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Reviews & Recommendations
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Best Salmon Sushi
Provided by Citysearch
They have the best salmon sushi I have ever tried. It is even better than the sushi I had in Tokyo. The place is never packed so reservations are not needed unless you want to sit at the sushi bar (requires you order the set menu). \r \r I have tried their lunch, but in my opinion ordering off the menu is better.
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Welcome ! Sit down, eat fast, pay and leave please... :(
Provided by Citysearch
My wife and I recently started to try out other sushi places than our regular one (Kiriko, that is) and try to find a place we like as much. Tonight we were hesitating between suzhi Zo and Sasabune. Both had good reviews as far as the food, but wedecided to give the latter one a try, mostly because of the huge amount of bad reviews toward the unfriendly service and rudeness at Zo. We were aware of the ""no california rolls, tempura, or teriyaki"" policy, and we didn't mind so much. Actually, we kind of agree with that. Good sushi deserves respect, and it's kind of stupid for us to mix a good cut of fish with avocado, cream cheese, mayo, and what not. We like the real thing. The sushi bar is omakase only, which we didn't mind, as it's our favorite way to discover a japanese restaurant. When we arrived and sat down, it was only a matter of seconds before we had our first plate. We didn't even have time to order drinks, and had to work hard in order to get the waitress's attention so that we could ask her for the sake list. We soon felt like we were in a factory, more than a restaurant. Some kind of upscale fast ""quality"" food, which we didn't like so much. All the fish is already pre-cut, which for me is a big no-no. the sushi guys behind the bar just work in an assembly line, one guy molding the rice ball and sometimes (but not always) assembling the sushi, some other guy topping it with sauce or scallions and whatnot, another one tending to the ""grilled"" cuts. They were all very nice, but in a constant rush, and it felt like they couldn't really practice their art in good conditions. As SOON as we were done with a serving of sushi, the not-so-smily waitress would get the empty plates off the table, and we would be handed a new serving within the next 20 seconds. We couldn't even take the time to enjoy the after taste of each bite. Towards the end of the meal, we had to ask the sushi man for a break, just for the sake of being able to make conversation.I would have somehow understood if the restaurant was packed, but it was not. Now, for the sushi itself : Don't get me wrong, every fish we tasted was of exceptionnal quality. Very fresh, melt in the mouth, all that you can expect for the price. BUT !!! I had not one (which could be almost forgivable), but TWO BITS OF BONE in my fish. Hey, that's what you get when you cut all the fish in advance ! I also got a bit of hard and crunchy stuff in my uni - probably a piece of shell ? when we told the sushi man that we were full, we soon got handed the check, without even being asked if we wanted to look at the desserts menu (which looked really good, from what we saw at other tables). We had about 10 piece each (can't remember exactly) and 3 big glasses of very decent sake, all for under $100 per person w/o tip. To sum it all up, I think Sasabune has the good fish, but should REALLY work on taking care of their clients. A simple smile and nice attitude from the waitresses would be a good start, as well as making their patrons feel more welcomed and not so much ""sit down, eat fast, here's your check now get out"". I'm not the type of rude and obnoxious patron who's going to give a terrible review to a restaurant because he had to wait more than 5 minutes for a water refill, I'm usually quite tolerant and forgiving. But I must say that I had a mediocre experience at Sasabune.
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My favorite destination for sushi
No cut rolls here. To be honest, I'm not even sure what the menu looks like. I always get omakase (chef's choice), and there are only two choices: American or Japanese. The Japanese version is a little bit more out there (ie. sea urchin, abalone, etc). Both are good, and I mix it up.
The last dish they usually bring you is the blue crab handroll. Hard for me to say what my favorites are, but the handroll would rank up there. Sometimes, I'll get an extra.
Rice is a little fluffier and warm. Some may find it strange but I like it.
Omakase generally runs $50 - $70 per person, without drinks. You can park on the street if you're lucky, otherwise there is a parking structure underneath the building (validated).
Used to be that you needed reservations, but it didn't seem too bad the last couple of times I visited. -
Awesome!
This is the best sushi ever! Let the chef choose your sushi!
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Soooooooooooo overated, had no good experience
Provided by Citysearch
Went there with my boyfriend on a Friday night. I made reservation ahead. But still got a bad spot. Maybe it's just they are too popular so they are running out of nice spots. Each customer must order at least 4 items. Food is good, but it's not beyond my expectation. IAnd each came in a tiny portion, only 2pcs for each order. And there's nothing other than sushi on the menu which means my boyfriend and I have spend more than $50 on sushi and still feel starving. And the waiters are not friendly.
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Good food
Provided by Citysearch
Little Tokyo has the bomb sushi for realz...a great spot. Club Sushi is the best in Hollywood. It really depends on where you want to drive for good food.
