#SUSHI BOY LAX HOW TO#

At any of Sugarfish’s 11 locations across the city, you’ll enjoy Chef Nozawa’s signatures, like sauce-soaked tuna sashimi and the crazy-delicious blue crab hand roll stuffed with perfectly warm rice-which are consistently outstanding every single time. Often traveling to check the quality of the seafood they’re buying, the team sources fish from around the world-hamachi in Japan, salmon in Europe, sea bream in New Zealand-via trusted suppliers (over the past year, they’ve also introduced sustainably ranched tuna). Launched by master chef KazuNori Nozawa, the restaurant is renowned in its quest for perfectionism: finding the freshest fish, using the most precise knife strokes, nailing the ideal rice consistency. There’s no doubt about it: Sugarfish is a Los Angeles institution and one of our greatest exports (the wildly successful empire started expanding in New York several years ago).

#SUSHI BOY LAX HOW TO#

How to book: Make reservations or order pickup and delivery online.

For a treat-yourself meal at home, the new, limited-edition, to-go sushi box is a good choice it includes the popcorn shrimp tempura roll with wasabi truffle soy sauce, your choice of salmon or tuna poke, and more for $34. While dozens of copycat concepts exist today, we like to return to the OG for bold fusion dishes-which, while certainly not inexpensive, won’t set you back nearly as much as an omakase. This spot was among the first to experiment with the idea of a trendy sushi restaurant (think: dimly lit interiors, cool cocktails, good music). If, however, you’re intrigued by a contemporary vision of sushi-one that incorporates non-traditional ingredients from Latin America and Europe-consider checking out Sushi Roku. This stylish restaurant with outposts in Pasadena and Santa Monica (the latter was beautifully renovated last year) isn’t made for sushi aesthetes, so if you’re a true connoisseur who looks down your nose at anything but the most authentic expression of uncooked fish, keep scrolling.

How to book: Make reservations or order for pickup online or by calling 81. Westsiders are in luck: The Brothers will open a Santa Monica location early this year. Fingers crossed that the day’s set menu includes some dry-aged pieces, like the Japanese-cherry-wood-smoked yellowtail. Although this restaurant has a robust menu with dozens of delicious-sounding apps and desserts, the omakase, offered at $140 or $200, will never lead you astray. That said, much of the seasonal fish is from Japan-like barracuda from Tokyo or Hokkaido-hailing cod milt (the sperm sac, which is a delicacy). That translates to fresh wasabi from Northern California, sea urchin from Santa Barbara, and dishes like seared toro with pickled, wasabi-marinated ice plant from local favorite Girl & Dug Farm. At The Brothers Sushi, their mission is to experiment within the boundaries of the chef’s Japanese heritage while paying homage to California’s bounty. If there’s one trend we’re noticing recently, it’s that the Valley is now the go-to for standout sushi spots-and this restaurant is one of them.

While Sushi by Scratch Restaurants' sister restaurant in Montecito was the one awarded a Michelin star last year, in our book, the Encino location may as well have been a recipient too. The seasonally changing menu sports dishes that are often wildly creative, unexpected riffs on traditional sushi counter classics, like bluefin tuna otoro with Japanese whiskey and caramelized pineapple or hamachi with sweet corn pudding and sourdough breadcrumbs-all of which makes you feel like you’re getting the most out of the $145-per-person price tag. From the moment you step through an unmarked door and are greeted with a welcome cocktail before venturing to the open-air chef’s counter, you’re transported to a sushi speakeasy. This artisanal concept from husband-and-wife duo chef Phillip Frankland Lee and pastry chef Margarita Kallas-Lee offers a 17-course omakase that spotlights fish flown in from around the world. A word of advice if you’re planning to dine at Sushi by Scratch Restaurants? Come hungry.

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