02/05/09

Please disregard the review written below mine.

by LAreviewsforDATass

I've actually never been to the Hamasaku in West Hollywood. I am just writing this review to comment on the review written directly below mine. Anyone who says that a place has "The Best Sushi" and then goes on to talk about "Spicy Tuna Rolls" clearly knows absolutely NOTHING about sushi. Go to any of the restaurants with legitimate sushi chefs (ie Sasabune...Nozawa...etc) and see what happens when you ask for a "spicy tuna roll." What a joke...Please stop writing reviews.

11/07/08

By farrr the best sushi in LA!!!

by foodlover4ever

Forget about Koi, forget about Matsuhisa and Nobu.. You have to come and try Toshi's restaurant!!!! I absolutely love every single roll they have on the menu. The lobster roll is out of this world. All of the spicy tuna rolls are amazing and the Charlize Tacooo w. avocado, even better. This is the place to be if you are craving for sushi. The owner Toshi is almost always there greeting his customers, making sure everything is allrighttt.. You HAVE to try this place!

• Pros: Delicious fresh fish, great service
• Cons: A bit expensive but worth it

11/05/08

try it once and keep coming back!!!

by cletessier

After years of looking for the perfect combination: great sushi+great service+cool location: WE FOUND IT!

Hamasaku and it's owner, Toshi, are the perfect blend of all the above. The food is extremely inventive and tasty, beautiful cocktails and sake selection, not to mention the impressive quality of the sushi bar. I travel all over the world for my business: Europe, South America and Asia: Hamasaku is in my top 5 list of best sushi. And I am very demanding.

Prices are ok and again, once you'll try Hamasaku you will never want to go anywhere else. It happend to me: it is the only Japanese restaurant I am going to at least 3 times a week, when I am in town.

Claude

• Pros: food, service, ambience
• Cons: still looking

The former Kumo has morphed into a luminous Melrose outpost of Toshi Kihara's original Westside spot with a menu closer to the flagship.

by Martha Burr

In Short
Mike Ovitz's Kumo was seemingly cursed, first with a wildly overpriced menu that drew boos even from agents, then with a car crashing into the front, prompting its rebirth as a second Hamasaku. Ovitz and Toshi Kihara--a former Japanese teen star who trained at Ma Maison with Wolfgang Puck--try to recreate the magic of their West L.A. Hamasaku that's a hit with stars and chefs. White on white still dominates the sleek space with ivory leather banquettes, iridescent tile, sheer bubble glass chandeliers and a mod, contoured ceiling. Hollywood's power elite merge with a sexy crowd at the amber-glowing bar, but chef Hiro Fujita's new menu echoes the streamlined original with his tuna trio, Saikyo cod, grilled tenderloin, sashimi and omakase.

06/16/08

Best LA Experience!!!

by ClassyGlassJoe

WOW. This place did it right. As soon as I walked in I was blown away by the hospitality and the decor. The host, a stunning Japanese lady, greeted us as did the genuinely gracious bartender (no doorman here, thank God). The host escorted us to our table in the back of the restaurant near a beautifully lit waterfall. I was mesmerized. I actually didn't even know who owned this place until my date mentioned that Michael Ovitz was dining a couple tables down from us with my all-time favorite actor, Dusty Hoffman! Man, what a treat! The restaurant did seem a little understaffed for Saturday night, but strangely it didn't really affect our service. Our server was an adorable Japanese girl who was sincere and efficient. It felt as if we were fine dining in Japan! The food was fantastic! I've never had rolls like that before! The sushi was the best I ever had ? no question! The cocktails - out of this world! My date ordered the Tana-tini (which she loved ? a little sweet for me) and I ordered the Shibuya, but I didn?t get to try it. Unfortunately, they ran out of passionfruit juice so I had to order something else. That's when James, the executive bar chef - as he anointed himself, came up to our table and apologized. He asked me what I was eating and asked me questions about my palate. I had no idea what to expect. Then he personally went behind the bar and made me a cocktail out of this world!!! The kid's a genius! It was perfect! It was fragrant and explosive on the nose. Clean and crisp. My taste buds were blasted with subtle flavors! It complemented every bit of sushi I had! That made my night. This place is definitely worth coming back to. You can tell the people that work here really care about what they are doing. It's no wonder why Dusty dines here; it's the best place in town. No Hollywood garbage just great service, great people, great food and even better drinks! Thanks James and thank you Kumo!

• Pros: Out-of-this-World Cocktails, Sushi, Ambience, Service that REALLY cares
• Cons: Dessert selection

06/02/08

Try it and experience the difference

by Foodie626

My girlfriend and I have been to EVERY high-end spot in town and have had the best meals at Kumo, hands down. Like most restaurants, there were intial service problems that we experienced but the food is what kept bringing us back. The service is now on par with what we consider to be the best in town and friends who have had less than perfect experiences tend to have ordered wrong. Here's what we had and would challenge anyone to have the below and say differently.

? albacore sashimi salad w/ greens

? miso infused black cod with miso sauce (***my personal favorite)

? yellowtail sashimi with jalapeno and ponzu jelly

? Japanese Pancake with Tuna

? Boneless Colorado Lamb Chop with Kumo Mashed Potatoes (mashed potatoes optional)

? seared toro sahimi w/ light sauce

? japanese wagyu beef

? Kumo Pillows (Bluefin Toro w/Scallions, Yellowtail w/Ponzu & Tricolor Jalapenos, Baked Crab )

Wow. I just got hungry for some black cod...

• Pros: Mixed drinks are fantastic coupled with the freshest fish in town
• Cons: Slightly pricey but who wants to skimp on fish? Better to pay a bit more, love the food and not each cheap fish...

04/03/08

beautiful delicious food and amazing cocktails

by ssnsharon

i don't know why everyone thinks this place is expensive. it's completely worth it for the quality of the cuisine. i had the omakase menu and the chefs sent out the most gorgeous pieces of sushi and sashimi. the kobe is real kobe, not american wagyu, so you're getting the real deal here and it's so tender and flavorful it just melts in your mouth. they have a guy there that can even suggest sakes to pair with your meal. they completely took care of us and everyone was really friendly from the moment we stepped in the door. i'm definitely going back and recommending this restaurant to my friends. and, i'm recommending the kumokaze cocktail to everyone. they actually use a vodka marinated with japanese peppers. it's a spicy cocktail!!! soo good my mouth is watering for more right now.

• Pros: quality in every detail of the restaurant

04/02/08

The best fresh fish and great cooked meals for everyone else

by closingbell

Once you eat here, you will not want to eat sushi elsewhere. It is fantastic. The dishes are creative. The food flavorful. The ingredients fresh.

And if your friends do not like sushi, there is a full menu of great cooked food.

03/21/08

Adequate Sushi with Lousy Service

by josusa

The food is just ok at the restaurant. Nothing is really that spectacular and the portions are absurdly small. The only thing that really bothered me was the waiter trying to hustle us to order the kobe. He mentioned it no less than three times and then suggested two of the most expensive sakes on the menu. The jewish pizza looks sensational but unfortunately missed. It is a beautiful restaurant though with the exception of the restroom which was quite dirty. All in all a pretty average meal for a pretty large price I would skip and go to Nishimura or the new Nobu.

02/24/08

sushi

by crysucker

over priced for the food. saturday night empty. we waited at the table for over 20 minutes to get a drink order. not a do over at all.SUCKED!!!

• Pros: nothing
• Cons: everything