Restaurant Review #230: Oaks Korean BBQ, Simi Valley - CLOSED

Chicken and beef on the grill

Update: This restaurant has closed.

Oaks Korean BBQ in Simi Valley, whose sign actually says "Oaks Oaks Korean BBQ," is the only Korean restaurant in the area--the next closest are in Canoga Park. The restaurant is attached to a sushi bar, which seems like it may have been a separate restaurant at one time.

It's possible to order sushi from your table, so you don't have to choose between Korean food and sushi, making this restaurant a great option for a group with diverse tastes. The sushi, however, is of the spicy mayo school of sushi preparation, so if that's not your thing, be warned. I tried a spicy yellowtail roll and while the portion was generous and the fish was fine, I couldn't force myself to eat more than two bites because the rice was too soft and not vinegary enough and the mayo was overpowering.


Beef bulgogi, uncooked

The main attraction at Oaks is the barbecue, of course. The restaurant offers the option of cooking the marinated meat at your table over a gas grill or having it cooked for you in the kitchen. Personally, I prefer the latter, as it leaves the cooking to the experts and makes the dining experience more relaxing.

I always stick with bulgogi, as I'm not too adventurous when it comes to eating meat. You have a choice of spiciness when it comes to the meat marinade, but this being Simi Valley, there doesn't seem to be any difference between medium and hot--neither is spicy enough. It's still a decent marinade, and the pork and beef are particularly flavorful here.


Bean sprout banchan

The barbecue dishes come with an assortment of banchan, which are side dishes like bean sprouts, broccoli with sesame seeds, "spicy" cucumbers, and kim chi. The banchan are not very spicy--I even asked if they had spicier ones, hoping maybe they had a second batch only for Korean diners and others who requested them, but no such luck. You can ask for a side of chili sauce, but it's not quite the same. (I enjoy that fiery sensation on my lips and the sweat on my brow, trying to douse the flames in my mouth by chugging beer and shoveling in rice and meat.) Also, the banchan selection is not as extensive or as exotic as you'd find at a K-town restaurant. Steamed white rice, fresh lettuce leaves, and miso paste also come with the meat. The lettuce and miso are for making wraps with the grilled meat.


Marinated turnip (?) banchan

In addition to sushi and Korean barbecue, there are Korean soups, teriyaki beef/chicken/salmon, tempura, raw beef, octopus, tofu and yellowtail collar. There's also a savory, fried scallion pancake that comes with tempura dipping sauce. I highly recommend ordering this as an appetizer. An extensive selection of ice cream beckons for dessert: fried ice cream, mochi, and plum, mango, green tea, strawberry or chocolate ice cream. There's also a small selection of beer and wine.

Cucumber banchan

The food isn't cheap, with each plate of meat costing around $17, but you do get a lot of food for the price considering that miso soup, rice, and all the sides are included in the price. The restaurant is quiet and the booths offer privacy. Since the grills are gas, you won't reek of barbecue when you leave, and there is no noisy vent fan to yell over. The restaurant is also very clean.

Kim chi

The restaurant isn't easy to spot from the street or even after you've pulled into the parking lot. It's at the corner of LA and Sequoia, in the back corner of a strip mall with a 7/11, next to the comic book store. The service is excellent--friendly, prompt, and well-informed. It does seem that the age of the server corresponds directly with English-speaking ability, with the grandmotherly woman who might greet you at the door not seeming to speak any English and the young man who served us last time obviously being a native speaker.

Dining room

Though dining here does make me crave K-Town restaurants like Soot Bull Jeep, whose food is notably better, the less intense food at Oaks is probably more crowd-pleasing for a suburb like Simi Valley (even though Simi does have a surprising number of surprisingly good ethnic restaurants). There's definitely no "scene" here, but that's one of the things I like about it--the atmosphere is very comfortable, yet still probably nice enough for a date. Oaks is one of my favorite restaurants in the area and definitely a place I would return to.

Oaks Korean BBQ
1970 Sequoia Ave #9
Simi Valley, CA 93063
(805) 583-3434
Oaks Korean BBQ Menu

Restaurant Review #128: Hide Sushi, Sawtelle, West LA

Halibut and albacore

Hide Sushi (pronounced hee-DAY, or something like that) has built a reputation on being remarkably inexpensive given the high quality of its fish. But just how cheap, and how good, could it really be? In my experience, cheap sushi is almost always chewy sushi. Yuck.

In spite of the reputation, I wasn’t expecting much. I’d poked my head in on several other occasions--just long enough to see that the wait for a table was too long and that the interior didn’t look particularly nice. I knew the fish was supposed to be good, but I like to eat at places that have at least some semblance of atmosphere, and I know plenty of places where I can have both. Also, they close at 9:00 and won't seat you after 8:00, and they only accept cash, so it's not always the easiest place to eat.


Cherry blossom photos cover up overhead lights

On a weekday at 1:45, the wait was finally manageable--just one other group in front of us. When I finally got all the way inside, I found that the restaurant is actually quite nice looking. It's not dateworthy, but nor is it the junky hole-in-the-wall I had anticipated. Even the ceiling is decorated! The nondescript, somewhat scuffed, off-white tile floor must have been what gave me the initial bad impression. Indeed, the floor probably is the least nice aspect of the interior, but the tables are a solid, shiny golden brown, and, well, I'll let my photos tell the rest of the story.



The walls are actually covered in inexpensive cream-colored carpet. It seems strange, but it looks nice, and may be part of the reason that the restaurant isn't too noisy. Since it's busy, it's still noisy, but you'll have no problem carrying on a conversation. Some of the tables are uncomfortably close together, though--if there are only two of you, you might find yourself so close to your neighbors that you are practically sharing a table.

The restaurant felt a bit chaotic and hostile when I first walked in--there is no apparent hostess, waitresses are darting to and fro, and space is limited. There's always a line, so how do you get on the wait list?

When you walk in, walk past the chairs on the wall to your right (which will probably be full of people) and write your name on the dry erase board, as well as how many people are in your party and whether you want a seat at the bar (s), table (t), or first available (s/t). A handwritten poster next to the dry erase board explains all this, as well as the restaurant's cash only policy (they have their own ATM just inside the door in case you're short). The system is efficient, but it can seem cold to a newcomer. I was kind of nervous about what kind of dining experience I was in for. Was this the kind of place that scolds you if you don't eat your food properly? Because I don't eat my nigiri in one bite like I should (if they want me to do that, they should make it the right size for my mouth!).

I didn't need to worry, though. Hide Sushi is an extremely well-run restaurant, and any place that serves spicy scallop rolls has no license for scolding. As soon as we were seated, our waitress took our drink order. Our food came quickly, and our check came quickly. The restaurant has plenty of staff, and they really stay busy. When we first walked in, we could barely get through the door because of the hustle and bustle of waitresses running plates to and from tables, but that paid off later when our waitress came by to check on us more than once and our water was refilled quickly.

