No luck so far, but Iāll report back if we see any. 
A Legend Survives - The Return of the Master Class in Wonderful Sushi - Mori Sushi [Thoughts + Pics]
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Brothers in Woodland Hills had Shinko last week
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@Chowseeker1999 @BradFord @ others in LAā¦
I just canāt enjoy sushi at the price point itās being offered at these days. Itās a snack to enjoy with beer for fās sake. Iām almost queasy thinking that 100 bucks is a ābargainā for a good dinner, but thatās what iām inquiring about. I need a place to go to with friends of a variety of backgrounds unified by love of sushi, drinking lots of beer and having some laughs. We used to hit up Shunji and the like for special occasions and you could still come up big for about 100pp, maybe a bit more (beer and sake adds up). Iām not looking to go out with some friends and have a bill top 1000 bucks, ever, my conscience and background just wonāt allow it. Itās not casual and fun at this current price point for me and my crew.
Soā¦whatās a good spot that I may not know about thatās in west la, BH, WeHo, hollywood, not named sugarfish, not doling out mayotard krab, that can do a nice nigiri, sashimi and handroll kind of dinnerā¦some of my pals have bdays coming up and weāre lookin for something new. Atmosphere always a plus. Is there some neighborhoody kind of spot that can deliver this?
Iād say Iām looking for a white whale and thankfully thereās not a spot anymore that takes that seriously i hope!
Nigiri as we know it certainly started out something more casual than sushi is today; but in America, thereās lots of reasons why restaurants charge so much for sushi (many of which are justified). But I hear you, and Iām disappointed by (even if I understand why from a business point of view) the fact that so many of the better sushi restaurants will serve exclusively omakase (which naturally will correspond to the prices you discuss). In Japan, itās a totally different game but weāre not in Japan soā¦
I think there are is a sweet spot of value, comfort, and decent quality in the South Bay around Torrance. Thereās even some izakayas with decent offerings, namely Izakaya Hachi with its excellent Batteria (box / pressed sushi, mackerel, but they also have sea eel or salmon) which is decently filling at 6 pretty large pieces for $12.50. Itās not nigiri sushi but itās nonetheless a fun and delicious dish in its own right (the mackerel one has shiso and pickled ginger packed underneath, and itās seared briefly to render some of the fatty oils). Then you can also get a couple of decent rolls like negihama (yellowtail and scallion) and they offer plates of sashimi as well. Yes, they do offer nigiri but Iāve never ordered nigiri at an izakaya. I believe that you could get a sashimi plate ~$18, a batteria ~$12.50, and a roll or two for $40-50 p/p, all the while adding beer, sake, and snacks like fried cartilege, robata yaki (skewers of chicken, beef, lamb, etc. etc.) noodles, etc. This isnāt a sushi meal but there is some sushi involved for a fun and relatively cost-effective meal that can hit the spot when drinking with friends. You can also have a decent meal at Sushi Nozomi or Chitose around Torrance for a reasonable price.
However, those are not in the areas you mentioned, and around
the only one that comes to mind currently is Matsumoto. They have a large okonomi selection, admittedly not cheap necessarily, but between a couple orders of nigiri, some sashimi, and mainly several maki rolls (negihama is about $9; tekkamaki bluefin tuna about $13), I think you could get out of there for a somewhat reasonable price.
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Thanks for that @BradFord
I live somewhat near Matsumoto and have been curious about it. Back in the day when it was named something else they forgot to deliver the hotate and then accused us of eating it and trying to scam them when we followed up on it lol. Shocking was āI saw you eat it!ā My eagle scout friend i was with still refers to this as āScallop-gate.ā Needless to say havenāt been backā¦but decades and change in ownership can heal old wounds! Maybe itās been a good enough laugh to make it worth it. Iāll hit it up and let you know. There used to be a cool spot a few blocks east on beverly called Sushitime that played jazz and had pretty decent sushi (nothing exotic tho), nice moriawase deals too, for a good priceā¦last i checked it was closed down.
