Sometimes you don't want your seafood fried or steamed, simply sliced, perhaps rolled, and certainly served raw. With that said, outstanding lobster shacks abound, but Maine's top sushi spots are trickier to track. Here are eleven that know their way around fresh fish. Are there others you think are to die for? Share in the comments. Note: map points are ordered roughly south to north.
Read MoreThe Essential Sushi Restaurants in Maine
From Portland to Brewer, these places slice like a ninja, cut like a razor blade.
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Yosaku
The sushi here is solid, and what better place to enjoy it than that beautiful patio?
Miyake
A truly world-class experience in Portland, chef Masa Miyake's eponymous sushi temple is for fish fanatics, not bargain hunters.
Pai Men Miyake
The casual offshoot of Miyake, Pai Men focuses on ramen but offers a handful of excellent sushi rolls, including the Maine Crab with broiled mayo glaze. There's a better beer selection to wash it down with here, too.
Benkay Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar
Willing to set aside freedom of choice and pay a little extra? Then pony up to the bar and order the omakase, or chef's tasting menu. Available at many sushi bars and done exceptionally well here, this style of prix fixe affords unique items and the best the chef has to offer.
Kushiya Benkay
Seemingly less popular than its sister restaurant Benkay, this well-positioned locale offers simple, tasty rolls for $3 (and yakitori skewers for $2) from 5 p.m. to close. Be ready for a sugar rush if you take advantage of the $10 deal on 40 ounce Mai Tais, though.
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King of the Roll
It helps to know the highlights of the low-priced menu here, including nigiri selections like ankimo (monkfish liver, often called the foie gras of the sea for its richness) and the ice cream cone-shaped Baha Scallop Hand Roll, which is both delicious and fun to eat.
Suzuki's Sushi Bar
Owner Keiko Suzuki and her team of female chefs run the midcoast's ultimate sushi destination. The quality here can't be beat, and the prices aren't bad either considering the amount of local ingredients used in the kitchen.
Mr. Wat
The sushi plays second fiddle to the Thai dishes at Mr. Wat, but the rolls at this small spot are generally satisfying and priced cheaply.
Yoshi Japanese Restaurant
Sure enough, Brewer has a lovely sushi spot in Yoshi. Enjoy a wide variety of special rolls, sashimi, or nigiri at a western-style table or on a pillow on the floor in the traditional Japanese way.
Ichiban Sushi Bar
With around 70 maki rolls ranging from classic to quirky, Ichiban has something for everyone. Try the Halloween Roll, an unusual selection with pumpkin tempura, avocado, and cream cheese.
Kobe Japanese Grill & Sushi Bar
This hibachi and sushi "ninja house" slashes prices during its long Happy Hour, Tuesday and Thursday 4 to 8 p.m. It also claims its Tokyo Monster — a pink soybean sheet stuffed with shrimp tempura and topped with a baked sea scallop, parmesan, crab meat, sauteed onions, and "exotic caviar" — is the "Biggest Roll in Maine!"
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