Urasawa Restaurant

06/03/08

Come on, you are no conniosseur-- $500 sushi is OVERRATED.

by dangarrison at Citysearch

I have tasted great food, ridiculously expensive food, and the world's rarest food. I am not sore that I wasted money at this place. I just believe that their sushi was simply around $100-150 level. Don't let the reputation fool you; you know that people wouldn't say anything but "bestest food ever!" because they just paid 500 bucks for it. The place is also a huge disappointment. Small, dirty, and crowded. It should fit about 3 people.

go to a much cheaper place to get the same quality food.

• Pros: well, at least you get the once in a lifetime experience i guess
• Cons: overrated; sub-par environment; gets boring

04/12/08

Something Different

by mssammichan at Citysearch

First of all, I would liketo try to explain the service style of omakase. "Omakase" style basically means "In the hands of the chef." Traditionally, the chef will go out to the market every day and select the best seasonal ingredients available and create dishes that brings out the best in those ingredients. So like the previous reviewer said, this type of restaurant does not necessarily follow customer's request. So there's no menu... Basicaly you take what they serve you, and at Urasawa, you'll never go wrong with whatever dish he provides. Hiroyuki gives fantastic, delicate dishes that is also pleasing to the eyes. The blowfish samshimi are beautifully garnished with gold paper and tiny buds of purple flowers(which are both edible). He serves up perfect traditonal kaiseki dishes such as egg custard topped with uni and ikura, and simple yet excellent black sesame tofu. He also provides dishes with a twist like shrimp and foi gras shabu shabu in a seaweed broth. And if it's available he'll make an excellent seared kobe beef sushi that is to die for. Honestly, it's like heaven in your mouth. After all that you have to wash the food down with one of the best selected cold sake. So if you are someone who is used to set menu and likes to make certain requests on dishes, you will problably be more inclined to dine somewhere else. But if you are someone with adventurous taste buds, then prepare to maxx out your credit card since (It's $275 per person plus extra for drinks and tip)

• Pros: great traditional japanese food
• Cons: BIG bill

02/29/08

Rude? I don't think so

by asianfoodaddict at Citysearch

This is a comment to the person that left the message claiming to be mistreated.

You do not understand what this restaurant represents. This is an Omakase restaurant that on some nights serves as few as 6 people. Omakase means that the chef decides what is to be served based on the availability and quality of ingredients. Thus, your special requests might have been unavailable or not available at the highest level of quality. This might not be known until a day or two before your reservation. At that point, a restaurant like Urasawa would make the choice not to serve you average or below average quality food just because it was your preference.

When I go to restaurants like Urasawa and Masa or true Kai Seki restaurants, I do not expect that they will serve me anything other than the best food available. They will respect my food allergies, but they won't serve me a cheeseburger because I happen to be in the mood for one.

• Pros: One of the finest meals in the world
• Cons: none

09/07/07

Not an actual review...

by theeducatedreview at Citysearch

This isn't an actual review... you really just have to try it for yourself. I WOULD however, like to correct that $74 a person price point in the "insider tips". That is absolutely ludicrous-- dinner at Urasawa will cost each person at LEAST $200-250, BEFORE drinks and gratuity-- and actually plan on spending about a hundred more if you want to go for the gusto. My last check for two came out to around $1200 after tip and drinks and all of that, so GOOD LUCK.

07/30/07

when rude goes in the food

by opinionater at Citysearch

i made dinner reservations at urasawa a month ago as i was traveling to beverly hills. i mentioned my food preferences, given that other reviews state that the chef accommodates individual requests. my reservation was on a monday. i received a call on saturday night around 10:30 pm to tell me that the chef wished to cancel my reservations as he was too busy to attend to my requests. that gave me 2 days to make alternate reservations. furthermore, the person who spoke to me was extremely rude. i was disappointed given the absence of conversation. there are many noteworthy establishments to eat at. rudeness does not imply class or exclusivity. so i would say that urasawa is an ego-driven place with rules that you have to abide by. why would anyone want to eat food made by such an insecure chef who does not understand that diners have preferences? if you have a reservation, don't bank on it being honored.

