We've been coming here for about seven years, and Dojo Sushi has never let us down…read more The fish is consistently excellent, the menu has enough variety to keep everyone in the family happy, and the value is surprisingly good for a family night out. Just as importantly, the staff is always friendly and welcoming. A special shout-out to the Brussels sprouts appetizer, which has somehow become a mandatory order every time we visit. Dojo isn't so much a hidden gem as it is a jewel on Ventura Blvd. On a nice evening, the patio feels like a little oasis, with great food, great people-watching, and an atmosphere that keeps us coming back year after year. Seven years later, it's still one of our favorite spots.

Came in with high hopes and a serious sushi craving, left with a pretty mixed impression that I…read morecan't really ignore. The orange salmon sashimi was unfortunately a miss. The cut felt sloppy, and there was even a bone present, which made it hard to enjoy at all. More concerning than presentation was the overall freshness -- it had that slightly off, fishy edge that you just don't want when you're ordering salmon, especially if you normally love it. On the brighter side, the Hubba Hubba roll actually delivered. Balanced, flavorful, and easily the best thing we ordered. That said, the experience took a weird turn when the waitress cleared the plate while we were still actively eating from it. It felt rushed and a bit dismissive, especially for a restaurant at this price point. The vegetable gyoza was an easy skip. Dense, difficult to bite through, and oddly bland -- not much else to say there. The Big Daddy Roll and 911 Roll were fine, but nothing stood out. The fish didn't taste especially fresh, the rice felt a little past its prime, and overall everything leaned more "okay sushi night" than anything memorable. At the end of the meal, I just wasn't convinced. Between the inconsistency in freshness, a couple execution issues, and the pacing of service, I'm not sure I'd return -- especially given the price. One good roll in an otherwise uneven experience isn't quite enough to bring me back, but I'd be curious if this was an off night or just the norm. Casual spot with premium pricing.

Zen Toro Sushi is easily one of the best sushi restaurants I've been to. The fish is incredibly…read morefresh, and you can truly taste the exceptional quality in every bite. From the sashimi to the specialty rolls, everything was beautifully prepared and absolutely delicious. The ambiance is warm, modern, and inviting, making it the perfect place for a date night, dinner with friends, or any special occasion. The employees are extremely friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable, providing outstanding service from the moment you walk in. If you're looking for the freshest, highest-quality sushi with an amazing atmosphere and top-notch service, I highly recommend Zen Toro Sushi. I'll definitely be coming back!

As soon as you walk in, everyone gives you a warm welcome. The vibes are friendly, intimate, and…read moreinviting -- you're about to have a goood meal! It being our first time, our server explained the menu and gave us her recommendations. We tried the albacore carpaccio -- my favorite item of the night. Loved the tender pieces of albacore drenched in sauce with jalapeños and crispy onions. (Definitely going back to get this again!) We also tried the elite roll (yellowtail) and the tuna on tuna roll. Both good, but the spicy mayo was on the sweeter side, which I'd never really had. It reminded me of candy so that was definitely different! Edamame was good too, and overall, we had a good experience and are interested in trying more items!

Picture of you guys are nothing but the best they have the best service and the people here are…read moreexcellent and of course the food is good

Umigame Japanese Kitchen has never disappointed me. I've tried a variety of their sushi rolls over…read moretime, and each one has been consistently delicious, but the Lime Yellowtail Roll, Sunrise Roll, and Truffle Unagi Roll are my absolute favorites. The Lime Yellowtail is wonderfully bright and refreshing, while the Truffle Unagi has a richer, more indulgent flavor that makes it particularly memorable. The starters are equally worth ordering. The Yellowtail Carpaccio is delicate and flavorful, and the Albacore & Crisp Onion is another favorite, with a lovely combination of fresh fish and texture from the crispy onion. Everything tastes fresh, beautifully balanced, and thoughtfully prepared, and a glass of sake is the perfect accompaniment. The service is always excellent, with a friendly and attentive staff, while the casual, relaxed ambiance makes it an easy place to enjoy a leisurely meal. Umigame continues to be one of those places I can return to knowing I'm going to have a delicious and enjoyable dining experience.

