Leonas Sushi House Studio City a MICHELIN Guide Restaurant
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Los Angeles has the most diverse, expansive and wide-reaching sushi scene in the country, so how does one even begin? In the process of scouting, I visited dozens of Valley strip malls, Little Tokyo shopping plazas and swanky counters in Beverly Hills in search of L.A.’s best sushi restaurants. Countless no-frills strip mall joints make up the San Fernando Valley’s sprawling sushi scene, each with their own devoted local following, but Taku Shimuchi’s Sushi Spot is a countywide standout thanks to its high-quality fish selection and reasonably priced omakase sets. Each carefully made piece of warm rice nigiri at this Tarzana restaurant comes simply, and elegantly, seasoned—no truffle shavings, black caviar or gold flakes here. For the more budget-conscious, the $60 chef’s set course includes a sashimi course, a dozen or so pieces of sushi and a handroll. What I recommend, however, is the market priced omakase, which starts at around $100.
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Though it’s hard to turn down freshly pressed Edomae-style sushi, I’m still fond of a good spicy tuna crispy rice once in a while, and I’ve even sampled a few of the city’s vegan sushi options. Omakase menus, and I'm still scouting, since there’s at least a half-dozen more I’ve yet to try. These days, most of L.A.’s very best Edomae-style omakase meals require setting an alarm to snag a difficult Tock reservation, plus the willingness to dine early or on a random, often inconvenient weekday. Not so at Sushi Takeda, which, as of writing, remains surprisingly easy to walk into on any given day for an amazing nigiri-only omakase ($140 per head). Hidden away on the third floor of Little Tokyo’s Weller Court, Hideyuki Takeda’s tiny counter-and-table operation remains somewhat overlooked—even after a recent shout-out in the L.A.
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It’s not often that a high-end omakase restaurant resides at the street level, but that’s the case with Sakurako, which comes from Sushi Enya founder Kimiyasu Enya. Enya brings on three talented chefs who trained in Japan, with head chef Akira Yoshida preparing the heart of Sakurako’s nigiri array. Master chef Tatsuki Kurugi composes kaiseki-style appetizers and sashimi courses while pastry chef Shota Takaki finishes the meal with a thoughtful, fine dining-level dessert. Omakase for every whim, reason or predilection—making it all the more remarkable that this newer Gardena sushi counter manages to stand out among its older peers.
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Settle into 15 pieces of terrific sushi that impress even the snobbiest of sushi-goers — the varieties of fish range from familiar cuts to more obscure ones. Sushi bars will satisfy your craving for immaculately cut raw fish. That includes home Dodgers games now that baseball season is in full swing.
This counter-only restaurant in Little Tokyo costs $300 a person and serves a truly spectacular dinner comparable to the best around the world. Sister restaurant Bar Sawa offers a more affordable omakase next door with cocktail pairings to boot. In the high-end realm, I look for places that maximize overall wow factor; even within the upper echelons of L.A. Dining, I take price, atmosphere and booking convenience into consideration. After all, not all folks want to plan their dining schedules around Tock reservations going live.
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The result is a multi-faceted space with indoor and outdoor dining rooms, plus a tucked-away counter where patrons can get a Valley-style omakase blending of Peruvian flavors but hewing closely to a two- or three-plate nigiri dinner that Angelenos are more than familiar with. Sushi chef Morihiro Onodera founded the celebrated Mori in West LA before helming the counters at Inn Ann and Shiki over the past few years. Onodera finally has his own omakase restaurant in Atwater Village, with masterful preparations and world-class sushi. The price tag to see Onodera in action is $400 per person at the counter though dinners are a more approachable $250 at a table. Kaneyoshi is one of the newer stars in LA’s high-end sushi scene.
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If you’ve got a lighter appetite, ask Yasu-san to halve the amount of rice—of the 37 different L.A. Omakase options I’ve tried, the only place where I worried I’d have to stop the meal early is Inaba. Proper, head to Kaneyoshi on Tuesday nights, where Hirano pops up for a reservation-only collaborative dinner that runs $400 per head.
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This hip spot has a variety of distinctive spaces that lure creative types and beautiful people. Chef Shigenori Fujimoto has teamed up with Frank Leon and Evan Ross on a Japanese fusion menu that never misses a beat. Dishes are often irreverent, as in rich and savory udon carbonara with paper thin smoked pork belly, creamy egg and parmigiano; and the sticky-sweet oxtail-stuffed bao is craveworthy. Seafood is impressive, whether it's ceviche or sashimi-quality halibut bathed in a ponzu sauce vinaigrette. Chef's specials include shimeji risotto or whole baked branzino with sake. Leona’s Sushi House in Sherman Oaks goes into the former La Loggia space with proprietor Frank Leon and sushi pro Shigenori Fujimoto, previously of Asanebo and Shiki.
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This neighborhood sushi restaurant in Toluca Lake flies under the radar, but the reasonable prices and top-notch L.A. Style sushi make Sushi Yuzu a top choice in my book whenever you’d like to choose your own adventure. The crowd-pleasing menu includes some seriously delicious rolls, hot appetizers and sampler plates, many of which come with truffle salt or freshly shaved truffles (not exactly a bonus in my book, but reflective of Yuzu’s overall culinary slant). The lime roll is a study in pure balance with albacore, avocado, black pepper and yuzu-based ponzu dressing drizzled over the entire dish. Order the 10- or 15-piece omakase ($90 or $120), however, and you’ll find the kitchen takes its nigiri just as seriously as more purist L.A.
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Chef Hiro Yamada also stocks an extensive selection of raw fish, so if you know exactly what you’re in the mood, you can also order a couple two-piece orders of those and call it a day. Either way, I recommend making a reservation for weekend evenings, though you can often call the day of and still find some availability at the bar. Sushi Kisen also does takeout and opens for lunch, if a midday omakase is more your speed. In the last few years, the number of omakase options in L.A. Has likely quadrupled, but I still think this Michelin-starred sushi counter in the back of Sugarfish Beverly Hills delivers the best mix of fun, quality and value.
Dinners are served from Wednesday to Saturday at 7 p.m., priced at $280 per person before tax, drinks, and tip. Spring is also prime time for road trips, especially now that the desert festival crowds have departed. If you’re heading out to Palm Springs or as far as Yucca Valley, be sure to keep restaurant critic Bill Addison’s recently published restaurant guide handy. Sushi Note in Sherman Oaks expanded to this underground location at the front of a valet stand, joining the ranks of unlikely but still terrific sushi destinations in Los Angeles.
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Helmed by Earl Aguilar, who trained under Note’s Kiminobu Saito, this $190 omakase meal is offered at a small bar or at a few small tables. Like with Note in the Valley, this omakase experience is best with the restaurant wine pairings, which puts terrific wine pours that amplify each piece’s flavor profile. Priced at just $75 per person, the omakase from Hirofumi “Gen” Sakamoto offers one of the best deals in town.
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