls off the happy hour list. The Vegas, spicy yellowtail, and the crazy roll. All you could tell the fish was fresh and full of flavor. Yet these rolls were not heavy and super filling like some sushi places seem to make them. We also got the pork gyoza and the sushi escolar both were great! We definitely will be coming back!

    (5)

  • Quagmire Y.

    Wow real Japanese food in Phoenix. Cute place with good food, appropriate music and good service. They use Open table so stop the whining about reservations. Don't worry, if you want to drink your sake hot and put cream cheese on your sushi they got that too.

    (5)

  • Anthony D.

    Miss this place a lot. Went here all the time when I was on my business trip. Fish was very fresh and the chiefs knew what they were doing.

    (5)

  • Nadia K.

    The best sushi in Chandler. Possibly in the Phoenix metro area. Shimogamo is a quiet sushi location in a strip mall. The interior has just a few tables and is very peaceful. Hurry is not the name of the game here; bring a friend that you really like and have some great conversation while you enjoy the easy going but very pleasant service. You won't taste ice on your fish here and it's one of the few places I feel comfortable eating sushi in the desert.

    (5)

  • Sundoro T.

    I went there for dinner for sushi. The tuna is okay , hamachi is also okay with overall quality is average. The teriyaki is below average ...

    (3)

  • Yuson K.

    Hell ya! Best sushi in town. My husband and I always have fun and eat great food at Shimogamo. Fresh & tasty sushi, homemade curry, great service and awesome Chef Al. They also have great cooked dishes too. Love this place!

    (5)

  • Leonard R.

    Went here last night based on yelp reviews and I have to say this place was incredible I live in LA and work a mile from little Tokyo I eat sushi at least once a week and this place was as good and better than most places in LA. For my kid I always order a lobster roll here they did a fantastic job the meat was tender and moist the sauce was creamy but not over done. We also tried a few specials like the amber jack with truffle sauce WOW and the red snapper in a lemon garlic sauce was to die for. Every time I come to visit family this will be my go to place. Oh I almost forgot our server was Max he was friendly attentive and made great recommendation. Also had some albacore with a drizzle of ponzu sauce melted in my mouth.

    (5)

  • M B.

    So I love the food here but just got told on a Friday at 5:20pm that I had to leave because they were booked for the whole night. It's a small sushi joint. Why are the taking reservations?!?!?! First come first served.

    (3)

  • Mrs S.

    Ok so on my second attempt (this place is super small and gets really busy on weekend nights: the first time we came without reservations and they were full to capacity) to eat here was enjoyable. They have really good sushi and a friendly staff! Great for a date night or small groups.

    (3)

  • Emily B.

    Good sushi in the neighborhood. We'll definitely be back! Second time here and it doesn't disappoint. Fresh and delicious!

    (4)

  • Gabrielle M.

    I have been here a couple times and I always seem to forget to write a review.. but I love this place. For me, Shimogamo has some of the top sushi in Arizona and I could come here every day for the dessert ha. The family that owns this place are so nice and friendly, they are constantly on top of things and will assist you when needed. The atmosphere is relaxing, I like that it is a tiny little restaurant in the corner :) We ordered the Shimogamo roll, the Panko roll and oh gosh.. I can't remember the last one we had *facepalm, all I know is that it had rice paper around it and it was very light, not heavy at all; SO GOOD! Even their sashimi is amazing, it was very fresh and worth the money. Well, in general, this place is worth the money. The desserts though, they have red beans and rice cake (I love both of those things) and mochi icecream.. wooooooooo! So good. OH OH and the chicken katsu was really good too! I prefer chicken over pork, so I don't know how the pork tastes, but the chicken was yummy! Anywho, I highly recommend this place, you will not be disappointed!

    (5)

  • Mark N.

    I liked the food and had a good meal. The decor and the seating arrangements were a little off though and I never really felt comfortable. Its tucked away in a strip mall so I guess its one of those place you have to know to find and they were busy.

    (4)

  • Landai N.

    My go-to place for sushi in Phoenix. The Shimogamo, Crazy, and Futomaki rolls are my favorite here. Sushi is really fresh and very authentic. This place definitely deserves every good review it has (meaning it's not one of those over-hyped places where you leave disappointed)!! Service is fast and friendly. It's a small place with cozy decorations, perfect for gatherings!

    (5)

  • Jinmee S.

    We went to Shimogamo several years ago. It was really good food so decided to go back for our anniversary this year. When we walked into the restaurant it seemed a little busy not too crowded. We were willing to wait to be seated. However, an older man who might have been the owner walks over to us saying there is no table for us. We just stood there thinking we will wait. He just kept repeating no table as if our business was not welcome. I was very offended and walked out. It almost ruined our anniversary dinner. This has never happened to me before and we will never go back to this restaurant. They only seem to be welcoming customers who are worthy in which we were clearly not.

    (1)

  • Joe M.

    I stopped in looking for a table for just myself. They wouldn't seat just me at a table, and their sushi bar was reserved.

    (1)

  • Brian H.

    This place get packed! so I would get there early or reserve if you got a big group. There really isn't much seating, but there is a room for bigger groups. We sat at the bar at this occasion. It's probably one of the few Japanese restaurants/sushi bars that is owned by fa Japanese family. I feel like most other ones are owned by Koreans. (could be a huge generalization but it's true in many cases). Anyways, the service is good. There were two servers and the owner was helping out as well. Two sushi chefs at the bar who look like they just graduated from high school, but they knew how to cut fish. Thumbs up. I liked the appetizers as we started off on miso soup and seaweed salad. The sushi portions are on the smaller side (6 rolls), but I think the quality is great. The nigiris were awesome and even the rolls tasted really great. They don't go overboard on sauces, so you can taste the different flavors of the fish and ingredients in it. This may not matter to you as long as it taste good overall. Also had the fried icecream which were bomb. I don't know how they make these, but I approve. Great restaurant to try out if you are into sushi!

    (4)

  • Amy S.

    Walked in to a fairly empty dining area and bar, was told since our party of 2 didn't have reservations we wouldn't be seated for over half an hour. Not sure if this is because they just didn't feel like working, or making $, or what exactly. Pretty disappointing. With all the great sushi in the area, was able to take our business to House Modern Sushi- which was great!

    (1)

  • M F.

    Clean, yummy sushi! I had the crazy and California roll for :) hour. $7/$4. They were both great, staff was charming- I just wasn't sure who was kinda taking care of me, although I was sitting at the bar so.. I'll go here again

    (4)

  • Van H.

    Cons: rice is a little on the wet side; a little pricey. Pros: fresh fish, shimogamo ribeye with dipping sauce, great upscale ambiance. Friendly service So-so: Kumamoto oysters

    (4)

  • Joanne W.

    Excellent sushi. Definitely hard to find initially but it's there, next to Cfu gourmet on the right. Not a lot of signage. Had the albacore, escolar, salmon skin hand roll and crazy roll. All awesome! Ambience ok, cool loungy music. Love these hidden gems!

    (5)

  • Dezeray P.

    Extremely poor service. An older man sat us down at our table, with papers on it. Didn't even say hello. He was rude and not friendly. He came to take our drink order and I asked if they had root beer he rudely said "no, beer, what?" So he brought me orange juice which he chose for me. I got up and left before my drinks even came. Took my money and business down the street. They really need to work on hiring better employees. I will not go back again! Went on a Sunday at around 5pm.

    (1)

  • Jeremy S.

    The service and food was so good I tipped 25%

    (5)

  • Amy W.

    I've eaten here probably a total of 20 times now and have sampled pretty much everything on the sushi menu multiple times. I also have been served by just about everyone who works there. I keep coming back because the atmosphere is so nice, the staff is so friendly, and above all the sushi is so tasty. On a super busy night, the wait may be a bit long (happened to me maybe twice), but if you get there before the crowd, you're sure to have a good time. The name Shimogamo, meaning family, is a very touching and appropriate name. The husband and wife who run this restaurant are the sweetest, most mild mannered Japanese couple and make you feel warmly welcomed to take a casual glimpse into their way of life, culture, and family.

    (5)

  • Deb S.

    This swanky little sushi bar was just the ticket on a Tuesday evening for Happy Hour. Shhhhh, don't tell everybody or it'll get too crowded. But wait... Tell everybody so they stay open. Everything was absolutely delicious and fresh as can be. We sat at the bar and watched our chef wrap and roll like nobody's business. I can't wait to go back. Best sushi in this area for sure.

    (5)

  • Barnabas L.

    Alright where to start where to start.... Sushi is in really skimpy portions and not even that good to where spending that much for that little is worth it. I have been to some good sushi places that pack a punch in a 4 piece roll. The soft shell crab was okay, but only 4 pieces?!?!!?!?! Like most of their other sushi it was really salty....REALLY REALLY REALLY SALTY. the wasabi had zero potency. The scallops was chopped up...booo, some other places do that too, the worst part was how much salt there was on it. they should have called that a salt roll with a hint of scallops.. BLECH!!! I also ordered ton katsu curry...soo i got this because someone was raving about it. like the wasabi the curry lacked in the spice category, a lot. Not only that but the pork cutlet was so dried out... and the panko also no spice at all and what in the world, had no flavor at all. it was like eating deepfried mush. my over all rating.....2 because the staff was nice and friendly, otherwise i recommend going somewhere else for sushi/japanese food.. their spicy _"enter random fish name here"___ rolls all taste the same...super fail....and they weren't...yeah you guessed they weren't spicy at all

    (2)

  • Mel A.

