Back to Basics: At The Sushi Bar

Oh, the woes of eating out when you're sticking to a gluten free diet! There aren't always safe options at every restaurant or bar and trying to weed through the choices can be exhausting. One safe and healthy option that you can find almost everywhere is sushi. A trip to the sushi bar is not however, a no brainer.
While there are several fabulous options that you can freely enjoy be aware that there are some possible dangers lurking. The best advice I can give is to eat like the Japanese, opting for simple fresh fish and passing on fried concoctions loaded with sauces and toppings. Choose a variety of sashimi (fish without rice or wasabi) or nigiri (fish over rice but ask for no wasabi), simple rolls, or special entrees like chirashi (no wasabi) or Korean hwe du bap (pass on the sauce that is served with this dish). This is the best way to enjoy the art of sushi and to avoid unsuspected gluten.

Just say "no" to:
imitation crab meat a.k.a. crab stick
soy sauce (it's ok to bring your own gluten free variety)
wasabi (true Japanese wasabi is free of gluten but restaurant wasabi may have ingredients containing gluten)
fish roe (may have added preservatives or coloring)
eel, if it has been baked with eel sauce
eel sauce
ponzu sauce (restaurant versions may contain soy)
red miso paste or "barley" miso (some restaurants use both white and red miso in their miso soup)
anything that has been fried

Getting to the bottom of a gluten question at a sushi bar may be challenging but never hesitate to ask and if you have any doubts don't eat it.

The rest of the sushi world is your raw oyster!
fresh fish
fresh vegetables
nori
sushi rice
egg cake
"spicy sauce" used to make spicy tuna or spicy salmon rolls, typically, should be safe
Sriracha (Thai hot sauce often available at sushi bars. Perfect stand in for wasabi.)
edamame