Los Angeles has one of the most robust and delightful sushi scenes in the country, from vegan sushi to fusion sushi, from grocery store takeout to fine dining. If you’re looking for a truly special meal, there are countless options, but here are a few favorites that express seasonality through the mind-boggling and delicious range of their omakases.
Sushi Takeda
The chef Hide Takeda’s counter is a tiny oasis on the third floor of Weller Court in Little Tokyo with warm service and fast-paced omakases punctuated by hard-to-find dishes like beautifully shaped iwashi maki, or sardine rolls.
123 Astronaut Ellison S. Onizuka Street, No. 307, Los Angeles; 213-613-0083; hide-sushi.com
The West Hollywood location of this exquisite and expensive chain is headed up by Yohei Matsuki, whose knife work is a pleasure to watch, and who specializes in seasonal luxuries and elegant seafood butchery performed to order at the counter.
609 La Cienega Boulevard, West Hollywood, Calif.; 323-433-4817; sushiginzaonoderala.com
Kiriko
Ken Namba is a force behind this casual counter, with a loose, nontraditional style and a sense of warmth that carries through the small plates and nigiri. It’s just as delightful for a quick, reasonable lunch as for a long, lingering dinner.
11301 West Olympic Boulevard No. 102, Los Angeles; 310-478-7769; kirikosushi.com
Sushi Tama
The pretty design and millennial-pink seating is tempered by Hideyuki Yoshimoto’s sushi, featuring an intensity of seasoning and fondness for torched fish, shimmering with rendered fat. It’s one of the few high-end counters with outdoor seating, and the vegetarian nigiri shines.
116 North Robertson Boulevard, Los Angeles; 424-249-3009; sushitama-la.com
A Los Angeles star, Morihiro Onodera now runs his own restaurant, attached to a Vietnamese noodle bar in Atwater Village. He offers stunning omakases and excellent lunch deals that feature imported rice polished each day in-house. If your budget allows, book seating at the counter.
3133 Glendale Boulevard, Los Angeles; 323-522-3993; morionodera.com