So, how's the food? Hide Sushi does, in fact, serve top-notch California sushi at midwestern prices. I ordered only a few pieces, both because I wasn’t that hungry and because when trying a new sushi restaurant, I've found that it’s always a good idea to test the waters before ordering $50 worth of sushi. The menu is pretty short and pretty basic, but that was fine with me since I usually don't stray far from my short list of favorites: yellowtail, albacore, red snapper, and scallop.


Yellowtail scallion roll and yellowtail sushi

Our food came quickly, but I was a little skeptical of my less-than-clean looking plate. I'm well aware that the two minute cycle in the industrial dishwasher doesn't always make plates look clean, even though they've been safely sterilized by burning hot water, but I still want to eat off of a clean plate. Also, Hide Sushi's picked ginger is hot pink, which grosses me out since ginger is supposed to be pale yellow (except for young ginger, but that isn't what they were serving).

These minor shortcomings aside, the fish was excellent. The yellowtail was perfectly smooth, soft, and fresh. I wasn't as big a fan of the roll, but I think that had more to do with my changing tastes than with its preparation. Some of the rolls come with only four pieces, so the lower prices can be somewhat deceptive. I'm okay with this though--if I want to eat a variety of things, I don't really need six bites of the same roll. I actually wish more restaurants followed this practice (while adjusting their prices accordingly, of course).

The halibut was unexciting--it truly tasted like nothing, and brought to mind something I heard on KCRW's Good Food about fish being like condiments for the rice. I'm not a fan of that view, but with such a mild fish, I could suspend my disbelief for a moment. The albacore was another piece of excellent quality fish, and came with a bottle of ponzu. Dipping the fish in ponzu didn't work very well--I couldn't get enough sauce on my fish. Next time I'll dribble it over the top. It is nice that Hide Sushi lets you decide for yourself whether you want ponzu on your albacore, unlike most other restaurants. They also list any toppings and extra roll ingredients on the menu, so there are no surprises whatsoever.

Surprisingly, I was full in spite of sharing my small meal with my friend. You might want to try the teriyaki and tempura lunch special though, which is $10 for plenty of tempura and a small piece of meat. There are also several salads, with and without fish.

If you've been to Hide Sushi, how was your experience? Leave a comment!




Hide Sushi
2040 Sawtelle Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90025
310-477-7242

Restaurant Review #118: Sushi Mon, Santa Monica

What's that in my yellowtail roll?

Dining options in downtown Santa Monica are limited. Not that restaurants aren't plentiful, but good restaurants? Good restaurants that are open for lunch? Well, that's another story. So we decided on Sushi Mon, formerly known as Shige, formerly known as Shabu 2. That's a big warning right there, I know, but I like the space, and I like sushi. There have to be limits on how bad sushi can be when the nearest ocean is within walking distance. However, the board in the window lists such blasphemies as the Rolls Royce Roll, which includes tomato. Who puts tomato in sushi? I went in skeptical, but hopeful.

The light yellow walls weren't the greatest idea, but otherwise the space is great--bright and airy during the day, slightly hip at night, with plenty of room to space out the tables. You can sit at the square sushi bar in the center of the room, at a table next floor-to-ceiling plate glass windows, or in a dark booth off to the side. Small, shimmery mother-of-pearl tiles decorate much of the area around the bar. The floor's perimeter is lined with smooth oval stones and green plants between the tables and the windows.


Didn't I order scallop nigiri?

I used to really like this kind of sushi. I loved creative rolls oozing with cream cheese and mayonnaise (hopefully not at the same time). I remember being thrilled with something called a firecracker roll at the defunct Mon Sushi at 6th and Wilshire. It was so huge I could barely fit it in my mouth, let alone chew it. Yes, the similarity in the names of these two restaurants is suspicious, though since "mon" means "gate" in Japanese, maybe it's not that suspicious. If I were opening a restaurant, I wouldn't name it gate of anything, but a quick Google search will show that restaurant gates to India, China, dragons, and even London are quite common.

Sushi Mon quickly showed me how much my tastes have changed--an experiment I've been meaning to try for a while now. I think that something happens as you eat more sushi. You get more used to the concept and texture of raw fish. Your mouth transforms its perceptions from "eew, I can't believe I'm chewing this" to "mmm, what's next?". And that's when you stop being able to enjoy, or even tolerate, the presence of mayonnaise or spiciness in your sushi.

Suspecting that my mouth had undergone this transformation a while back, I ordered conservatively--yellowtail roll, scallop nigiri, albacore nigiri. But at Sushi Mon, there's no such thing as ordering conservatively. With few exceptions, the fish is doused or mixed with something, even when it shouldn't be.

First of all, I've gotten really accustomed to yellowtail rolls containing nothing but yellowtail. Most places specify if they add even scallion to your roll. I'm okay with scallions, but what was the reddish-orange stuff in my roll, and why did the chef think he could add that (and scallions) without my permission? Thankfully, the roll tasted fine, though the rice was too sticky, making it hard to swallow.

The scallop "nigiri" was truly alarming though, and I would have sent it back if not for the knowledge that I would be able to make a spectacle of it in my review. First of all, what the hell? I didn't order a boba fish roll. Where is my slice of smooth, succulent scallop? Secondly, you can't give a person with a shellfish allergy something with unexpected ingredients without setting off serious alarms in her head. The waitress confirmed that it didn't have any crab, and I picked off a tiny scallop with my chopsticks. The taste took me back to the salad bar at Foley's (out here it's Robinson's May), where I used to eat occasionally as a child. Remember when department stores had restaurants? The sweet mayonnaise flavor made Sushi Mon's scallop mess taste exactly like salad bar seafood salad. Scary. I left most of this on my plate.

The albacore was almost good. There was nothing wrong with the fish--at least, not that I could taste after it was smothered in condiments. Everyone knows that a brush of ponzu and a dash of the orange stuff (probably what was in my yellowtail roll, someone please tell me what this stuff is) is a great complement to albacore, but the rice shouldn't be soaked and sitting in a small puddle on the plate. And onions? I didn't order a salad, man. With so many toppings and so much sauce, it was impossible to eat the albacore properly--with my fingers, fish side down-- and not make a mess.

Finally, there's the issue of the lemon garnish. Can you imagine going to Sasabune and being given a wedge of lemon to use indiscriminately?


Free fish

I didn't take advantage of the marvelously priced lunch specials because all of them came with the above five pieces of nigiri: white tuna, pepper-seared tuna, albacore, regular tuna, and salmon. Since I don't like tuna (except albacore) or salmon (I ate too much last year), the combo was out. The specials are a great deal though: you pick your price range, from about $10-15, then pick one of the roll concoctions from that category--and there are plenty of choices no matter what price suits you.


