Q, an upscale sushi restaurant by chef Hiroyuki Naruke, is located in downtown Los Angeles' historic neighborhood, just west of Pershing Square. The atmosphere is calm, elegant, and traditional, with quietly playing classical music in the background. On one wall, vintage abacuses dangle, while above the chef's station, bright orbs of light illuminate each piece of sushi that emerges.

Q concentrates on Naruke's Edomae sushi, which features vinegar-seasoned rice and high-quality, fresh fish slices. The majority of Q's fish originates from Japan, with the remainder coming from both California and the East Coast. The whole omakase dinner ($165 per person) includes approximately 20 courses, the first four of which are tsumami (small appetizers), such as wasabi-topped pieces of fatty tuna and wild yellowtail from Japan. Scallops, salmon, New Zealand black snapper, mackerel, wild yellowtail belly, bluefin tuna, kohada, baracuda, braised octopus, and more arrive one by one until the meal comes to a close with the last square of sweet tamago. Those who prefer to drink sake between courses should get a carafe of the Kubota, one of Q's milder sake alternatives.

Address: 521 W 7th St, Los Angeles, CA 90014

Website: https://www.qsushila.com/

Sushi Zo, although being buried away in a Los Angeles sub-district strip mall, has received top ratings from Zegat Restaurant Guide and was given a Michelin star in 2009. It has achieved mythical status among the residents, similar to that of Seinfeld's Soup Nazi.

There is a menu, but guests are highly encouraged to order the daily special, a multi-course meal using the day's freshest cuts. Sushi is out of this world. Sushi Zo's secret to success can be attributed to minor details and exceptionally consistent attention to detail. For flavor and texture, rice is cooked with imported Japanese deep-well water and served at body temperature. Fish is always in season and comes in so many variations that Zo appears to be the only place that serves it. Another notable distinction is the lack of soy sauce, which is nevertheless never missed because the chef's dishes are already bursting with savory tastes.

Address: 9824 National Blvd #C, Los Angeles, CA 90034

Website: http://sushizo.us/

Sake House Miro, or just "Sake House" as it's known among the locals, is a charming little location right off Miracle Mile. Guests are welcome to choose their own unique sake cup and relax on pillows in booths with low tables at Sake House, which has a domestic feel to it. The small corner bar offers gigantic Asahi cans at a very reasonable price.

Sake House boasts a big menu that includes classic omakase sushi as well as tapas such as skewered meats and even udon noodles. Sushi, of course, is the main attraction. Both the godzilla roll and the fire tornado roll are popular choices. The Sake House also has the advantage of staying open until midnight on Sunday through Thursday and 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, making it ideal for a late-night adventure. It's worth noting that the Sake House has some odd hours: they close from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. every day, and they don't serve lunch on Saturday or Sunday.

Address: 809 S La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036

Website: https://www.sakehousemiro.com/

Go's Mart, like many other sushi restaurants in the Los Angeles area, is housed in a run-down strip mall in a quiet neighborhood. You won't find a sign proclaiming Go's Mart's presence outside—in fact, you'll only see the word "sushi" written in enormous letters, which is a bit of an understatement.

Chef Go, who started this restaurant in 1997, has two tables and a 10-seat sushi counter where guests come for exquisite cuts of fish. The plump tuna is topped with the aforementioned gold flakes, and Go's excellent rice is packed with just the proper amount of wasabi. A cut of juicy butterfish is an ethereal taste adorned with truffle oil and a hint of spice, while Japanese eel is slick with sweet unagi sauce and slivers of lemon zest on top. It's a joy to watch Go and his crew work, and much more so when you get a taste of the complex results of their efforts. To be sure, Go's isn't for purists or those looking for a zen-like platonic ideal of sushi, but it is a distinct and pleasurable experience in the world of American sushi.

Address: 22330 Sherman Way c12, Canoga Park, CA 91303

Contact: 818-704-1459

Sushi Note, a well-known sushi restaurant in Los Angeles, is known for its elegant dining area, which is defined by soft textiles, dramatic colors, and provocative artwork, such as framed letters and images. In his seasonal meals, Chef Kiminobu Saito demonstrates serious craftsmanship, excellent textures, and uncommon flavors. For example, Goma tofu is rich and nutty, with a hint of miso. Every piece of nigiri and sashimi is cut to order, demonstrating the restaurant's meticulous attention to detail. Wild snapper from Japan is delightful; kinmedai is enhanced by soy; Spanish otoro is a discovery with wasabi, and spicy tuna "biscotti" is a one-of-a-kind revelation, and a taste from the clearly focused wine list completes the experience.

Sushi Note is also the kind of place where date nights are made: with limited patio seating in front and low lighting and a nice atmosphere when the dining room is open, this is a place to linger and savor. Of course, to wow guests in the Valley—home to some of the best sushi in all of Los Angeles - a bit more than date night romance is necessary, and Saito's creative sashimi, nigiri, and a very delectable omakase do it easily.

Address: 13447 Ventura Blvd, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423

Website: https://www.sushinotela.com/

Hamasaku is a refined blend of Japanese cuisine with Californian opulence. The direct translation of Hamasaku is "one who makes nourishment from the sea", which is sincere and simple. Warmth in hospitality and modern sensibilities accentuate a quintessential dining experience, which is known for its whimsical devotion to sushi and subtle elegance.