Agree on the omakase trend and i love that when the time is right and so many good choices including those on this thread above. Just seems that fresh fish isnāt so rare, and neither are folks that know what to do with it, but what do i knowā¦obviously not much cuz this is such a hard find.
Totally agree about Torranceā¦and I do indulge in that when down there but itās not convenient for a night of drinking with friends that all live around weho area. Nobody driving home in this group, we plan to have some fun, and continue the ball rolling afterwards if we can.
And yeah itās amazing how in japan thereās so much amazing sushi for so much less, even many of the kaiten places would basically smoke most of the high end stuff here from my experienceā¦ a bit further than torrance
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We need more old-school places like this with the jazz, comfort, and decent quality, even if not brimming with a big selection.
Too bad Kiriko is closing. I feel like they had some good dishes (especially their cold appetizers, like the kanpachi carpaccio) and we used to frequent it a lot back in the day. They had okonomi offerings and some good bites that could make for a comfortable and delicious night out. Their blue crab hand roll was a solid way to end. Shinji-san was our guy who knew our palettes very well, but he left a while ago.
Yeah, the value, breadth, and high-highs are on another level there!
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Iām on it. Yep.
yes and yes. That lightly smoked salmon number with the caviar on top worked so well. I also really liked the soft shell crab tempura number. Shinji-san was a master of the spanish mackerel for me too and the āsilver fish.ā
the pandemic killed our last intended trip thereā¦i miss it in many waysā¦iām very comfortable there and love the mutual respect and kindness shown strangers and everyone there. I admire that greatly.
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Agreed! Shinji-san once did a seafood offal and clams dinner on the fly; I miss that creativity and hospitality. I love Spanish mackerel as well.
Back in '08 or so, it was all about Kiriko, Mori, and Zo for us. Times have changed, but Mori under Maru-san seems even better than ever, thanks to @Chowseeker1999 for the look in. I still must return to Mori. Sushi Ginza Onodera has the firepower for prestige neta (and a wicked ankimo dish; I think Kaneyoshi is quite good, too), but is perhaps less flexible on a custom meal like @Chowseeker1999 's meals by Maru at Mori. Mori by Maru-san looks like it might be the most sophisticated sushi in LA in a sense.
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Back on earth all this talk went to sugarfish bh for friends bday lunch
The $59 donāt talk just eat is
Edamame
Tuna sashimi
2 pieces of otoro, chutoro, albacore, salmon with the kelp and sesame, sweet shrimp (they called baby lobster), sea bream, unagi
1 toro roll
1 lobster roll
Not a convivial place where I want to drink but for a weekday special occasion lunch it was a good deal and enjoyable.
Used to be not long ago same price would get you a really good omakase lunch at Kiriko.
What was in your seafood offal and clams dinner? Sounds awesome. Always love the crab brains w crab.
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Hi @chienrouge ,
Sorry I missed your request until now (been a busy day). 
I think @BradFord summarized the situation in L.A. quite well, unfortunately. Quality Sushi in So Cal is all about Omakase blowout dinners. There were a few newcomers that friends of friends told me about recently, andā¦ those are even worse: Caviar, 24k Gold Flakes, A5 Wagyu Beef, smoking Dry Ice, just silly bling stuff for certain Instagram crowds I think. 
I do not know of a good Okonomi / enjoy whatever pieces you like for under $100 per person in that area, unfortunately. I was going to suggest the South Bay / Torrance as well. Definitely agree with @BradFord about those suggestions if you find yourself that way. A fun Izakaya (Japanese Pub) visit with Sashimi, Battera (Pressed Sushi) and small plates / beer / sake (fairly priced) is the way to go.
Thatās another reason the $100 Kogane Sushi Lunch is such a great deal (and standout) because of the āgreatā price (I know, I know). Cost of living, inflation these days.