    Brought the out of town in-laws back for lunch. They raved about this place since their last visit in '12. I don't blame them it is ah-mazing! Fresh fish all around. Ordered the Las Vegas roll, Citrus roll, and several others which included sashimi. The chef was very considerate and cooked up a few dishes for our 16 month old. I can't stop praising this place. Service was excellent as always. If you want the best sushi in the east valley come to Shimogamo!

    (5)

  • Sam K.

    Shimogamo is a great place for sushi. So nice to have a small, quiet, friendly, and most importantly, authentic Japanese sushi restaurant in Phoenix. No gimmicks, just good quality fish and no skimping on it either. Al the head chef is a friendly guy who also cuts his fish with the best of them. The owner Yoshi and his wife (she's usually busy in the kitchen) have a jewel in the ruff in Shimogamo. For those fans of Japanese curry (I know it's not sushi!) mamasan makes it from scratch and it isn't on the menu. Try a katsu curry plate for dinner sometime. It will blow your tastebuds and mind! Fo real! So next time you're in the mood for some buttery Toro or tasty Hamachi, roll on by Shimogamo

    (4)

  • Larry S.

    I have a couple of complaints: 1. They were out of oysters on the day I went, and I really stopped in exclusively to have them. 2. The prices on the "Happy Hour" menu on their website are incorrect. I paid $6.50 instead of the listed $5.50 for my chicken. The only item I tried was 4.5-star-worthy, and that was the "Japanese Fried Chicken." Lightly breaded and yummily juicy white meat. Very tasty. Small portion for $7.09 though - only about 7 or 8 small bite-sized pieces. The taste made me wish even more that they had not been out of oysters. But as others have noted, the "price to value" equation here is on the pricey side. P.S. It has been pointed out to me by a helpful Yelper that oysters are "not in season" in August, and that's why they were not serving them. That's fine, but I would say to a restaurant owner that if you have something on your menu that is available only in certain months, then you should say that on the menu. *oysters available only in etc etc etc. That way, people won't drive over there to get something which is out of season.

    (3)

  • Tim A.

    Ate there for the first time Saturday evening with a group of 8 people! What an exceptional place!! The service was great, we tried all kinds of sushi rolls, sashimi and various appetizers. I've not dined at many places where I would actually order any of the things I tried again, they were ALL that good. We were in the back dining room, due to the size of our party and the atmosphere was nice and contemporary. Our friends who'd dined there before said you must have reservations. It is my new favorite sushi place and will be headed there again next week.

    (5)

  • Ali H.

    Always fresh sushi and great food! Japanese owners so their food is "REAL Japanese food" Shrimp tempra is very crispy and almost the same quality as restaurants in Japan. They use better rice for Sushi and everything is sooooooo good. Highly recommned for people who would like to have a good sushi and real Japanese food. Manager guy is very nice person too. We come here to eat for our birthdays and aniversaries;)

    (5)

  • Laura K.

    Most delicious shashimi I've ever tasted. Grilled shishito peppers, beef carpaccio, and panko roll are must haves!!

    (4)

  • Zachary H.

    Awful service. Server who basically ignored us to chat with friend behind the sushi bar about trying to get laid.

    (1)

  • Mike H.

    Finally stopped by here.... ohhhh i miss Sushi Kings in Asia,,, but anyways,, we are in Chandler. Sushi here was a 3.5 i would say, Nice atmosphere but a little cozy. Staff very polite. We tried a few different items, and was a little surprised the portion = 2 pieces where most places are min 4.. anyways,, they were very tasty. We will be back, but since the portions are small, that will double our bill since we would order double up on each item. Shrimp Tempura was very light n crispy,,,, Would have like to try the oysters, but either no longer carried or out of season ?? Cya next time..

    (4)

  • Katie H.

    We've searched for great sushi since moving to the area two years ago. Shimogamo has surprisingly good atmosphere hidden behind the generic strip mall. And the sushi is fresh and delicious. They have a great back room for large parties and an affordable, long happy hour.

    (5)

  • Yu K.

    I love this restaurant! Everything is very good!!! You can have really Japanese foods at here! I can promise it, I'm Japanese.

    (4)

  • Jeffrey B.

    While visiting the area, I was taken to Shimogamo. This is now one of my favorite sushi spots. Just excellent.

    (5)

  • Anna Kaira M.

    Went for happy hour, left sorta unhappy. I LOVE SUSHI/ROLLS. And Ive always looked for amazing Sushi joints. When i looked for a decent sushi place near my house, Shimogamo popped up. I was excited to go since I saw the high praises specially for the happy hour. Anyway overall, it's forgettable. The rolls (salmon or cali) were so tiny that I wouldnt purchase it full price. I didn't know if that's really the portion of it (should be) or they lessened it since it's on happy hour? My most faves: Las vegas roll and salmon skin roll were not what I expected them to be. They were seriously lacking on flavor. Service was so-so. The lady was okay but the guy/greeter was rude. We were just looking at the soy sauce container and he said "You dont open it" while getting it from my hands. Geez. Calm yo self. Anyway over all, Id skip this joint. I know places much better and much worth the 62 bucks bill. One star for cleanliness, another for pretty presentation.

    (2)

  • Jamie C.

    Shimogamo is always a treat. It's tucked away in an unassuming plaza at Dobson and Warner next to C-Fu Gourmet. The intersection has a high concentration of Asian businesses, so you know this is the real deal. It's a small-ish restaurant, and I am pretty sure they do have teppan tables, but I think everyone basically comes here for the sushi. This is this east valley place for true sushi and nigiri. It is fresh. And high quality. I suppose I could go on about all the different rolls and beautiful recipes and combos, but those all fall in line when the fish is fresh. So there you go. Here's a tip though-this place has restaurant hours-you can't just drive here at 3pm thinking it's open. Make sure it it. And it's worth it.

    (5)

  • Chris W.

    I've eaten at quite a few sushi places including ones in Japan. Shimogamo is easily in my top three in Arizona. I rarely write reviews - but this place deserves it. Fresh cuts of fish, excellent service, great atmosphere & decoration in the restaurant. This places has a certain level of authenticity that you simply don't find in Arizona (ie. don't look for it at Ra or Stingray). The sushi was crafted with care, the ingredients were of good quality, and they are inventive with certain rolls with out being ridiculous as you'll find with many places catering to more Americanized pallets. Aside from your usual favorites, try the escolar nigiri and the izakaya style appetizers (sort of like Japanese tapas). I was impressed, and I thought the pricing was right (we paid about $32 + tip ea for two ordering 6 dishes total with beer). The value was definitely high. I will definitely be going back.

    (5)

  • Todd P.

    We were there for happy hour on a Friday. We tried the Crazy roll and the Zen roll among others. The Crazy roll was excellent, and the Zen was not bad. Overall this is probably the best sushi I've had in the Phoenix area. The service was very attentive, and the menu variety was very good. I have no problem recommending this place.

    (5)

  • Beth S.

    Nestled right next door to C-Fu Gourmet, it would be easy to miss this little gem but you really have to make an effort to try this place out if you enjoy sushi. The service was excellent and the menu was pretty expansive for such a small place. Because I'm pregnant, I'm trying to limit my exposure to raw fish so I ordered the chicken teriyaki platter. It came with rice, soup, salad, and a full breast of teriyaki chicken. Unfortunately, my food arrived cold. I was disappointed but sucked it up so as not to embarrass our hosts. For this, I lowered my rating one star. Cold food is a pet peeve of mine. My son and our hosts enjoyed the sushi and kept noting its freshness and great flavor. Hubby enjoyed the teriyaki ribs and his meal was served hot hot hot. Not sure what happened with mine, but oh well. I'm looking forward to going back after my pregnancy so I can try out the sushi and hopefully the hot food will be hot.

    (4)

  • Kiersten K.

    Quite seriously the best sushi in Arizona! The place is small and has limited seating. You will want to make a reservation. They do have a large table that seats up to 12 people. The Panko roll is my all time favorite. Order it last as it can be really spicy.

    (5)

  • Josh L.

    They have a great selection of rolls and the sushi is very fresh. Friendly service too!

    (4)

  • Glen U.

    Al does some seriously good fish - get ya sum!!!

    (5)

  • Jamie J.

    We were excited to visit this sushi restaurant. Unfortunately our stomachs were turned as we witnessed the sushi chef bare hand slap the small cockroach that had begun crawling across the glass case in front of us at the sushi bar. Nothing was said, no apologizes were made as we ask for our check, paid for what we hadn't even touch and left.

    (1)

  • Yasmin K.