To begin, there are a few skewers and small meals on the menu, but the sushi and sashimi are the real stars. Local, seasonal, and sustainable ingredients are prioritized by Executive Chef Yoya Takahashi, who incorporates them into clean, delectable, and quirky small plates. Maki is the most popular here, and they arrive neat and tidy, with a wide range of textures and outstanding artistry. The Asylum Roll, for example, features soy paper, chopped toro, avocado, and lobster. Bonito dusted with soy and ginger is one of the nigiri's features. Barracuda, snapper, bigeye tuna, and other species are available, but Hamasaku is most known for its shirako, or cod milt, or, to put it another way, cod sperm.

Address: 11043 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025

Website: http://www.hamasakula.com/

Sushi Tsujita locates on Sawtelle Boulevard, the West Side’s Little Tokyo, where there is no shortage of competing Japanese restaurants - but here is a steadfast classic sushi experience for you, with elegant geodesic patterns and glowing chandeliers adorning the space.

With veteran Tokyo sushi chef Shigeru Kato at the helm, a new heavyweight for Japanese food has emerged. When you arrive for dinner, you'll find an ambitious and occasionally bizarre omakase menu that includes everything from braised abalone with tofu skin to homemade squid cake with a stalk of puffed rice. Lunch here can be much more expensive than down the street at the noodle shop. The lunch menu is the best perk, as an amazing chirashi dish can be had for as low as $15. You'll get the same fish as those who choose the more expensive omakase, with a few fewer cosmetic cuts. It's like a sashimi Nordstrom Rack, and it’s one of the city's most enticing sushi deals.

Address: 2006 Sawtelle Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025

Website: https://tsujita-sushi.com/

Kiriko is a petite sushi spot occupying one of the suits in the business complex located on Sawtelle Blvd and W Olympic Blvd, with the long sushi counter seating 12 people and maybe five or six tables inside, the restaurant is usually packed with longtime regulars who know it to be one of the best sushi in Los Angeles, but they are also open to newbies and walk-ins if available.

Kiriko's Ken Namba is one of the few itamae that successfully blends current and classic sushi stylings. Namba smokes plump tomato geleé or squares of vivid orange kingfish in the rear kitchen some nights. Occasionally, pale skipjack lozenges with yuzu peel and shaved pink sea salt are served. He might even surprise you with a bowl of mashed cooked tuna with chunks of okra, green onion, and grated yamaimo, a dish that would be a hit at any PTA potluck. Kiriko is a spot where being a regular pays off: your albacore sashimi with ponzu jelly one night might become a grilled filet coated with fried garlic the next. Of course, sitting at the gorgeous, rough-hewn sushi bar, all dark and mahogany, with Namba calmly doting overhead is reason enough to inspire regular visits.

Address: 11301 W Olympic Blvd #102, Los Angeles, CA 90064

Website: https://www.kirikosushi.com/

Nozawa Bar is an extraordinary little jewel box of a room and sushi counter, secreted away in the back of the Beverly Hills location of Sugarfish. Yet its menu, kitchen and overall spirit are totally independent of the local chain restaurant in which it is housed. Be sure to arrive on time, as each seating begins promptly.

Omakase is the sole dining option here, serving multiple courses of primary nigiri as well as a few sashimi and handrolls. Each sequence centers on exceptional seafood, most of it sourced from local waters—California Baja tuna, farmed abalone, and Oregon albacore. This nigiri is particularly distinctive thanks to a generous brush of nigiri and loosely packed rice, served just warm enough to contrast against the flavorful fish.

Chef Osamu Fujita may be a traditionalist, but the menu includes many novelties. You can start with the white and perfectly crunchy jellyfish dressed with ponzu. This might be followed by an impressive presentation of deliciously tender octopus, sliced into thin slivers for sashimi. Sushi highlights include the delicate halibut fin, ruby-red snapper cut before your eyes and a handroll of mountain yam, ume and shiso leaf.

Urasawa is a Japanese restaurant located in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles County, California run by head chef Hiroyuki Urasawa who used to work with Masa Takayama. When discussing Urasawa, it's probably best to first address the elephant in the room. This is unequivocally the most expensive restaurant in the city.

The tiny establishment, which seats about 10 people at a time, has no menu; rather diners are presented with 29 courses of the owner and Chef Hiroyuki Urasawa's triumphant Kaizeki preparations. The formal meal presents a succession of small and meticulous dishes, each carefully crafted to accentuate the natural flavors of seasonal ingredients, many of which have been flown in from Japan earlier in the day. Chef Urasawa’s attention to detail stretches beyond the plate, with 300-year old antique tableware and an exclusively French wine list. It is the dishes where his craft truly shines, however. Diners at Urasawa are treated to cuisine prepared with a gentle hand, presented exquisitely, and of a quality so unrivaled, it threatens to ensure that after a four-hour dinner at Urasawa, no meal will seem the same.

Address: 218 N Rodeo Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210

View Details: https://tableagent.com/los-angeles/urasawa/