Sick of Shinju? Try Hiro Sushi in Hyde Park

Living in Hyde Park, there isn’t that wide of a selection when you’re craving sushi. Sure, you could dish out $20 for all-you-can-eat at Shinju, but that’s more of a rite of passage than a memorable pastime for me. I surely won’t go for the strange food that barely qualifies as sushi at the SitDown and I’m definitely not taking chances with sketchy Walgreens and subpar Whole Foods sushi. Naturally, I was pretty glad to hear that there was a new sushi place in the neighborhood: Hiro Sushi.

Located right across from Polsky Center, Hiro Sushi seems to be a glimmer of hope in the dark realms of the Hyde Park Asian food scene. Curious to see if it was worth frequenting, I took myself there despite the cold weather and tempting alternatives of Nandos and Five Guys on the way.

First Impressions

The exterior is incredibly underwhelming, as it lurks in a strange nook of 53rd Street. Fortunately, once you’re inside, the ambiance changes entirely. No longer does it look like a run-down restaurant doomed for failure. Hiro Sushi takes on a club-like lighting, playing what seems like exclusively Migos tracks. Maybe it’s still new and undiscovered by Hyde Park residents alike, but the only diners in Hiro were my boyfriend and me. It was nice and clean, though incredibly lonely.

The Experience

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Hiro Sushi definitely has more to offer as a versatile Japanese restaurant; the menu ranges from various rolls, sashmi, and nigiri combinations to poke bowls and noodle dishes. Overall, the quality of fish was much higher than Hyde Park competitors. The food came out quickly and I definitely ate more than I needed to. The price range is notably higher than other sushi places in Hyde Park, averaging about $10-17 per roll and $13-17 per entree. It’s definitely a place you’re going for quality over quantity (if you’re looking for the latter, take yourself to Shinju, please).

Afterthoughts

I definitely like Hiro Sushi–at least, more than Shinju. What keeps me from entirely dedicating myself to this place is that it offers good sushi, but not as great as the sushi you could find downtown, and the price range is about the same. I’d much rather take myself to Sushi-San, Arami, or Tanoshii and get much higher quality and more fun sushi then get what I would expect at Hiro. I’d definitely recommend everyone try it out at least once though.

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