Came here just for David. The hottest waiter I've ever had #patrickswayze food was good too.read more

In today's restaurant market, there are many Japanese restaurants that are good and occasionally…read moreyou find one that is fantastic. How does one determine that a Japanese restaurant is fantastic? First you start with the ambience, then you start with a selection of the menu, then you look at the presentation of each plate and dish and the creative reiteration of that dish. At Taisho which is located in the heart of the Valley in Sherman Oaks, is a wonderful restaurant with great creativity and presentation and ambience... And it hits all the marks of a truly wonderful Japanese restaurant. This restaurant is so good that even living in Orange County, what desires to go back into the valley, which is quite a jaunt. We occasionally go to the valley for family and friends and events... And from now on, we will be stopping by this wonderful Japanese restaurant. I'm going to post some pictures and let the pictures speak for themselves. If you're ever in the valley, you gotta make this one of your stops.

First time eating here. Very neat experience especially with the food rotating around. Roxanne was…read moreextremely helpful.

As fisherman and long time sushi lover, Fish was great. huge menu that has something for everyone…read moreincluding those looking for something new to try. Appreciate tasty creative accents such as sauces or other flavorings and textures added to nigiri or rolls or other dishes. Wait staff was friendly and seating comfortable. Don't let unlikely area scare you off. Also appreciate specials.

The lobster roll was surprisingly good. It came out of left field…read more Sevice was chill and great. I went when it was slower. The hand rolls were on point. Perfectly timed and perfectly stacked.

My son found this sushi restaurant to try to deviate from our normal hand roll place that we…read morefrequent 2x a month - Yunomi Handroll. I will say that the reviews were good, however I was skeptical due to North Hollywood location and newly openly developed area. Regardless, we tried it. We were greeted and told to wait; totally fine, party of 3 on the waitlist seated ahead of us. Next, we sat down, listening to Drake, Kendrick and Kayne. After we were seated, we asked if we could share one hand roll set, which is something we regularly do at every other handroll restaurants. The waitress immediately explained that the hand roll sets were not meant to be shared and repeatedly asked us which specific rolls each of us would be eating. We were questioned about it more than once, making the interaction feel unnecessarily uncomfortable. A short time later, as J-Cole continued to play, another couple was seated next to us. They also asked to share a hand roll set. To my surprise, they were not given the same explanation, nor were they repeatedly asked to identify which rolls each person would be eating. Their request was simply accommodated. Interesting how minorities are treated here compared to others in this area. I cannot believe in 2026 how racism is very much alive, while black artists are playing overhead. I've spent thousands of dollars dining at restaurants throughout Los Angeles and have always believed that every customer deserves to be treated with the same level of respect. Unfortunately, that was not my experience here. I will never return to this racist establishment. I hope management takes customer service seriously and ensures that all guests are treated consistently and respectfully. Bottom line, I should have gone to Yunomi. Also, prices are too high.

TLDR: Please go here--this place is amazing. My wife and I have been return customers for over a…read moreyear (since she was "girlfriend"). The food is amazing, the workers are happy and friendly, and the place is sleek and clean. Dry aged fish is something I never knew I needed but it's something I can't imagine not having. If you sit by the fridges you can see where the dry aging magic happens. We've brought a handful of new people with us on Uoichiba dates and everyone has loved it. The drinks are great, too! PS: Can't go wrong with an Extra-Medium and I can't help but get an LA Handroll and a Wagyu handroll. PPS: Wife here, the quality is breathtaking, the prices are unbeatable, and Eric and Alex are so personable. We love it here!

Had lunch at Uoichiba and ordered the medium 5 rolls as it was our first visit. The dining area was…read morea full house as it was peak lunch time, so be forewarned that there may be a little spacing between the rolls arriving at your table. We didn't mind the wait, but if you are on a time crunch it may be something to consider. Service was attentive regardless and we had an overall good first experience. We also ordered the fish bone broth (not the miso soup) and the umami flavor was spectacular. We also appreciated how each handroll was wrapped in fresh crispy/crunchy seaweed and the sushi rice complimented each fish well. The dry aged fish was super tender and creamy and had no fishy taste at all. Our most favorite out of the 5 was the lean tuna, steelhead salmon, and whitefish. We'll definitely be coming back and would love to try their other individual handrolls not included in the pre-fix combinations.

Food was delicious and ambiance was fun. Clean establishment and employees were very friendly…read more Highly recommend!

