PERFECT SUSHI West Los Angeles SUSHIZO

[vintageart]

I just went out and tried a recommendation by a friend.

I have eaten a lot of sushi in my life, lived in Honolulu and ate great sushi there, however tonight I had the best sushi I have ever eaten.

They have taken Sushi to another level at SUSHIZO.

I could actually tell the difference in textures of ever piece of sushi I ordered, The sushi was not covered in anago "Syrup" etc., rather all sushi had the correct amount of subtle sauces and others, mint, lemon etc.

The sushi was heavenly, the freshest shrimp I have ever eaten, unbelievable texture, I was told the shrimp was alive less then 45 secs. before it was in my mouth. that is how long it took our chef to prepare it.

I highly recommend the tuna, the scallops melt in your mouth, the giant clam with mint, the salmon egg was fantastic, the tako with a small splash of lemon was amazing.........I could go on, but I must now lay down and dream of exotic fish...........WOW

SUSHI AS AN ARTFORM

This is the best pure sushi resturant in town, I dare you to prove me wrong..

Caution
They do not serve tempura.....just very traditional Sushi Only

The chef even tells you weather or not to eat each piece of sushi with or without soy sauce.

Sushi 1 piece at a time (w/warm rice)
Nice!! Gives you the opporunity to try more

I'll be Back..........

SUSHIZO
9824 National Blvd.
310 842 3977

[andrew_eats]

The sushi is pretty good at Zo, it kind of falls apart on the plate.

There are a few issues some people might have with the place, however. It's in a rather ghetto mini-mall location, not grand feeling, not for the price.

The assistant is Mexican... He'll give you your sushi and tell you "halibut, no sauce". Just doesn't feel authentic.

One unusual experience I had. I was at the bar by myself, wanted to move left to watch the chef, and he told me "move back." Didn't even say please.

Otherwise not bad.

[Ciao Bob]

I totally know what you mean about the incongruity of being instructed by non-Japanese on the eating of sushi. I suppose it points more to our prejudices -- and injured pride -- than anything else (but it sure is odd -- and oddly fascinating how folks respond to it). FWIW, on my last visit 2 weeks ago the South of the Border assistants had been replaced by Far Eastern.

[Servorg]

And then there is that old canard that Japanese sushi chefs have always used to keep women out from behind the working side of the sushi bar...too warm hands.

[Ciao Bob]

Love that one, Servorg...always makes me think, "I guess it must have been a man who invented 'cold hands, warm heart.'"

[andrew_eats]

Yes, I've heard many times, even from women, that the physical idea of women having warm hands stops them from being able to make sushi... which is odd. because sometimes, the rice is warm anyways.

I think the thing about the non-Japanese person instructing us about sushi is variable. I had amazing sushi from 2 white guys in Sydney from Sushi E, but at Zo you expect a traditional truly Japanese experience. Not Omakase el Pedro.

[carln]

Honestly, I really dont care who his assistants are, but I feel that its really a shame that the prices keep going up to the point where many of us are being priced out. The food there is always phenomenal, but as I said above, at over $600 for 3 people, its getting a bit out of control.

[andrew_eats]

it's really ok, not phenomenal :)
9.1/10 sounds right

[J.L.]

Seafood prices are on the rise all over the world. Blame goes to the low end sushi-yas and Todai buffets for the incentivization of overfishing.

Keep sushi quality high and discourage overfishing by eating sushi only at high-quality sushi-yas.

[Servorg]

"Yes, I've heard many times, even from women, that the physical idea of women having warm hands stops them from being able to make sushi... which is odd. because sometimes, the rice is warm anyways."

It's not odd...it's sexist clap trap from male sushi chefs that some gullible women have bought into evidently...

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/465243

[kevin]

Isn't there a great somewhat traditional maybe slightly fushion-y woman chef doling out fine multi-course dinners on overland in palms/culver city area???

[J.L.]

You are referring to Niki Nakayama & her modern kaiseki restaurant in Palms, called n/naka... It IS great indeed.

Man, this is an old thread.