Rolls Royce Roll

If you think this is ridiculously huge, you should have seen some of the rolls I saw served to other tables--rolls that occupied an entire round plate. The Rolls Royce Roll, one of about 70 crazy sushi experiments you can choose from, is an eight-piece California roll topped with a formidable mound of seared albacore and tomatoes tossed in spicy orange mayo. Is it the size that is supposed to be reminiscent of a Rolls? Because it wasn't the quality of the ingredients (or the price!). It was better than my salad bar scallop roll, but as much as I love tomatoes, I don't think they should ever cohabitate with my sushi. Some of the pieces of seared albacore consisted only of the seared part, which seems thoughtless and which my friend wasn't fond of. The presentation was kind of sloppy and unappetizing.

The service was attentive at the beginning, but nonexistent once our food came, and it took a long time for the bill to arrive. There wasn't even anyone in sight that we could have flagged down. I've noticed in the last couple of months that this is a problem at many restaurants. The busboy refilled our water regularly, though.

The website I found through Google lists only a Las Vegas location, but has too much in common with the Santa Monica location to not be related. The Sushi Mon website for the Santa Monica location though has a .net address though--don't get the two confused.

If you're a sushi novice or a fan of mayonnaisey American concoctions, you probably won't find much fault with Sushi Mon, and the lunch special prices are killer--the Rolls Royce Roll plus five pieces of nigiri were only $10, and the quality of fish was perfectly acceptable. If you have been eating at top-notch places like Nobu and Kiriko though, do yourself a favor and keep eating there.

Sushi Mon
401 Santa Monica Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90401
310-576-7011

Restaurant Review #110: The Hump, Santa Monica -- CLOSED

Update: The Hump has closed.

I am re-posting this review with some changes because of the vastly different experience I had on my second visit.

The Hump has an unusual atmosphere for a sushi restaurant. Rather than cool colors, sleek surfaces, and clean lines, The Hump's dining room is warm yellows, and browns and has the round, homey feel of your grandparents' living room with only a hint of LA chic. Even on a Saturday night, and even at the sushi bar, the acoustics are such that you can hear your friends without straining your ears or your voice at all. And even at 7:30 on a busy Saturday night, the hostess will manage to find you a 9:00 reservation.

On my first visit, we sat at the far end of the sushi bar, and surprisingly, it was both cozy and unintimidating. The bar is wide enough and the seats are far enough apart that for once, I actually enjoyed the sushi bar experience. We ordered the omakase and had a friendly, humble chef who accomodated our special requests. It looked like everyone got the same omakase, which made me feel a bit less special. Our chef gave us the inside scoop on the food though, which made me feel a bit more special. Also, I got to try young ginger and fresh wasabi for the first time, both of which I loved. Young ginger comes in round sticks slightly wider than a pencil that are white and taper to a bright magenta. Does it grow like that, or is it dyed, I wonder? Fresh wasabi doesn't have that grainy consistency that powdered wasabi can't help but have. It's also more moist and perhaps more pungent. The basic flavor didn't seem too different from it's powdered cousin, though.

The food was excellent, the service was excellent, the prices were slightly above average, and the atmosphere was unpretentious, cozy, and conducive to conversation. This combination is a rare treat, and makes The Hump one of my favorite restaurants. Oh, and in case you were wondering, its proximity to the Santa Monica airport (practically on the runway) doesn't make it a noisy place, but it's pretty cool to watch small planes landing in the dark.

On my second visit, my friend and I went on a Tuesday night around 8:00, again without a reservation (not that we would have needed one--the restaurant was about half-empty). The shishito pepper appetizer was excellent--a generous portion served piping hot and garnished with shaved bonito. I couldn't quite finish them all. All of the fish was excellent--I ordered red snapper, albacore, and yellowtail nigiri, my usual favorites. I also ordered seared scallop, which I didn't like as much--something about the flavor of the citrusy green bits on top just didn't go with the flavor of the scallop. The quality of the fish itself left nothing to be desired, though. The portions of fish are smaller here, and the prices are standard ($5-6 for most things), which makes the food overall a bit more expensive. I didn't really mind though, because I like being able to fit my sushi in my mouth. Also, to my disappointment, we didn't get fresh wasabi. Guess that's reserved for the big spenders.

Along with any semblance of service.

Everything was fine, until we were ready to order seconds (I always order seconds of sushi, rather than ordering everything I think I want at first, since sushi is so perishable and definitely should never ever ever be taken home as leftovers). No server came our way or even looked at us for what must have been at least 15 minutes, if I'm being generous. When we finally ordered more, it took at least another 15 minutes for our very small order to arrive (again, I'm being generous on the time). The restaurant wasn't busy, and it didn't seem understaffed. No one looked rushed or overworked.

Then they brought us the wrong check. If it had been my first visit, I probably would have left an insulting tip in protest at being overlooked almost completely during at least half of my meal (people around us were being seated and served, no problem). I couldn't figure out what to attribute our flagarant lack of service to (I say flagarant because apologies ranged from meager to nonexistent), unless it was because our total bill, including tax and tip, only came to about $75.

I thought The Hump wasn't like that. At least when they brought our final bill, the shishito peppers had been knocked off ($5 in my pocket), but I had a feeling it was an accident, not an apology, based on the rest of the evening.

Now I'm not sure what to think about one of my formerly favorite restaurants.

The Hump
3221 Donald Douglas Loop S
Santa Monica, 90405
310.313.0977

Restaurant Review #103: Hamasaku, West LA

Hamachi and uni

My friend Melanie of Daily Guilt has 101 goals, and one of them is to eat something she finds disgusting. So when she asked for ideas when we were out at Hamasaku, I suggested monkfish liver or sea urchin (uni). She chose the sea urchin, which I could blessedly bow out of trying due to my shellfish issues. Apparently, sea urchin is very runny and oozy, kind of like a fried egg. I told her that being Hamasaku, it was probably high quality uni, so if she didn't like it here, she wouldn't like it anywhere.

Almost all of Hamasaku's fish is excellent. I say almost because they don't do anything much with their octopus or giant clam (eaten on a previous visit) but then, it's hard to do them well. Giant clam is so unexpectedly crunchy that the experience seems to be more about texture than flavor, but since it doesn't have much flavor on it's own, I'd like to see a chef do something about that.

Likewise, octopus is quite chewy, but a dab of wasabi and soy sauce just isn't the right combination to enhance its flavor. The hamachi (yellowtail) is excellent though--I prefer the clean, pure light pink cuts of fish, as they're more tender than the cuts containing dark red (sorry, but I don't understand the makeup of fish well enough to explain this any better). The albacore also looked delicious, but I didn't order it myself since my roar roll had albacore.


Roar roll

What distinguishes Hamasaku from the myriad other sushi restaurants in LA is its incredibly lengthy list of innovative (some might say blasphemous) rolls. As I mentioned above, I don't do shellfish, so for me, it's easy to choose. What roll doesn't have shellfish? Then, most of the things that don't have shellfish have spicy tuna, which I hate, so those get eliminated. This leaves about four options: the roar roll (albacore, apple, crispy tempura bits, and some kind of dark, sweet sauce); the yellowtail submarine (yellowtail wrapped in cucumber with some tangyish mayo-like sauce); the Elizabeth roll (mango, cucumber, asparagus, and apple wrapped in rice paper); and the candy roll (tempura scallops, cucumber, and a mayo-based mustardy sauce with rice on the outside). I think there was also another vegetarian roll, but I can't remember. Maybe I should start taking notes (but for me, eating out is first about fun, even if I'm reviewing). A lot of the rolls are named for stars, like the Sarah Michelle Gellar roll. Is that a combination of ingredients that Sarah is particularly fond of, or what one chef thought she would taste like if she were a sushi roll? Hmm.

