Echigo
(310) 820-9787
12217 Santa Monica Blvd
Los Angeles,
CA
90025
34.04
-118.4647
Neighborhoods: West LA, West Los Angeles
What People Are Saying About Echigo
The Editor
Contributor
Citysearch
The Scene
Located on the second floor of a shabby Westside mini-mall, Echigo's solicitous servers smile but barely speak to the intrepid few who have found this latest star on the sushi horizon. As the simplicity of white walls, black tables and one artful fish painting make clear, the focus is on sushi not ambience.
The Food
Chef Toshi apprenticed with Sushi Sasabune's Chef Nobi, and the student may have bested his master. Sit at the counter for chef's choice or order his mini-masterpieces a la carte at the tables. Each piece is served on warm, well-seasoned rice that enhances the delicate flavors of the fish. Highlights include albacore belly, a cut that whispers the flavors of the sea. A sliver of translucent kelp poached in sweet sake gives contrast to the buttery salmon. The strong flavor of ono dances with a lime, sake and garlic sauce. For the adventurous, monkfish liver tastes like oceanic foie gras.
User Reviews
PedsDoc
May 12, 2009
This restaurant regrettably provided one of the worst dining experiences we've had in LA in a long time. My wife and I go out for sushi regularly, and had heard lots of hype about how good this place was. After going, I truly can't understand what others see in this place. It's billed as being more genuine sushi, and sticking to only the traditional applications. However, they take this concept to an almost pretentious level, and fall short in several areas. 1) The ambiance is bland at best, and considering the prices of the sushi, almost offensive. 2) The prices were on the face fairly average, however, the sizes of the sushi were so minuscule that it really escalates the relative pricing of this restaurant into the realm of far more elegant options. My wife ordered salmon sashimi for $14, and got 6 slices of paper thin salmon that weighed literally an ounce and a half. 3) The fish quality is only mediocre. The tuna sashimi was dry and not uniformly cut, I'm sure in an attempt to make use of the scraps. 4) The sushi chef is full of himself. I might be able to get over the fact that they refuse to sell basics like miso soup, and spicy tuna rolls, (though I've been to Tokyo, and these items are commonplace there). However, his rolls are not the traditional hand rolls, and he refused to cut them into more reasonable pieces. They appeared haphazardly assembled with no concern whatsoever for visual presentation. 5) The service was dismal. At least they kept refilling our tea, because it took us about 40 minutes to get our food, and even then, it came out to us so fragmented that the rest of my party was practically done with their food before I had even gotten a single one of my orders. Needless to say, it will be the last time I patronage this restaurant, and I encourage you to save your time and senses and avoid it altogether.
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Vayabobo
February 12, 2009
Echigo is for sushi heads who enjoy delicate servings of truly fresh and melt-in-your-mouth fish. 100 words.
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iknowgrub
November 09, 2008
It's ironic how the guy that worked at Nozawa left to open Sasabune and the guy who opened Echigo left Sasabune to open a business on his own. And guess what.....Nozawa is still best , then Sasabune and then Echigo. Master is always best
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