"Hummingbird Sushi in Queen Anne serves pristine fish in a quiet, wood-paneled room perfect for those seeking to escape the crowds heading to Climate Pledge Arena or the Space Needle. But what makes this restaurant stand out is that it’s easy-breezy to book a reservation, and you can order all of the sushi from the $150 omakase menu for a la carte service (and thus avoid some clunkers). The nigiri, illuminated by tap-to-power library lamps, are petite, but mighty. Standouts include buttery Canadian salmon, toro zuke, and hirame engawa that disintegrates like a Claritin Reditab. The mix-and-match set-up makes this a freeing experience improved by starters like green tea-cured salmon, or panko-breaded lobster balls topped with kiwi salsa and cream sauce. Ultimately, taking this DIY route is the smartest way to do Hummingbird Sushi—because the omakase is where things start to go off the rails. Some dishes are decent enough, like soy-basted sashimi and fatty bites of otoro. But other stuff is unfortunately too complicated for its own good. Lovely white escolar gets felled by a puckering topping of watermelon Pop Rocks and wasabi-kicked avocado puree. A renge spoon of blowtorched wagyu tartare tastes like equal parts propane and iron that a ponzu soak can’t salvage. It’s a shame that the omakase isn’t stacked with hit after hit, like at other spots around Seattle. But if you just stick to a la carte, you’ll be none the wiser. Food Rundown photo credit: Nate Watters Green Tea Cured Salmon Whatever sorcery Hummingbird is doing to these succulent slabs of salmon is much appreciated. Rich with nori-backed green tea earthiness and a barely-there chew, we wish we could stash some in our pockets to plop on a breakfast bagel the next day. If you’re choosing between sashimi dishes, ignore the rest and make a beeline for this one. photo credit: Nate Watter Lobster Crab Cake Here we have a palace of raw fish, and yet the best dish is a fried ball of mashed-up crustaceans. A crisp panko dredge holds in a filler-free mixture of lobster and crab, and then they go and drench each piece in an unlikely marriage of kiwi salsa and cream sauce. Sounds all over the place, but it works. Hokkaido Scallop Tasting Pink himalayan salt blocks are back. And they have scallops. We’re a fan—just know that the longer you sit there to snap phone photos, the longer pure NaCl leeches into those beautiful babies. Eat ‘em up quickly. photo credit: Nate Watters Nigiri Sometimes the sushi rice can trend a bit undercooked, but for the most part, you’re in for a tasty nigiri journey that involves some special cuts of fish." - Aimee Rizzo