While most of the regular sushi menu and the lunch and dinner plates are on the website, this list of rolls is not, unfortunately. Since I'm incredibly indecisive, it's almost a good thing to have most of the options taken away from me. I haven't attempted to order one of the shellfish rolls sans shellfish (most rolls contain multiple kinds of fish, meaning there would still be plenty of substance to a roll that left out the crab) because I don't want to risk it. Hamasaku does have a bare minimum of vegetarian options, meaning that I wouldn't choose this restaurant if I were a vegetarian, but if I found myself eating here at the behest of my fish-eating friends, I wouldn't go hungry.

On my past two visits, the roar roll had been a big winner, but this time it fell short. The albacore was cold (oh, how I hate when my food just came out of the fridge) and the sauce seemed different--thicker and more dominant, when it didn't need to be.


Japanese Jewish Pizza, Part II--yes, that's really what it's called

I wanted to venture into the hot dishes this time, so I ordered the Japanese Jewish pizza. As you can see, it really is presented like a pizza, and the flavors of ricotta cheese, avocado, black miso, smoked salmon, and yellowtail (I think) and a very thin, cracker-like crust are meant to taste pizza-like when eaten all at once. Unfortuantely, it's quite difficult to get this concoction into your mouth all at once without making a mess, because there's no gooey mozarella to glue the ingredients together. I settled for eating it piece by piece, but I wasn't that into it. I just don't care for smoked salmon anymore, and I think it has too strong of a flavor for the other mellow ingredients that comprise this dish.


The Elizabeth Roll

Personally, I really like seaweed, and a roll isn't a roll without that seaweed flavor, so the Elizabeth roll really wasn't for me--but that's why I didn't order it. My friend must have enjoyed it though, because it was gone before I remembered to ask her if I could try a bite!


Candy roll

The candy roll was my favorite item of the night--I discovered that tempura scallops make a decent substitute for fried shrimp (says the girl who hasn't touched a fried shrimp in years). I think this roll could have benefitted from some mango, to add tang to flavors that otherwise were pretty similar (scallop, tempura, rice) but overall the dish was very good.


Albacore

The prices are a bit steep here--the multi-ingredient rolls range in price from $15-21. When I went here for my birthday, I had sake and all the sushi I could stuff in my rather small stomach for $83 (tax and tip included)--so consider that a maximum for an average eater drinking Geikkikan (the sake seems incongruous with my eating and drinking habits, you might think, but in some ways my food habits are not so high-end). On this visit, however, I only consumed about $50 worth of food. The rolls may be pricey, but at least they're filling.

I've always had the same friendly female server, and the service has always been truly top-notch. The food arrives swiftly, and I never feel like our table has been forgotten about, whether it's time to order, time to get my water refilled, or time to pay the bill. I would recommend making reservations a few days in advance if you'll be eating here on a weekend night, especially if you want to eat at a peak time and you don't want to have a time limit on your table.

Although this is supposedly a restaurant that lots of celebrities eat at, it doesn't feel pretentious or snooty (not that I would recognize them--I know so little about pop culture that sometimes I question my nationality).

There's free valet parking (hey, it's West LA), or you can try your luck at street parking if you hate handing over your keys as much as I do (sometimes the valet will let you park your car yourself, though).

By the way, if you're plotting to kill me, shellfish won't do the trick. (Who do I think I am--Veronica Mars?)

Hamasaku
11043 Santa Monica Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025
310.479.7636
Website (warning, plays music)
Their website has a partial menu and some fantastic photos of the restaurant's interior.

Restaurant Review #94: Sushi Masu, Westwood

Cold sake and miso soup

Zagat did not lead me astray (take that, Chowhound!) when it led me to Sushi Masu. On my first visit, my friend and I asked for the best fish of the day and a couple of rolls. We were treated to generous portions of the best toro I have ever eaten, as well as yellowtail, albacore, and salmon. My friend had a shrimp tempura avocado roll wrapped in eel, and I had a delightfully orange-colored roll with salmon, salmon roe, sauce, and cucumber wrapped in rice paper. Both were unique and excellent. Our sushi chef was very proud of his work, and rightfully so. I wouldn't ask for the salmon roll again, but that's mainly because I burned out on salmon about a year ago.

The chef took a liking to us for whatever reason, perhaps because none of the other diners had chosen to sit at his sushi bar, and he made our post-dinner orange extra special by putting it in a martini glass, draping curled orange peel down the rim, and serving it with a single strawberry, sliced in half and held together with a dollop of cream.

Our generic request for hot sake resulted in a sake that was surprisingly smooth, and I was also pleased by the creative use of a single leaf placed between the tips of the chopsticks to hold them off the table, rather than the usual flat stone.

The restaurant only has about 6 tables and maybe 8 more seats at the sushi bar. We had no trouble getting a table on a Tuesday night at 9:00, but that was to be expected. The service was very friendly and at this time of day, street parking abounded. I know that Westwood can be much harder to park on during the afternoon, though.


Hamachi, yellowtail scallion roll, shrimp tempura roll, and saltwater eel cucumber roll

My second visit to Sushi Masu came after a very failed attempt to have a lovely evening at Matsuhisa, the over-hyped (but does anyone hype it anymore?) Beverly Hills outpost of Nobu Matsuhisa's sushi empire.

We called Sushu Masu at 8:00 on a Sunday and they gave us a reservation for 8:30. When we arrived a bit early, we were greeted with a big smile and a promise that our table would be ready soon. While we were waiting, another server asked if we had been taken care of. Already things were looking good. The restaurant was small, quiet, and only about half full. The lighting was somewhat dim, but sleek, attractive lamps hanging above each table provided the perfect lighting for food photography. The tables have white tablecloths, fresh for each customer.


Seaweed salad

We ate everything you see pictured. The butterfish (a speical, below) and the scallop nigiri (also a special) lived up to their promotional placement. The scallops were delicate and unbelievably smooth, and the fish was so richly flavored that I actually couldn't eat the whole thing, even though it wasn't very big. The seaweed salad was reminiscent of the one I had at Nobu Malibu, with the addition of cucumbers and tomatoes. The soy/sesame dressing was tasty, but I didn't care for the chewy texture of the varieties of seaweed used in the salad, nor did I see any purpose in adding tasteless enoki mushrooms (which are best sauteed, I think) or overshadowing the seaweed with large pieces of other vegetables. The seaweed also got soggy under the dressing, so I couldn't revisit it after enjoying some of my other dishes. The kind of seaweed salad I like is the bright green with red flecks and sesame seeds kind, like they sell at Nijaya market. It's more crunchy than chewy, and has a rich, salty, and slightly spicy flavor.


