Sushi Sushi

10/26/09

Authentic Japanese Sushi!

by LAWestsideFoodie at Citysearch

For consistently great sushi (so great they named it twice), I can wholeheartedly recommend Sushi Sushi on South Beverly Drive near Olympic Boulevard. However, this place is not for everyone. If you like creative California-style sushi rolls (think "rainbow rolls" or "dynamite rolls") you won't find any of that here.

This is a Tokyo-style no-nonsense sushi establishment that caters to customers who want an authentic Japanese experience. Perhaps that is why typically a third to a half of the customers appear to be Japanese.

The owner/operator is another reason this place is not for everyone. His expertise is to buy some of the freshest fish, many of which are flied in from Japan, and present the fish beautifully. He is a person who takes a lot pride in what he is doing, and wants to provide an authentic experience. I give him kudos to stick to his beliefs despite the market pull to cater to a sometimes non-traditional customer base.

However, be warned....he is not a "warm and fuzzy" guy who will make any effort to make your visit more pleasant. If you ask him what he recommends, he'll point to the sign behind him showing the day's specials. I have been told that if you ask for extra wasabi, and he'll explain that they put the appropriate amount on the sushi, so you shouldn't need any more.

But the reason to come here is the food..and did I mention the beer? If you like beer, I recommend you start your culinary experience with an ice-cold draft beer. I have actually seen floating ice in some of the beers I have ordered, which are always served in frozen mugs...very refreshing!

If you are an adventurous eater, you can start your meal with an appetizer featuring a Japanese pasta dish. Don't worry, this is not your LA fusion dish. This

is a dish featuring squid sushi cut in spaghetti-like strips covered with globs of sweet and salty uni(sea urchin)...delicious.

Another unique dish to check out is the seared O-Toro, where a nice-sized slab of very fatty tuna is seared with a blowtorch to sizzling perfection...Japan's answer to seared fois gras!

All the sashimi and sushi are very fresh and the sashimi is particularly beautifully presented, but since I like to try different kinds of dish, I usually stay away from the sashimi, which gives you a lot of one kind of fish. Some of my favorite sushi include Zuke(marinated tuna), Hamachi(Japanese Amberjack), Uni and Albacore.

The owner likes to control what happens in this small space as much as he can. If you sit at the sushi bar in front of the other sushi chef (I have never seen more than 2 chefs including the owner at a time), and order one of the more expensive fish, the owner personally cuts the sushi and then hands it to the other chef to give to you.

His desire to control the experience is seen in the "corrections" made by the waitress staff (one of whom is his wife) correct any "inappropriate" behavior such as leaving your chopsticks on a sushi plate rather than on the small dish set out for your soy sauce.

But come here for the consistently great sushi! While it is not cheap, it is a lot less expensive than the trendier sushi joints in LA. You can eat well with 1-2 beers per guest and get out of there for about $50 per person.

• Pros: Consistently Excellent and Authentic
• Cons: Service can be unfriendly

09/02/09

One of the WORST Sushi Restaurants in LA

by Foodie12345 at Citysearch

I consider myself fairly experienced when it comes to sushi. I had probably the worst experience I’ve ever had at a sushi restaurant at Sushi Sushi on Beverly Dr in BH. I went in with high hopes for a relaxing sushi dinner and was more than prepared to pay for high quality in food, presentation and service. Well…Unfortunately, the head sushi chef (perhaps owner) was our chef as we sat behind the counter. He had a scowl the never left his etched and weathered face. The attitude and simply bad energy from this guy was unnerving. The sushi was mediocre at best and portions very small and only one piece at a time. Yet, be prepared to pay premium prices beyond that of any other quality sushi restaurant in the area the provides two pieces and a healthy servings be it sushi or sashimi.

Really, save your money – Sushi sushi on Beverly Dr. in Beverly Hills is at the top of my don’t go back list and certainly one that I will tell all my friends to avoid.

• Pros: Nice Setting
• Cons: Overpriced, small portions - HORRIBLE ATTITUDE

09/02/09

Possible head sushi chef needs an attitude adjustment

by houdins at Citysearch

After a stressful day, my boyfriend and I wanted to have a nice and relaxing dinner at Sushi Sushi, a place I've visited once before.

Well, after sitting at the sushi bar for a while we experienced the worst service. The rudness of the sushi chef was unacceptable. Talk about the "sushi natzi". This man makes Attila The Hun seem like a boyscot.

I one point, I thought my boyfriend was about to jump over the counter and adjust his nose.!

There are far too many sushi restaurants around town to have to waste your time here.

• Pros: Great Uni, if you can get it.
• Cons: Terrible attitude by chef