    I'm going to revise my original post after going on the maricopa.gov restaurant inspection list. It appears Shimogamo has a few citations for not keeping their fish at the appropriate temperature of below 41 degrees. In fact, these citations say it was up to 54 degrees. As someone who checks the Maricopa.gov site regularly on these restaurant checks, I know that there are some citations that are really stupid (for example - they got cited for not putting the "consuming raw fish etc is bad for your health". Duh, it's a sushi restaurant. But, raw fish storage to me is important, since that's how many people get sick from sushi restaurants. As much as I liked this place, I am going to hold off a couple months until the next inspection to make sure this isn't re-occuring .

    (3)

  • Jared R.

    My mom came to town to help me out with surgery and on her last night we wanted to go out somewhere for a good dinner to celebrate me feeling better. After a bit of thinking i remember this place. We came here durring happy hour which was great as they have some great prices especially for the quality. The nigiri here is phenomenal we had both Escolar and Albacore both of which were amazing. Surprisingly the escolar was cooked (with hand held torch) but had amazing flavor and great texture (and i am not a big fan of cooked sushi). We also had the Crazy roll (half off for happy hour), the big and spicy roll (still great), a negi-yellowtail (not chopped up like most places just shashimi cuts with scallion and wrapped), and i had a spicy tuna hand roll. All of it was great and the fish quality top notch. We also had the house cold sake (too sweet for my taste but not bad). The only downsides were the miso was again a bit cold (the tofu is not soaked in the the soup but tossed in cold). And also there was an odd smell that i am pretty sure is from the fish joint next door but not from here. For the 2 of us with the sake it was $50 and worth it all. As for price it is about the same i expect for a dinner from Ra, Kona, Sakana, ect but the quality of fish is so much higher and the taste is way better. Have to say Shimogamo is rapidly becoming my favorite sushi place in the valley

    (4)

  • Eric M.

    Great! I was in town for work and needed good sushi. I was not disappointed! Michael at the sushi bar was awesome! I come to Phoenix for work often and and happy I found this place and will definitely be coming back!

    (5)

  • Kevin W.

    Been going here for years. Since New Times voted them Best Sushi in Az. Small cozy atmosphere we always sit at the sushi bar (Tip if u want most experienced chef sit to far left of bar) really good happy hour 7 days a week 5-7. All of the fish is not older than 48 hours. I can not tell you how amazing the service and food is. My only negatives 1. busy on weekends 2. Kinda pricey if you don't go during happy hour. 3. Recent sushi chef changes. But with all that if u want sushi that's on point then go here. Love this place!

    (5)

  • Christopher M.

    My girlfriend and I went here for her first trip to a sushi bar, and we were not disappointed. Everyone there was very friendly and talkative, and Alan even helped us pick a roll based on our personal tastes. The atmosphere was inviting and intimate, unlike many of the sushi bars I've been to in the valley. The Crazy roll and Big and Spicy roll were very delicious and we plan on going back very soon!

    (5)

  • Karen R.

    Best sushi ever!!!

    (5)

  • Malcolm M.

    Quality sushi, fun ambiance, and the chefs there are a blast to talk with. Definitely worth a visit.

    (5)

  • Jesse J.

    Went to grab some sushi with Jared R. tonight. He recommended this place from reading the reviews on here. We started off with the miso soup which was pretty good. Lots of Tofu and the broth had a nice flavor. We both ordered some sake bombers to gulp down with our meal. We got 5 rolls which were all really good. The first set was the yellowfin roll and the fiery shrimp. They both were really good. The fiery shrimp was exactly as the name said. It had just the perfect amount of kick and shrimp. The next roll to come out was the Tsunami Roll which was my favorite. It had a fried outside and lots of flavor. The sauce that came on the plate was more than just a decoration. Lastly we had the big and spicy roll and the spicy tuna roll. They both had a great amount of kick. The big and spicy was very good and the best part was the pickled jalapenos on the top. Overall this place was really good and I would totally go back again. Thanks again for another good find Yelp.com

    (4)

  • Emily M.

    Just love this place! I dont get over much anymore but when I do it is consistently amazing , clean, and wonderful friendly service- not to mention the food is FABU! Yoshi (owner) always does a great job making sure everyone is taken care of and will participate in your celebrations on occasion. Keep up the great work guys!

    (5)

  • Chris W.

    Let me start by saying WOW!!!! Talk about great sushi......I have been to a ton of places in PHX,Seattle, San Diego, San Fran etc. and this is by far the best I have had...I'm a little apprehensive on actually posting this just because there is limited spaces to eat at this place and I don't want a ton more people showing up but I thought that would be a little selfish and I don't really have a ton of people reading my post so it couldnt really hurt. But if you are in the area and you are reading this I would recommend you take a second and try this place out. Again great sushi and great service.

    (5)

  • Charlie C.

    awesome sushi, good happy hour, good service. ORDER THE JAPANESE FRIED CHICKEN AS AN APPETIZER. YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.

    (5)

  • Aly D.

    i loved it here! walking in it was really nice to see that almost every table was filled and that everyone looked pretty happy. we decided to sit at the sushi bar where we were greeted by the nicest sushi chefs ever! they were super friendly, talkative, and created some really delicious tasty goodness. it instantly felt like i was in someones living room having some really good food. shimagamo also has what looks to be an outstanding happy hour. i havent tried it yet but i plan on being a regular so i'll let you know how that goes :). definitely the best sushi experience i've had since moving to Phoenix. love it!

    (5)

  • Sara T.

    We showed up with a group of 11, which is a big group, I'll admit. However, they straight up told us they could not seat us and pushed us away. They didn't explain to us why at all which was very rude. Maybe everything would be okay if we had a reservation, but who knows for sure. I won't be back to find out.

    (1)

  • Peggy C.

    My hubby and I have been searching for a real authentic Japanese restaurant in Arizona for long and got disappointed by so many that were rated 4 to 5 stars on Yelp. The other day, I found Shimogamo from a Japanese community website in Arizona ( japanese-in-arizona.com ), and I thought it should be authentic and good enough to be posted on that website, so we went there for my birthday to give it a try! AND FINALLY!!!!! A real authentic Japanese restaurant TwT!!! It's a rather small and unnoticeable restaurant sitting beside C-Fu, but the moment we got closer to the restaurant, we were already amazed by the beautiful interior of the restaurant! The owner (I guess) came to welcome us as we entered, and seated us at the sushi bar. The whole atmosphere was great, with the jazz and/or bossa nova music in the background, every staff smiling, I felt like going back to Japan again (we were surrounded by lots of Japanese diners in the restaurant too)!! I ordered sushi pieces and my hubby ordered a grilled beef with herb sauce entree. From our experience that we had from other Japanese restaurants in the valley, entrees like grilled beef are usually very teriyaki like, the way I guess many non-asians are used to and prefer, but we were actually amazed and impressed by the beautiful and delicious grilled beef Shimogamo served!! The arrangement of the plate was a surprise: some carefully sliced mushrooms put underneath, with grilled beef and some veggies on the top, served on a beautiful modern plate (see picture). It just looked so nice! And we were amazed again when we tasted it; the beef was so tender and the aroma of the herb sauce lingered around your mouth...*w* The sushi I ordered were fresh and tender; the fish would just melt in your mouth (including uni and toro)!! I miss this feeling so much since I moved to Arizona last year and haven't been touched by eating any other Japanese food here. I also ordered a plum wine where its sweetness and light, lovely aroma made me feel soooo relaxed and happy *w*.... Definitely should go for a visit if you're a very picky diner and searching for authentic Japanese food like me! :D

    (5)

  • Raquel R.

    Love this place! Some of the best sushi I've ever had. Two words to describe everything: fresh and delicious! Good service even when crowded, food may take a little while bit well worth the wait.!

    (5)

  • Victoria R.

    Authentic and high quality! They make their own fish stock here instead of using instant and the attention to detail is evident in other dishes as well. This in not your typical sushi "bar". The atmosphere is much more intimate. You will impress your date if you bring them here.

    (5)

  • Rick S.

    While on a business trip to Chandler, AZ I found this little gem. The sushi was fresh (the salmon melted in your mouth), but beyond that the service was excellent. I sat at the bar and ordered from their happy our menu. While sitting there I noticed the sushi chef very engaged with the other customers at the bar. He new them by name and was servicing them some interesting rolls that were obviously not on the menu. Being the outgoing person I am I asked and was introduced to some great chef inspired rolls. The Shimogamo roll (that is on the menu) was amazing. It was fresh and just fantastic. Sitting next to me was a regular who ordered a Diamondback roll (being in AZ) that was great. They make a sauce with roasted jalapenos and other asian inspired ingrediants. Awesome. The service was excellent, the staff was fantastic and the customers great! This is my go to place while in Chandler. Check it out!!

    (5)

  • Mai V.