Miso-marinated butterfish

The service continued to be friendly and attentive throughout our meal. The restaurant cleared out by about 9:30 (they closed at 10:00) but the sushi chef encouraged us (twice) to take our time, which I really appreciated. I ordered more food than I could finish, unfortunately. We ordered the $13.50 cold sake on the waitress's recommendation, and I was pleased by its smoothness. As for the other fish, the yellowtail was good, but not the best, due to some chewy spots; the yellowtail scallion roll was mysteriously skimpy on the fish; and the eel cucumber roll was my favorite. It was nice to see a roll made with saltwater eel, which I much prefer and much recommend over freshwater eel.

Overall, it was a great experience (and very reasonably priced, to boot). You should definitely pay this restaurant a visit.

Sushi Masu
1911 Westwood
Los Angeles, CA 90025
310-446-4368

Restaurant Review #93: Matsuhisa, Restaurant Row, Beverly Hills

I am sad to report that I have a very negative review of this restaurant, and I didn't even get to eat there. My friend made reservations several days in advance and asked for a quiet table. The person who took the reservation promised him that we would get a quiet table against the wall (apparently these tables are called dining 5 and dining 6, if anyone else is interested, and may actually need to be reserved a month in advance).

When we arrived, staff first didn't bother to ask for a last name and had us confused with another party of the same first name. We were upset that they said we could only sit on the patio or at the sushi bar. Sitting on the patio, it seemed like we might end up sharing our table with strangers. Plus, if I wanted to eat dinner in a plastic tent, I would have gone camping, not to a nice restaurant. Sitting at the sushi bar is fine for a lot of people, but it's just not my cup of tea, especially when I want to have private conversation over dinner.

Once staff realized that we were not the party we thought they were (that there were two of us, not three, should have been a big hint), they said that they did indeed have a table indoors for us. However, it was not against the wall--it was in the middle of the room, and we were probably six inches from the tables on either side of us. Yes, I am sad to report that Matsuhisa is yet another restaurant that tries to cram too many tables into too little space, effectively creating cafeteria-style dining in what is supposed to be a fine restaurant. Also, there was a crying baby in the dining room, and the restaurant's decor was not interesting or impressive at all. Overall, the dining room was noisy, crowded, and chaotic. They also were selling Nobu's cookbook and bottled sauces at the hostess stand, which I thought was tacky (I started wondering if I was at Cracker Barrel).

On top of that, the service left a lot to be desired. They botched our reservation, weren't accomodating or helpful about fixing it, and threw a wrench into what was supposed to be a lovely, relaxing evening. Since I couldn't hear my friend from 18 inches away, and had no faith in the restaurant to not screw up our meal as well, we left without even taking a sip of water.

The moral of the story is, if you want to eat Nobu's food, go to Nobu Malibu.

So how did the night turn out? Sushi Masu, an old favorite, saved the day. The restaurant was peaceful, quiet, and not overcrowded; staff was very friendly and attentive, and the food was delicious--and much cheaper to boot.

Matuhisa
129 N La Cienega Blvd
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
(310) 659-9639

Restaurant Review #47: Kiriko, Sawtelle, West LA

Tuna and tamago

I've been to Kiriko about ten times, and not once have they let me down. It's one of those rare restaurants where the service is always good, the tables aren't crammed together (except sometimes on a busy Saturday night), you can usually get a same-day reservation, and no matter what you order, it will be fresh and well-prepared.


Seared Wagyu beef sushi - $20 for 2 pieces (but worth it)

Kiriko is a small restaurant in the Olympic Collection building, that large yellow shopping and banquet center on the corner of Sawtelle and Olympic. The restaurant opens for dinner at 6:00 and recommends reservations. I've always made reservations to be on the safe side, but it seems like if you arrive early you'll be able to get in.


Shishito peppers, shiitake mushrooms and shaved bonito

The dining room is small and narrow, but not at all cramped. The tables are made of a sleek, shiny dark wood. Low lighting, but not too low, adds to the relaxing atmosphere. The service is always attentive, but can sometimes be slow. The servers are always very respectful and make sure to inform you about any dishes that are somewhat unusual when you order them. The daily specials and desserts are charmingly hand-written on fancy paper. I like that the specials are written down, so I don't have to recall a server's explanations or crane my head to find a dry erase board behind the sushi bar.


Assorted nigiri

The prices are reasonable, too: the bill on one visit was an amazing $43 for 2 people with small appetites ordering many things, including some at market price. Of course, on another visit I managed to spend $63 on myself alone. For $75, you can try the omakase. They also have a great deal on a lunchtime omakase--twelve pieces of six kinds of nigiri for around $30.


Mango-wrapped smoked salmon

The smoked salmon is freshly smoked and bears no resemblance to the semi-translucent stuff you can buy at the grocery store. You shouldn't pass up this fish, even if you don't normally like salmon. The tamago is unusually cake-like: delightfully spongy, fluffy, and sweet, and tastes only faintly of egg. For those who say you can judge a sushi resetaurant by the quality of its tamago, Kiriko is thrilling. The tuna looks amazing, but I'm not really a tuna fan (with the exception of albacore and toro) so I can't give a meaningful opinion on it. Kiriko's fish is some of the best I've ever had, and it's always soft and fresh.


Albacore tataki salad with garlic ponzu sauce

Albacore salad is one of my standby favorites, and Kiriko's version does not disappoint. The albacore is fresh and generously cut. The amount of lettuce is just right--not excessive. While some albacore salads consist of lots of salad with a little albacore, this salad truly showcases the fish. The ponzu sauce is perfect, and sesame seeds are always a great garnish that increase depth of flavor while also looking a bit festive. Kiriko's garden salad is also excellent. It uses flavorful greens that taste like they are from Maggie's Farm topped with a succulent miso dressing.


Orchids

Kiriko often has nice, fresh flowers on every table--not cheap carnations or craft store imitations. Sometimes they even have orchids.


Yellowtail (back left), halibut (front left), sea eel with salt (back right), toro (front right)

At Kiriko, your server will usually tell you whether a fish should have soy sauce or not, but never in a condescending way. Since sushi novices are prone to drowning everything in wasabi and soy sauce (I know I used to), it's never a bad idea to point out the best way to enjoy a particular fish. It shows that they really care about the food.


Sea eel with salt from Japan

Sea eel (also known as saltwater eel) is my one of my favorite kinds of sushi. Unfortunately, most sushi restaurants don't serve it. The funny thing about eel is that saltwater eel is the one that's actually served fresh. Freshwater eel is often vacuum packed, shipped over from Japan, heated in the toaster oven, and doused with eel sauce (which tastes identical to teriyaki sauce, to me). Sea eel is sometimes an off-menu item at Kiriko, so make sure to ask your server about it. They'll as you if you want eel sauce or sea salt on top. I recommend going with the sea salt to experience the full flavor of the fish.


