Sushi Tokyo is a restaurant on Courtney Road in Gate Pa, Tauranga, holding a strong 4.7 rating from 15 Google reviews. Good sushi stands or falls on its rice as much as its fish: properly seasoned with vinegar, served at body temperature, and never fridge-cold. Neighbourhood sushi shops often work from a display cabinet, but the best pieces are usually made to order, so it pays to ask what was prepared that day rather than picking whatever has sat longest. Takeaway packs and bento-style boxes are the weekday workhorse of New Zealand sushi shops, and lunchtime is when turnover, and therefore freshness, is at its best. Regulars also know a light hand with the soy sauce lets the fish speak for itself. For Gate Pa locals after fresh, well-made sushi close to home, that reviewer score suggests it is worth a try.