la sushi

December 15, 2005 7:57 PM

Help me find the best sushi in LA

Two MeFites walk into a bar. . . . in Los Angeles, next to a pool. Don't hate us. We're not from here. No one there has a good sushi recommendation. Tell us where to find LA's best sushi tonight.

posted by drdanger to Food & Drink (25 answers total)

Zip Fusion Sushi, hands down.
posted by starscream at 8:00 PM on December 15, 2005

Oops, hit post too fast!

I've only hit the downtown one, and that area is slightly dodgy. But maaaan, they have the most creative and tasty menu I've seen. The 'fusion' comes from mixing both Japanese and Korean styles!
posted by starscream at 8:02 PM on December 15, 2005

I don't have any personal recommendations. But, have you ever visited chowhound ? It's a great food resource for the bay area, and they do have a section for LA. Good luck, and enjoy the toro!
posted by prettyboyfloyd at 8:03 PM on December 15, 2005

If you find "the one" Please let me know. Send an email to the address listed in my profile. I too live in LA and have yet to find anythign worthy.
posted by Sagres at 8:20 PM on December 15, 2005

Oh, that's easy. Katsu ya. Two locations, Studio City and Encino, both usually packed for both lunch and dinner. I've been there at 2 PM with a party of four and had to wait 20 minutes. The have great unique specials and amazingly fresh fish, probably the best I've had since I went to Japan last fall.
posted by Asparagirl at 8:25 PM on December 15, 2005

California Roll Factory on Santa Monica just east of Barrington in West L.A. is very good. It's small and usually very busy but worth the wait. Everything I've had there is amazing.
posted by nwhycgirl328 at 8:29 PM on December 15, 2005

There's a place in Studio City, in the strip mall where Barham Blvd crosses over the 101, just over the hill as you drop down into the Valley. The guy who runs it is known as the Sushi Nazi. I've been told other sushi chefs follow him around the fish market in the mornings. It's a tiny little place and like a cafeteria, but the food is great and the Sushi Nazi himself quite a character.

I could have got the location slightly wrong as I've only been there when I've been driven by studio execs but no doubt someone else here will recognize the place and give you the proper details.
posted by unSane at 8:32 PM on December 15, 2005

I would have to recommend Midori in Sherman Oaks.

All-you-can-eat (dinner is $24.95 and lunch is $18.95 I think) and it's really, really good. It's not a buffet - you can order anything on the sushi menu (nigiri, hand rolls, specialty rolls and even apetizers). My all time fav is the aptly-named Yummy Roll.

As a matter of fact, I'm making a trip there this weekend. Mmmm....

Or if you're on the West Side, Mika Sushi on the southwest corner of Olympic and Sepulveda is excellent, though not all-you-can-eat.
posted by lovetragedy at 9:02 PM on December 15, 2005

A second vote for chowhound.com (in this case, the Los Angeles message board). There is NO charge to post a question; in fact, there is NO registration required.

While I think AskMetafilter does a great job with most questions, the first place to go for restaurant recommendations should be chowhound. (General advice - after checking to see if there are already relevant answers, if you find none, then post a SPECIFIC question - things like "looking for a good LA restaurant" can be way too general to get much of a response.)
posted by WestCoaster at 9:15 PM on December 15, 2005

The "standard" answer for top-tier sushi in LA is usually Matsuhisa. But it's not for the short-on-cash crowd.

The place I think unSane is refering to is Sushi Nozawa, a no frills hidden gem that's also quite good in the valley.

But really, it's hard not to find good sushi in LA, there's no shortage of places.
posted by drpynchon at 9:23 PM on December 15, 2005

Shibucho at 3114 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles. Ask for the chef's recommendations. Pricy, but great. They used to be open until 4AM but you'd best call for the opening hours at 213.387.8498. For value, go to Noshi Sushi at 4430 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, 90004. Have fun!
posted by firstdrop at 9:23 PM on December 15, 2005

Sushi 101 studio city.
posted by hortense at 9:41 PM on December 15, 2005

Yes, definitely check chowhound. This particular question has been asked and answered many many times there.
posted by shoos at 10:50 PM on December 15, 2005

Best answer: Sushi Nozawa, definitely. An unsuspecting, hidden gem, but it's like the sushi equivalent of the soup nazi in New York (I say that with all true love and respect for Al Yeganeh, "The Original Soup Man" in NYC; truly delicious and impressive soup, which I enjoyed for years when living there).