Fresh salmon roe

Since the salmon roe were actually fresh, and not the usual salt-packed preserved kind, I decided to try them for the second time in my life. They were very liquidy and only had a faint salty taste. I didn't particularly enjoy them, but the popping and oozing is an interesting sensation if you've never tried it.


Yellowtail scallion roll

A yellowtail scallion roll for me is a familiar and tasty way to get a bit closer to full without blowing my budget. Kiriko gets the fish to rice ratio just right, and toasted sesame seeds on the outside add extra flavor.


Teriyaki chicken

A friend who doesn't share my love of sushi ordered the teriyaki chicken. The chicken was moist and tender, and the sauce was sweet without being sticky. Beneath the chicken hides a savory puree of golden sweet potatoes. As far as teriyaki chicken goes, Kiriko's version is above average in both flavor and presentation.


Brown sugar and ginger ice cream

For dessert, don't miss Kiriko's homemade ice creams. My favorite is the brown sugar and ginger, but I also love their honey vanilla with fresh berries. Sometimes they have special flavors like sweet potato or even truffle (the mushroom, not the chocolate.

I always have a wonderful experience at Kiriko--it's never overcrowded, noisy, or sub-par in any way. They've even made it onto Jonathan Gold's 99 Essential LA Restaurants list and into the Michelin Guide, so it may not be my favorite secret for much longer.



Kiriko
11301 Olympic Blvd #102
West Los Angeles, CA
(310) 478-7769
Website

Restaurant Review #46: Place Yuu, Sawtelle, West LA

Update: Place Yuu has permanently closed.

Last night, since I did not realize that Hide Sushi closes at 9:00, I had to pick a different sushi restaurant. There are five sushi restaurants on Sawtelle, and through process of elimination (bar only, closed, closed, already tried it) I opted for the place with no name. I was certain I'd never read about this place, but it was on Sawtelle, so it couldn't be that bad, right? It would probably be a lovely hole in the wall place. No name equals mystery. An undiscovered gem, perhaps.

Wrong. Though you may not believe it from the lovely photos, this is a terrible, terrible restaurant. Please do not ever eat here.
I shall tell you why. And keep in mind that I don't get any joy out of bashing a restaurant. I want to like every place I try.

This was one of those places I had a bad feeling about as soon as I walked in. I need to learn to let that bad feeling process before I find myself sitting at a table, especially when something as expensive and sacred as sushi is involved. I'm thinking about implementing a new policy: walk into the restaurant. Feel the vibe. Walk out. Process vibe. Re-enter if desired. Why did I get a bad vibe? The interior looked more like the set of Cheers than a sushi bar, and there were very few customers. We weren't shown to our table, merely pointed in the general direction.

The waiter showed contempt for us from the start. When he came to ask for drink orders, one person said he wanted water, and the waiter left. He didn't ask the rest of us what we wanted, he just left. I was thoroughly confused. He would continue this odd behavior of trying to get away from our table as quickly as possible for the rest of the evening. He didn't seem like an inherently strange or antisocial guy, though--arrogant as hell was more like it.

The menu, interestingly, has several items (at least ten) that were written only in Japanese. I thought this was either a good sign (very authentic stuff available, right?) or a bad sign (how pretentious to assume that I wouldn't want to try something new? I don't read any Japanese). I wanted to ask for translations, or possibly just take a shot in the dark and order them without explanations, but the waiter wouldn't hang around the table long enough for me to even order my tuna sashimi, let alone translate parts of the menu.

I assumed that the sushi would be very good, so I ordered a lot. This marked the second instance of the complete absence of my usual logic. Normally I order just a couple of things at a new sushi restaurant to test out the quality. I forgot this time, though. Sigh. I also ordered a hot sake that was described as sweet, because, well, I have an indefatiguable sweet tooth (an entire mouthful of them, in fact). I always get the generic hot sake, but I decided to try to upgrade. Unfortunately, this sake was worse than the usual (and perfectly acceptable to my unknowing taste buds) Geikkikan. Yes, I've got to learn about sake one of these days. Anyway, this stuff was sickeningly sweet. Ugh. But I drank it anyway. The sake cups were interesting--they were about 50% larger than usual. A waitress brought sake glasses for the whole table, though I hadn't ordered sake for 4. The waiter who delivered my friend's cold sake only brought him one glass. What great service. Fortunately, my friends left my sake to me.

The meal that ensued made the consumption of copious amounts of sake quite necessary. Well not really copious, but I'm not much of a drinker.

The tuna sashimi was cold, like it had just come out of the fridge. Bad news. It tasted about right, and the texture was about right, though. The red snapper, flown in from Japan and normally one of my favorites, was just okay. The yellowtail was pretty good, but then, it's pretty hard to mess up yellowtail. The same garnish was used to supposedly enhance the flavor of both the red snapper and the flounder, but I find it hard to believe that the flavors of two different types of fish would be best complemented by the same thing. I realize that ketchup tastes good on both hotdogs and hamburgers, but I don't apply the same philosophy to sushi garnishes.

The rice was lacking something, though I'm not sure what. Interestingly, the rice had a dab of what appeared to be soy sauce on the bottom of each piece. Huh? While I was initially pleased that the soy sauce had been added for me, I later decided it was ridiculous because the soy sauce was on the rice, not the fish. Also, the table soy sauce was not reduced sodium and too strong. It interfered with even the strong flavor of my salmon skin roll, so I did not use it. The salmon skin roll was not bad, but I didn't love it.

The entire sushi menu was in English, and, oddly enough, this threw off my order. Do you know what smelt means? I did not. I thought it was an adjective, describing the way egg is prepared. However, smelt is a noun, describing a rich and oily, small, silvery, mild-flavored fish that migrates between salt and fresh water. So I orderd smelt egg, thinking I was ordering tamago, and instead ended up with halibut roe, which I am not a fan of, particularly if it is not fresh, which this was not. Why don't they call it smelt eggs?

I was excited to see flounder on the menu. Hey, something I haven't tried yet! Is this not often on menus or I have I just never noticed it? Flounder, also known as hirame, reminded me of baby yellowtail. It had the same disturbing short, dark grey, stringy flecks in its translucent white flesh. What the hell is that stuff? I didn't think the hirame tasted like much, but then, the sushi here was generally not impressive, so I'm sure I did not have a transcendent hirame experience, especially because it had way too much pre-applied wasabi (one of my pet peeves--I want to be able to taste my fish). And pink ginger? While I used to think it was normal (it is, back in the good ol' Midwest, home of America's finest sushi), I have, at this point, become completely disgusted by it and convinced that it does not taste as good as the natural colored stuff.

The sushi chefs all looked profoundly unhappy. If I worked here, I would be too. I wanted to photograph them--I could have gotten some great portrait shots. However, the lighting was not conducive to that, and I don't like to be intrusive. I probably would have been anyway, because their expressions were just so great, but like I said--the lighting.

