On the updated menu, its rolls now share the spotlight with dishes like salmon crudo and washugyu tataki (with thyme and wasabi). Miss the full roll-odex? Ask a server for the original 60-deep menu.
Niki Nakayama did away with the nine-course dinner, so your only option is the thirteen-course kaiseki (or vegetarian menu); you’ll be thankful for the extra rounds of Alaskan king crab and sea bass.
Chef Shunji spends as much time on tomatoes (his agedashi tomato tofu), as he does on octopus and Dungeness crab. Be just as mindful when working your way through all seven varieties of snapper.
Though there are many cooked dishes (grilled Chilean sea bass) and nonfish options (simmered black pork), this Sushi Row staple has lasted more than twenty years because of its high-quality sashimi.
This Little Tokyo gem seats less than 30 and often has lines out the door. Melt-in-your-mouth sweet shrimp and warm service are well worth the wait.
This Beverly Hills spot sates sushi snobs and novices alike. Peruse the columns of daily specials (plastered everywhere you look), but don’t miss the blue crab hand roll and albacore with jalapeno.
Though largely overshadowed by the popular omakase dinner, the lunch special (miso soup, salad, sushi bowl, three pieces of nigiri and a hand roll) is worth the hassle of finding midday parking.
Park yourself at the bar to experience chef Ike’s culinary precision (and charming personality) firsthand as he preps an omakase complete with clam soup, Spanish mackerel, bluefin toro, and anago.
Though patrons tend to be sushi purists (no designer rolls here), don’t expect an uptight crowd. Chefs are friendly and the buttery salmon, snapper with sea salt, and yellowtail collar are winners.
Chef Taka hits the markets daily to grab the freshest ingredients for halibut carpaccio, bluefin tuna with wasabi root, and the lunchtime chirashi, packed with tamago, tuna, white fish, and albacore.
Authentic, thoughtfully prepared sushi served the way it’s meant to: spiced or sauced according to the fish and cut (oyster with ponzu, black snapper with truffle salt, halibut with salt and lemon).
No cell phones. Come hungry. Chef Shinji Murata runs a tight ship, and the discipline extends to his ingredient selections — only the best blue crab, baby tuna, escolar, and salmon skin make the cut.
On your 1st visit, go for the moonlight rolls: cucumber strips stuffed with burdock root, asparagus, and two types of fish. On your 10th visit, ask for a personalized omakase (regulars only).
Skip the edamame and opt for sauteed kabocha (Japanese pumpkin) with garlic butter soy sauce. Move on to the albacore with crispy onions and baked crab hand roll; finish with green tea ice cream.
Traditional Japanese cuisine gets a modern makeover in Ken Namba’s kitchen, where Canadian salmon topped with caviar hugs mango slices. Scallop, halibut, and unagi are top picks for straight sashimi.
Unlike most sushi spots, there are no chefs in sight. Put your trust in chef Nozawa’s simplified menu of top-quality fish, consistently fresh across all eight local outposts.
Though slightly roomier than neighboring Little Tokyo spots, Sushi Gen still gets packed to the gills thanks to an impressive lineup of specialty fish (sayori halfbeak, kanpachi, monkfish liver).
Wa serves quality nigiri (Kobe beef, uni with white truffle oil) and less traditional dishes (eggplant baked with sea bass and sweet miso). Do yourself a favor and order the off-menu lollipop salmon.
Can't tell the difference between Japanese and Santa Barbara uni? Let chef Masanori Nagano explain. Still unsure? You need to try both one more time. Just make sure to save room for seared barracuda.
With an emphasis on ambiance, presentation, and specialty cocktails, this celeb fave combines a scenester vibe with a solid menu of land and sea favorites like sea bream sashimi and Kobe beef tartare.