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Sasabune
Provided by Citysearch
I was impressed. This doesn't look like a great sushi place, but it surprised me. Best sushi I've had since Club Sushi in Hollywood
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Best Sushi in Los Angeles
Provided by Citysearch
Sushi Sasabune is the best sushi restaurant ever! The fish is all super fresh. Nobi, the owner, wakes up before dawn to go to the fish market. In fact, one of the reasons that Sushi Sasabune is closed on the weekends is that the fish market is closed and Nobi only wants to serve the freshest, yummiest fish. Other sushi restaurant owners follow Nobi around the fish market, trying to figure out how he is able to select out the best fish. The albacore sashimi appetizer is amazing, and way better than another sushi restaurant a few blocks away that tries to copy it. I highly recommend the American omakase. The blue fin tuna and toro are amazing, as is the butterfish. The list goes on and on. If the scallop with yuzu paste is available (but not part of the omakase), make sure you get it! The same goes for the lobster! Sushi Sasabune certainly isn't cheap, but it is so worth it! My wife lived in Japan for 6 1/2 years, and she says that it is the best sushi she has had outside of Japan (and possibly even better than the sushi she had in Japan). I cannot recommend this place highly enough!
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An absolute must...
Provided by Citysearch
Hands down the best sushi in LA. This place knocks Nobu and Koi completely out of the game. Also, at $65 per person, an incredible value for the amount of food and the quality of the fish. I am completely baffled by the negative reviews on here. Clearly, some of those folks should stick to california rolls.
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Best sushi in town..hands down!
Provided by Citysearch
The best sushi in town, hands down. It's not cheap, but it's totally worth it. When I had a larger disposable income I used to frequent it once a month. If you're a foodie, you'll love it. So the ambiance is not that of Nobu's, who needs it with food this good!
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variety of sushi
Provided by Citysearch
Went with a group of 7, and sat at a table for Omakase. There was a lot of interesting sushi/raw seafood that you can't get at a typical sushi place. Such as raw abalone (can't say I like it though). My favorite was the monk fish liver, chilled toro, spanish makeral. Our omakase included albacore sashimi, abalone, some shell seafood type of thing cut in slices(didn't catch what it was), small oyster, salmon roe, uni, yellowtail, salmon, toro, tuna, ell, monkfish liver, spanish makeral, makeral, snapper, halibut, and blue crab hand roll. We also ordered some miso soup, chilled toro, a few beer, and a couple lychee ice cream(highly recommended). The bill after tip and tax was $110/person. The omakase was a good experience to try different stuff. But if i go back next time, probably will just order a la carte, my favorite ones only. :)
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Best Pure Sushi on the Westside
Provided by Citysearch
I can not get enough of Sasabune. Seating is prompt and the service is polite and attentive. The fish is fresh and the authentic sauces are delicous. Although I wouldn't recommend going here if you want fancy rolls- it is a must for a true sushi lover!
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sushi that will redefine TRUST ME
Provided by Citysearch
been going to sasabune for years and consider myself a sushi connoisseur. I've never written a review but when i read the review by jinx2life i felt compelled to stand up for arguably the best sushi joint in LA. to address his review directly - salmon sushi comes with a layer of kelp + sesame seeds to enhance the experience rather than to distract from any fishy-ness\r they didn't mention the salmon roe cuz it's actually so good no words can do it justice & they would have had to eat their words. marinated in sake for at least a day, these delicious little eggs pop ever so refreshingly with every bite.\r the warm rice crumbles cuz it's what makes it melt in my mouth & is not overpoweringly sweet & complements the fish besides it's sushi rice after & there's mirin in it\r recommend the chef's special to taste the majority of fish they offer especially since they only serve what's best for the day\r first - albacore sashimi plate\r 2nd - sushi o-toro (highest grade of toro) and chu-toro or sweet blue fin tuna (depending on season)\r 3rd - sushi yellowtail and salmon. yellowtail here is only the belly portion of the fish which guarantees good texture and flavor\r 4th - halibut followed by albacore sushi and kampachi (sometimes bonito)\r there are a few different ones here on out and here you can request sushi or rolls (negitoro, ume shiso or salmon skin roll) and they finish with blue crab roll. ask for toro ice, butterfish too. just added chawanmushi and lobster stir fry and a clam miso soup to their menu\r super good chawanmushi but i'm usually saving my stomach for the other good stuff.\r if you still have room for dessert - love the black sesame ice cream AKA goma ice. not on the menu so ask for it. creamy consistency, nutty flavor, big in asia not so much here.\r adventurous? - out of this world uni, mirugai (served with shiso leaf and yuzukoso) \r make ressies!!! frequently go to matsuhisa, hiko, zo and etc...this is by far the most notable. seriously
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Have eaten better sushi at chinese lunch buffets
Provided by Citysearch
The servers were friendly enough. Our server explained the menu was sushi only, that most people get the Chef's choice, for which you pay minimum $65 per person, but you could also order a la carte. There is a minimum a la carte order of 4 sushis per person.\r We decided to go with a la carte. Having been to a number of bad sushi restaurants, we wanted to make sure the place was quality before spending that kind of cash. The first bump in the road came as the waitress was about to turn in our order. She informed us that the sweet shrimp, (which generally comes as a sushi, but includes the heads of the shrimp fried and served with ponzu sauce) would be coming as sushi only, and there were no cooked heads with it. Because the price was similar if not more expensive than most sushi places I've eaten at, we passed on it and went instead with salmon roe. \r The test for us at a sushi place is the salmon sushi. If the fish tastes at ALL fishy, or looks bad, why bother trying their more expensive counterparts? Our salmon and yellowtail sushi came out to us. The salmon came with sesame seeds and what looked like some sort of thin covering... maybe it was ginger? I couldn't figure it out, but usually when a sushi restaurant serves salmon with sesame seeds (which are very strong in flavor and from what I've seen, are used to mask bad fish), its bad sign. We both ate it.. the rice was so heavily sweetened and seasoned, we couldn't taste the fish. At ALL. Tried the yellowtail, similar experience. The rice by itself could be warmed and served with milk as oatmeal, it was so sweet.\r On top of that, both of us had rice falling apart as we picked up the sushi to eat it. The manager came over after I asked for her, and explained that this was their style, their taste, and we should be using our chopsticks like spoons. HUH? Traditional like McDonalds? This place is horrible if you really like sushi. Better sushi at McDonalds, if they served it. Passpasspass.
