Wabi-Sabi Sushi & Asian

(310) 314-2229

1635 Abbot Kinney Blvd
Venice, CA 90291 33.9897 -118.4633

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Neighborhoods: Venice, West LA

WABISABISUSHI.COM

Price:

$$$

Last updated 1.24.11

Category:

Restaurants, Catering

Payment Methods:

American Express, Diners Club, Discover, Visa, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

People Watching, Date Spot, Group Dining, Food Delivery, Bar Scene

General Info:

Open 7 Days

Cuisine:

Japanese, Asian, Sushi

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About Wabi-Sabi Sushi & Asian

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

Part sushi joint, part chic Asian bistro, Wabi-Sabi exemplifies the eclectic character of its boho-chic Abbot Kinney Boulevard location. Japanese in concept, fusion in flavor, it melds industrial decor with a casual atmosphere and personable service. While there's an extensive choice of top-quality sushi, there's more to a menu that pairs such items as battered onion rings and a sweet pumpkin puree with grilled beef filet.

Editor's Tips

Where to Sit:
The main room holds the sushi bar, while an adjacent outdoor patio stays warm with glowing heat lamps. The back room is perfect for large parties.
The Extras:
Abbot Kinney-area residents can take advantage of Wabi-Sabi's delivery service.
ambiance
100.0% positive
  1. “The place does have a nice ambience, but I think I'll stick to Hama.”
  2. “The sushi is always fresh, the atmosphere is always lively and the presentation is beautiful (even on to-go orders).”
  3. “It is a little cramped so definately not the place for a romantic dinner.”
  4. “The food was always good, the staff always friendly and the atmosphere was always chill.”
dessert
100.0% positive
  1. “even had a friend I took here from Maryland and he said they were some of the best crab cakes he's had.”
  2. “The mushroom wontons, black cod, garlic spinich, and crab cakes are all amazing.”
  3. “There were tons of shrimp, fish, scallops and these crispy rice cakes that I loved.”
drinks
50.0% positive
  1. “Really great selections on wine that actually go with sushi (Reislings, etc).”
  2. “Granted, it is a lot nicer and they have a full bar.”
food quality
91.09000205993652% positive
  1. “Really great selections on wine that actually go with sushi (Reislings, etc).”
  2. “started with a bowl Miso soup which was excellent, The thai crunchy shrimp rolls are great.”
  3. “The sushi is really good but I love the cooked dishes even more.”
  4. “Of the other dishes we got, the rock shrimp tempura was my favorite, but it was all good.”
  5. “The food is excellent.”
  6. “The crunchy shrimp roll is the best!”
  7. “The garnishes and spices he used were great complements and each dish tasted superb and refreshing at the same time.”
  8. “The sushi is always fresh, the atmosphere is always lively and the presentation is beautiful (even on to-go orders).”
  9. “We did have some some delicious yellowtail and tuna, but other items on the menu such as ribs, cooked cod, salads, etc had some unique sauces and tastes that were absolutely first rate.”
  10. “My waitress was pleasant, my food arrived on time and it was even relatively busy in the restaurant.”
  11. “this place sucked, service was rude, food was way below average and it was pricey.”
  12. “THe food was awesome.”
  13. “love my local sushi spot.”
  14. “The food was always good, the staff always friendly and the atmosphere was always chill.”
  15. “Then to top things off, I had to shout "excuse me" to the sushi chef as he'd been ignoring us for at least 20 minutes to order our first dish and continued to ignore us through out or stay.”
  16. “When I order food to go, it is always garnished with little orchids or some other colorful flower, so I just take it out of the box and have a gorgeous meal to serve.”
  17. “The food is good, the place gets loud.”
  18. “I've had better sushi for the price and the chairs are horribly uncomfortable (and cold), but overall I had an enjoyable experience.”
  19. “could just tell that the quality of the fish wasn't very good.”
  20. “When our food finally arrived, the yellowtail was not fresh.”
  21. “They have a pretty good happy hour and great sushi.”
  22. “In all do fairness, the food is still decent for the price however, after being treated like this and having spent thousands of $'s there every year, I WILL NOT BE BACK.”
  23. “Fantastic seafood”
  24. “The menu showed (in my opinion) a lot of respect for authentic Japanese food, offering mostly authentic Japanese dishes with slight fusion twists.”
  25. “great sushi spot in Venice”
  26. “the service is great and the place is cool - but the sushi isn't as good as some other sushi places we've been to.”
  27. “best sushi in venice”
  28. “The sushi at this place is good, not one of the best places.”
  29. “even had a friend I took here from Maryland and he said they were some of the best crab cakes he's had.”
  30. “The food is great.”
  31. “Nice vibe and the sushi is great.”
  32. “have no problem payng for good service and good food.”
  33. “When I asked some locals for a good high-end sushi spot in Venice, they pointed me to Wabi-Sabi.”
  34. “love the spicy eggplant appetizer and the salads--great for the price.”
  35. “And the fish is always fresh and yummy.”
  36. “recommend the Ahi tartare, shrimp dumplings, ribs, crispy shrimp roll.”
  37. “The staff is attentive, the dishes imaginative, I had ZERO problems with service.”
  38. “My friend had the lamb chops and the granita of lemon zest was really nice.”
  39. “There were tons of shrimp, fish, scallops and these crispy rice cakes that I loved.”
  40. “personally tend to prefer more authentic Japanese food.”
  41. “Fresh fish, excellent menu for non-sushi lovers.”
  42. “This dish was amazing, the Halibut was so tender and the flavors were great.”
  43. “The mushroom wontons, black cod, garlic spinich, and crab cakes are all amazing.”
menu variety
83.33000183105469% positive
  1. “Fresh fish, excellent menu for non-sushi lovers.”
  2. “We did have some some delicious yellowtail and tuna, but other items on the menu such as ribs, cooked cod, salads, etc had some unique sauces and tastes that were absolutely first rate.”
  3. “knew we were in for a bad experience right from the get go when the waitress took our order and was acting extremely rude b/c god forbid we ask a question about the sake menu prior to ordering a $30 - $40 bottle.”
  4. “The menu showed (in my opinion) a lot of respect for authentic Japanese food, offering mostly authentic Japanese dishes with slight fusion twists.”
  5. “Wabi Sabi has a big varied menu with many Traditional and California style choices.”
  6. “Really great selections on wine that actually go with sushi (Reislings, etc).”
overall
83.33000183105469% positive
  1. “The food is good, the place gets loud.”
  2. “the service is great and the place is cool - but the sushi isn't as good as some other sushi places we've been to.”
service
54.7599983215332% positive
  1. “knew we were in for a bad experience right from the get go when the waitress took our order and was acting extremely rude b/c god forbid we ask a question about the sake menu prior to ordering a $30 - $40 bottle.”
  2. “The service is always friendly and efficient.”
  3. “also think the service is consistently friendly and quick.”
  4. “Horrible Attitude, snooty service”
  5. “The staff is attentive, the dishes imaginative, I had ZERO problems with service.”
  6. “Foods were mediocre, and both the owner and one server were so rude and aloof when I complained about their mistake.”
  7. “Terrible service”
  8. “Wabi-Sabi has the worst customer service for sure.”
  9. “the service is great and the place is cool - but the sushi isn't as good as some other sushi places we've been to.”
  10. “The food was always good, the staff always friendly and the atmosphere was always chill.”
  11. “have no problem payng for good service and good food.”
  12. “The service was also all around very good, from the moment we walked in.”
  13. “this place sucked, service was rude, food was way below average and it was pricey.”
  14. “My waitress was pleasant, my food arrived on time and it was even relatively busy in the restaurant.”
value
50.0% positive
  1. “this place sucked, service was rude, food was way below average and it was pricey.”
  2. “I've had better sushi for the price and the chairs are horribly uncomfortable (and cold), but overall I had an enjoyable experience.”
  3. “love the spicy eggplant appetizer and the salads--great for the price.”
  4. “Since it was a kind of expensive place, we spent quite a lot of money and I only had 5 pieces.”
  5. “In all do fairness, the food is still decent for the price however, after being treated like this and having spent thousands of $'s there every year, I WILL NOT BE BACK.”
wait time
100.0% positive
  1. “also think the service is consistently friendly and quick.”
  2. “Then to top things off, I had to shout "excuse me" to the sushi chef as he'd been ignoring us for at least 20 minutes to order our first dish and continued to ignore us through out or stay.”
4 Star Rating: Recommended

