L.A.’s sushi culture is next level. We were the first American city to popularize traditional sushi back in the ‘60s and ‘70s. Since then, sushi in L.A. has evolved into an adventurous experience with sushi chefs bringing unusual or rare ingredients into their cuisine. But whether it’s an innovative new dish or a perfectly executed classic, these 13 dishes should not be missed.
Japanese Halibut with White Truffle from Asanebo
Studio City
Photograph courtesy of Steffi Victorioso
Add truffle to any dish and it’ll take it from good to otherworldly. But what happens when you add truffle to something that’s already otherwordly? You get Asanebo’s halibut with white truffle. The Japanese halibut is thinly sliced and topped with white truffle, truffle salt, and sweet soy sauce. Perfection meets heavenly.
Smoked Toro from Sushi Tsujita
Sawtelle Japantown
Photograph courtesy of Steffi Victorioso
When this dish comes to the table, it feels a little bit like your birthday but without the awkwardness of waiting for people to finish singing. Lift up the glass cloche and inhale some of the smoke as it escapes. When the smoke clears, you’ll find the gift of rich, smoky toro. If this were a scented candle, I’d buy it immediately.
Oyster Half Shell with Uni and Caviar from K-Zo
Culver City
It’s an oyster with uni and caviar. Need I say more?
The Sushi (Rice) from Sugarfish
Multiple Locations
I’d love to say this place is no frills, but then I’d be lying. There is a frill, and it’s their sushi rice. They brew their own rice vinegar and use small capacity rice cookers in all of their restaurants. Each warm, pillow-y grain of rice is loosely packed into the sushi. The rice is more than just a vehicle for the fish. It’s part of a complete package that arrives on plate.
Baked Crab Handroll from Noshi Sushi
Koreatown
Photograph courtesy of Steffi Victorioso
Noshi Sushi is old school – established in 1983. You know if a restaurant has been around that long, it’s probably pretty damn good. There is nothing chic or trendy about this place, which is part of its charm. Their baked crab hand roll may not be fancy, but with its long slender sections of sweet, soft crabmeat, you’ll have fantasies about biting into it.
Trio of Tuna from Go’s Mart
Canoga Park
Photograph courtesy of Steffi Victorioso
Go’s Mart isn’t just a hole in the wall – it’s a hole in the Internet. They don’t have a website or a Facebook page or an Instagram account. They haven’t even claimed their Yelp page. But what they lack in Internet presence, they make up for with the finest luxury ingredients. Black caviar, gold flakes, and otoro. Ohhhtoro.
Niku (Meat Course) from n/naka
Culver City
Photograph courtesy of Zen Sekizawa
Surprise! It’s a meat course. For a restaurant that serves some of the best sushi in L.A., they sure know how to do beef. The meat course of n/naka’s 13-course meal is divine. Their A5 wagyu beef is marbled to perfection for the most tender, juicy cut of beef.
Seared Jumbo Scallop with Uni from Sushi Yuzu
Toluca Lake
Photograph courtesy of Steffi Victorioso
Biting into a seared jumbo scallop would be satisfying enough. But throw some uni on there and it’s next-level. It’s topped with a wahoo salsa, made of shiso, daikon, kombi seaweed, cucumber, and plum sauce to give it an extra kick of umami.
Foie Gras Sushi from Iroha Sushi of Tokyo
Studio City
Silky, savory, and fatty! We’re not talking about a piece of fish here. We’re talking foie gras. If you’re looking for the perfect bite, this is it.
Hamachi Kama (Yellowtail Collar) from Sushi Gen
Little Tokyo
Photograph courtesy of Steffi Victorioso
It may not look as pretty as a fillet, but the collar is the best part of a fish. It’s that juicy part right behind the gills. With such a high fat content, it’s super succulent. This dish is best served grilled, like they do at Sushi Gen, with crispy skin.
Foie Gras Chawan Mushi from Kiriko Sushi
Sawtelle Japantown
Photograph courtesy of Steffi Victorioso
Put down the chopsticks and scoop up all this goodness with a spoon. The rich foie gras and silky savory egg custard is exquisitely unctuous. Like buttah! It literally melts in your mouth.
Uni wrapped in A5 Wagyu Beef at Shunji
Sawtelle
Photograph courtesy of Steffi Victorioso
If opulence were a dish, it would be this one. Uni wrapped in wagyu is what food porn dreams are made of. Forget steak and lobster. This is the most decadent surf and turf you’ll ever eat.
Sweet Shrimp from Sushi Kimagure Ike
Pasadena
If you haven’t eaten this, you haven’t lived! This dish goes one step beyond sucking on a shrimp head. First comes the raw tail, and then comes the fried head. It’s a bit like fried soft shell crab but crispier and shrimpier with the essence of shrimp innards.