    I'm absolutely surprised to see some bad reviews on Yelp! My boyfriend and I have been there a few times and we absolutely love how intimate and friendly the atmosphere is. We are always greeted by the owner with a friendly smile. We've sat at the tables a couple of times and sushi bar once and have always received excellent service by our server and others who come by to pre-bust our tables. Al, the sushi cheft is just absolutely wonderful! Very passionate about the art of every plate that comes out... Literally a piece of art! Although it is a small restaurant, my dine-in experience has alway been pleasant. Very pleased with the service given. Most of all, the atmosphere is very intimate and that's what I most love about this place. Oh... And happy hour is everyday from 5-7 can I say AMAZING?! Hallelujah! Finally... A restaurant that has happy hour everyday! The quality of the food is worth every dollar spent! I rather give my money to an authentic-good quality-freaking awesome-small business than a massive chain with no quality and intimacy. If you have gone here and did not have a great experience, then I would just say, it is worth another try and I promise you won't regret it.

    (5)

  • Laura J.

    Good food and good service. We waited a half hour for just two of us but worth the wait. We loved it!

    (5)

  • Dan P.

    If you are a sushi lover, you will love Shimogamo. We stuck mostly to their happy hour menu and really enjoyed every dish. The fish tasted very fresh and the employees including our server were all excellent. I love shrimp anything and their Tempura (5pc) $6 was one of the best I have ever tried.

    (5)

  • AJ B.

    We went to the Shimogamo for the first time on Friday night. A dour man who appeared to be the manager approached us and said "We have no more space." Not a greeting, not offer of a wait time, not anything but "no more space". We left without having an food because we were definitely not welcome; more of an inconvenience the manager.

    (1)

  • Adrienne E.

    Always an awesome time. The whole team there is great and the fish is fresh. You're in for a treat, especially if they have baby yellowtail. Try the beef carpaccio...delish. Al is rad.

    (5)

  • Jarrod K.

    I've came in here with my friends and family numerous times and all I have to say is whatever you order, you won't be disappointed. But I absolutely love their miso marinated cod!

    (5)

  • harumi s.

    love this place. I'm Japanese and I'm picky about Japanese food. I was a little surprised by non japanese sushi chefs but I trust the Japanese owner and the food was amazing. if you are on the budget, their happy hour has great deals!

    (5)

  • Alicia H.

    Loooove this place! Yes it's pricey, but good sushi usually is. The guys making the rolls were friendly. The atmosphere is nice. Hubby absolutely loved the quail eggs and I couldn't get enough of the spicy shrimp roll. Seriously, try it. You won't be disappointed!

    (5)

  • Ben C.

    First of all, I must say Sushi is my favorite food. I have tried not all but most Japanese restaurant in town. This would be the best of all among others, although it might not be perfect each time but their food is fairly consistent. Fish is fresh, the rice cooked just right. Place is a bit small but they are usually not that busy. I will vote this best of Japanese restaurant in town and I will recommend everyone to try at least once.

    (5)

  • Michael C.

    Shimogamo is easy to miss tucked away in the corner of this strip mall next to C-Fu Gourmet. Make the effort to find it, it's well worth it! Not a huge raw fish fan, so I always keenly interested in the other stuff a "sushi" place serves. This place has a great selection! From dumplings to tempura to soup. There's plenty deliciousness to find here even if your not in the mood for sushi or sashimi. However, if you are in the mood for fishy - this place is hard to beat. Great variety, excellent preparation, and wonderful service. Very intimate and always busy, this is one of those place that you just have to experience for yourself.

    (4)

  • Chandler G.

    Best quality sashimi in the valley - not the place to come to for fried sushi rolls filled with cream cheese (these are not on the menu). the owners are actually Japanesee and pride themselves on being a real Jaoanese restaurant. Good happy hours - worth checking out It''s a small restaurant that fills up fast - either reserve ahead of time or prepare to wait.

    (4)

  • Golnaz P.

    This Japanese restaurant is run by a Japanese family. The service is exceptional. I love the thin slices of lemon in the water. The sushi is incredibly fresh. I ordered the Chirashi bowl for $25 and it was incredibly filling. It was full of delicious slices of fish. You pay for what you get here and it is all incredibly tasty and high quality. The restaurant is cute and usually packed. Reservations are highly encouraged. They have a cute table in the back for larger parties as well.

    (5)

  • Joe G.

    I have eaten at a lot of sushi places and even though I have dined here once, it was very, very good! Next time I go, I will update this accordingly, but so far I was pleasantly surprised.

    (4)

  • Danielle B.

    Great sushi and a wonderful ambiance. The service is excellent; my non-sushi eating mother interrogated our waiter on nearly all of the menu options, and the waiter politely responded to all of our inquiries, later explaining that all of the items were explained on the regular menu. We were there for happy hour and were able to order several rolls for an amazing price, especially given the high quality. I am already craving Shimogamo and will return later this weekend! FANTASTIC!

    (4)

  • Kevin V.

    Let me start with the good. Their fish seemed fresh, and they have some interesting, well conceived rolls. Their Scallop Nigiri was fantastic, fresh, and delicious. Outside of the scallops, their food was 'Meh'. Had Yakisoba, and several rolls; did not try any of their sashimi, because it seemed really expensive (4 pc. Sake Sashimi for $9). We quickly realized why the rolls were cheaper: because there isn't much fish in them. The fish on the rainbow roll we got was sliced so thin, it was hard to tell how quality the fish was. The rice to fish ratio was ridiculous, leaving with me mostly full, but unsatisfied. We were warned before ordering that they were pretty busy, and we should put our sushi order in quickly. While I appreciate the warning, I don't think AN HOUR AND A HALF is an acceptable waiting time with or without warning. The Yakisoba we ordered came out promptly, but after finishing it, we waited another full hour for the sushi. Overall I feel they are overpriced for what you get, and the food is not exactly worth the wait. Not bad by any means, but not worth dealing with the price/service.

    (2)

  • Katy Y.

    Best I've found in the East Valley. Puts Kona to shame and better than Ra. Sushi chef Zach is great. The sauce that comes on the Shimogamo Roll and the fried gyoza is amazing. Best roll is the lollipop roll which is wrapped in cucumber.

    (5)

  • Michael F.

    Shimogamo has some of the best sushi I have ever eaten. My parents took me here for dinner and it was love at first bite. The prices are great and their happy hour prices are event better! The owners and staff are friendly and very accommodating. This is a great place to enjoy a nice relaxing night or to have a celebration. I give this place 5 Sushi out of 5!

    (5)

  • Wowezow E.

    Terrible Service, the food was overpriced for what you get. The squid salad was dry and lacked flavor, the Eel sauce needed more flavor, the rice wasn't sticky enough. The Fish is fresh. But I don't think I would not return. I prefer the The Sushi Room because there is more flavor in their rolls and salads and the rolls are bigger.

    (2)

  • Jessica A.

    For my first visit here, I'm only giving this place 3 stars. This is a small little sushi place, so not really a place for large groups, but great for small intimate groups. My only concern, either way, is that it's not very private in the conversation department. It's that small....A little background music would have made this perfect--but this place did not deliver. Service was ok, i suppose. Our orders were simple, and we had water to drink, so not much to do--plus there were only two of us. The only saving grace was this: i wasn't so hungry i was about to gnaw my arm off (it took forever to get our food and we ordered 2 *simple* rolls a piece) and that i had great company filled with entertaining conversation. If those two things not had been factors in this dinner equation, this could have been much worse. I will say, however, the sushi was pretty good. Fresh fish, unique combinations, and it kept well for take out. I had to bring dinner home for someone and got the thumbs up from them. Seeing as how it was over an hour before i showed up with it after they brought it to me, that's a good sign, lol. I will definitely go back if given the chance, but it's not a place that is high on my radar. If the atmosphere was better i might feel differently.

    (3)

  • Nizhoni S.

    One of the best, if not the best sushi in East Valley. Service was excellent. Family-owned business and able to answer all questions. Atmosphere and decor were high-end but comfortable, music couldn't have been better. Happy Hour menu could use some more items, however that's not why we choose to eat there. Love, love, loved Chirashi Sushi bowl. Special strawberry custard crepe dessert was amazing! Definitely adding to my favorite sushi restaurants, can't wait to go back.

    (5)

  • Koss L.

    Good sushi.Training new chef while we ate who just starred at us with no conversation.Outside of the creepy factor of that...enjoyed my Baja California plate and spicy yellow tail rolls.

    (4)

  • Carrie B.

    Two words....AMAZINGLY FRESH!!!! Ok ok I seriously love this place. True sushi not fried covered in spicy mayo sauce. The owners so kind and sweet!

    (5)

  • Brian G.

    Best sushi in the valley, period. Awesome! Good service, classy atmosphere, still casual and laid back. Prices aren't bad, either, and there is a pretty good happy hour!

    (5)

  • Jason K.

    The food was really nicely presented and tasted just as good as it looked.

    (5)

  • Tony S.

    Enjoyed a wonderful meal here with my family and friends. The restaurant itself is very small and is a sublet of the C-FU Gourmet it looks like. The food was expertly served and presentation was a great as the taste and quality! This is definitely a repeat for me! Minor complaint: wife got the chicken teriyaki and noted it was cold. I had the teriyaki ribs and they were served hot. Hopefully next time we go back the chicken will be served properly: HOT. Desert was nice too, great selection of items. The Red Bean ice cream is amazing. ENJOY!