09/14/11

One of my favorite restaurants...

by alabamasugar

i like the trendy atmosphere, and the food is really good. i love the tempura...but it can be pricey.

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

11/23/10

Love this place!

by LeahBee

One of my favorite date spots in Venice!! I go as much as possible!

4 Star Rating: Recommended

03/02/10

Fantastic seafood

by theminty

I had a great dinner here over the weekend. My friend and I ordered the shishito peppers to start and also split the bouillabasse which was a good idea as the soup turned out to be rather large. There were tons of shrimp, fish, scallops and these crispy rice cakes that I loved. Unfortunately, I didn't think much of my curry lobster rock shrimp noodles. I think some hot sauce would have helped. My friend had the lamb chops and the granita of lemon zest was really nice.

Next time, I'd love to check out their sushi bar.

  • Pros: great bouilabasse
  • Cons: very loud and busy
1 Star Rating: Poor

03/23/09

Terrible service

by wilsondebl

When I asked some locals for a good high-end sushi spot in Venice, they pointed me to Wabi-Sabi. When we first walked in, it looked nice. It was all down hill from there. There were 5 of us and they crammed us in a table too small, and eventually took our drink orders. More than 15 minutes later, we finally got our round of drinks- and that was the last time we saw the drink girl. We were there for over an hour and a half and no one ever offered us another round. We ordered food and they messed up our order. Whne food finally arrived, it was just so so. For the price of this place, the service should have been impecable and the food extraordinary. It certainly was NOT. I have no problem payng for good service and good food. Didn't get either here. Would never go back. Go to casual Hama instead.

  • Pros: Food was adequate, good location in Venice
  • Cons: Abysmal service, waitstaff was incompetent
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

11/19/08

great sushi spot in Venice

by nicole291

I really enjoy eating at Wabi-Sabi. The sushi is always fresh, the atmosphere is always lively and the presentation is beautiful (even on to-go orders). When I order food to go, it is always garnished with little orchids or some other colorful flower, so I just take it out of the box and have a gorgeous meal to serve. I also think the service is consistently friendly and quick. I definitely recommend going here for dinner or calling in a to-go order. It's a little bit more pricey than other sushi spots in the area, but not by much and it's definitely worth it.

  • Pros: really fresh sushi, nice atmosphere

The Details on Wabi-Sabi Sushi & Asian

Place Categories:

  • authentic japanese food
  • great sushi
  • good service
  • love place
  • superb first dish
  • yummy fish
  • great crunchy shrimp roll
  • even relatively busy waitress
  • big varied menu
  • great highend sushi spot
  • delicious yellowtail
  • enjoyable experience
  • romantic dinner
  • aloof server
  • aloof owner
  • nice vibe
  • pretty good happy hour
  • all amazing black cod
  • attentive staff
  • love eggplant tofu dish
  • fantastic seafood
  • excellent bowl miso soup
  • favorite local spot
  • worst customer service
  • all amazing crab cakes
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