Birthday Sushi/Sashimi and Japanese dinner in Los Angeles (authentic food over the coolness factor)

[coweepooh]

Hiya!

Am taking one of my best friends out for his birthday dinner next week and would love to get some recs on the best japanese place in L.A.

By best japanese, I'm looking for

--authentic japanese fare with a good solid combination of fresh sashimi/sushi as well as some innovative items like carpaccios etc...

--good rolls are okay but not going to be a must nor would i consider traditional japanese as much

--been to katsuya and takao in brentwood, katsuya is great at lunch, not as much of a fan of dinner atmosphere and takao is awesome but we went there so much before when i was in LA...was hoping for something different

--had always heard of sushi sasbune but never got the chance to go when i was living in L.A.

will be in the west side but can drive to little tokyo as well if needed as i used to love the little tokyo atmosphere :)

thanks :)

[coweepooh]

Thanks everyone!!!

Mori tonight for Omakase!!

And then Melisse for Carte Blanche on Wednesday!

[J.L.]

Monday is not an optimal day for sushi in L.A., but Mori-san knows his fish, so you should be OK.. I'm surprised he's open on a Monday.

[coweepooh]

thanks everyone!!! now debating btw Mori and Kiriko

Also one night doing Melisse UNLESS there are any other suggestions for tastings?

Am leaving Providence for another visit...

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Kiriko
11301 W Olympic Blvd Ste 102, Los Angeles, CA 90064

[J.L.]

Mori has just a weensy-beentsy better sushi than Kiriko, but at the same time, Mori is also a tad more "austere" (for lack of a better adjective) than Kiriko. I go to both regularly, and enjoy both immensely.

Bistro LQ is the new tasting menu, par excellence, in L.A., in my book.

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Kiriko
11301 W Olympic Blvd Ste 102, Los Angeles, CA 90064

Bistro LQ
8009 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048

[BSW6490]

Sasabune is great but the atmosphere is cold. If you like takao, try sushi sushi on Beverly Drive just north of Olympic. Similar vibe even better food.

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Sasabune
12400 Wilshire Blvd Ste 150, Los Angeles, CA 90025

[noahbites]

Yeah. I prefer Kiyokawa to Kiriko. Sometimes I think the sauces at Kiriko detract from the fish a bit.

If you want to spend the extra dough, Mori is very good. But Kiyokawa is probably my favorite for very high quality with rather reasonable prices.

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Kiriko
11301 W Olympic Blvd Ste 102, Los Angeles, CA 90064

[New Trial]

My top recommendation would be Mori but, if you are open to some non-fish dishes as well, Kiyokawa offers very good kaiseki style dinners in addition to sushi and sashimi. I also like Kiriko, mentioned by J.L., quite a bit.

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Mori Sushi
11500 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064

Kiyokawa Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar
265 S Robertson Blvd Ste 10, Beverly Hills, CA 90211

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

I love Asanebo in Studio City. They are more sashimi than sushi and also have some innovative dishes. I prefer ordering from the menu, but people rave about their omakase courses. They are pricey. You can easily spend $100 per person or more before tip...

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Asanebo
11941 Ventura Blvd, Studio City, CA 91604

[J.L.]

Wa Sushi, on La Cienega. Solid food, and fun.

Also, Kiriko, on Sawtelle. Excellent sushi, sashimi, and fusion.

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Kiriko
11301 W Olympic Blvd Ste 102, Los Angeles, CA 90064

[soniabegonia]

I think Kiriko would be perfect for what the OP is looking for. If they still have the spicy fried gobo, get it. I adore that dish... one of my all time favorite gobo preparations. They are just solid overall... I initially thought of Yabu but their sushi is not great. Yeah, I think the OP would be very happy at Kiriko.

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Kiriko
11301 W Olympic Blvd Ste 102, Los Angeles, CA 90064

[yummyinmytummy]

Second Wa....it is so good i want to get my mail there.