    (5)

  • Nancy T.

    We make it there once a week. Al has completely spoiled us.

    (5)

  • Marti L.

    I finally checked this place out on a Saturday night and was amazed to find that they actually have happy hour EVERY day from 5-7! Their hours are a little weird though...they're closed from 2-5 daily...what if I'm craving sushi?? We got there around 5:15 and were the first and only party there until a couple arrived a little later...it's a small place, no more than 10 tables and a sushi bar, of course. The sushi guys were hispanic and talking in Spanish the whole time when they weren't checking to see how our sushi was or asking if we needed anything else...not too professional and made me wish we'd sat at a table instead. So...started off with edamame...cant go wrong there, right? Uh, it was overcooked (believe it), and I felt as though it was a childs portion... The baked oysters were absolutely amazing but they were served with a barbeque sauce....not a fan of the combo...but they were soooo good just by themselves so I managed. The crazy roll, shrimp tempura, and eel & cucumber rolls were all on happy hour and all really fresh and yummy. Pretty standard though. I almost feel like I should go back and give them another chance but don't really wanna drop another $36 on it...

    (3)

  • Emily M.

    Shimogamo has been one of my favorites for a few years now so, i thought it was time to give them a YELP! Every time I visit I am always greeted by the owner (Yoshi) who happens to be Japanese and runs the restaurant as such. Fish is always fresh and consistently high quality, sushi chefs are friendly and always willing to let you try something new. They also have a nice selection of cold sake's available and some random ones in stock off the menu if you ask the owner. Atmosphere is very modern/contemporary and in a small suite located next to C-Fu Gourmet. They also have a traditional Japanese seating room in the back that is fun for larger groups etc.. If you are a sushi lover or even a newbie to this style, you will love it!

    (4)

  • John D.

    Fantastic sushi and wonderful happy hour!

    (5)

  • Melissa W.

    I have no clue why I was expecting zen-like music or a Japanese bamboo deer scarer water fountain... but instead found jazz music with 2 non-Asian sushi chefs. I shouldn't judge, I make an awesome spaghetti carbonara. Ask the chef what he'd recommend for the day off the white board. The sushi & sashimi is uber fresh and probably the best in the E.V., with the kampachi (Hawaiian yellowtail) being the fave... delicate taste and firm flesh (doesn't mushy fish gross you out??). Next time I'd save my $ on the toro to get more kampachi! The rolls were great, Big & Spicy and Futomaki! That said, I'd stay away from the panko anything. We did the assorted platter -...worst.deep.fried.Japanese.ever. The oil tasted old or the panko off (is that even possible?), but we had the gamut of salmon, pork chop, vegs, a shrimp and oyster... it was just plain bad. You're going here for sushi and sashimi, stick with it!

    (4)

  • J B.

    One of my favorite sushi places in the Phoenix area. Continued excellent service. Always great recommendations from the staff.

    (5)

  • Sarah H.

    Unless you like ama ebi Or uni Or really any of the "rarer" sushis, I wouldn't recommend this place. Its very good, very fast, very fresh, but also very expensive Personally I stick with basic nigiris, so this place is just too much for what it is!

    (3)

  • Evo T.

    Without a doubt the freshest sushi I've ever eaten. I stuck to the plan of "order what's on the special board" and "take the server's advice" and it didn't fail me. At all. I love me some spider crab. Most places it's over cooked and/or gets drowned out by the other flavors in the roll. Not this time. Loads of crab flavor. And the unagi was sublime. I normally pass, as the over-sweet sauce just doesn't cut it for me. But I gave it a shot. Wow. Skip the sauce. Just enjoy the incredible flavor. Wonderful. Their rice-less roll (tsunami?) was sublime. Every bite was fresh layered on top of fresh. The tempura battering was light and flakey. Highly recommended. The only strikes were selection. Two of the items we ordered weren't available. Not necessarily a bad thing, as I think that speaks to the the freshness. They order enough for the day. And we ate late, so I'm not terribly surprised they were out. That, and the under-chef convinced me to forgo the ikura with quail egg in favor of tobikko with quail egg. It was good, and in his defense he offered to not charge me for it if I didn't like it. But I did like it. Just not as much as I would have if I would have capped my meal with the ikura/quail combo. Mine may not be traditional. And it may be heretical. But it's fab. So I'll get that next time and stick to my guns. Because, oh yes... we'll be back!

    (4)

  • Lori M.

    Don't be scared away from the location. I've only been here at night, but the area looks deserted. The sushi here is so fresh and good. I completely agree with another poster who said it just melts in your mouth. And let the chef be creative and make something off the menu for you. You can't go wrong. I haven't tried anything here that I didn't like. I also think it's a bit pricey, but worth it if you're looking to splurge on the good stuff. I love funky/industrial design of the curtains in the backroom. I must add that I've been lucky enough to never have had to pay for a meal here. :)

    (4)

  • Matthew C.

    I went there last night with my girl based on some of the reviews I read on Yelp. Very helpful! I totally loved it. It is a small restaurant. We sat at the Sushi bar and our Chef (Al) answered all our silly question with a smile. Yep, we are pretty silly. Anyways, we pretty much plundered the awesome Happy Hour menu with my addition token Yellowtail Nigiri. We ordered: Fried Chicken (amazing) Unagi Sake (Salmon) Yellowtail Shimogamo Roll Panko Roll 1 Sake Bomber 2 small sakes The Nigiri was super fresh and far outweighed the rice it sat on. The roll were prepped with super care and they looked fab! My personal Fave was the Panko Roll. It was the very subtle in its flavor. The sauce around the side of the plate was perfect and the one dot of Sriracha put it over the top. We walked out with all that food for under $50. It was perfecto, thanks and I will be back!

    (5)

  • chris r.

    In a desert state, finding sushi this fresh is an exciting surprise. Finding it just around the corner from my house makes it that much better, though that second part is really just for my wife and I. Shimogamo was impressive. Fun atmosphere, intimate setting, friendly staff, and above all incredible food. It was amazing the difference in quality between this place and our regular sushi spots; we are very happy to have a new place to go when the sushi craving strikes. Will definitely be going back... a lot.

    (5)

  • Cadence C.

    Authentic as it gets in AZ. However, small portions and very pricy. Just like back in Japan :p ... except we gotta tip and the tax rate is higher

    (4)

  • Sheetal R.

    I proclaim that this is the best sushi/sashimi I have had thus far in Phx. I love sushi but its been so hard to find a place that has good enough fish where it reminds me of eating clouds (yes, good fish should taste more like clouds than fish!) Anyways, the 5 stars is not because it is the best fish I have ever had, but it is the closest thing I have gotten in the state. The price is higher than other sushi bars in the area, but once you try it, you'll understand why. The quality of fish it top notch and the sushi chefs will even tell you which fish is in season. I first ordered a sake bomber (large beer and small sake) for $6.50. We ordered the Agedashi tofu and mixed veggie tempura. The tofu had a great soft, almost custard like, texture and tasted perfect. The tempura was good, nothing exciting to note. For entree, we got the Chirashi bowl, a spicy yellowtail roll, crazy roll, yellowtail sashimi and albacore sashimi. The chirashi was a very pleasant surprise with the amount of fresh cut fish but what solidified our decision for best sushi in AZ thus far, was the sashimi. The albacor was PERFECT and made me reminisce about the best sushi I had in Seattle, which did taste like clouds in my mouth. The dessert special of the day was crepes and they made my mouth very happy and was a perfect end to the meal. Overall, with the Yelp Check-in and 10% off our bill, we got out of there for $81 including tax and tip. As a said before, not cheap but not a bad price considering all that was ordered. Note: if you plan to come here on a Friday, its best to make a reservation because it can get crowded. Also happy hour is until 7pm.

    (5)

  • Gastrognome Z.

