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Sushi is certainly one of those things where you don't want to be cheap. And though it'd be lovely to be able to afford a weekly omakase with Hiro Urasawa, that's out of reach for most of us. That doesn't mean there aren't places where you can find fresh fish for a good value. There are plenty of great sushi spots around town that capitalize on the fantastic fish available in L.A. Here are some of our favorites. As always, leave your own recommendations in the comments.
Chirashi at Toshi (Photo by DJJewelz on Flickr)
Sushi Gen
This humble sushi spot in Little Tokyo has been open for 30-plus years, giving customers market-fresh fish at an incredible value. The Sashimi Special ($15 at lunch, $26 at dinner) is done omakase-style, meaning the freshest of whatever the chef has been able to wrangle for the day will end up on your plate. An array of fish—from tuna to salmon or yellowtail—comes with a large bowl of white rice, a bowl of miso soup, a dish of sunomono, and a few cubes of tofu in beef broth. Consider it the apex of good value sushi in L.A.
Sushi Gen is located at 422 E 2nd St, Los Angeles, (213) 617-0552
Toshi
The chirashi bowl special at Little Tokyo's Toshi sushi has been a lunch meeting fave of ours for years. The dizzying array of tuna, yellowtail, roes, egg omelets, pickles, and octopus come sitting atop a generous bowl of well-made sushi rice, and all for $15. You can fork over an extra $5 and get the premium bowl, which includes things like uni and unagi, but the lower end version will keep you more than full. Talk about bang for your buck.
Toshi is located at 59 E. 1st Street, Little Tokyo, (213) 680-4166
Sugarfish (Photo by Cathy Danh on Flickr)
Sugarfish
If being a "Sushi Nazi" means serving up some of the freshest fish the city has to offer, then Nozawa is onto something. He's been bringing a democratized version of his eponymous restaurant through several Sugarfish locations for the past few years, and just opened up another outpost on 1st and La Brea (an increasingly hip hood). The lunch omakase is a steal at $40, featuring some of the freshest fish on offer due to his long-lasting relationships with fishmongers.
Sugarfish is located at 101 South La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, (323) 488-3636
Farm Boy
When it comes to grab-and-go sushi, Sherman Oaks' Farm Boy can't be beat. Not only are they affordable in their sushi offerings, but they also have fresh pressed green juices for $3.99 each—a steal compared to most trendy juice bars. They make hand rolls, cut rolls, and edomae chirashizushi bowls throughout the day, meaning you always get a fresh product. There's also piping hot vegetarian udon available at the register too for under $2.
Farm Boy is located at 14107 Riverside Drive, Sherman Oaks, (818) 501-5567
(Photo by via the Elieen1675 on Flickr)
Hide
Need to satisfy your craving for the bounty of the sea, but don't have a ton of dough to spare? This small, family-owned Japanese eatery on Sawtelle's Restaurant Row is where it's at. It's cash only, but a mere $12 can get you plenty to eat. There might be fancier sushi bars around town, but few have more heart. Look for sparkling-fresh sashimi and perfectly-fried tempura.
Hideis located at 2040 Sawtelle Blvd, Los Angeles, (310) 477-7242
Yama Seafood
People drive out to the SGV for killer dim sum, but there's also some seriously delicious—and affordable—sushi on offer. At Yama Seafood, you'll find pristine tuna, salmon and yellowtail cut to order for your very own glimmering sashimi plate. Yama sells packaged rolls to go too, which are much better than what you'll find at a grocery store. The rice is fantastic, but beware that waffling around isn't welcome with the owner, Mr. Yama, who is all about streamlined business.
Yama Seafoodis located at 911 W Las Tunas Dr, San Gabriel
Yoshi's Sushi
Yoshi's Sushi is a gem in West Hollywood. This mom-and-pop joint won't break the bank, but still offer you some fresh albacore or yellowtail that melt in your mouth. You can also get some top-notch house specialty rolls like the Jewelry Mine roll, which is chock-full of goodness, including crab, albacore, tuna, salmon, yellowtail, white fish with a shrimp tempura center. The service is always friendly and the restaurant stays open late until at least 10 p.m. (and up to 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays), so you can fulfill those late night sushi hunger pangs. --Jean Trinh
Yoshi's Sushi is located at 8274 Santa Monica Blvd. in West Hollywood, (323) 848-9105
