sushi deli, likely the nicest sushi in miami - now closed

there are signs all over the restaurant that say photography is prohibited, but the secret of Sushi Deli, the tiny counter and few tables in the Japanese Market off the 79th Street Causeway, is too nice not to be on MIAMI NICE.

I'll be honest, I'm a sushi addict. You know those people who are like "wine is the nectar of the gods" or who post those memes with Victorian ladies talking about how they're obsessed with wine (anyone?) that's how I feel about sushi. Like, unabashedly completely obsessed. My husband (still feels funny to say) recently went out of town for two days and I had sushi four times; you can fill in the blanks on why I don't do that every day.

Sushi Deli isn't a secret to the others like me. There's a line every day at any time, granted those times are very limited - they're only open from 10-4. Maybe the secret is a late sushi breakfast at 10:15 AM? I was lucky the first time I went, I sat straight at the bar, right in front of the chef who promptly told me that Adriana Lima was a regular and that I was lucky to sit down right away on my first time there. I've since learned that he was right. Well, about the good luck part, I've yet to see Adriana Lima there but I don't doubt for a minute she'd tell me it's her favorite sushi restaurant if I ever met her.

The menu is tacked out on the wall and handed out in laminates sheets for review while you wait, which, by the way, is an easy wait to pass because it's in a Japanese market with loads of interesting little things to take home with you like pocky sticks, noodles, fish fillets and more. I've never ordered the same thing twice and every single thing has been delicious.

As long as you're cool with taking some orders, like, you have to order all at once, you can't order to-go, you can't be more than six people, you'll enjoy your Sushi Deli meal. The many rules and quirks (see above photo) make the place all the more enchanting, it's like you have to take a little bit of a beating, work a little and submit to their rules, their way, to enjoy sushi this nice.

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CulturePatricia GuarchDecember 14, 201679th Street Causeway, fish, healthful food and markets, only in miami, restaurants