    Pros: *Quaint, clean, and classy ambiance in a small package. *Fish cut well *service friendly enough. Cons: *Sushi rice was bland and undercooked. *Some lesser ordered fish failed to deliver on freshness. This is a small spot located / connected to C-Fu Gourmet in Chandler. Great things come in small packages, and I was excited to see what this charming little place had to offer. The place is clean, classy, and comfortingly familiar if you make a practice of seeking out the smaller guys. Young kids behind the sushi bar, which I do my best not to sway my verdict...but does raise the question of experience. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that the twenty something ASU kids are incapable, but the classic sushi chefs are apprenticed for years, and don't even get to touch the fish for the entire first year. They spend that first year learning how to perfect the rice. I raise this point NOT in order to boast about my familiarity with the art of sushi, but because the rice was Shimogamos greatest failing. The order: All sushi (nigiri) *Mackerel (Saba), Salmon Roe (Ikura), Tuna (Maguro), Eel (Unagi), Albacore (Shiro Maguro), Yellowtail (Hamachi) The fish itself in all fairness was cut well, portions are modest and not atypical but the freshness seemed to take a hit on some of the less commonly ordered fish. Mackerel is an extremely "fishy" fish and spoils quickly and usually served salt cured and washed in rice vinegar, but this process often leads to over curing it or just letting it hang out for a little longer than it should which seemed to be the case. We usually save the Unagi, a cooked eel, with a sweet teriyaki like sauce for last, it's like a sushi dessert, like the cherry on top, the wonderful last bite to end your meal, this was not the case. The Unagi was dry, old, stringy, and tendon-y...not as hoped. Even the eel sauce failed to cover this up, which lets be honest, is so rich that it often can.. All of this, and the rice. That poor rice, embarrassingly flaunted around in its undercooked, flavorless garb, passed off and billed as sushi rice. This was not sushi rice...this was your college roommate's rice cooker at work, and though the maguro, and shiro maguro cuts of fish were cut just fine (and presumably because of their high order rate, kept fresh) the failing of that rice pulled the rug right out from under them....literally. It was so undercooked and poorly packed that it fell apart as you gingerly lifted them up with your chopsticks. The irony here is that the fresh fish was great, the minor missteps happened in the details, the cooked or brined fish, and of course the rice. If we had skipped the mackerel and unagi and ordered everything sashimi instead, this could be a glowing 3 or even a 4 star review. Total for the order came to $70, plus tip. The company from behind the bar was friendly which always makes this kind of review more difficult. Perhaps the rice was just off that night. Guess we won't know unless we try again.

    (2)

  • Hamid J.

    This place was a great find! It reminds me of the little Japanese places that litter LA, and for which I constantly long. Being our first time at this place, we stuck to the basics and ordered several types of Nigiri and hot sake. The Nigiri was excellent. Although we tried some of the more exotic choices, we found that the basic salmon and albacore were our favorites. Their house hot sake is also not your typical cheap and bitter California-brewed variety you get at most places. Their's is both sweet and smooth and perfectly drinkable! I love that they let you pick your own sake glass too. We will definitely be back to Shimogamo!

    (4)

  • Jon N.

    I have lived here for nearly 10 years. I acquired my sushi addiction back in NY/NJ and am always in search of some good quality fish. Most places in AZ are a dime a dozen. Nothing special, completely average and nothing to separate one from another. But, then there is Shimogamo. I have been here 10+ times. This is my base for top notch sushi. I have not been disappointed yet and I have tried a majority of their raw offerings. Sit at the bar, grab a beer, some cold sake and prepare to have a food-gasm. Their happy hour (7-days a week) prices are awesome. Lots of nigiri, rolls, beer/sake and appetizers to choose from on that menu. For the best eats, the list to focus on is the board behind the bar. It has all their weekly specials. The freshest items they get will be listed up there. Do not hesitate to try new things. Bonus points about this place is that the owner is Japanese! Even back east that is a rarity. Koreans (and even Chinese) own a large percentage of sushi joints. The chefs here are great at just making something unique for you that isn't on the menu. We usually get a round of some of our favorites, then let them freestyle the rest of the way. Don't confuse pricey with over priced. Great fresh fish is not cheap. There are plenty of cheap sushi joints with all you can eat and less than stellar grades of fish. If you always strive for better sushi and aren't content with the imitation crab (Krab = whitefish) that nearly 100% of other places use, step into the big leagues with Shimogamo.

    (5)

  • Stefanie M.

    Went here this past weekend and it was NOT a good experience. The food was ok but the service was horrible as soon as we walked in the door. Definitely won't be going back.

    (2)

  • Trisha M.

    Excellent sushi! Always friendly, helpful service. Very fresh tasting, and nice atmosphere.

    (5)

  • Kasey C.

    What a great place to find in Chandler! It's a tiny little space, but don't let that fool you. The flavors of the food are big! Not only was the food really good, and reasonably priced, but the staff was super friendly. We felt like regulars on our first visit. I will be back for sure! Thanks, Yoshi!

    (5)

  • Adam M.

    I was in the hood and visited for lunch today.... was super impressed. I ordered the special, which was a Japanese hamburger. The beef was tender and delicious. The burger was huge, and had a tasty sauce which made the burger, like, super duper umami. It came with a salad that had a tasty dressing, a bowl of rice, and a small seaweed salad. What a delicious meal! I didn't order sushi, but split an order of monkfish liver (!!!!!!!!!!! a favorite of mine) with the guys I had lunch with, it was sublime and wonderful. Most of their lunch menu items are $9-$11, for the quality and quantity they served, I felt it was a good value. I will def. be back!!

    (4)

  • Michael K.

    I kinda don't get the ratings on this one. The atmosphere is nice and the staff is friendly, but the food is very mediocre. The quality of the fish is so-so and the portions aren't really all that great. On top of that the prices are outrageous. I've been here twice now,just to give it a chance, and I probably wouldn't go back. Really- you can get better sushi at a MUCH better price at plenty of places near here.

    (3)

  • Sheila D.

    I tend to be a bit of a snob when it comes to sushi. Rarely have I been blown away by the sushi restaurant. I find typically that the sushi is ok but nothing special. However, this was not the case at Shimogamo. Everything was quite fresh so much so that they were out of several of the items we wanted. We tried several of their specialty items and were quite impressed with each. I highly recommend the miso marinated salmon and the tsunami roll were amazing. I ordered two items that are almost staples in my sushi: caterpillar roll and unagi. The unagi was so fresh and fabulous. I did not add my normal extra eel sauce because of the incredible taste of the eel itself. The caterpillar roll tasted good but really paled in comparison to everything else! The staff was quite attentive and helpful. I never had to wait for a refill of my drink. The atmosphere is nice. I like the simplistic decor and light music. I will be back again and again and again!

    (4)

  • Tim H.

    Shimogamo is one of those hidden gems of locally owned sushi restaurants and easily the best sushi and traditional home style Japanese food in the east valley. I agree with another reviewer, the best way to eat here is to put yourself in the hands of the sushi chef and kitchen cook and let them take care of you. If you don't mind spending a bit more, they are open to creating an omakase for $50-100+range or tweaking a lunch special to suit your taste. Best bets for lunch: Assorted sushi - $19 (or $30-35) if you want to upgrade to uni, ama ebi, toro if available/ Daily bento box lunch - $8.50 Super cheap and amazing, true Japanese comfort food.

    (5)

  • Justin S.

    Shimogamo ha saikouda! The sushi was good, I had the shimogamo and Vegas roll, hamachi and creamy hotate. They had a Kobe beef roll and a delicious looking okonomiyaki that was served at the other table... Next time I will definitely try those. I wanted to grab some standard sushi because the sushi chef was fantastic. I've watched sushi chefs my whole life, really really good ones, Japanese born and bred, through all the rigor and tests... In Hawaii and japan. The young man behind the bar crafting the sushi has the talent to go quite far. I think his name was Seth, but I'm not sure. I will get it next time. If you ever read this: you are good! Keep practicing and I think you will make a great ryoricho one day, head your own restaurant. I will bring you business! Just one thing.. Learn the Japanese pronunciation! Fish was pretty fresh, i inspected closely! The hamachi had a hint of bitter orange, I found out later there is an orange-hamachi, that must be where that came from. Miso-mayo is a good aioli, very few places use it, normally I need to just make it at home. My compliments, I will be back later, and I will tell everyone I know about shimogamo. The sushi bar not Kyoto!

    (4)

  • Dave E.

    This is the best sushi around. They have the freshest fish and high-grade as well. The Toro melts in your mouth and I recommend as sashimi. The food is so fresh that one time they had Ama Ebi on special and they billed it as fresh. I assumed it was flown in fresh. In actuality is was alive in a tank in the back. This place is pricey, but well worth it. They do have some great deals on some items during Happy Hour. Also, they have some special rolls not on the menu that they will make when it is not too busy...I highly recommend the citrus roll.

    (5)

  • Helen Y.

    Friendly neighborhood sushi bar...think Cheers with raw fish and nicer decor. Solid quality of fish with a nice selection of all the usual suspects. Also good selection of cooked dishes for the non-raw eaters.

    (3)

  • Eric W.

    My girlfriend surprised me with a birthday dinner at Shimogamo. It was one of the best sushi restaurants that I have ever been to (I have been to a lot), and hands down the best I have been to in AZ. We did as another reviewer recommended and, after giving our server some guidelines, allowed the chef and owner to send us whatever they wanted from the sushi bar and kitchen. All of the sushi was very fresh and some of the dishes were as creative as they were delicious. However, our favorite was the miso cod from the kitchen. In terms of price, our bill was in the $60 - 70 for two people, with a number of dishes and no alcohol. Yes, this would be expensive for a weekly sushi dinner, but for a special occasion it was actually cheaper than other nice restaurants that we have been to. I recommend this restaurant for a special occasion for any sushi lover and for any occasion for the diner who can both appreciate and afford fine sushi.

    (5)

  • Austin H.

