Hirozen

10/28/08

Fresh, inexpensive sushi

by maxload at Citysearch

One of my favorite sushi places. The food is always fresh and the staff in incredibly nice. Prices are extremely reasonable. The place is pretty small, so reservations are recommended.

• Pros: Always fresh and the service is great.
• Cons: Very small, so it's hard to get a table without reservations sometimes. Also their dishes are very seasonal, so don't alway expect to get your favorite dish every time you go.

09/22/08

Poor man's Matsuhisa

by LaBock at Citysearch

Hirozen is my friendly neighborhood sushi place. The bonus is, aside from being close to my house, the place is just a foodie's dream. The fish is fresh, the recipes are unique, and the service is always pleasant. Usually I get seated right away at the sushi bar if I go on my own, and even on a busy Friday night with friends I've never had to wait more than 20 minutes to get a table. The sushi chefs are very friendly and always willing to explain a little more about the food. I got a fresh wasabi tutorial the other day! I eat at this restaurant mostly for the nigiri which is delicately prepared by the sushi chefs, but the other food is unique and tasty, too. It helps to get a seat at the sushi bar so you can watch. I love the spanish mackerel (aji), but my favorite by far is the fresh scallop with just a tiny bit of salt and lemon. It's like butter!! If you go in the afternoon for lunch it's helpful to get the chef's choice which is 3 pieces of selected nigiri that you may not have tried otherwise. It's $8. For lunch I usually get out of there spending about $35 including dessert. Needless to say, I can't go all the time, but it's a great treat and worth the little extra in my opinion because of the quality. And I always love to finish off a meal with a cool dollop of their freshly made coconut tapioca. I've done the omakase several times (will run you about $55 with soup, appetizers, nigiri and dessert) and it leaves me very full. My brother and I went (he eats a lot more than me) and he seemed more than satisfied, especially with the quality of the food and the experience in general. I love Hirozen. I would recommend it to anyone! And by the way, try the clam soup. It's delicious!!

• Pros: Delicious, creative food in a low key environment. Friendly sushi chefs.
• Cons: I can't go often enough.

03/28/08

like, most excellent RYORIYA (not a sushi bar, people)

by zono at Citysearch

given the price point, this is a superb RYORIYA, and i (who am japanese by the way) highly recommend it. for those of you not in the know, a ryoriya is a japanese restaurant that features a wide variety of dishes created in the classic japanese manner to showcase the very best available produce, proteins and ingredients.

most of you should know that hirozen is NOT a sushi restaurant! if all you want is sushi, you should go to a restaurant that serves MAINLY sushi. at hirozen, sushi is among MANY featured items.

so, if you want to try and then review this place, make sure you try the featured fresh fish and meat dishes, the 2 or 3 featured seaweed salads (e.g., hijiki) and a few of the vegetable and other dishes.

hirozen isn't holding itself out as a competitor of matsuhisa or sushi roku and the like. therefore, you shouldn't judge it by those standards. trust me, the chefs here know what they are doing, and they certainly know more about food than the hakujin who frequent the place and are writing about it obtusely and out of limited exposure to japanese cuisine.

honestly and with all due respect, after reading some of the comments on here of people judging this restaurant by the standards of a sushi restaurant, i thought it appropriate to point this out. if i want a sushi dinner, i go to a reknowned sushi restaurant. if i want SUPERB and AUTHENTIC japanese food made by japanese people, where i can have a bit of sushi if i want, i will always choose hirozen.

• Pros: a HUGE variety of GREAT japanese dishes, sushi among them.
• Cons: it's popular and you always have to wait if you forget to reserve a table.

07/28/07

Best sushi for the prices!

by goldenbell at Citysearch

We absolutely love this spot and eat here at least twice a week. The spicy tuna hand roll is unbelievable! The prices are amazing considering the freshness and portions. Japanese chefs who know what they're doing without the high prices like Matsuhisa and Nozawa. Highly recommended!

07/19/07

Not Fresh Fish!!

by rachelleele at Citysearch

I've been to a lot of sushi restaurants in Los Angeles and this was by far the worst experience. We were served fish that smelled so strongly of fish that it must have been way old (i eat a lot of sushi and know what's normal). When we sent the sushi back and the check came, they actually charged us for the sushi that was bad (only 2 orders out of a whole meal). When we explained the fish was bad and we didn't think we had to pay for it, they told us that we had eaten it so we had to pay!! It was absolutely horrible and unprofessional. I will never go back there and have told all my friends about the unfresh fish. They could make people sick!! Beware of this one!

• Pros: Cheap
• Cons: Could make you sick!

07/19/07

Not Fresh Fish

by rachelleele at Citysearch

I've been to a lot of sushi restaurants in Los Angeles and this was by far the worst experience. We were served fish that smelled so strongly of fish that it must have been way old (i eat a lot of sushi and know what's normal). When we sent the sushi back and the check came, they actually charged us for the sushi that was bad (only 2 orders out of a whole meal). When we explained the fish was bad and we didn't think we had to pay for it, they told us that we had eaten it so we had to pay!! It was absolutely horrible and unprofessional. I will never go back there and have told all my friends about the unfresh fish. They could make people sick!!

Beware of this one!

• Pros: Cheap
• Cons: Fish not fresh!

07/15/07

One of my favorite sushi places in L.A.

by krishen1 at Citysearch

I love this place!!! It's very tiny and usually extremely busy, but for a good reason...the food is amazing. Hirozen has some of the freshest, tastiest sushi in town. Everything is always beautifully presented and the service is warm, friendly, and professional. I try to have something different every time I go and I'm always beyond pleased with what I am served.

• Pros: sushi, great service
• Cons: limited parking, can get quite crowded

07/10/07

Great food but sushi is average.

by xstrike1 at Citysearch

First I need to warn everyone is that this place is a little cramped. The party next to you are so close to y our table, from the outside people will think you are in the same party. First time I went there, I ordered the bento boxes and some appetizers. I was amazed how good the food was. The second time I went there I sat at the sushi bar and went with omakase. My girlfriend and I were quite disappointed with their sushi. It's neither good or bad, just average. If you are going there I suggest ordering anything but their sashimi or sushi.

• Pros: Good food and great service
• Cons: very crowded, long wait for a table, sushi is average.

02/09/07

Amazing sushi

by surething00 at Citysearch

This place is amazing. They seem to always have the freshest fish and great service to match. I recommend sitting at the bar and letting the sushi chef pick your dishes. I've tried a bunch of things I would never have thought to order (Tasmanian Sea Trout, seared sea scallop, octopus) and they were all great. I almost didnt write this review because I'm afraid the word will get out about this place and it will impossible to get a table but they deserve the kudos.

• Pros: great food, great service

01/25/07

Very good, fresh sushi

by dllomax at Citysearch

great sushi at reasonable prices. consistently fresh. friendly (but sometimes a little slow) service.

• Pros: always fresh
• Cons: small space