• International Sushi Day is Wednesday, June 18, 2026.

• Ten South Florida restaurants are marking the day, including Casa Sensei, Mottai, Uchi Miami, Uchiko Miami Beach, Delilah Miami, Grand Public, and LT South Beach.

• Standouts include a riceless Million Dollar Roll with lobster, caviar, and gold flakes, a 60-minute guided omakase, and a six-course vegetarian tasting.

• Mottai in Coral Gables and Grand Public at CocoWalk are among the newest additions to the region's sushi landscape.

Sushi has outgrown the California roll, and South Florida's dining scene shows exactly how far it has come. On Wednesday, June 18, International Sushi Day gives diners a clear set of choices: a 60-minute omakase guided by a Japanese-trained itamae, a bluefin tasting that works through every prized cut of the fish, or a crispy sushi taco served steps from the water.

The ten restaurants below are organized by sushi personality, from the omakase devotee and the tuna purist to the plant-based eater and the diner who wants something less traditional. Two of the kitchens, Mottai and Grand Public, are recent openings, which says something about how quickly the category keeps expanding here.

Casa Sensei marks the holiday with its aptly named Million Dollar Roll, a riceless indulgence stacked with lobster, scallops, foie gras, caviar, and gold flakes, finished with truffle oil. The deeper commitment is the restaurant's 60-minute omakase, where seasoned itamae serve guests directly and guide them through a procession of high-end ingredients. Pair the seating with rare Japanese whisky or imported sake.

Connoisseurs should head to Mottai, a new dining destination in Coral Gables led by head sushi chef Hiroshi Shintaku, a classically trained itamae who apprenticed in Japan at 17 and refined his craft in several of South Florida's most respected Japanese kitchens. His chef's nigiri and sashimi selections rely on precise, restrained technique that lets the fish carry the plate, complemented by wasabi grated tableside.

Uchi Miami makes the case that sushi does not need fish at all. Its six-course Vegetarian Tasting Omakase gives seasonal vegetables the center of the plate. For something more casual, the Veggie Spicy Crunchy maki packs cucumber, avocado, yamagobo, and chili aioli into a roll with genuine heat and texture.

For the Tuna Lover: Three Ways to Order It

Three kitchens are building their June 18 menus around tuna, each from a different angle.

Uchiko offers a bluefin selection that moves through every prized cut of a single fish. Start with the clean, lean Bluefin Akami, continue to the umami-rich marinated Bluefin Akami Zuke, and finish with the Bluefin Kama Toro, the fatty collar cut that regulars order first.

Delilah Miami layers fresh tuna with avocado mousse, bright ponzu, and a hint of chili in its Tuna Tartare. The Seafood Tower goes further, pairing the tartare with oysters, shrimp, lobster, and snow crab claws served with mignonette, cocktail sauce, and drawn butter.

Leonardo's Yellowfin Tuna Tartare pairs the fish with ambika mango and sesame soy. It reads simple on the menu, and the balance is the point: fresh yellowfin, just enough sweetness from the mango, and sesame soy to tie the plate together.

For Something Different: Tacos, Bowls, and Globally Minded Rolls

Four restaurants are bending the form without losing the thread

The Crispy Ahi Poke Tacos tuck ahi tuna into crisp corn tortillas with ginger guacamole, sesame chili aioli, and Tajin peanuts. The Tuna Poke Bowl layers avocado, edamame, pickled ginger, and a soy sesame chili dressing over jasmine rice.

Shooters Waterfront pairs a nori-coated tempura shell with ponzu tuna, jicama slaw, and yuzu spicy mayo in its Crispy Sushi Taco. The Veggie Summer Roll answers with avocado, cucumber, and vermicelli wrapped in rice paper, finished with a black bean vinaigrette.

Grand Public, the newest restaurant at CocoWalk, takes an upscale but unfussy approach with its Ahi Tuna Stack and the Sunfire Salmon Roll, built with kani, cucumber, and avocado, then given a torched spicy umami finish and unagi.

At LT South Beach, Michelin-trained French chef Laurent Tourondel applies a global sensibility to the sushi list. The Betsy Roll combines tuna, hamachi, salmon, and spicy rock shrimp, while the Yellowtail and Jalapeño arrives finished with yuzu guacamole and shiso.

Omakase seatings are limited by design, so the counters at Casa Sensei and Mottai merit a reservation well before June 18.