Dear Lea,
I see that Blue C Sushi is coming to Downtown Bellevue this fall. My co-workers and I have been wanting to go to a good sushi restaurant, but we don’t know of any places near by right now.
– Sushi Seeker
Dear Sushi Seeker,
You’ve asked the right person because sushi is my second favorite food, second to Thai. I am really looking forward to the opening of Blue C Sushi at the end of this year, but there are quite a few places you can go to right now for good sushi.
A local favorite that has been around for quite awhile, and is always packed, is Marinepolis Sushi Land. It’s tucked away on 107th Ave., snug between an office building and condominiums. You’d never know it was there unless you happened to drive past it down the street, which is more like an alley to me. The parking lot is always full, but if you’re patient, a spot will turn up. The sushi there is served conveyor belt style, so once you’re seated it’s a quick in and out. The sushi is very inexpensive, and I wouldn’t call it gourmet. I think it’s good, but if you’re somewhat of a sushi connoisseur, you’d probably want to pay a little bit more somewhere else for better quality. My favorite part about the place is that they play loud hip hop music, and have a staff of distracted adolescents. But seriously, if you haven’t been there, it’s worth the experience and the food for the price you’ll pay.
Another great find is Sushi Yama. In fact, I just went there last night. It’s located on 105th Ave. behind the new Avalon Meydenbauer Safeway site. They are also a conveyor belt restaurant with low prices. The place is about half the size of Marinepolis, but I thought their sushi was great! I highly recommend the Bellevue Roll and Strawberry Roll. I ate until I was very full, and my bill was about $10. I think that’s a pretty good deal for a full dinner meal.
Lastly, if you’re willing to spend a little bit more or looking for something more upscale, try Yama at the Galleria. They specialize in sushi, but also offer a variety of Japanese 
dishes. The atmosphere is tasteful, highlighted by a sushi bar, regular bar, and a plethora of tables for dining. If you want to try it out, head there on a Sunday. They have happy hour after 4pm, and all bottles of wine are 50% off with your dinner.
I hope this helps, until you get your Blue C fix come November.
Stuffing You With Sushi,
Lea
Have a question you’d like to ask? Email me at lea@downtownbellevue.com!
A sushi article named “I Love Sushi” but you don’t actually recommend or talk about the restaurant “I Love Sushi”. Ok, you have to cross over the freeway to get to it but its still the best sushi offering in Bellevue. I’m not talking about their Lake Bellevue one, but the old original one. For some reason the Lake Bellevue one just isn’t as good.
There’s also Flo which is good but I find the atmosphere in the space cold.
PS you like loud hip hop and distracted teen waiters. How old are you?
Dear “Mr./Mrs. Anonymous,”
I have to give you some credit for being dissatisfied with the title of my post. However, it is intended to read “I love sushi,” as in I (myself) LOVE sushi. I tried to convey this by using the quotation marks. I’ll have to give you recommendation a try (at the restaurant I Love Sushi) because really, I do love sushi!
I would also like to apologize that you did not pick up on my sarcasm in the comment about “hip hop music and distracted adolescents.”
Thank you for your attention to my column, and feel free to email me more comments/questions at lea@downtownbellevue.com!
lol at the distracted teens, that’s 100% correct
I am not a huge sushi fan but I will put up with the teens to eat the awesome seared salmon and ‘house special’
Gotta recommend Flo. Seared Salmon roll and chilean sea basss, mmmm mmmm good.
how about the raw bar at seastar?
not the best, but worth mentioning.
Speaking of Flo, there is one dish there that I really love: Chawanmushi. It’s basically steamed egg custard with shiitake mushroon, shrimp, spinach and ginkonut cooked in this clay pot. An excellent dish.
Next time you’re at Flo, give your a try!
Ya I agree with the first post, I thought you would at least mention I Love Sushi.
There are actually more than a handful of great sushi place in downtown Bellevue, but you only listed two. Doesn’t sound like you know DT Bellevue that well at all, especially not its sushi restaurants.
-Rolls and Rolls Plus – a mom & pop shop.
-Flo – right around the same location.
-Ginza – good.
Thank you for the feedback. I very well could have listed more places to go for sushi, but I chose to highlight three spots in particular. I know Downtown Bellevue very well, as I have lived here for over 20 years!
My current residence is in the downtown core itself. I can walk to any of the sushi places everyone has mentioned.
Again, I thank you very much for the feedback and will be sure to be much more thorough in my next reply!