There is only one thing I don’t like about sushi: It’s frustratingly difficult to come by.
Rather, fresh, well-prepared sushi is hard to come by. This is beginning to change in Downtown Phoenix with the arrival of Squid Ink Sushi at CityScape and, as of last week, Harumi Sushi on the northwest corner of First Avenue and Adams Street.
Given that it’s located in a small retail space at The Orpheum Lofts, the exterior of the shop conjures up images of what a local restaurant in the city should look like. The classic “open” sign hanging in the window seems cliché, but it really only added to my experience.
With a hesitant anticipation, I walk into Harumi knowing entirely well it could fall short of my expectations, but was pleasantly met with a huge cooler full of an assortment of beautiful, largely-portioned sushi.
After a staff member walked me through their large menu, she was kind enough to help me decide what I wanted—there were plenty of options to choose from.
I decided on a couple different styles of  sushi from the grab-and-go cooler (they have combo options, too) and the chicken teriyaki, which came with a hefty amount of food for only $7.
The “No Rice Roll,” made with tuna, crab, avocado, cucumber and spicy mayo, appeared to be wrapped in rice paper (so technically not “no rice”). However, you’re hearing no complaints from me.
The flavor and consistency were perfect, and by skipping the carb-heavy rice, I could guiltlessly devour the rainbow roll and chicken teriyaki sitting just off to the side of the table.
I also tried the “Rainbow Roll,” which immediately garnered my interest because it was decked with eel, avocado and a sweet eel sauce.
This was also a good choice on my part, but by this time I was running out of room and still had the chicken teriyaki left to eat.
One bite into the chicken teriyaki, and no matter how my stomach was feeling, there was no going back.
The chicken teriyaki was made with all white meat, and the sauce was perfectly sweet and salty. For those of you who like your teriyaki drenched with sauce, there’s more of it at the end of the counter waiting for you.
I’ll definitely be back to try some of their other options, like the Las Vegas roll, dumplings, miso soup and other types of entrees.
With a great dynamic of Thai, New York deli and now Japanese foods, the Adams Street and First Avenue corner is becoming a hub for great city food.

Harumi is open for lunch Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and dinner Monday through Saturday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.