(310) 545-0400

451 Manhattan Beach Blvd, Suite D126 (Morningside Drive)
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 33.8857 -118.4083

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sashimb.com

Hours:

Mon-Thu 11:30-3pm, 5pm-11pm

Fri-Sat 5pm-12am

Sun 5pm-10pm

Last updated 1.24.11

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

American Express, Visa, Discover, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Late Night Dining, Romantic Dining, Special Occasion Dining, Celeb Hangout, Fine Dining, Outdoor Dining, People Watching, Business Dining, Lunch Spot, Date Spot, Group Dining, Dine At The Bar, Bar Scene

General Info:

Open 7 Days

Cuisine:

Japanese, Sushi

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About Sashi

Featured Review

Martha Burr

Contributor

Just blocks from Manhattan Beach's waves, the sleek and modern Metlox mall is a cool, breezy locale for South Bay sushi lovers craving fresh tastes of the sea. The crowd is upscale yet casual, a mix of foodies, sake connoisseurs, salty beachgoers and surfish hipsters. Pale, sheer drapery and muted lighting soften the dining room, but the expansive salt-aired patio is where the action really is. Chef Makoto Okuwa studied with Japanese master Morimoto and appeared with him on "Iron Chef," so it's not surprising that his menu echoes the Nobu-esque haute stylings of contemporary Japanese L.A.…

