Hamano's chefs place a large slab of meat, always fresh, always the highest quality, on rice with the perfect temperature and stickiness. And Hamano offers the whole range of sushi: the vegetarian pieces with, for instance, some nato, the fermented soy bean which is definitely an acquired taste; the shiny ones, with sardine and mackerel; the fancy sushi too, with the most luscious-est toro, the fattiest part of the tuna belly, or the almost nutty uni, these yummy sea urchins which turn bad and ammoniumy so fast, Hamano serves them live. Hamano also makes some of the best tempura in the city, with a thin layer of batter perfectly crispy and a rich hamachi kama, a yellowtail collar which meat falls off the bone. With simple perfectly executed nigiri, elegant sashimi, or fancy colorful multi-layered rolls, Hamano satisfies everyone from the sushi purist to the regular Joe.

So Hamano gets the 2005 'Fistie for Best Sushi. A special 'Fistie mention goes to Koo's appetizers, and to the spoonful of happiness in particular, and to the super friendly atmosphere at Sushizone, where we would be all the time if it was not so tiny with such a long waiting line.