    I frequent many sushi bars in the area and I would not recommend this place at all. My usual meal at every sushi restaurant is a chirashi bowl and a spicy tuna roll. A chirashi bowl is a bowl of mixed sashimi on a bed of rice. For me it is always a good way to determine just how good the sushi restaurant because this bowl has almost every type of sashimi you find on their menus - albacore, tuna, salmon, squid, egg, yellowtail, tuna belly, fish eggs, etc. Now concerning Shimogamo, not only were the portions very small for both the chirashi bowl and the spicy tuna roll, there was absolutely no flavor in the fish, neither did it look fresh. They charge high prices here -the chirashi bowl was $25, the spicy tuna roll was $6.25. The rice in the chirashi bowl was also dry, hard, and not cooked properly to be sushi rice I would recommend going to Sakana, specifically the location in ahwatukee. Portions are good sized, the fish is fresh, has flavor, and prices are reasonable. A chirashi bowl at Sakana is $16 while a spicy tuna roll is about $6. Also they are always consistent here, which is a huge factor in Japanese restaurants. If you don't believe give Shimogamo a shot, Sakana in ahwatukee a shot, and then you'll realize how much time, money, and effort you've wasted.

    (1)

  • Mike M.

    First and most importantly, this place has excellent, fresh sushi. Tried the albacore sashimi, uni, salmon sashimi in a salad with truffle oil, vegas roll, and seaweed salad. Only disappointing dish was the uni. The rest were superb. Total bill was under $75 including tip and 5 drinks (most everything was happy hour priced). Friendly service at the sushi bar and a fun atmosphere. Good date place.

    (4)

  • Tony R.

    Great food, great service. Excellent quality and yes, you pay for quality sushi. The owner, wait staff and chef are always friendly and extremely attentive. We have a favorite deemed the "Saturday Night Special" created by a chef after we sat at the bar and sampled some of his creativity. We arrived at one we really liked and, being Saturday, adopted the name. Great place and very unexpected for Chandler! Locals would like to keep it to ourselves but the word is out and well deserving of your business! My favorite sushi place - not snooty, great food, great service and no long wait. What's not to love?

    (5)

  • June J.

    Great happy hour, great service.

    (4)

  • Mel M.

    First the good: the sushi. Can't complain about the food. Will go again. Now the bad: service sucked. So many things went wrong on my first visit that I can't even type it out. All I will say is the sushi was good enough for me to go back but I will be sitting at the sushi bar.

    (3)

  • Akiko I.

    Chandler residents, try this place if you like Sushi. If you live around Chandler/Mesa area, you know how hard it is to find a descent sushi place unlike areas around north Scottsdale. We ordered few appetizers, multiple sushi and few rolls. The appetizers and the sushi were pretty good for the most part. But I do have to mention that the rice for one of the sushi was horrifying. I've never had rice fall apart on me when I tried to pick it up. It was soggy and all I could taste was sugar. Honestly, I'm amazed that the rice kept its nigiri shape on the plate. I don't know what happened on that particular sushi but yeah, that was unappetizing. The rolls were ok but nothing special at all. The portions were tiny and the flavor was barely there. So, from our point of view, this restaurant is pretty much on the same level as Kabuki in Old Town Pasadena, CA with an authentic Japanese sushi restaurant feel b/c of the presence of Japanese staff and the decor. That being said, it was really interesting to us because usually, a non-authentic sushi restaurants try to cover their lack of skill by serving pretty good rolls (which is basically an Americanized sushi.) But this place served better sushi than rolls. So kudos to them. Hence, it affected my rating along with the location to 4 stars. *Location = thank goodness that there is at least one pretty good sushi place around Chandler area *Food = pretty good *Service = very good *Atmosphere = nice and hip *Price = expected for AZ sushi place = over $100/a couple

    (4)

  • Frank E.

    My dentist recommended this place to me five years ago and every since then, I keep a keen ear to any of her recommendations as Shimagamo is the best sushi I've had anywhere. I've had sushi in CA, NY, TX and HI. The fish tastes fresh and the portions are generous. One piece of advice is to eat at the sushi bar rather than one of the booths, assuming you are having sushi. In my experience, sushi tastes better served as soon as each sushi piece prep is done rather than waiting for the entire sushi order to be completed. This place has the best Unagi and an awesome Escolar (which I haven't found anywhere else.) The Suprise Crazy Roll, served with a sweet wasabi sauce, is always on our Sushi order. The only con is that this place is pricey, but they do have a daily 5-7 happy hour that contains some great options. However, the best stuff is usually not on the happy hour menu. Also, this isn't a place to have Sake bombs. It's a very low key atmosphere for those just looking for an excellent meal. You'll likely notice early on how many folks are regulars. I was told this was the spot where many Japanese baseball players come to have their Sushi. The restaurant is very non-descript. It sits in a corner of a shopping mall and is easily overshadowed by it's neighbor C-Fu Gourmet.

    (5)

  • Jessica C.

    Best sushi in the valley! They have a great selection of rolls, sushi, and sashimi and the quality is unbeatable. The two sushi chefs are very friendly and knowledgable. They have happy hour every day with some great specials. We won't go anywhere else for sushi!

    (5)

  • Sherita W.

    Just one word to describe my first experience at Shimogamo (note I said my first as I will return for an encore) AWESOME! The sashimi was fresh. The unagi was delicious and the cut rolls were heavenly. Tightwads beware...this place is pricey but oh so worth it. I normally spend about $60 for two on sushi. This place hit us for $96 bucks and that includes only two small bottles of Kirin...

    (5)

  • M G.

    Small quaint place. Hardly anyone else there. Went for happy hour after reading yelp reviews...and so glad we did. It was great! Decent prices and awesome sushi. Nigiri has pretty big pieces also, eel sauce not overly sweet. Vegas roll best I've had in Phoenix. Salmon melts in your mouth. Miso soup good, beef carpaccio cooked very well and not drenched in sauce. Crazy roll is pretty awesome with right amount of spice. Yum! Can't wait to go back

    (5)

  • Shun K.

    Its my go to Japanese Restaurant in Arizona. Name is originated in Kyoto, Japan, where the owner is from. So You can expect real Japanese food here. The got some American sushi rolls here, so all the roll lovers can enjoy the sushi also. Although I haven't tried their sushi's I expect it to be pretty fresh and good. Can be pricey, but that is what you expect when eating at good Japanese restaurant. I only saw one other customer when I was there, hope people in AZ are more into experiencing Japanese foods.

    (4)

  • Jill T.

    Don't bother with this place. I had never been here, my husband and I decided to pick up some food to take home. We ordered a shrimp tempura appetizer, an assorted tempura appetizer, a lobster appetizer, and yakisoba. When we got home the order was totally wrong. Instead of lobster we were given mussels (which were gross), instead of assorted tempura and shrimp tempura we only got assorted tempura with 2... that's right only 2 shrimp in the whole mix. The yakisoba was the only part of the order they got right and it was not that great, pretty bland. I love Japanese food and I was really excited to find a place near by and while we were waiting for our order we were excitedly planning to come back and have their sushi, but after this complete mix up and poor quality food there is no way I would trust them with anything raw. Never going back, such a complete disappointment.

    (1)

  • Ann B.

    One of the best sushi I've ever had! My face here is the caterpillar roll. Love the presentation and atmosphere is warm and inviting.

    (5)

  • Sonty M.

    As a wise person once told me, you can judge a sushi restaurant by the quality of its sushi rice. In the case of Shimogamo, their sushi rice has a good balance of moisture and rice vinegar without being overly sticky. They offer a large variety of sashami and of the fish I have tried, their fish quality is good especially considering the price. I love their albacore tataki salad, which is actually a better value than buying the albacore alone. Shimogamo excels at their selection of appetizers. They offer some Japanese dishes that can be hard to find at most other sushi places, such as BBQ beef tongue or fried oyster. While I haven't had the beef tongue yet, I have tried their fried oyster, beef carpaccio, and dynamite lobster. They were all very good, which leaves me optimistic for the other appetizers. When my wife and I eat here, we generally order quite a few dishes and spend about $20-25 per person. While it is easy to find far cheaper sushi places in the Phoenix area, this place offers a higher quality and more interesting variety that makes the price well worth it. Shimogamo is quickly becoming one of our regular favorites.

    (4)

  • Dan H.

    Updated 8/15/2008 This place used to be the best but it has gone down hill terribly while the prices remained very high. They used to have the freshest fish and now they have some really foul tasting tuna and salmon which has gotten me sick. They advertise their salmon as King Salomon but it really just tastes like raw canned salmon. As I'm a big fan of good Salmon, this will stop me from ever going back. Service has gotten pretty bad also. The new waitress they have was about absent minded as can be. The only things I still like at Shimogamo are the live sweet shrimp (ama ebi) and Sea urchin (Uni) but on the live sweet shrimp they have gotten very stingy as they only give you one head and they split the body in 2 pieces. The establishment stank like rotten cabbage and I've noticed it being not well maintained behind the sushi bar. Another annoyance is that they are only open for lunch on Fridays now. There are much better options around and at this momemnt Sushi Kee 3 blocks east on Warner (at Rural) is a lot better.

    (2)

  • Tiffany V.

