Minami Japanese Restaurant

Go here.
Why? It’s the quintessential narrative of a sushi restaurant in the Southwest— Sedona, wedged between Mexico and a giant void that is the Grand Canyon. A cuisine misplaced but embodying the spirit of its diaspora, and serving kickass Japanese cuisine nonetheless.
Maybe it was the 3 hour bike rental around Bell Rock. Maybe it was Valentine’s Day. But we took a fanciful gander at some red rock sushi.
The service was slow. Three-​person team: authentic Japanese bossman at the helm as sushi chef, a hardworking older Southern gentlemen working the hot station, and a spirited retired cowgirl servicing all the tables. No one here is breaking the sound barrier.
But wait you shall, and wait you must and be rewarded. The gyoza baked or broiled (?) to perfection. California rolls with REAL crabmeat (wtf?YES). Teriyaki salmon on point and the beef variety was real cowboy swagged, tangy and caramelized. The tempura coating was light, crunchy and not greasy, evidence of high quality oil and high heat.
And maybe, maybe it was the carafe and a half of sake… I peered into the eyes of the Japanese chef, here presenting the art of his people’s cuisine but unable to mask the longing similar to his Native American brethrens. Of making home in this land, that is both foreign and familiar. And then I understood, this was the most authentic Southwest sushi experience you can get.
So take it, if you must, from a city slicker on vacation who shamefully has eaten his weight in fish from the oligarchs of fish restaurant. A place like this needs a good word. Go here, and be patient. You will taste true Sedona sushi.

Minami is one of the better Japanese restaurants in the area, though that’s not saying much considering the limited selection in the Verde Valley. Though it can be pricy, it isn’t as expensive as Szechuan, (but again that’s not saying much) The sushi is decently fresh, and the other dishes like the tempura and udon are ok. The lunch menu and sake list is embarrassingly limited, and the dinner menu hardly contains a large selection as well. If you are desperately craving sushi in the Verde Valley, Minami is one of the best places to go but if you can hold out, there are much better places to go in Flagstaff, Prescott, and Phoenix.

I did not have sushi here. So my review is for the tempura. It was expensive but was not crispy at all. Very disappointed.

Good sushi! Again since the village of oak creek is so small, everything is quite over priced. They serve great authentic Japanese food and the owner is very nice. This is a very small place so be warned that there might be a wait.

Maybe we came early and were served yesterday’s food, but the sushi was only ok and for some reason the wasabi was dry and even the request for more got us only as much as is usually served elsewhere, with almost no ginger. The tea was bad, too. The sushi was bearable, but worse than expected in a high end tourist area.

Warning: this is the level of quality that sushi should be, consistently. Everything else is just uncivilized.