If many people drove by Naked Fish, they would not go there. It is in a seedy strip mall on the southeast corner of Fresno and Ashlan, not a known pocket for good food. Inside though, is the best sushi in the city, second to none.
You walk inside to a Spartan interior, nothing fancy, and sit down at whatever table you desire. During my most recent visit, I went with a friend. My friend and I ordered two sushi rolls apiece and shared them. Sushi is one of those foods that is more fun with the more people you have because you get to try more rolls. I ordered the Tempura Roll and the Philadelphia Roll, my two favorite rolls. The Tempura Roll has shrimp fried lightly in a crisp batter. The Philadelphia roll has salmon, cream cheese, and in this case cucumber, though the vegetable may vary. My friend ordered the Dragon Roll and the Caterpillar Roll. The Dragon Roll is a spicy tuna mixture with red roe and a little hot sauce. The Caterpillar Roll is a shrimp tempura roll, with black roe, a little hot sauce, and sliced avocado over the top like a caterpillar. I had not tried the last two yet so they were a new experience, but a very enjoyable one. The hot sauce was just enough to tease the tongue, but not so much as to make one go grabbing for water.
The service was friendly, and all the rolls were very well done, displaying a lot of talent. To wash it down, I ordered an imported $30 bottle of sake that came in a tall crystalline bottle with a cork. All in all, Naked Fish is a superb experience.