Dining at Aria was a nice experience. The ambiance was very cool, the sushi was good and the…read moreservice was helpful and kind. Shishito peppers were a delicious appetizer. We ordered the American slam (no rice roll), baked crab roll, eel roll, spicy tuna roll and they were all great. Recommend! :)

I am sharing some love in the 818. I'll start here with Little Izaka-ya by Katsuya, my favorite…read morelocal sushi joint in the San Fernando Valley. The food is always fresh -- trust me. I visit this little Valley gem (near the 405 Fwy and Sepulveda Blvd just south of Ventura Blvd.) about one to two times a month. I went more often when I lived in Sherman Oaks. First, it's always busy at dinner, so you know the word is out that it is good. Second, the food is consistantly very good. Third (and can be First), the staff is great. They work well together and quietly and always make sure you are taken care of and they are also friendly, which is great when you are a regular. So, Katsu-ya is a chain. Little Izaka-ya by Katsu-ya serves the same great taste and standard of any of the Katsu-ya restaurants, only this one will serve smaller dishes. So, I mostly go solo and I can order a variety and get 1 piece of sushi or a mini-order of the sashimi specials. I think this is a big factor in why I started going to begin with. The managers are always so welcoming (Joe (no longer there. Boo.), Koh and the newest sweet manager (I didn't get his name, but will when I go again). The parking is the only downside. The City of Los Angeles owns the war-torn disaster of a "parking lot" in the rear of the row of restaurants. You have to pay at a kiosk (about $2.50). BUT I suggest you call the city and report the pitted asphalt and GO TO LITTLE IZAKA-YA. Some of my favorite dishes -- all gluten-free -- are the Crispy Rice/Spicy Tuna, jumbo scallop sushi with yuzu and sea salt, salmon skin hand roll (no gobo), albacore sushi with gf ponzu sauce, and the salad with blanched broccoli, asparagus, cucumber, avocado, tomato and lettuce... and a cold house sake. Mmmmm.

Great spot and just my go-to when I'm in Sherman Oaks area and am craving fresh sushi!…read more The brussel sprouts, sauteed to well-done, were phenomenal and with a lot of flavor. The spicy shrimp cut roll, creamy salmon cut roll and the spicy tuna cut, were very yummy as well. The ratio of fish to rice was perfect, the fish tasted fresh and flavorful and these rolls always hit the spot for me. The spot gets very busy for lunch but has a good number of tables and about 15 spots for seating at the sushi bar. I prefer to sit at the sushi bar, as I love to see the action of all the chef's creating their masterpieces. The chefs and the general staff are very friendly as well and are always happy to help. Will definitely be back again!

My 4th time at Sushi by Scratch and 3rd time at the Encino location. This has become one of my go…read moreto spots for birthday dinners because the atmosphere is so intimate and fun. The chefs are always incredibly welcoming, we always have great conversations, and the drinks are great too! What I especially love is their unique flavor profiles. The experience is purely nigiri, but each piece incorporates unexpected flavors and seasonings that you wouldn't normally associate with traditional nigiri. The combinations somehow work so well, and that creativity is what makes it especially memorable for someone who eats sushi frequently. I've also been to the Beverly Hills location, but I honestly prefer Encino. The setting feels much more intimate and the overall vibe is better. I sometimes still leave a little hungry as there isn't an option to order additional pieces or pay for extras at the end. Otherwise, always a fun and memorable experience.

Easily the best omakase experience my partner and I have ever had. I genuinely don't think we could…read morego anywhere else after this. It was recommended to us by friends and we can see why. Definitely come about 30 minutes early to experience their speakeasy before dinner. The drinks and small bites were delicious and such a great way to start the night. Make a reservation ahead of time for the space is intimate and every seat was filled when we went. The star of the night wasn't even the food... it was the chef! Jason was amazing. He was personable, entertaining, and made the entire experience feel special from beginning to end. And of course, the 17-course omakase was incredible. You can really see the level of skill, precision, and craftsmanship that goes into every single course. Every piece felt intentional, from the flavors and textures to the presentation. There wasn't a single course that felt like an afterthought, and by the end of the night we were already talking about when we could come back. Amazing food, amazing atmosphere, and an even better experience because of Chef Jason. This is officially our new standard for omakase. We'll absolutely be back!