We were the same @chienrouge back in the day! Shunji Sushi pre-COVID had great prices / value. It was always possible to get out of there for ~$100 - $125 (no Sake) and youād get top quality stuff. When he was doing Lunch, you could get an even better value. Now, times have changed sadly.
Heck, new trendy bars are selling Cocktails at $20 - $25 (+ tax & tip) for cocktails! 
We definitely miss Japan as well. Some fantastic eats for super cheap!
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Hi @chienrouge ,
I hear you, Torrance is definitely a bit far. I would say, one of these days, for a nice, fun convivial place, great Sake & Beer (they have Asahi Draft from Japan and the other standards), you should consider going to Torihei (tasty Yakitori and Kyoto-style Oden). You could do an Uber ride share with your friends and save on the cost! 
Really festive restaurant. Kick-back, relaxed. The Japanese staff are welcoming and itās a fun atmosphere.
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the ~$40ish sushi lunch special was one of my favorite deals.
It was a while ago so going off memory no pictures, but definitely sazae (conch), tairagai (pen shell clam), mirugai, ankimo appetizer, and a few dishes with fish liver. Perhaps kawahagi?
Iām not really a fan of Sugarfish or Nozawa / Nozawabar style, but the value is there for lunch.
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Nice clams menu
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some more local japanese fare for friendās bday was meeting some folks at the unfortunately named Manpuku japanese bbq on 3d by the Beverly Center.
Didnāt break the bank and was enjoyable for american waygu and prime cuts that you cook yourself, very rapidly i might add for some of them. Nice shrimp to grill too. There are intestines, pork jowl, dark meat chicken and other stuff. Solid veggies and sides and friendly folks. I particularly enjoyed the ribeye cap, tongue and the waygu filet. Pitchers of draft sapporo beer (not sure if actually japanese, but it was cold and good). Iām partial to my korean bbq spots but this was different and fun and very tasty. Not the same as an izakaya session or sushi bar but was still fun and variety of tasty bites. 5 eaters and the total including the beer and drinks was about 250 including tax/tip, or the price of one person doing a sushi omakase (or part of one lol). More enjoyable to me compared to a steakhouse - i just cook my bigger steaks at home easy peasy, but this was stuff i couldnāt do at home and nice variety and presentation and set up.
nice cocktail and beer bar the phoenix is next door. Lots of trappist beers like Rochefort and they have chimay and other beers and wines on tap, plus large selection of quality spirits.
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Yakiniku is basically a Japanese version of Korean barbecue, and Manpuku is a decent spot. I went to the West LA (Sawtelle) branch with friends during college. I also like Tokyo Kalbi in the Westside - they have the āreba sashiā (beef liver sashimi) if you dare (itās been banned in Japan). Slippery with a heavy mineral taste and a strong dose of sesame oil to offset it. At yakiniku, I always start with yukkhe (Korean beef tartare), make sure to get beef tongue (cook it very quickly and squeeze lemon on it) and end with an oxtail kuppa (like an oxtail stew with rice). In the South Bay, I like Tamaen in Lomita. Their cube tongue is a lot of fun and they have an Iberico pork secreto cut thatās delicious with wasabi. They also have the reba-sashi (make sure you have a very cold beer handy, because that iron + sesame oil taste is strong). Like you said, yakiniku is not sushi at all, but a fun and delicious cuisine in its own right.
So, thereās decent and reasonably priced yakiniku in the area; still on the search for high quality okonomi nearbyā¦I always forget about Tsujita Sushi, I wonder if theyāll have a decent lunch special.
Anyway, since this is a thread about Mori Sushi, I am definitely fiending for some Hagashi Toro Temaki after rereading @Chowseeker1999 's post. Texturally, and with the use of shiso and takuan, it sounds refreshing and a perfect closer to the normal course.
Iām interested to hear what other temaki at Mori Sushi come to mind?
