There are some great, and I mean great, restaurants with unlikely facades in and around L.A. For sushi snobs, you don’t know sushi until you’ve visited Asanebo on Sushi Row (aka Ventura Blvd). Yeah, yeah. Everyone’s got their own find and I’m not casting aspersions on your personal fave, but this is the real deal – sashimi elevated to the sublime.
You won’t see much rice here, and this place is neither for the sushi novice, nor anyone who would even ponder an all-you-can eat sushi deal. This place is pricey! But for anyone who still has an expense account, this is the place to spend it. Do yourself a favor, don’t try to navigate the menu, just ask your server what he or she recommends. For a real treat, get the Spanish mackerel toward the end of your meal. They’ll fry the bone up for you to snack on as you wind down. It’s like a yummy salty fish cracker. Mmmmm. (Oh, and girls, it’s right next to a pet spa so don’t be surprised when you hear barking in the powder room.)
If you can’t afford Asanebo, just mosey down the street to the place formerly known as Tama. Chef Katsuya’s new place is called Kiwami (and yes, it’s that Katsuya,) and the sushi is excellent. Go for this place when you want to treat yourself, but the check will be paid from your own coffers.