Service was highly inattentive, though the restaurant was not busy. No one ever asked how our food was, if we wanted anything else, or brought us the bill. When the bill arrived at least 45 minutes after we were very clearly done eating, and after 10 minutes of trying to get someone's attention to bring it to us, I was quite upset to find that my tuna sashimi was 11.95. On the special list, I swear it had said $2.25. Obviously (not thinking straight again) $2.25 could not have been correct. Maybe it said $7.25. I am certain, however, that it did not say $11.95. I am certain that the waiter did not bring me the bluefin tuna sashimi special, but instead brought me whatever the regular tuna sashimi is. Of course, he had been running away from the table as I'd been trying to order it, so no wonder he got it wrong.

At that point in the evening, I had eaten average to bad sushi, imbibed bad sake, and suffered terrible service that had cut into my sleep time. I was incredibly pissed off, but thankfully, I'd had a lot of sake so I was not feeling outraged. I was, however, pissed off enough to leave a $1 tip. It is very important to note here that I am absolutely not one to stiff waiters. Having had many service jobs, I realize how much they suck, and how important tips are, so I generally tip 20%. I don't think I've ever stiffed a waiter before, in fact. That's how bad the service was.

Place Yuu
2101 Sawtelle Blvd
(Corner of Sawtelle and , in the same white shopping center as Hurry Curry and Volcano Tea)
Los Angeles, CA 90025
310-478-7450

Restaurant Review #45: Asakuma, West LA

At first, I thought deliverable sushi was a great idea. Then, I was skeptical of this place for being willing to deliver sushi, as non-fresh sushi makes me want to throw up. I decided to have a friend get some for take-out one night. I ordered a yellowtail scallion roll, a spicy tuna roll, and a pickle roll. I got a spicy yellowtail roll, a spicy tuna roll, and a pickle roll. They were all better than grocery store sushi (where the fish is so chewy and wrong that I won't touch the stuff) but not as good as real restaurant sushi (no big surprise). And I really wished they would have gotten my order right. Two spicy rolls is too many. Actually, one spicy roll is too many. I'm kind of over spicy rolls. Especially when they are made spicy with chili oil and not with spicy mayonaisse (though I'm not a mayo fan either).

Verdict: If you must take your sushi home, why not get it from a better place?

Asakuma
11701 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025
310-826-0013

Restaurant Review #31: Sushi Tenn, Sawtelle, West LA

Yellowtail scallion handroll-$8

Update: Sushi Tenn has permanently closed.

I can't help but want to eat at a place that I walk by all the time, even if I don't think it will be good. Sushi Tenn was one of those places. It has the trappings of trendiness, which I don't quite care for--backlit sign, sleek interior, noise, hip people--and never seemed to be very busy, and yet, I still insisted on trying it.

The restaurant is small, with about 5 largeish tables (it looks like there are more until you actually count them) and a bar that seats about 14. There are also four outdoor tables, one of which we took. I thought sitting in misty darkness would beat subjecting my headachey friend to the glowing white, echoey interior of the restaurant, though I was kind of disappointed to pass it up. Also, there was a wait to sit inside, and after a day on the road, I didn't have the patience for that.

A server promptly came outside to turn on the heating pole that sits between the four tables, which was nice. Our table, which I chose myself, was actually terrible for anything but food photography, due to the glaring fluorescent light that shone down from the restaurant's overhang. If I hadn't sat there by accidental choice, I would have been unhappy. The street noise wasn't too bad, partly because of the hedges surrounding the outdoor space, and partly because it was a Sunday night and traffic on Sawtelle wasn't bad. We were the only people on the patio, which was nice.


Clam miso soup-$4

I didn't order much, because the prices were exorbitant and I didn't expect the food to be great. My friend didn't order anything--there is virtually nothing on the menu for the non-sushi-eater, except for miso soup and maybe some of the salads. But no teriyaki chicken, no kobe beef, not even a decent cooked fish dish. True, there were a couple of cooked fish appetizers, but judging from the size of the tofu appetizer I ordered, it would probably take about 6 appetizers to even start to make a meal-sized portion of fish.

Now, I have a small appetite, but even for me the portions were small. I ordered a hand roll because the cut roll--a mere yellowtail scallion roll, which normally costs $6--was a whopping $14. I can't even imagine what the justification for that could have been. Sure the yellowtail was good, but it was not $14 good. The hand roll came on an ordinary small light green plastic plate, which meant that I was really not impressed with the presentation. What I was impressed with though was the presence of real wasabi. That's right. Real. Only once before in the probably fifty times I've eaten sushi have I gotten fresh wasabi, and I specifically had to ask for that. Wow! I wanted to just eat it straight. And I tried, too, but after burning my brain a few times, I had to give up. The interesting thing about the roll itself was that it wasn't rolled ina cone shape, and that the white part of the scallion had been used, rather than the green part. The fish itself was cut into rectangular chunks. I kind of prefer when they mince it, but that's just me. According to the restaurants website, the sushi chef believes in staying true to his native cuisine, so there are no spicy tuna rolls or California rolls. That's kinda cool.

The clam miso soup was good, and made me realize that there are different kinds of clams. I've eaten very few clams in my life, so I'm no expert on the subject, so I'll just tell you that the clams in the soup were like mussels and not like the thick, crunchy clam that is served as surf clam or giant clam when you order sushi. I think they used a brown or red miso paste, as opposed to the yellow that is almost universally used in most miso soups. The brown is a bit bitter and, I think, a bit tasteless. I'm not sure if that's what they always use in clam miso soup, since this was my first. It may have been a choice made in order to not detract from the delicate flavor of the clams, which were quite good. Still, I would have preferred yellow miso.



Tofu in sesame sauce-$8

The biggest disappointment of the evening, aside from the high prices, was the tofu appetizer I ordered. I was excited when it arrived because of the cool dish and because it came in a small ball--was it fresh tofu? I've never had fresh tofu! I was also shocked though--look how small that thing is! That cost $8? The flavor was quite bitter and the super creamy texture really threw me off. I couldn't even bring myself to eat it because of the bitterness, though I tried dipping it in soy sauce and various other things to make it taste better. I've never had bitter tofu before, and I didn't like it at all. Did they add something to it? Why was it so creamy? There was also a dab of wasabi on top hidden under the shreds of nori, which I probably would have been really unhappy about if I'd accidentally gobbled it.

The service was good, but the food was extremely overpriced and I didn't care for the atmosphere. Some of the prices here make Nobu look inexpensive! I'm glad I satisfied my curiosity, but I won't be going back.