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Thanks for that
a few decades ago I had the raw liver at a yakiniku place in shinjuku and letās just say it didnāt stay down lol. Of course i rallied. Iām not rushing back to get that. I donāt think manpuko serves that and given its name good thingā¦
Nice tips for other spots ā Iāll update on the Matsumoto
they used to have this great āplatinumā chirashi plate, that was a hell of dealā¦been forever since ive been thereā¦my recollection is that the nigiri etc is both pricy and also not as good as the competition, but iām staying out of those echelons in this context with my buddies tooā¦
Mori sushiā¦someday you will be mine lol
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Hi @BradFord ,
Ah, good question! I donāt think I remember all the different types of Temaki (Hand Rolls) that Chef Maru has created for us over the years. Every single one was fantastic, in no small part due to that super crispy, crunchy Nori (Seaweed) wrapper from Saga, Japan. So good! Some Temaki at Mori Sushi include:
- Hagashi Toro Temaki - Special Fatty Tuna Belly Handroll
- Bafun Uni + Tsukune Imo + Shiso Temaki - Bafun Uni (Hokkaido, Japan), Mountain Yam, Shiso Leaf Handroll
- Ume Shiso Temaki - Japanese Plum (Wakayama, Japan) + Shiso Leaf Handroll - This might sound basic, but it was amazing! My tasting notes:
We asked Maru-san to make us his current favorite Temaki, and he smiled before disappearing. He reappeared with a container he was holding delicately: In it he had special Ume (Japanese Plum) that he hand-carried from Wakayama, Japan(!). He said he fell in love with this local Wakayama Ume, and usually eats it for himself.
Taking a bite:
Wow. This Wakayama Ume is nothing like the usual Ume flavor we get at various local shops around here. Itās far more aromatic, fragrant, as if they had incorporated the Plum Blossom Flowers into the mixture. Itās inherently sweet, barely tart, luscious and amazing! 
When eaten with the Shiso Leaf, Maru-sanās new Rice and that special Nori (Seaweed) wrapper from Saga, Japan that would make all Onigiri lovers weep with joy, you have one of the best bites of the year (again)!
And I know heās made at least another 2 - 3 different types as well over the years. Enjoy!
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Hi @chienrouge , @BradFord ,
Ah yes, Tsujita Sushi - We last went there during 2021, for Lunch outdoor dining to support local restaurants during the pandemic. The Chirashi is not as memorable as it used to be, but also, the competition to make Takeout Chirashi during 2020 - 2021 from so many top Sushi bars (because of shutting down multiple times) was fierce, so Tsujita felt more āleft behindā in some ways.
It was still good, but nowhere near the amazing Chirashi To-Go offerings we had during this time (e.g., Sugishita, Shin Sushi, Sushi Ginza Onodera and a few other places).
For Omakase Sushi at Tsujita, the last time we tried it was before COVID. At that time, it was as @chienrouge mentioned: Solid, but there were better offerings around LA (Mori Sushi, Shunji, Shin, Kiriko even).
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That was my experience there, too, a while back, but thought they had some lunch values (turns out it was the chirashi). I was thinking even Sushi Masakazu in Westwood, but that seems now omakase-only.
They all sound delicious - balanced, refreshing even, and great texturally. Perfect to close the mealās savory part.
I love ume-shiso! That filling is one of my favorites for maki, especially in spring or summer. Wakayama ume sounds great.
When you go to Mori Sushi now, do you order the āPremium Omakase M.P.ā or specify something even more? Iām traveling most of September, but I plan to return to Mori finally sometime in October. Thanks.
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Hi @BradFord ,
Even Masakazu is Omakase only now? Darn.
Yah Maru-sanās Temaki are all great.
I think these days Maru-san might have only 1 Omakase option, but I might have to check on that. He basically remembers that we enjoy his full Omakase (he remembers our friendsā preferences as well, as any good itamae should) and so when we make a reservation we just tell him date / time and āOmakaseā and he knows heās making whateverās fresh and interesting that day.
But definitely confirm and ask if he has different ones these days, if he does, the one we get would probably be the āPremiumā as before COVID, I think his other option was a Nigiri-Only Omakase. Enjoy!
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