Sushi joints are spreading through WNY like wild fire. In the Elmwood Village, independent restaurants are popping up left and right, while in the suburbs Wasabis and Fuji Grills are taking over, one strip mall at a time. It once felt as though only a small segment of the population in Buffalo truly enjoyed sushi, or even understood what it was. It used to be that a sushi enthusiast was required to venture to Saki's or Kuni's, where now it is available at nearly every supermarket. Sellers of chicken wings and subs might want to mind the influx of little shops, as sushi seems to be Buffalo's new favorite 'to go' option.

So who do you think serves the best sushi, and why?

Amongst the sushi cognoscenti, there are a few defining factors that must be attended to when answering such a question. Few of our area sushi bars or Japanese restaurants use formal steps of service (for example, the distribution of warm hand towels, etc.) that are in keeping with tradition. Without the regimen of such gestures, Buffalonians (and probably others in different parts of the country as well) seem to have lost the ability to tell traditional sushi from American-style sushi--or maybe we never really understood that there was a difference to begin with. That being said, there are many traditionalists who would turn their nose up at a spicy tuna roll or a California roll, and for them, the more blurred the line is between traditional and contemporary would certainly be an important consideration when choosing a favorite sushi establishment.

I also think that there is no comparing--forgive me if you disagree--quick, cheap sushi with the luxury and edible reward of sitting down at a sushi bar to enjoy omakase prepared by an itamae. At the very least, my response to the question of who serves the best sushi in our area would leave me in a position where I would have to choose a favorite high-end place and a favorite casual place.

For some, an even better way to frame the question of favorite sushi locale might be to strictly examine fish quality, which is especially important in a place where our sushi chefs don't have direct access to the catch of the day.

So in many ways, this question is asked with the reader left to weigh-in based on what considerations are most important to them, and I like that. It helps us better understand your answers. Of course, this is an informal poll with no trophy awarded, and you do have to be a registered user to add your answer, but that only takes a moment.

To aid you in your effort, here is a list of known sushi outlets in the city and surrounding suburbs. I hope we got them all, but please be sure to tell us if we didn't. And, if you'd like to learn a little bit more about sushi, I highly recommend that you read this book (or at least peruse the website for some lesser known facts and pointers).

Bangkok Tokyo Bistro
Encore
Fuji Grill (Amherst)
Fuji Grill (Hamburg)
Ichiban
Kuni's
Kyoto
Lexington Co-op
Orchid Asian Bistro
Papaya
Sake Cafe
Sakura
Samurai Grill
SeaBar
Shogun
Tokyo Shangahi Bistro
Tops
Wasabi (Blasdell)
Wasabi (Elmwood)
Wasabi (Williamsville)
Wegmans