Sashimi is fresh raw fish or seafood, expertly sliced and served without rice — with soy sauce, wasabi and a garnish of daikon. The cut itself is the craft: angle and thickness change the texture of the very same fish.
What it means
Sashimi celebrates shun — eating each fish at its seasonal peak — and the Japanese reverence for the ingredient in its natural state. Freshness and the knife are everything; there is nowhere to hide.
Why it's wonderful
Great sashimi is clean, cool and silky, each variety distinct: lean tuna, buttery toro, sweet shrimp, briny scallop. A dab of wasabi and a light touch of soy is all it needs.
Naturally pescatarian and gluten-free if you use tamari instead of wheat soy sauce.
FAQ
What is Sashimi?
Pristine raw fish — the purest taste of the sea.
Is Sashimi vegetarian, vegan, halal or gluten-free?
Naturally pescatarian and gluten-free if you use tamari instead of wheat soy sauce.
💬Recipes and preparation vary by restaurant, so this is a general guide. If you're ever unsure, please confirm directly with the venue before you order — they'll appreciate the heads-up.
Where to try it — and book a table
Hand-picked spots for this dish, each with a working reservation link. Tap to book.
★ Plant-based nigiri and sushi sets using vegetable alternatives to fish
A sit-down plant-based sushi restaurant in Shoto (near Shibuya) where every piece is made without seafood or animal products, so there is no fish dashi to worry about. It is not gluten-free (soy sauce and some components contain wheat); reservations are recommended and the venue opened its permanent location in late 2025.
★ Tempura fried in 100% gluten-free rice-flour batter with house-made gluten-free soy sauce and broth; wagyu and seafood tempura bowls are highlights
A counter tempura restaurant whose entire menu is gluten-free (rice-flour batter plus house-made GF soy sauce and broth) and which is halal certified. It is not a separate dedicated GF facility, so highly sensitive celiacs should confirm cross-contact directly; vegetarian tempura courses are also offered.
★ Organic macrobiotic cooking incl. vegan sushi of vinegared brown rice and seasonal vegetables
One of Tokyo's oldest natural-food restaurants, open in Harajuku since 1976, serving organic, additive-free cooking with strong vegan and macrobiotic options. It is well used to foreign diners and offers an English menu.
★ 'Eel' sushi and namasu crafted entirely from tofu and burdock
A reservation-only tatami refuge where a chef who trained 25 years at Takayama's Kakusho turns the seasons into meat-free trompe-l'oeil — tofu that tastes like eel, burdock that becomes sushi.
