If you’re looking to enjoy great sushi without putting a dent in your pocketbook, you absolutely must give Sushi Dan a shot. Located on the second floor of the Sunset Plaza complex (above the Virgin Mega Store), Sushi Dan serves a plethora of Japanese specialties with an innovative twist. They have all your favorites…sashimi, specialty rolls, baked rolls, and a fantastic assortment of hot teriyaki meats and udons (Japanese noodle soups).
The Sunset Plaza location can get a little dark in the evening; it’s great for intimacy but not too helpful when you’re trying to read through the menu. The restaurant is broken up into three sections – an indoor dining area, sports bar, and a heated outdoor patio. Parking is available at the complex but make sure that you get your ticket validated at the restaurant before leaving (otherwise, the parking fee can be pretty hefty).
Sushi Dan currently has two locations in the Los Angeles area. The location shown above (Sunset Plaza) is in West Hollywood while the other is nestled along Ventura Blvd in Studio City. Both locations sport an upbeat vibe, attentive service, and sushi that is surprisingly affordable.
Are you an avid sushi lover? If so, head over to Isshin Sushi. Isshin Sushi serves fresh sashimi and sushi with a whole lot of taste. Their spicy tuna is especially flavorful, yum! Though some of its items are a bit on the pricier side, compared to other sushi restaurants nearby, its quality cooking does all the talking. With that said, it’s pretty reasonable. This sushi restaurant has more of a family and group friends feel to it. Sports fans will appreciate the big screen TV.
As a family owned and operated restaurant, Isshin Sushi offers friendly service. Did I forget to mention prompt service as well?
My last post was a little negative and highlighted a restaurant that I was not too happy with. This time around, I am going to give a positive review of Blowfish, an upbeat Japanese restaurant bordering West Hollywood and Beverly Hills. The location is actually a little off the strip, and if your heading east along Sunset Blvd, this is exactly where the strip begins and Beverly Hills ends (across from the Jaguar/Land Rover dealership).
Like Katana, the ambiance at Blowfish is upbeat and energetic…but it somehow feels a little more authentic. The lights are dim and there is an interesting blend of Reggae music in the background and Japanese Anime films being played on Plasma TV screens. My girlfriend and I have eaten here on several occasions and she swears that they play the same Bob Marley record each time…but I never noticed.
If you’re eating at Blowfish on the weekday, you probably won’t have any trouble getting a table without reservations. On the weekends, it’s a different story. The restaurant is usually packed on the weekends, and frequently hosts events and parties, so I would suggest you make reservations early in the afternoon (or possibly the day before). If you’re really eager to eat there, you can simply walk-in and try your luck at the Sushi Bar which is seated on a first-come, first-serve basis.
The sushi at Blowfish is on the pricey side, ranging from $12-$18 per roll. But unlike Katana which I featured in my last post, the Sushi at Blowfish is always fresh and full of flavor. My favorites at Blowfish are the Spicy Tuna Roll and the Animal Style Roll…but I am really partial to the latter. They serve several specialty drinks made with Sake or Japanese Vodka…my personal favorite being the POM (Pomegranate) & Vodka. If you still have room for dessert, I would suggest going with the Green Tea Cheesecake.
If you’re looking for overpriced Sushi, then Sunset Blvd is the place to go.
At a whopping $12-$15 per roll, the majority of Sushi restaurants located on the strip fall short when it comes to quality. This isn’t to say that the sushi is bad; it just isn’t worth the price. For instance, take Katana – a very ordinary sushi restaurant with extraordinary prices. I heard a lot of good things about Katana before I went, so it’s possible that I could have come in with really high expectations. If you decide to go there on the weekend, make reservations ahead of time as it gets really packed. I went there on a weekday so it wasn’t too packed, but even for a Tuesday, the ambiance was upbeat and very energetic.
Although Katana does serve much more than just sushi, including traditional Japanese skewers (Robata), we we just went with the sushi. We ordered about 6 different rolls (hand-cut) and a couple orders of sashimi between the two of us. I really hate to make the comparison (since it could have been a one time thing), but the Sushi reminded me of the rolls you purchase from the refrigerators at Ralphs. The fish wasn’t fresh, the avocado was brown, the rice was hard packed (not sure if that’s the correct term), and it was just bland.
I also enjoy Spicy Mayo with my Sushi and they couldn’t even get that right. The Spicy Mayo they brought out had the consistency of margarine; I thought the whole point was to dip your sushi into it, not spread it. The service was also nothing special; the waitress would disappear for long periods of time and never came around to check up on us. On a positive note, the 5-minute souffle (it takes 5 minutes, hence the name) we had for dessert was quite good.
Although I may give Katana another shot, I don’t think I will be coming back in the near future.
If you’re looking to enjoy great sushi without putting a dent in your pocketbook, you absolutely must give Sushi Dan a shot. Located on the second floor of the Sunset Plaza complex (above the Virgin Mega Store), Sushi Dan serves a plethora of Japanese specialties with an innovative twist. They have all your favorites…sashimi, specialty rolls, baked rolls, and a fantastic assortment of hot teriyaki meats and udons (Japanese noodle soups).