Editor's Tips

What to Drink:
The 50-plus sake list is exceptional, and the restaurant also has two sake sommeliers certified in Japan to offer pairing choices or design narrated tasting flights. Fruit-based sake-infused signature cocktails are also offered.
When to Go:
The sake lounge is especially popular on weekend nights, and a great place to experiment with new sakes and glean advice from the resident sake specialists. It's also nice to sample the appetizers there instead of a full sit-down meal.
The Extras:
The restaurant also has a robata grill.
ambiance
90.0% positive
  1. “The ambience was nice, but everything seemed very overpriced, the food was par, and the service was below par.”
  2. “The music and the ambiance were great.”
  3. “I've been to Sashi 5 times now, and every time I go there, the service has been great, the atmosphere is chic, the food is delicious and fresh as well as beautifully presented.”
  4. “The food was great (although a bit pricey) and the atmosphere was fun.”
  5. “Sashi was a great food experience with a friendly, attentive staff, and a welcoming atmosphere.”
  6. “Great scene, great food, good service, amazing ambience.”
  7. “Best sushi, drinks, and ambiance in the aera!”
  8. “My first impression upon entering Sashi was its rich ambiance and friendly, attractive staff.”
  9. “We went to dinner there on the second night they were open, we were very happy with the sushi and the service, the drink menu was extensive and really like the atmosphere.”
  10. “If you are going to enjoy the ambience for an upscale Hollywood-ish bar, stop by.”
  11. “recommend Sashi if you like fresh fish and a fun time.”
  12. “Great food, Great service, fun place to be”
  13. “But to be frank, although it's a more sophisticated atmosphere, the service was a bit slow (as you could expect because it's not been open long).”
  14. “The atmosphere was GREAT -- my son lounged on the couches up front & read his book while we ordered -- then wanted to stay there to eat!”
  15. “We ate out on the patio which was very comfortable, even on a chilly nite.”
dessert
100.0% positive
  1. “Sushi was great, but don't skip the robata grill or the desserts.”
  2. “So that I can give you great service quickly, may I take your dessert or after drink order now?”
  3. “Our desserts were inventive, with light, interesting flavors such as the soy cheesecake and the green tea ice-cream.”
drinks
92.8600025177002% positive
  1. “Yeah, good bar scene, but that was about it.”
  2. “He gave us a free drink due to another bad service issue I'm not going to mention in this review.”
  3. “Our desserts were inventive, with light, interesting flavors such as the soy cheesecake and the green tea ice-cream.”
  4. “The two drinks that we ordered (VeeV Cooler and La Poire Fleur) were SO GOOD!”
  5. “People watching was good, especially since the only table available was in the bar area.”
  6. “may come back for a standard drink (not for their toilet cleaner specialties) & the beautiful scene, but, why would I when I can get that at Petros or Shade or Towne?”
  7. “would only recommend this place for drinks and not the food.”
  8. “If you are going to enjoy the ambience for an upscale Hollywood-ish bar, stop by.”
  9. “Best sushi, drinks, and ambiance in the aera!”
  10. “Their Sake Lounge is a great place for drinks and appetizers.”
  11. “great looking staff, great vibe, great service, AWESOME food and drinks.”
  12. “especially liked the hot pink glow in the bar that reflected beautifully off of the elegant array of Sake bottles -- very impressive!”
  13. “So that I can give you great service quickly, may I take your dessert or after drink order now?”
  14. “We went to dinner there on the second night they were open, we were very happy with the sushi and the service, the drink menu was extensive and really like the atmosphere.”
food quality
91.04999542236328% positive
  1. “This is one of the best places for sushi that I've had in L.A., much less the South Bay.”
  2. “Best sushi, drinks, and ambiance in the aera!”
  3. “would reccomend the spicy tuna on crispy rice, and the sangria was fab!”
  4. “would only recommend this place for drinks and not the food.”
  5. “The sushi was soso and the eel was terrible!”
  6. “If you want a basic tekka maki roll, then the other MB sushi places are fine but if you're looking for an amazing sushi experience, Sashi is the place to go.”
  7. “recommend Sashi if you like fresh fish and a fun time.”
  8. “Great scene, great food, good service, amazing ambience.”
  9. “I've been to most reputable sushi bars in LA, this is the best package.”
  10. “Best sushi hands down in the South Bay”
  11. “The chef comes from the Iron Chef circle, so the fish is really fresh and the robata grill and hot entrees are also excellent.”
  12. “There was four of us and everyone thought the food was amazing.”
  13. “Great food, Great service”
  14. “Also, the miso soup was bland with HUGE chunks of silky but tasteless tofu.”
  15. “they say new york has the best sushi and i am one not easily impressed.”
  16. “We didn't have to go to Hollywood and BH to get some amazing sushi - it was just less than mile from our home in Manhattan Beach.”
  17. “It's a little pricey , but the quality of the food is excellent, and they did just open, so I think that once they work out a few kinks it will be fine!”
  18. “The sea bass was delicious, but the service is so poor here it completely overshadows.”
  19. “Granted the restaurant just opened, but their operation was so disorganized and the food was not very good.”
  20. “Great food, Great service, fun place to be”
  21. “The food was amazing, service was perfect and we really enjoyed our night.”
  22. “I've been to Sashi 5 times now, and every time I go there, the service has been great, the atmosphere is chic, the food is delicious and fresh as well as beautifully presented.”
  23. “She (the expert), chose the perfect Sake for us, light and crisp and compatible with our food.”
  24. “the service was attentive, and one of the highlights of the meal: you have to try the metlox roll.”
  25. “Uni is so fresh that it melts in your mouth and although I was disappointed that they didn't have amaebi the other day, I am satisfied in knowing that they only serve fresh sushi.”
  26. “have to say that the sushi, itself, was GREAT!”
  27. “The food was excellent, with delicate flavors and lovely presentations.”
  28. “We LOVE sushi and wanted to try it.”
  29. “We sat in the Lounge area and this (stunning) server with an accent gave us great recommendations such as the robatas, metlox roll and rice crispy tuna.”
  30. “The fish was perfectly cooked, and the flavors were amazing.”
  31. “Beautiful restaurant, but sashi does not have the staff, sushi chef, technique and appearance to go with it.”
  32. “LOVE miso soup for the taste of the miso.”
  33. “The food was TO DIE FOR, every dish we ordered was absolutely delicious.”
  34. “Sure, Octopus gives you the big "California Beach" welcome when you walk in, but the quality of the sushi is incomparable.”
  35. “Service was sooooo slow (and after having to wait an hour w/ reservation was a joke), none of us were even hungy, but we still ordered some food to see what people were woo-hoo-ing about.”
  36. “The sushi and robata was excellent.”
  37. “Great food, great scene.”
  38. “We stayed after our meal and hung out in their lounge which was a great place to people watch.”
  39. “We have traveled the world and are so excited to have such fine cuisine and a superb overall experience right here in our own backyard.”