[PayOrPlay]

Yes, that's Niki Nakayama at n/naka, 3455 S. Overland. She used to have Azami Sushi on Melrose.

By reservation only. http://www.n-naka.com/

[Ciao Bob]

Yes Chef Niki is wonderful - but beware, with those warm hands, some of the sushi is positively seared by the time it reaches the diner.

[Servorg]

She's hot and so is her sushi (but not in the temperature sense of the word)...

[kevin]

Then I better go there on the double.

[epop]

i wasn't crazy about my meal at n/naka even though I wanted to be. Nothing stood out as outstanding, the timing was terribly slow.
Will stick to Zo.

[kevin]

well, the joints i listed above are edo mae style

also sushi shibucho in costa mesa is edo mae, but shibucho on beverly is not since the chef serves foie gras, soba noodles, cooked oysters, and sometimes french cheeses and french and italian inspired desserts.

there used to be a joint in Sherman Oaks called Shihoya that served edo-mae style and had a little piece of paper that described the rules and regulations of edo mae before you even entered the bar. right at the door, sushi by yoshi connected to the motel is in that location now. i think.

[kevin]

one last note.

sushi zo is not really unique in LA.

Do not get me wrong, I like it a lot and it's a hell of a lot more convenient to get to than nozawa.

But it's basically in the same vein as the edo-mae joints around town and in oc from wasabe to sasabune to nozawa to echigo to hikko to sushi spot.

if you haven't been to nozawa you should definitely give it a try, it might just blow you away more than zo did.

[rameniac]

considering the plethora of sushi places in socal, there really aren't that many edo-style places around.

i think there's some place called sushi saito in hollywood that is edomae as well, but don't know anyone that's been there.

might be good to come up with a comprehensive list of such joints. any other ones to speak of?

[kevin]

Wow. I didn't even realize that just a few years back the omakase at Zo was about 60 bucks per person. And now it's double if not more than that for the past couple years.

Is it just inflation? Or was there less dishes served back then ?

Btw, is the yuzu juice shots still being served there at the end of the meal?

[carln]

I dont know how much they used to serve a few years ago, but I do know that they still serve the yuzu juice at the end...and its delicious.

[carln]

Just went back to Zo the other day and the prices sure have jumped up. I have been a huge fan of Sushi Zo over the years but boy, this weekend it was about $175 per person, before tax and tip. As little as a year ago, you could eat there all-in for about $125 per person. At these new prices, you are looking at over $200 per person and unfortunately thats getting to be a bit too crazy. A meal for three people at over $600 is tough to justify.

[PaulF]

check out six_of_one's post above from 2006

[kevin]

have you tried it yet?

yeah, and hiko sushi is getting up there too.

but i remember a couple years back when i went to zo it was about 125 per without tax and tip, i could have eaten more though too.

[PaulF]

No Kevin, I haven't been there. It's out of my range.

We eat dinner in Little Tokyo quite a bit, but prefer the smaller family style places, which sort of remind us of places we went to in Tokyo and Kyoto.

We don't really go for sushi all that often.

(Interesting to note that the OP in this thread only wrote one post ever. Why that is interesting I don't know.)

[kevin]

maybe it was posted before the changeover on chowhound. to cbs interactive ownership,

it doesn't' seem like a possibly fake business posting on behalf of zo.

[PaulF]

I don't think it's a fake at all. I just thought it was someone who posted, then found a web site they like better. But I don't think it was fake -- just a coincidence.

[westsidegal]

fwiw, i don't think it was fake because:
1) at the time it was posted i was a regular at sushi zo, and my opinion mirrored that of the OP, and I'M certainly not fake.
2) all the friends that i took to sushi zo at that time also agreed with the OP's glowing recommendation.

no need to have a "fake" recommendation posted when there were so many glowing, authentic, well-deserved, recommendations being made.

[PaulF]

I never thought it was fake.

I thought it was interesting that a 2006 thread got resurrected and it happened to be that poster's only post.

[westsidegal]

i'm always mystified when these antique posts get resurrected.