    Great place! Atmosphere is very relaxing....EXCELLENT food...and great happy hour prices.

    (5)

  • Jess S.

    This place is GREAT! I must have passed it a million times without knowing that it was tucked away in the complex. The sushi was awesome, the drinks were very reasonabally priced, we loved the decor and the atmosphere was very nice, kinda romantic if you are seated in the back away from the sushi bar. The service was great! We will definitely be going back.

    (4)

  • Charlie G.

    Great! Friendly people, great, fresh fish, good prices, and a nice place. Happy hour 5-7 every day.

    (5)

  • Marce J.

    This is probably the best sushi you can find in the Valley. The owner is from Japan and I believe they import their fish from Japan. My husband and I went in, not expecting much from the food, but we were pleasantly surprised. The pork spare ribs were delectable with a slightly crunchy sweet crust. We didn't try much else except the fish because it was so darn fresh! You need to get here early on weekends because there are not too many tables. Parking can be tough in the strip mall with the dim sum place next door. I would give this place four stars but it is pricey for the portions.

    (4)

  • Misti P.

    Great sushi! Sometimes it is hard to find great sushi in the Phoenix/Tempe area, or anywhere without an ocean...but we really enjoyed Shimogamo. Very small, and in a random shopping mall, but the eating experience is worth it. They also have happy hour 7 days a week from 4-7!!!

    (5)

  • David I.

    Best sushi in the area. Go there for nabe in the winter.

    (5)

  • Keesha G.

    Kemta and Al were my sushi chefs last night at Shimogamo and they were very friendly and hospitable. I finished work last night around 8:30PM and was hungry for sushi. They close at 9PM Mon-Thurs. They welcomed me in, let me know it was no problem to serve me and were so great about it. What great attitudes they have.

    (4)

  • Brian B.

    exceptional albacore salad and white tuna sashimi. Rolls were prepared in a timely manner, looked as good as they tasted.

    (5)

  • Mercy K.

    After a mishap at another restaurant, I gave Shimogamo a call where the owner graciously agreed to cater to a rather large group of us at the last minute. The food was fresh and delicious, and the place itself was very clean and beautiful. There was an easy access to a full bar next door, and the service was amazing. I highly recommend the restaurant!

    (5)

  • Jacqueline D.

    Sushi was great, but unfortunately they were understaffed (only one sushi chef on a Saturday night) so it took almost 2 hours to receive 5 rolls (we didn't get the last roll because by this time we were late). The staff was apologetic and gave us two small dishes on the house, so this doesn't appear to be a common occurrence. I would definitely go back.

    (3)

  • Jennifer H.

    Named after the district in Kyoto that the owners are from, Shimogamo was our *best* Japanese meal in Phoenix during our one week there. It's a close call, with Nobuo and Yasu being quite comparable, but in the end, the umami palette was most refined at Shimogamo. The husband and wife team who own and run this place personally work everyday, ensure high standards for the overall dining experience; he works the dining area, and she is head chef in the kitchen. The highlight dishes were the Spanish Mackerel sashimi with the bones deep fried, the fine kelp soup with taroro, an outstanding delicate citrus miso dressing on the daikon radish & cucumber salad, the emaebi with spectacular deep fried heads, wild alaskan salmon and impressively fresh uni. Zach, the sushi chef, prepared everything very skillfully and was great to talk to.

    (5)

  • Dave H.

    The place is not cheap, but it is worth it. The best way is to go in and let the chef and owner pick your food. You'll eat some crazy thing you would have never ordered and love it. If you are a weekly sushi eater, this place might get a little pricey. If you want to experience the full range of Japanese food, this is the place.

    (4)

  • Roger W.

    this is a good sushi spot. get to know the owner, yoshi, and he will treat you like royalty. regarding the comments on price: hello! this is sushi not a hamburger, you should expect to pay for good quality. its raw fish. you dont want to be getting bargain fish when its raw. the prices are in line with the costs of good quality fish and service. regarding portion size: this is sushi not a big meal. the portions here are correct.

    (4)

  • Elizabeth S.

    Wonderful food, classy atmosphere, but from almost the minute we sat down they were telling us that the food would take a very long time and that the service was very slow. Man they were not kidding. Drinks went empty several times, tried to order a second round of sushi only to change our minds after our waiter walked by our table without taking the filled out menu at least 5 times. Then it took another 20minutes to settle the bill, which by the way was outrageous. I would never go back and I would never recommend it to anybody. I can get happy hour sushi a mile up the road for a fraction of the price in half the time and they will smile at me while I keep ordering. Good food is one part of having a restaurant, its usually not the most important part. People pay for good service and that is what keeps them coming back. I will never go back to Shimogamo.

    (1)

  • Pucca P.

    I used to eat here when I first moved to Chandler and didn't have an option if I wanted to eat sushi. The quality is solid and the service is pretty good. The problem is that the size of the nigiri, sashimi and maki are laughably TEENY TINY. On top of that, the price is exponentially opposite. My fiance and I would go and eat up $60-$70 worth of sushi and we would be getting the check and heading to In and Out. Not because we're pigs (both of our BMI are under 19), but because the amount is so tiny. I have no idea how they justify charing half of your mortgage to eat there, it's not THAT good. I would pay $70/piece to eat if Chef Nobu was cooking. Skip this place and head to Sushi In Motion in downtown Chandler (see my review). And if you're tight on budget and could careless about service, head to Ken Sushi.

    (2)

  • Danielle C.

    This is the best hidden gem in Chandler!! Best sushi I have ever had! It is fresh and prepared right in front of you! They display the fish they are using, so you know it hasn't been sitting out all day. You can see how tender and fresh it looks! The service is quick! You would never find it if you weren't informed about it. The inside is tiny, but it's never too packed in there. You can sit up at the bar and the sushi chef is really knowledgeable and enjoys talking about the sushi with you as well! There is a back room for private events. I found out about Shimogamo for a birthday party I attended in the back room, and it is intimate, but not too restricted! Try the best sushi in town!

    (5)

  • Dave J.

    If I can give this place a zero star I would. The worst service ever in my entire dining experience. We showed up Friday night and they are semi busy. We were immediately seated. However, it took an unreasonably long time before a wait staff came by to get our drink order and it ended up being the "host". Then it took a while before the waitress came by and took our order. We were told that they are out of salmon. Ok no problem. We ordered some sushi. After quite a wait, we received 2 of our 4 items. It was ok, nothing exceptional. Then came the long wait. Finally the "host" came by and tells us that they are out of eel. Uh....shouldn't they know before we put in the order? However, he had no clue we had another order as well. We asked what about our other sushi order. He went checked, came back and told us they are out of snow crab also. So we said, ok then can we please have our check please since they have nothing to eat. The guy just disappeared and no where to be found. At the same time we never see our waitress again that night. After we waited, and waited, and waited, we finally saw him reemerge from the back. The entire time we didn't see any other wait staff in the front part of the restaurant. He's still completely oblivious. We had to waive him down and gave him the evil eye. He didn't even acknowledge us. And finally after he ducks in the back again he came back with the check. What a nightmare experience. Plus, we don't even really know how they foods are since they have absolutely nothing.... Will never ever go back again. Never had service this awful!

    (1)

  • Garci M.

    The restaurant is kind of hidden, tucked back in a strip mall -- it's located katty-korner across from Lee Lee's Oriental supermarket. I was dying to try it and was totally satisfied! It is not a huge restaurant and reservations are recommended. Our appetizers were edamame and the beef tongue, which was sliced very thinly and salt/pepper seasoned. We had several rolls and nigiri, and our favorite was the oyster roll. The seafood was very fresh and well-prepared. I'd have to say it was the best sushi I've ever eaten. Service was swift and efficient. I highly recommend this restaurant!

    (5)

  • Tina N.

    if money was no object then this place is just superb. the space is clean, dark, and modern, but i think i'm biased because a friend of mine designed the interior. i love the sushi bar area where you can watch the chefs while you eat. the service is attentive and the sushi is wonderful. the caterpillar roll (one of my favorites) is just awesome along with everything else. the downside? the spicy tuna rolls are tiny and the bill is always large!

    (4)

  • Georgia R.

    I'm always down to try a new sushi place and Shimogamo doesn't disappoint. You'll find the normal Japanese dishes on the menu, from teppanyaki to miso soup and they have a full list of sushi for you to choose from. But you'll also see some more inventive items, including the three colored fried tofu, which is actually very good. I've also had the tempura udon noodles and it was delish. The restaurant was clean, the servers were friendly and fast and the prices are reasonable. Give it a whirl- it's a great place for lunch or dinner!

    (4)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :5:00 pm - 9:3
  • Mon : 5:00 pm - 9:3

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : Yes
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : No
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Dinner
    Parking : Private Lot
    Bike Parking : Yes
    Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
    Good for Kids : No
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Casual
    Noise Level : Quiet
    Alcohol : Full Bar
    Outdoor Seating : No
    Wi-Fi : No
    Has TV : No
    Dogs Allowed : No
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : Yes

Shimogamo

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