Sushi Tenn
2004 Sawtelle Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90025
310-473-2388
Website

Restaurant Review #30: Akwa, Santa Monica (now closed)

I went to Akwa late on a weeknight. There was only one other couple in the restaurant, and the kitchen was about to close when we hadn't even ordered yet. I almost wished they hadn't let us in--having worked at many jobs where my freedom was contingent on a customer leaving, I really don't like being that customer. I tell myself that I've karmically earned it, but I still don't like it. It was a little odd that the restaurant was so empty--it just looks like a place that would be full of well-dressed early thirtysomethings every night--though honestly, it may have too much in common with Sushi Roku to be of much value to the Downtown Santa Monica dining scene. It does set itself apart with its spacious interior layout, live music, and rooftop area, however. Maybe it could even outdo Roku--but do people know this? Are they eating there? I'm not sure.

My friend and I ordered a shrimp tempura roll for him, and for me, a yellowtail roll and yellowtail sushi. The food wasn't presented very well--it all came on a large butcher block, and wasn't laid out very precisely. Was that a message from the chef to go home, or just plain carelessness? It did taste good--good enough that my non-sushi-eating, non-seafood-eating friend got hooked on sushi and started insisting on frequent trips to Whole Foods to fulfill his cravings. The hostess and our waitress were very friendly and didn't make us feel like we were intruding on their otherwise empty restaurant--that was largely my own self-inflicted pain.

I don't feel like I really got a sense of what the restaurant was like from this visit. I felt rushed, didn't order a lot of food, and since there were no other patrons, I didn't get a sense of what the clientele is like (though I imagine it's white, well-dressed, and affluent). There are a lot of things on the menu that looked interesting, and I liked the decor and the spacious layout--even if the restaurant gets noisy, my guess is that since there is plenty of space between tables, you can still hear the people you're eating with. That's especially nice when so many places in LA seem to want to cram as many tables into as few square feet as possible. I realize rents are expensive, but still. There is also a wide variety of seating options--sushi bar, first floor, second floor, or rooftop.

I'd like to go back and see what Akwa is really about, especially since they have live Latin and Brazilian jazz music on the rooftop on Friday and Saturday nights. They also offer eight different kinds of maki for $4 each during happy hour. That's not a huge discount, but it's rare for a sushi happy hour to have that much selection.

Akwa 1413 5th St Santa Monica, CA 90401

(310) 656-9688
Website

Restaurant Review #28: Asuka, Westwood

Rainbow Roll


I needed sushi 'cause I had none

I haven't been doing a good job at all of rationing my money this month, except in the restaurant category, and a trip to a sushi restaurant was long overdue. Also, hot weather pretty much kills my appetite, so a light dinner of raw fish was the only food that sounded remotely appetizing.


I fought the law. . .

I followed my somewhat trusted Zagat guide here on its recommendation of inexpensive but high quality sushi. Sushi, I'm pretty thoroughly convinced, is definitely an area of life in which you get what you pay for. I probably should have trusted my gut when I walked in, because something about the atmosphere told me that this wasn't going to be the greatest sushi experience of my life. The restaurant is set up as one big room, with tables and booths in the center, and a sushi bar on each side. The overall color of the interior is orange, though one wall was painted bright green. The lighting was on the high side for a Japanese place, and it was fairly noisy.


...and the law won

The photos almost say it all, but I'll give you a thousand or so more words to complement them. Sure, some of the sushi is a little cheaper, maybe, but the portions are smaller (in the rolls, though not the nigiri), the atmosphere leaves something to be desired, and the presentation is sloppy. Granted, I have only experienced what one of their chefs had to offer, but a higher caliber place would never have hired this guy (or let him stay). I witnessed him crookedly hack through a roll with flimsy serrated knife. I was thoroughly confused. If I know better than to try to cut through seaweed neatly with a crappy knife (or to even use such a knife in the first place), surely a sushi chef should know this?




Toro (left) and young yellowtail (right)


Robbin' people with a six-gun

Rarely do I order anything that says M.P. next to it, but I decided to go for it, though in retrospect, I don't think anyone can justify charging $5 a bite for, well, anything. The toro was pretty melt in your mouth tasty, but it had a kind of funny aftertaste. I haven't had toro that many times. Perhaps it always has this taste and I've never noticed it before, but I definitely detected a bit of that. . . house taste. You know how some people's houses have this kind of musty smell that is so strong it permeates their entire life, including all the food they prepare? That was the aftertaste of this toro. Actually, it wasn't an aftertaste, so much as an end taste, if that makes sense. The aftertaste was still yummy. Odd, I know.

Young yellowtail was a special, and is supposed to be somewhat of a delicacy, I thought, but I really didn't think it tasted like much, and at only $5, it wasn't priced like it was anything special. Also, they were out of giant clam (the only non-shellfish sushi I have yet to try) (except blowfish, which I have no desire to try). It was about 10:00 on a Saturday, so I guess I can deal with the shortage, but I don't think a good restaurant should run out of stuff. Having worked in one though, I realize that kind of thing happens. However, I didn't work in a good restaurant, so....



Vegetable Tempura Roll


I lost my lunch and I lost my fun

My sushi chef's next faux pas was his inability to listen. I ordered a vegetable tempura roll, and got a shrimp tempura roll with some vegetables. I'm allergic to shellfish (this includes shrimp, sea urchin, lobster, crab, and most fake crab because it contains traces of crab), so I had to send it back. I'd like to get through a meal at a sushi restaurant without having to send back something because it has shellfish in it. Sigh. He apologized twice, but I was kind of bummed by the long wait time for the only roll I ordered. Also, the shrimp tempura roll had been this oversized creation, and the vegetables tempura roll that replaced it was about half the size--not much of an apology, even though I prefer rolls that actually fit in my mouth.




Yellowtail scallion roll


Not the best sushi that I've ever had

My friend had a yellowtail scallion roll and a rainbow roll. She liked them both, but is not as picky about food as I. The moral of this story is probably that if you are the average consumer of sushi, you will likely be perfectly happy at Asuka, and if you are more discriminating, you're better off sticking to higher caliber places.


Guess my tastebuds are done

We had to request the check, as no one bothered to ask us if we were finished. This is a common restaurant occurence, but that doesn't mean it doesn't get on my nerves. We had no problem splitting our bill between our two credit cards, however, our individual orders weren't listed, only a total, leaving us to go back to the menu and figure out how much we had each spent. Us po' folk only split bills when we've actually ordered about the same amount of food. The server who took our money asked if everything had been okay. He asked this in a way that indicated to me that he sensed my discontent, but I didn't see any point in saying, yeah, everything tasted fine, but maybe you could change your decor and get your sushi chef a new knife? so I just said that everything had been fine. We were thanked three times upon leaving, which my friend found excessive, but I didn't notice much. I don't think it's a bad policy.


Papa Papa Papa Papa-san, take me home. . .

So overall, I'd say:

Food-slightly above average
Atmosphere-Diner atmosphere is inconsistent with the sushi vibe; bad loud music
Parking-They have valet for $3, or you can fight for street parking
Service-Friendly but not sufficiently attentive
Price-a few pennies too high for the quality



Restaurant Asuka
1226 Westwood Blvd
West LA 90024
310.474.7412
Lunch M-F 11:30-2:00
Dinner Sun-Th 5:30-10:00
Dinner Fri, Sat 5:30-11:00