  40. “The food was great (although a bit pricey) and the atmosphere was fun.”
  41. “Recommended food items include: the spicy tuna on crispy rice, the chicken meatball and cod skewers from the robata grill, and the tuna, tuna, salmon roll.”
  42. “also had the steak which was so tender with just the right flavor; a good contrast to all of the fish dishes that I tried.”
  43. “The space, staff, and food is absolutely beautiful.”
  44. “Don't bother if you want good authentic sushi.”
  45. “First of all, I like BOLD flavors, so when I saw curry sauce I was excited.”
  46. “We went to dinner there on the second night they were open, we were very happy with the sushi and the service, the drink menu was extensive and really like the atmosphere.”
  47. “Didn't feel the human touch or the warm welcome like the other Japanese owned sushi bars in Manhattan Beach like Octopus.”
  48. “Otherwise, if you are looking for a quiet dinner, good quality, minus attitude and good service, there are many more sushi bars in Manhattan Beach.”
  49. “Sashi was a great food experience with a friendly, attentive staff, and a welcoming atmosphere.”
  50. “Atmosphere was pleasant,,the food was ok.”
  51. “The ambience was nice, but everything seemed very overpriced, the food was par, and the service was below par.”
  52. “great looking staff, great vibe, great service, AWESOME food and drinks.”
  53. “We went to Sashi the first week it opened and we thought the food was great but the service was at best bad.”
  54. “even learned how to eat sushi properly from the chef, who served fresh sushi, freshly grated wasabi, and delightful conversation.”
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. “The dinner menu is great.”
  2. “We ordered almost everything on the menu, nothing stood out as good, just plain average.”
  3. “everything was really fantastic and love the selection of sakes.”
  4. “We went to dinner there on the second night they were open, we were very happy with the sushi and the service, the drink menu was extensive and really like the atmosphere.”
  5. “can't wait to go back to try other menu items since everything looked really good.”
overall
100.0% positive
  1. “We stayed after our meal and hung out in their lounge which was a great place to people watch.”
  2. “By far---best restaurant in Manhattan Beach---goes beyond Sushi”
  3. “great place”
  4. “Their Sake Lounge is a great place for drinks and appetizers.”
return potential
100.0% positive
  1. “We love Sashi and will be back.”
  2. “can't wait to go back to try other menu items since everything looked really good.”
  3. “All in all, we had a great experience and will come back.”
  4. “may come back for a standard drink (not for their toilet cleaner specialties) & the beautiful scene, but, why would I when I can get that at Petros or Shade or Towne?”
  5. “What incentive do we have to come back when there are so many other great places nearby?)”
service
82.81000137329102% positive
  1. “Otherwise, if you are looking for a quiet dinner, good quality, minus attitude and good service, there are many more sushi bars in Manhattan Beach.”
  2. “The restaurant was packed which made for great people watching but didn't help the speed of service.”
  3. “The space, staff, and food is absolutely beautiful.”
  4. “Great food, Great service, fun place to be”
  5. “Bottom line Sashi was excellent Not sure who Leonard is but if he was anything like our waiter or the hostess he rocks.”
  6. “Great food, Great service”
  7. “I've been to Sashi 5 times now, and every time I go there, the service has been great, the atmosphere is chic, the food is delicious and fresh as well as beautifully presented.”
  8. “the service was attentive, and one of the highlights of the meal: you have to try the metlox roll.”
  9. “Sashi was a great food experience with a friendly, attentive staff, and a welcoming atmosphere.”
  10. “Great service and great environment.”
  11. “We stayed after our meal and hung out in their lounge which was a great place to people watch.”
  12. “My first impression upon entering Sashi was its rich ambiance and friendly, attractive staff.”
  13. “The ambience was nice, but everything seemed very overpriced, the food was par, and the service was below par.”
  14. “Service was sooooo slow (and after having to wait an hour w/ reservation was a joke), none of us were even hungy, but we still ordered some food to see what people were woo-hoo-ing about.”
  15. “The food was amazing, service was perfect and we really enjoyed our night.”
  16. “But to be frank, although it's a more sophisticated atmosphere, the service was a bit slow (as you could expect because it's not been open long).”
  17. “Despite the slowness, the staff was really friendly and helpful.”
  18. “He gave us a free drink due to another bad service issue I'm not going to mention in this review.”
  19. “It was good service, but it didn't feel over bearing.”
  20. “We sat in the Lounge area and this (stunning) server with an accent gave us great recommendations such as the robatas, metlox roll and rice crispy tuna.”
  21. “We took the rare opportunity of actually having a server at our table to order dinner.”
  22. “We celebrated our anniversary there last weekend and were worried about a new place being overwhelmed on the holiday weekend but the service was fantastic, attentive enough and always timely without ever interrupting or seeming overbearing.”
  23. “We went to dinner there on the second night they were open, we were very happy with the sushi and the service, the drink menu was extensive and really like the atmosphere.”
  24. “We went to Sashi the first week it opened and we thought the food was great but the service was at best bad.”
  25. “The sea bass was delicious, but the service is so poor here it completely overshadows.”
  26. “So that I can give you great service quickly, may I take your dessert or after drink order now?”
  27. “Great scene, great food, good service, amazing ambience.”
  28. “great looking staff, great vibe, great service, AWESOME food and drinks.”
  29. “Service was a little slow although the server was friendly.”
  30. “Beautiful restaurant, but sashi does not have the staff, sushi chef, technique and appearance to go with it.”
  31. “If anything the staff was nice and apologetic.”
  32. “My group's experience was so bad that I can't imagine other people found this place good.”
value
86.11000061035156% positive
  1. “am a huge blogger and i wanted to tell everyone about my dinner tonight at Sashi.”
  2. “Not good value.”
  3. “Sashi is extremely busy and packed at night, especially on weekends, so it must be really difficult to accommodate the huge crowd.”
  4. “The ambience was nice, but everything seemed very overpriced, the food was par, and the service was below par.”
  5. “The food was great (although a bit pricey) and the atmosphere was fun.”
  6. “It's a little pricey , but the quality of the food is excellent, and they did just open, so I think that once they work out a few kinks it will be fine!”
wait time
12.5% positive
  1. “Service was sooooo slow (and after having to wait an hour w/ reservation was a joke), none of us were even hungy, but we still ordered some food to see what people were woo-hoo-ing about.”
  2. “Service was a little slow although the server was friendly.”
  3. “Food was ok,,Service was slow”
  4. “But to be frank, although it's a more sophisticated atmosphere, the service was a bit slow (as you could expect because it's not been open long).”
4 Star Rating: Recommended

