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Chirashi, shrimp tempura, and unaju at Sagami in Collingswood, NJ on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024.
Chirashi, shrimp tempura, and unaju at Sagami in Collingswood, NJ on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
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Sagami

Camden CountyJapanese, BYOB, Sushi$$

Sagami, the ground-breaking Japanese restaurant founded in Collingswood by James Beard-nominated chef Shigeru Fukuyoshi and his wife, Chizuko Fukuyoshi, in 1974 was struck by tragedy in the summer of 2024 with the death of Chizuko, the restaurant's “heart and soul.” After a brief hiatus, it has returned, and it still carries the torch of classic Japanese cooking as it has for the last 50 years. In a dim, low-ceilinged — and always packed — space that is seemingly preserved in amber, Fukuyoshi churns out not just sushi that literally set the standard for the region, but canonical representations of a wide range of dishes that are increasingly difficult to find unsullied by trends, like nasu shigiyaki (fried eggplant with miso), zaru soba (cold soba noodles), unaju (broiled eel, delivered on a pillow of rice in an immaculate lacquered wood box), and tempura. A true classic, in every sense of the word.

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The Inquirer aims to represent the geographic, cultural, and culinary diversity of the region in its coverage. Inquirer staffers and contributors do not accept free or comped meals — all meals are paid for by the Inquirer. All dining recommendations are made solely by the Inquirer editorial staffers and contributors based on their reporting and expertise, without input from advertisers or outside interests.

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