11/17/06

Beverly Hills PHENOMENON!!

by walkingzagats at Citysearch

This was probably the best restaurant in LA, let alone the entire country. Hands down. Whether it be biz or pleasure, this wonderful dining experience is sure to WOW your client or significant other away......From the very personal wait staff, every plate you finish or crumb you drop, it is cleaned right away or replaced with another dish from the 29 course meal coming to you, one after the other. Hiroyuki calls his guests by first name and explains each dish when he serves it to you. He even explains how to eat it in the traditional Japanese way. He intends for you to experience the best flavor from each freshly prepared extravagent course. I highly recommend Urasawa to anyone who is looking for a Magical Dining Experience with Premiere World Class Service and Taste! Worth Every Penny.....

• Cons: None

06/08/06

The Best Sushi in LA by far.

by russkar at Citysearch

Not one of the 700+ other Sushi Restaurants in LA come close to this Masterpiece.

The 250-pp price tag is a deal considering the awesome fish and Real Kobe Beef.

If you want the best and don't want to fly to Tokyo this is the answer.

03/13/06

Once-in-a-lifetime sushi experience with exotic fish, pure gold adornments and a price tag to match.

by Tara Lis at Citysearch

The Scene
A serene ambience is cast by a maple wood and a minimalist essence, offset by a single orchid plant behind the bar. The tiny space can be eerily silent during off-peak hours; expect to see celebrity drop-ins from both sides of the Pacific on weekends.

The Food
Chef Hiroyuki Urasawa, former Ginza Sushiko apprentice, serves double-digit courses of exceptionally fresh seasonal fish. Enchantment begins early with a silky rich sesame-seed tofu topped with luscious beluga caviar and 24-karat gold flakes. One of the few Stateside chefs licensed to serve authentic blowfish, the texturally awe-inspiring wonder may be imparted first as sashimi and later delicately battered. A melt-in-your-mouth sashimi platter is served on a beautifully carved ice block, and followed by a succession of colorful nigiri. Real Kobe beef is grilled tataki-style and presented with creamy wasabi and homemade miso-based sea salt accompaniments. A pleasant green tea presentation completes the meal.

01/10/06

Try at least once!

by orczy at Citysearch

This is the second time I went. First time was a charm, and I feel that standard has dropped since 6 months ago. But, it's still quite an experience and better than most restaurants. This time there was crab ceviche with lime dressing, egg custard with uni inside and ikura on top, live lobster, hot stone steak. Had shabu shabu too, but not in oba leafs like last time, and no kobe beef from jap. due to stricter checks at the airport, but the foie gras slices more than made up for it. I still preferred the first time where I had sea cucumber carpacio and the black sesame tofu-simply divine. The home-made jap sweets are good too. But frankly, this is not the place for the freshest and highest grade sashimi, it's more for trying out the cooked dishes that set it apart from competitors.

• Pros: innovative food
• Cons: sashimi quality

07/17/05

The Finest of Japan on Little Rodeo! Eat now.

by misskoslow at Citysearch

My boyfriend and I are always on the quest for the finest sushi and japanese food -we've even eaten our way through japan. URWASA passes for the finest sushi/japanese experience we've had in the states only second behind a kaseki restaurant we ate at in Tokyo. The restaurant has very few seats that you feel honored to be there (the seat does come at a hefty price!) Did you know that only two chefs in the United States are licensed to serve Fugu (blowfish)? Urasawa is one of them. Imagine egg custard imbedded with uni topped with fish roe (ikura) and real gold leaf. Imagine Shabu Shabu with live shrimp that becomes shashimi before your very eyes. The restaurant's menu changes often so there's no certainty that what I ate is what you will. What I do know is that whatever Urasawa will make will be wonderful. Bring your tastebuds!

• Pros: finest sushi rice, highest quality fish, Meeting Urasawa
• Cons: Basic Ambiance