Two Scottsdale sushi bars opened in 1997. One, in Old Town, turned sushi into nightlife and became a chain; the other put the Hayashi family behind a counter on East Shea. Sushi Ko is the second, still there, with the same chefs behind the bar they had fifteen years ago.
Order nigiri two pieces at a time and ask what’s good tonight. The sake list is deeper than the strip-center address suggests, and the teriyaki and tempura keep the raw-fish holdout in your party fed.
When to go: Tuesday through Thursday, when the bar has room. Book Friday and Saturday during the January-to-April season.