Hiko or Echigo???

[kevin]

Which one would you go to if the choice were to go to only one of these two comparable, omakase-style sushi joints? and why?

[TailbackU]

After reading several posts about Echigo here on CH, i visited last night and couldn't have been more disappointed. A couple people here have commented that they pre-slice their fishes, and this is indeed true. The chef had a block that had piles of different pre-cut fishes lying on top of each other that he was using to make his sushi. Not only did that turn me off right away, but the slices were cut so thin and small that it barely covered the rice.

Speaking of the rice, a few others have commented that the rice is too mushy and overcooked. This also was true. It was very mushy and was seasoned with way too much vinegar. YOu could taste the vinegar in every piece of sushi that was served.

It was a busy night so it may not be like this every night, but with just one sushi chef making every piece, he seemed to be very rushed and didn't put a lot of care into the sushi he was making. Everything was rushed and there was no attention to detail being put in to the food that he was serving, not to mention that there was zero interaction with the customers at the bar.

Truly one of the most disappointing and horrible sushi experiences I've had. Will not be going back or recommend to anyone. Really made me appreciate my go to sushi itame, Ike san, all that more at Kimagure in Pasadena.

[westsidegal]

that does it.
i am now officially in mourning over echigo.

[J.L.]

I was never a fan of Echigo in the first place, but IMO, Valentine's Day is not a good day to conduct a first visit to properly evaluate any restaurant.

If I was a restauranteur on Valentine's Day, I'd be more interested in table turnover than quality of the dining experience. It's the one day of the year to dine IN, if at all possible.

Any comments specifically on Hiko from any Hounds out there?

[kevin]

I went recently to Hiko and it was pretty good, sorry I'll elaborate later.

[TailbackU]

While I do agree with you, Echigo didn't have any special Valentine's Day menu or specials and it was business as usual. It wasn't even a full house as they had plenty of open seats at the bar and tables all night.

[namstermonster]

i used to like echigo back when sasabune was still good...it was my go-to "budget" spot. it was never spectacular but with price in mind, it was GOOD. however, this was probably more than 5 yrs ago so the current general consensus is probably correct.

i went to hiko once about 2 yrs ago...completely empty. more traditional than echigo, and 2pieces per course. i remember paying around 70$ and being somewhat satiated; pricier than echigo, but i did like it better than echigo as well.

[TracyS]

I had a bad experience at Echigo before too, and my take on it now is that oddly enough ordering their sushi a la carte ends up better than doing omakase.
When I ordered omakase, I too got pre-sliced fish and that horrid refrigerated plate of sliced albacore fanned out on sauce.
Ordering a la carte, the fish being served a single piece at a time has always been fresh and tasty and the sushi chef seems to be slicing to order.
The last time I went was about 2 months ago - not sure if it's severely declined since then.

[kevin]

i went a few weeks ago, it was 45 bucks, got maybe six a la carte dishes. and left there very disappointed and unimpressed. hiko might be 1.5 x the cost in price but it's damn good in comparision, should have gone there, but then again it was closed for vacation.

[westsidegal]

i am an Echigo fan.
that said, there is NO ambiance there.
if ambiance means ANYTHING to you, this is not the place to go, imho.
if the fish means everything to you, this is the place to go.

[kevin]

it goes almost without saying that 9 times out of 10 fish is everything. i also take it that echigo is still slighter cheaper in pricing than hiko?

and i hate to say this, but have you been to either of them on a Monday night?

[westsidegal]

can't really remember which days of the week i've gone there.
been to echigo many, many, times.
i've never received less than top-notch sushi at echigo, ever.

would recommend against their lunch special, though, because to my palate the rice:fish ratio is not as good as the ratio on their "regular" sushi. the fish quality is still fine, but i'd rather sacrifice the lunch bargain in order to get the proper ratio.

[sablouwho]

My second to last time at Echigo, I remember making a mental note to to not return as the last several times I'd been it just was always "just ok" and just wasn't doing it for me. Last night (I know, a Monday, what was I thinking?! -- I was distracted by hunger and proximity) I gave it one last chance. Never again -- I am fine with the warm rice thing but I thought their rice was too gooey and too warm, and the fish tasted fishy (in a bad way).

[westsidegal]

i pray that your experience does not mean that i am in the process losing another one of my "sources for good seafood"

[kevin]

not good news.

And at least Echigo is way more affordable for a similar style of sushi as Zo, at about half to a third the cost,

[sablouwho]

Yeah, I felt kinda bad posting that post for exactly that reason. Believe me, I -want- to like Echigo. I do feel that I need to state that I am not saying that the fish was in actuality bad or old, more that it didn't "do" it for me. Maybe it is because I was there on a Monday, I don't really know.

I will try to be more specific. I ordered omakase and they start with an albacore sashimi appetizer with miso on top -- I could do without this dish. The fish was really cold--sort of too cold to eat comfortably. The miso paste on top was fine, but the overall dish was just meh. The fish wasn't cut nicely/evenly, wasn't arranged in any kind of pretty way--it was just uneven pieces of too-cold albacore on a plate with miso on top.

The toro was fine, but awkward to eat due to the way it was cut. I also had (not in order) salmon, shima aji, bonito, halibut, butterfish, kanpachi, ikura and uni and a few other items I'm forgetting. I like their style of ikura (the kind that is marinated in what I believe is a combo of mirin and dashi? not really sure what it is) -- I prefer this to "straight" ikura, as I find the latter is too salty for me, I like the more mellow flavor of the "mirinated" ikura. And ... uni ... gosh, I love uni when it is good. I've had it at Echigo before and it has been fine, but this time it was not as good as before. Granted, I think I'm spoiled as I have had really buttery, wonderful uni at sugarFish and Go's Mart, so I tend to compare all other uni experiences by what I've experienced at these two establishments. As for the salmon, it was fine, I just happen not to be a big fan of the kelp that they put on top -- I prefer my plain with some sesame seeds (sugarFish does it this way -- it is my favorite place for salmon).

Just want to note that I am aware of the dislike that sugarFish gets from some Hounds -- I realize that Westsidegal is not a fan, and I respect her opinion though I have had nothing but positive experiences there myself.

Back to Echigo, maybe it's just that my palette prefers a different way? I haven't been to Zo in over a year but I did like that quite a bit. I don't want to discourage people from Echigo, it might just be a personal preference.

Shrug?

[Servorg]

Have you eaten sushi at U-Zen by any chance (3 minutes from Echigo)? We go often. It's not going to make anyone forget about Zo or Mori or Kiriko, but I've always felt it was pretty good at a fair price.

-----
Sushi Zo
9824 National Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90034

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

U-Zen Japanese Restaurant
11951 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025

[sablouwho]

Indeed, I have been there -- just there last week, in fact. I really enjoyed their "salmon toro", among other things. Plus I like tempura...

[westsidegal]

<<t I've always felt it was pretty good at a fair price.>>
i agree