09/22/11

Pretty good food/great atompshere

by ABlues4Nina at Citysearch

I had a good time with the group of friends I went with, I think that was the highlight of my night. The shrimp tempura rolls were pretty good, I've had better but they were definitely not average I will say that. The service was okay, it was not stellar as I hoped for but overall the atmosphere and the outside patio were what sold me and why I gave the restaurant the overall star rating of 4 because if it was just based on food, I would of probably gave it a 3.

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

11/04/09

Exquisite Japanese Dining experience

by Julie Kwon at Citysearch

I've been to Sashi 5 times now, and every time I go there, the service has been great, the atmosphere is chic, the food is delicious and fresh as well as beautifully presented. And Chef Makoto personally comes out to see if the patrons are happy and satisfied.

I've read some of the negative reviews and it seems like

Sashi is extremely busy and packed at night, especially on weekends, so it must be really difficult to accommodate the huge crowd. I walked by Sashi on one Friday night, and saw an enviable assemblage of young, gorgeous people packed in the bar area and the patio.

I usually go there on the weekdays for lunch, so I feel like I get personal attention and there's no worry about having to wait a long time to be seated or be served.

I even learned how to eat sushi properly from the chef, who served fresh sushi, freshly grated wasabi, and delightful conversation. Uni is so fresh that it melts in your mouth and although I was disappointed that they didn't have amaebi the other day, I am satisfied in knowing that they only serve fresh sushi.