[Servorg]

Go to U-Zen on SM Blvd. just east of Bundy sometime, Paul. You can eat well for about $60 to $65 per person for sushi (and they have some really good small plate appetizer dishes that I like as well, like the garlic sprouts with shrimp and the spicy tofu dish).

[PaulF]

Thanks for the rec.

For what it's worth, for sushi on the west side we really like a place called Sushi Masu on Westwood Boulevard.

[westsidegal]

fwiw, to me, sushi masu on westwood is a good neighborhood sushi bar, not a destination restaurant.
for sushi zo, on the other hand, i will drive and i will pay what they charge whenever i can.

[kevin]

How much they be currently charging for Zo?

[yinyangdi]

see carln's Feb 13, 2012 11:00 AM post above; $175-ish per person pre tax/tip!

[kevin]

Wow-syers!!!

[epop]

I find Masu sushi hit or miss. And somehow their shrimp tempura has been disgusting the times I forgot not to order it. That turned me off the place.

[manku]

For those prices, I want some ambiance....parking in a dreary Von's lot, walking past a taco joint and staring out at National Blvd/Gas Station KILLS it for me.

[kevin]

that about sums up the atmoshpere of zo. you put the tail on the donkey.

[westsidegal]

normally, i don't too much care if the parking lot has ambiance as long as the food is good.
i loved their fish and i was always treated well there.
simply can't afford it myself anymore though.
still love it when a generous friend offers to take me to dinner there.

[kevin]

i seriously need some friends like yours.

[yinyangdi]

What?! $175 pp for what most probably is the EXACT same meal I had five and six years ago for $60-ish? That would be a resounding NO! ;-0

[kevin]

it's possible now he includes more pieces with the standard prixe-fixe issue omakase he doles up., for what it's worth.

[carln]

It may be more pieces than it was when it was $60 (i unfortunately didnt know about it when it was that cheap) but its certainly not any more pieces than when it was about $120. I dont want to sound too negative honestly because I love the place and unlike most, I actually really like the chef as well. He always asks about my mother and brother (when they are not with me) and has always been very nice to us. I am more disappointed at the fact that the price keeps going up for one of my favorite meals and is pretty much at the point where I can only go on rare occasions now.

[Porthos]

I thought you were joking about $60pp but I looked back at my initial 2007 visit and the tab was $145 for 2 people before tip (42 pieces). $175pp is just absurd especially since I find the quality of fish better and more exotic at Mori at $125-$150pp. Not sure if Mori prices have gone up to that level since my last visit over 6 months ago though.

[BSW6490]

Nozowa is closed. Being replaced with the Sugar Fish concept.

[kevin]

paul, it'll probably be at least 50 per person, but you can possibly get out there for 30 dollars per if you don't order too much exotica, or pricier stuff like toro, the uni, etc.

[annagranfors]

liu--yah, that's about right...I went last week, ate until satisfied, and it was about $60. but, oh my god, what wonderful sushi! and Keizo's a doll, too--get him to talk about his baby daughter! (born the same week he opened the restaurant--I told him that it must be good luck for both of them, and he was almost solemnly grateful. anyway, a sweet guy.)

[liu]

I had posted a few weeks earlier on another post -- we loved Sushi Zo. I am responding here to the price question: we ordered "omakase" for two: one beer and one green tea. Our bill came to about $100 before tip. I know this seems like a lot, but the quality was wonderful. Think about it as $60-per-person...that's more palatable, huh!

[PaulF]

I'm curious to know the prices here.

I wish I had an unlimited budget, but alas, I do not. Some of the best reviewed sushi restaurants on this board are outside my range.

Sushizo sounds great and it's in my neighborhood. I'd love to try it. Any hint on the prices would be great.

[Six_of_One]

Like the others who have responded, I was also quite impressed with Sushi Zo...went for the first time last weekend. Some have mentioned eating for $60, but I guess it depends how much you eat. I had the omakase, no alcohol, and the total came to $85 before tip. I probably eat more than the average person, though.

[Alice]

can't wait to try it . . . was feeling conservative and headed to echigo last night. still solid =)

[rameniac]

one of the only edo-style (old school, strictly nigiri and a few maki options) sushi joints in town. LOVE it.