Noble Fish: The Best Damned Sushi in Metro Detroit

November 5, 2008

The nondescript Noble Fish supermarket and sushi bar. Credit Kodamakitty via flickr.

Noble Fish, Downtown Clawson, 45 E 14 Mile Rd, Clawson, MI, (248) 585-2314

This place isn’t for everybody. First, you have to park. There is rarely parking available on the street, and the lot behind the little Japanese market and sushi bar has more disputed boundary lines than the Middle East (park in the Aco Hardware section at your own risk – diagrams on where to park are in the store, in English and Japanese). The ambiance is . . . well, there’s really no ambiance. The entrance is nondescript and the building looks more like a branch office of the Secretary of State on the outside than a place for great food. The seating is crowded. You have to get your own water and green tea and pour it yourself into a Styrofoam cup. You can’t order a beer with your meal. And it takes a visit or two to figure out where to order and how to pay (Hint: fill out the form whether you are sitting down or taking out – pay at the cash register in the supermarket on the way out). And what’s up with the Sponge-Bob Square-Pants tip-bag?

So, why is the Noble Fish sushi bar packed at lunch and dinner, every day? Why is there often a long line full of patient patrons waiting for their take-out orders? Because Noble Fish has the freshest fish and the best sushi rolls in the metro Detroit area. And because, after two or three visits, you’ll feel like a regular, and you’ll be able to whisper instructions to the new, bewildered-looking customer trying to figure out what to order and where to sit.

The menu is simple. There are twenty single-piece nigiri items ranging from the familiar (salmon, tuna, shrimp) to the more exotic (tsubugai clam, smelt roe, and tobiko wasabi) from $1.60 to $3.50 a piece. There are nine “special rolls,” four of which are “vegetarian and semi-vegetarian”). The Michigan roll is a favorite for a good value – under $7 for a large tuna roll. There are nearly thirty regular rolls (you know, the small ones which are cut into about six pieces) and another baker’s dozen of hand rolls.

Some fixin's from Noble Fish. Credit: Kodamakitty via flickr

I recommend sitting at the bar if you are alone. You can watch the sushi chefs quickly and deftly crafting beautiful hand rolls. The bar stools are packed closely together, so say hello to your bar mate. Hopefully they’re a regular who can tell you about their favorite menu items. Or order a combo plate and let the chefs decide (priced between $10.25 and $18.75).

Finally, while the main reason to visit this place, in my opinion, is the sushi, the rest of the market is worth exploring as well. If you’ve ever lived in or visited Japan, you’ll feel at home as the store stocks over a half-dozen types of green tea, a wide selection of Japanese candies (try the chocolate-covered almonds), sushi grade pieces of fish, and strange Japanese gift shop loot.

Check out the reviews at yelp.com: http://www.yelp.com/biz/noble-fish-clawson

And leave your favorite menu items/ other great sushi spots in the comments!

This article brought to you by the good folks at Urbane Hotels Royal Oak Michigan, Urbane Hotels Southfield Michigan, Urbane Hotels Troy Michigan, and Urbane Hotels Detroit Michigan.