Sit at the bar, be polite, and the chef will start, and keep, making and handing you amazing sushi. It was the best sushi I've ever had, hands down, but mind that it's pricey. Not an every week sushi joint, but a spectacular treat, well worth the money.
posted by scallion at 12:27 AM on December 16, 2005

Urasawa, from "Opinionated About Dining"
posted by growabrain at 12:40 AM on December 16, 2005

The World Sushi Guide lists Matsuhisa as one of the author's favourite sushi joints in the world...
posted by Gortuk at 5:41 AM on December 16, 2005

Oomasa in Little Tokyo is the very best. I miss it so much. If you go to Little Tokyo, avoid Flying Fish. It's cool because the sushi's on conveyer belts so people will often recommend it to you, but sushi's much better made to order!
posted by pazazygeek at 6:27 AM on December 16, 2005

The "standard" answer for top-tier sushi in LA is usually Matsuhisa. But it's not for the short-on-cash crowd.

Matsuhisa is awesome, but I'd warn that it's easy to spend $100/head there. Urasawa is another fantastic, but extremely expensive place (easy to hit $300/head).

Sushi Nozawa, definitely. An unsuspecting, hidden gem, but it's like the sushi equivalent of the soup nazi in New York

That place is really unique, but I'm still not sure that I actually like it. The sushi is good, but not particularly better than someplace like Nishimura (or either of the above mentioned places). It felt a bit like eating sushi in a prison camp. A novel experience, but not one I long to repeat.
posted by I Love Tacos at 6:37 AM on December 16, 2005

I'm surprised nobody has yet mentioned Kabuki in Hollywood, but they have other locations as well. Here's its listing on Citysearch. Great place!
posted by stst399 at 7:36 AM on December 16, 2005

Noshi Sushi (on Beverly).
posted by gallois at 8:22 AM on December 16, 2005

Komasa in Little Tokyo! Definitely not a trendy place, but it's where all the Japanese locals go. Literally, there are a bunch of other sushi places in the neighborhood which are practically empty while there's a 45 minute wait at Komasa. (That said, go a little early to beat the crowd.) This is also a great place to go if you're going to the Disney concert hall later in the evening since it's close by. Other pluses: the price is right and there's also a $3 flat fee parking garage right across the street.
posted by zharptitsa at 8:36 AM on December 16, 2005

Teru Sushi in Studio City's my current fave.
posted by scody at 10:22 AM on December 16, 2005

drdanger, where did you end up going? Inquiring minds wanna know :)
posted by starscream at 11:25 AM on December 16, 2005

Sushi Sei in Hermosa Beach could hang with anywhere else I've ever been, but that was several years ago.
posted by ikkyu2 at 12:16 PM on December 16, 2005

Response by poster: With time for only one choice, we went to Sushi Nozawa and were very happy. While not quite as institutional as Taco's "prison camp" description, the atmosphere is a bit bare and joyless. The sushi is absolutely traditional and the rice is warm. By far the standouts were the hand rolls (toro and hamachi) in the most fragrant, delicious nori I have ever eaten. If you sit at the bar, you take what Nozawa-san wants you to have. No choice. Excellent fish. I'd go back in a minute.

My heartfelt thanks to everyone who made our trip to LA that much better. We'd like to go back soon and try your other suggestions.

In other food news, we found that the bacon-wrapped dates at Blue on Blue at the Avalon Hotel are almost worth a trip to LA in and of themselves. Try with a Sapphire martini, straight up.
posted by drdanger at 9:44 PM on December 19, 2005