Downgraded from 4 star in 2022. Edited: have come back a few more times and the quality has declined. The fish is definitely not as fresh, too cold, slimy. The rice is mushy and feels old. And it’s insanely expensive. It’s a shame, the service is good and it appears to be really authentic. But with the increase in price with decrease in quality, not worth a Return visit. For good quality fish, I would recommend Hide in Sawtelle. For value, I would recommend Hara.
There is no finer sushi-ya that I have found. This is the real deal. Wheelchair accessibility: Ground floor. Enter on Wilshire.
One of the most authentic sushi restaurants in LA. The sushi is always of the most delicious and highest quality. All the chefs are Japanese, and you feel as if you have been transported to Japan. The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly.
Before the pandemic this place was one of the best sushi restaurants in LA. I recently went there on a Saturday (9:30PM) with my family and ordered Uni, Unagi, Maguro, Sake, Sweet Shrimp, Tataki, and Halibut. The first bite I had was the uni, which is my favorite sushi, and when I took a bite of the uni, I tasted a slimy old fishy and trashy taste which made me gag, it was impossible to swallow. It was an over powering fishy taste. I took many swigs of beer and a few shots of sake to get rid of the foul rotten fish taste. I had $3 uni in low-end revolving sushi places that tasted better than this $20 uni. Further tasting revealed the Maguro also lacked freshness, evident in both taste and appearance, deviating from its characteristic deep red color. The sake (salmon) was ok and the halibut was pretty bland. The only items that managed to meet expectations were the tataki, unagi and the sweet shrimp. I conveyed my concerns about the uni to our waitress, hoping for a constructive response, but it was unfortunately disregarded. This, coupled with a rush to clear our table before we had finished our evening, including removing my son's drink, significantly impacted our overall satisfaction. The evening concluded with a bill of over $240, which did not reflect the value or service expected based on prior visits. For those seeking a superior sushi experience in Santa Monica, I now find myself recommending Yabu on Pico, where the quality of fish and customer service more closely align with my expectations for fine dining.
Best sushi anywhere. The freshness of the fish cannot be overstated. The salmon skin salad is yummy. Yellowtail, bluefin and salmon are toro quality
The rainbow roll was great! We came late at night close to closing but the staff was nice and efficient. I'm sad I haven't tried this place sooner, I will be back (they really need to update their sign on the front... I didn't realize how good the food quality because the sign is old and outdated).