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best sushi ever
Provided by Citysearch
this place is seriously the best sushi i've ever eaten. EVER! i currently live in austin, tx and have been anticipating my move to los angeles so i can be reunited with this restaurant with which my roommate and i have fallen in love with. everything was perfect: the food was superb and the waitress who served us was so incredibly sweet, we went to and came back from our car to give her even more tip. though, truthfully the food is so good, i probably wouldnt have cared or even noticed if the service had been lousy. \r \r a note to the reviewer below and anyone else who cares: though that encounter did seem very rude and uncalled for, generally you only ought to follow the host(ess) if they specifically ask you to. otherwise, you'll just be getting in their way of setting/cleaning up a table (especially on a busy night!). for the most part, though probably not applicable to that situation :P, they'll be doing everything they can to get everyone taken care of as soon as possible so please let them work! as a person who's worked in the restaurant industry for years, this has been one of my chief pet peeves
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Spare yourself and go to the original
Provided by Citysearch
\r I arrived only to be greeted by some guy who walked away after he asked how many were in our party (2), then he told us to stay where we were after we started to follow him (isn't that the usual protocol in restaurants? follow the person who typically greets and seats you? No, not here, apparently.) Finally he returned-but he was obviously busy with a phone call. Ten minutes later (and at this point ready to head to Taco Bell) he seated us.\r \r Spare yourself, and go to the original. This guy clearly copies Nozawa. The first dish was strikingly similar, but not as good as Nozawa's baby tuna in ponzu. Sasabune uses albacore instead. The rest of the Omakase was similar but fair. Don't come here if you're hungry. I had the green iced tea-again, identical to Nozawa. I had the yellowtail, ditto, same thing. Here's the kicker, when they bring you the rolls they cut them in half, so you get 1/2 of a roll. The tune roll is repulsive and tasted like it had been sitting outside in the sun for 3 days. His fish doesn't seem as fresh as other sushi restaurants, and the rice is mediocre. The 1/2 of crabroll is a joke. I don't see the hype. I've been to Sasabune, and Zo, and still prefer to trek over to Studio City and sit in a janky strip mall with neon on the walls. The check was $144.00 fort two people who both ordered Omakase and had green iced tea. I don't recommend this place. You can spend the same amount of money and go to Nozawa and get superior sushi.
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fabulous sushi!!
Provided by Citysearch
My god i love their sushi. It's the melt in your mouth kind of sushi that is just out of this world... They used to be in a tiny little place on sawtelle, but have since moved to a bigger spot on wilshire, so no long waits anymore!\r \r It's a little expensive, but worth EVERY PENNY. The rice is warm, the seaweed wrap is toasty, the crab fresh!! delicious!!
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awful
Provided by Citysearch
I thought the fish was NOT GOOD, they forced the omokase on me and several of the pieces of fish were unedible. and the atmosphere is dreary.
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Sushi Like Buttah
Provided by Citysearch
When we lived in Chicago, my husband and I had friends from Honolulu who knew Sasabune from Hawaii and from Los Angeles. We would go out for sushi in Chicago, and what tasted fine to me, never met their satisfaction. I never understood their point of view until we visited Sasabune on Wilshire for the first time. We had lunch during the week, and at first the place was empty, but it gradually filled as the noon hour wore on. Celebrities trickled in, and the staff was friendly to everyone. We sat at the bar for omakase, watching the chef deftly cutting and shaping little morsels. Once I took a bite, I understood what our Chicago friends meant. The sushi here is just of a different class--the freshness, the texture, the flavors--everything is perfect. It was one of the more expensive lunches we've enjoyed, but I would do it again in a second. Can't wait to go back.
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