Teresa StepzinskiJacksonville Florida Times-Union
Northeast Florida sushi lovers rejoice and ready your chopsticks!
Two Jacksonville-area Japanese restaurants have been rated among the top 50 best sushi spots in the nation based on customer reviews.
Tokyo Ramen & Poke, 630 Atlantic Blvd. in Neptune Beach ranks No. 36, while Hana Moon Sushi, 11531 San Jose Blvd. in Mandarin, is listed as No. 48 in the Top 100 Sushi Spots 2024 nationwide, according to Yelp, an online site for crowd-sourced restaurant reviews.
Yelp described its 2024 sushi rankings as ranging "from simple nigiri to beautifully decorated sushi rolls."
The restaurants making the Top 100 "feature creative preparations of ultra-fresh seafood, from a food truck in Hawaii to an intimate sushi bar in New York City," Yelp said in a news release announcing the rankings.
Yelp said it identified businesses in the Sushi restaurant category and then ranked them using multiple factors including the total volume and the ratings of reviews.
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Tokyo Ramen & Poke
Tokyo Ramen & Poke — located in Publix-anchored Seminole Shoppes — is known for its selection of freshly made, sushi, sushi burritos, poke bowls and salads, and ramen offerings.
With the tagline "Enjoy the Delicious," the restaurant's top menu offerings include:
- Tako Yaki ($8.50): Fried octopus balls with special sauce, mayo and dried bonito flakes
- Tokyo Burrito ($15.50): Spicy tuna, spicy salmon, shrimp tempura, avocado, cucumber, masago, and tempura flakes service with shrimp sauce
- NY Autumn sushi ($15.95): Tuna, smoked salmon, and avocado then topped with fresh salmon and wasabi tobiko
- Dragon roll ($13.95): Eel, cucumber inside and topped with avocado
- Crazy Tuna ($14.95): Spicy crunchy tuna, jalapeno inside, and topped with black peppery tuna, avocado, scallion and caviar
Customers giving it five-star Yelp reviews describe Tokyo Ramen & Poke as a go-to-destination for its food and hospitality.
"This is the only place that I go to for ramen and sushi and the only place that I recommend to others. Whether dining in or ordering takeout, it's always superb. And the lady at the counter is always so helpful with recommendations and any questions that I have," one customer posted.
Tokyo Ramen & Poke is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and on Sunday, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Hana Moon Sushi
Popular menu offerings include the Hana Moon Roll ($14.95), featuring a combination of tuna, salmon, yellowtail, cucumber and avocado wrapped in soy paper instead of seaweed and is garnished with red tobiko, spicy mayo and eel sauce.
Another customer favorite is the Sweet Naruto Roll ($12.95), which is shrimp tempura, spicy krab, avocado, and mango wrapped with cucumber then topped with red tobiko, mango sauce, and eel sauce.
Hana Moon also offers hibachi/teriyaki, ramen, lomein, soups, salads, and more according to its website.
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Hana Moon also garnered multiple five-star Yelp reviews from customers.
"The food was so fresh and amazing and it came out very quick. We also got a hibachi plate and the chicken katsu lunch plate. The katsu was super crunchy and delicious. I have to give major props to the server she was on point and was running the show like a boss. Very cute little spot, would 100% be back," one guest posted.
Hana Moon is open 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, noon to 9 p.m. Sunday and closed Monday. The restaurant also is closed from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday for the staff lunch break.
Yelp's other top Florida sushi spots
The other top Florida sushi spots and their ranking Yelp's list:
- No. 18: Kadence, 1809 Winter Park Road, Orlando
- No. 21: EDOBOY Standing Sushi Bar, 728 N Thornton Ave., Orlando
- No. 35: Sushi Bichi, 7330 Ocean Terrace, CU-5, Miami Beach
- No. 42: House of Food p*rn, 197 NW 62nd St., Miami
- No. 51: MAKS Asian Kitchen & Sushi, 13650 Fiddlesticks Blvd. Suite 206, Fort Myers
- No 55: Rice & Spice, 11625 Sheldon Road, Tampa
- No. 63: Pla-Tu Sushi Thai Tapas, 6101 Sunset Drive, South Miami
- No. 68: Fancy Q Sushi & Thai, 2525 W. International Speedway Blvd. Unit 150, Daytona Beach
Teresa Stepzinski is the dining reporter for the Times-Union. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @TeresaStepz or reach her via email at tstepzinski@jacksonville.com.
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