Also, the desserts are whimsical, delectable and makes your taste buds do some thinking because it's not just ordinary ice cream or something you might be familiar with. They are presented in such an enchanting way that you'd want to take pictures of them before daintily spooning them and tasting their exquisite flavors.

  • Pros: Immaculate presentation, delicious food
  • Cons: sometimes certain sushi or dish may not be available
1 Star Rating: Poor

08/10/09

South Bay's Version of Pretentious

by AEvans at Citysearch

I rarely write a review about a restaurant. It either needs to be an amazing experience or completely horrible. This was completely horrible.

My boyfriend and I had a reservation at Sashi in Manhattan Beach for 8:45PM. It was pointless to make a reservation. The hostesses could not handle the volume of people coming into the restaurant and bar. The flow of business was too overwhelming for them that evening.

We were seated shortly after the 9:15PM party arrived and escorted to a table on the patio that was not cleared. When it was cleaned and set, I asked the heater be turned on. The hostess told me she would "take care of it right now." In the same breath, she turned and walked back to the front of the restaurant.

It took 15 minutes to get attention from the wait staff and glasses of water. We took the rare opportunity of actually having a server at our table to order dinner. We asked to start with Edamame 2 Ways, Spicy Rock Shrimp Tempura Rolls, Shiro Maguro Sushi and Syake Sushi. Our main course would be shared, Spicy Miso Chilean Sea Bass.

I again asked the heater be turned on. I was told “it would be taken care of right away.“ No one came. The edamame and shrimp tempura rolls never came as well. After another 30 minutes our Chilean Sea Bass was brought out and served to the table beside us. We immediately corrected the order, and it was delicious. The fish was perfectly cooked, and the flavors were amazing.

For the third time, I asked the heater be turned on. I would not let the busboy walk away this time, and it was finally taken care of. With some heat and delicious sea bass, we were hoping the evening would pick up.

Another 20 minutes went by, and we were served an entrée for the table beside us. Again, the patrons corrected the order. Shortly after our salmon and albacore sushi were brought out. By this point my boyfriend was furious. With the restaurant prices and hype, an explanation for the complete lack of service was at least due. Instead, we look down 3 tables and our waiter is flirting with a table of women and pouring them champagne.

I called our waiter to the table and asked for our check. I told him I was not sure if they were in the process of making our rolls, but 2 hours for Rock Shrimp Tempura Rolls is ridiculous. He apologized and went to get our bill.

When presenting us with the bill he said “want you to know we comped the rolls and edamame this evening.” I explained that is fantastic, but the rolls and edamame were never even brought to the table. I wasn’t paying for them either way.

I am a foodie! I love to cook, eat and experience new restaurants and flavors. Stick to my area on a regular basis- Santa Monica, Venice, Culver City. Venture out to West Hollywood and Hollywood. Will never come down to the South Bay again!

The sea bass was delicious, but the service is so poor here it completely overshadows. The hostesses and wait staff were an unorganized mess. The left hand doesn’t know what the right is doing. The manager needs to learn how to efficiently run this place on a busy night. They haven’t worked that out yet.

  • Pros: Delicious Sea Bass
  • Cons: Horrible Service
4 Star Rating: Recommended

07/11/09

Great food, Great service

by wyru at Citysearch

Everytime I come to Venice to visit my Brother I just insist on coming here at least one nite.

Great food, Great service, fun place to be

Thanks for being

4 Star Rating: Recommended

07/11/09

Great food, Great service

by exqsoon at Citysearch

Everytime I come to Venice to visit my Brother I just insist on coming here at least one nite.

Great food, Great service, fun place to be

Thanks for being there

The Details on Sashi

Place Categories:

  • great service
  • great food
  • best authentic sushi
  • great place
  • recommend bottom line sashi
  • helpful attentive staff
  • fun welcoming atmosphere
  • amazing sushi experience
  • like bold flavors
  • great sake
  • pricey quality
  • nice ambience
  • really good everything
  • like fresh fish
  • great scene
  • crispy rice
  • satisfied patrons
  • beautiful manhattan beach crowd
  • beautiful restaurant
  • warm bar
  • great people
  • great chilled sake recommendations
  • order server
  • good drinks
  • great ambiance