This place is hands down the best sushi spot in the La area by far!!! . The ingredients are incredibly fresh, and the service is top-notch. I'm so glad I stumbled across Kiitsu. Without a doubt, I will be coming back. It truly is a hidden gem. If you're a sushi lover and looking for quality sushi that's reasonably priced then you should check this place out. Thank me later!! read more

Fantastic and highly highly recommend. Not cheap but worth it. Had a wonderful meal and as someone who's eaten sushi all over the world please check kiitsu out ! read more

Imari is a great Japanese spot in Brentwood. The staff is super friendly and extremely informative. Everything we ordered was explained to us in great detail, which adds to the experience. The ambiance is nice, and you can even sit by the bar and watch the sushi chef at work. For food I honestly could recommend everything we ordered (in the pictures). My favorites were the wagyu, the gyoza, and the tuna and avocado roll. However, everything was great except for the uni. The uni was $18 per roll, and it was definitely not the best uni I've had. I would definitely recommend giving Imari a try, it's a great vibe and delicious. read more

See all

3 letters ... WOW! I just had the most incredible dining experience at a sushi joint! The food was seriously mind-blowing - every dish was a burst of flavors and looked like a piece of art. The best quality fish I've ever had in California and even overseas. It's an exclusive little gem in Brentwood that I am so happy I know about! Everything from the most amazing sashimi, sushi, and even fried chicken to the ambience, the customer service, and vibe are 100%. The scallop Nigiri is my favorite:) I don't think there's a better restaurant I could recommend whether it's lunch, dinner, date, or with friends. read more

See all

One of the best meals I had in LA and probably the most authentic Japanese meal I had in LA. Chatting with Chef Wilcox, you get an appreciation of his dedication to sourcing the best and freshest ingredients. He is among the most real and nicest people as well The food was delicious and had a nice progression of flavors. He cooks with a certain precision and everything is very balanced. Service was great The place was very well designed and built. It is great for a business clients or a date. I highly recommend this place. read more

A very intimate, tranquil experience here at the Imari. The pace reminds you of a small boutique shop in Kyoto. Menu is simple yet well round. Appetizer, protein followed by dessert. They also have handrolls, sushi. Hiyayakko, a homemade organic tofu, a cross between tofu and soy milk, interestingly lingering Tomato with fresh yuba and sea salt. Made in house. Yuba is a by product, the top layer left behind and later carefully skimmed after tofu was steamed. Reminds me of the story about Japanese monks have smooth hands because the yeast from Yuba. Anago and Leeks tempura. Delightfully crispy, light and completed with their dipping sauce. You may, however, simply touch the salt at the corner of the plate. Dessert: I had the green beans milk ice cream which is very dense and had an interesting contrast to the crunchiness of the green beans. read more

See all

Imari is a new restaurant that's been open for only 4 days and are currently offering 3 different bento boxes. The boxes range from $28 to $48 and it's a great chance to try out the fresh fish they offer along with their varieties of pickled veggies such as lotus root, ginger, cucumber, and Daikon radish. I got the Imari box ($48) and it comes with a little bit of everything. While picking up my order I caught a glimpse of the chefs creating their work of art and with the amount of attention to detail that they put into these boxes I already knew the bento was going to be good. The sashimi in my bento included Tamago, big eye tuna marinated in house made soy sauce, salmon, smoked black cod ( my absolute favorite in the box next to the Tamago), sea bream, uni (Hokkaido I believe), shiitake mushroom, and steamed rice topped with river seaweed and sesame. The Tamago was amazing. It was slightly sweet, custardy, and had such a great delicate flavor that I will never forget. It was a great way to end the meal and a reminder that I'll have to go back when they offer the omakase. I saw them already making lots of boxes and they've only been one for a few days. Hurry up and get yours while there is no wait. For now order is online only I believe because they order a certain amount of fish every day. read more

See all

Where to start? I've already had the pleasure of enjoying three delicious bento boxes and two amazing dine-in experiences. The bentos: The FRESHEST, most delicious fish. I was never really a fan of uni, but I am now! It's the star of the show, for sure! I also had no idea that I love lotus root! The dine-in menu: There is not a single thing I wasn't overly-impressed with. I'm an omnivore and didn't realize just how delicious Hiyayakko tofu can be! Also, the Potato sa(r)ada... so good. The Chicken Gyoza, the Striped Bass, the Kagoshima Wagyu?! I could go on and on, but I would probably name everything on the menu. I'm also not a big dessert or sweets kind of person, but the Red Shiso Sorbet is ridiculous. It's sweet, tart, and has a spice to it that I can't quite put my finger on. I've hogged it both visits (sorry, friends!) I'm an avid sushi-lover, but Washoku cuisine is an entirely new and amazing experience. Great service, modern, cool, intimate ambiance, and my favorite new find. I can't wait to go back when Omakase is available! read more

See all

This was sadly a swing and miss... With the prices, menu, and aesthetics of this restaurant, I suggested it as a fancy night out with 6 of my childhood friends. By the end of the night, I was apologizing to them nonstop because of how ripped off we all felt. This place was so overpriced and underwhelming. First, their portions are very tiny. Tiny portions work if it is amazing food or beautiful presentation. Theirs was neither. It was literally just grilled cod, sliced duck, and wagyu. Second, the food took long to arrive.. the food that should have been hot was warm and the raw food was room temperature. It was not a busy night so I am not too sure why the service was so bad. Third, and this bugged me a lot... They served all our food for the 6 of us on one small plate, and told us to each take 3 pieces. How does that work? You got 6 hungry people who paid $150 each for dinner and you want us to split the smallest portions of food ourselves? This is not my restaurant, but for $150 each, for bland food, at least give us our own plates and use better presentation. Fourth, their sashimi and oysters were not that fresh either. I would not recommend this restaurant. Sorry! read more

Not recommended, was okay. Food took really long to come out and service was not great. read more

Best sushi in town!! Along with amazing customer service from everyone! Will absolutely be back read more

We love this restaurant! The food and atmosphere are always great and Arnold is a great server- he made the birthday very special!

Sushi chef Derek Wilcox is a true master! This place is a "must" if you want the highest quality sushi served in a VIP setting. From the moment you walk in the door you know you are going to have a very special meal. The place has an ambiance of comfortable yet sparse modern Zen, but without the often overbearing hipster vibe. There's a flow to the place... it's not frantic, but rather paced. It was not a busy night so I'll have to go back to see how it works with a fuller house, but I got the sense all would still feel utterly snd effortlessly in control. The food is divine. Incredibly fresh, elegantly served. Chef Wilcox can tell you where everything is sourced, how it was prepared... and why. He also has an incredible depth of knowledge about beer, sake and wine (and gave me a curated tour of those items along with the tasting menu). It's pricey, but you certainly get what you pay for -- which is an exceptional meal in a very special setting. read more

Absolute perfection! Totally in love with this place. The intimate setting preps you for a moment of dining pleasure. With a noninvasive view of the impeccable chefs, you have a choice to hide away in a booth or get a front row seat to the action. You'll never feel ignored as each server is ready and willing to tend to every guest. From the savory gyoza to the delightfully refreshing milk ice cream with mochi and strawberries, Kiitsu will always leave you completely satisfied. read more

Kiitsu - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

See all

I had such an amazing dinner the other night at Kiitsu. We started with the Plum Wine which was very refreshing and flavorful. My favorite thing was the cherrywood - smoked black cod. The cod was incredibly fresh and silky with just the right amount of char. Every time I visit Kiitsu know I'm guaranteed to have a delicious and fun experience. The chef is clearly not afraid to experiment with unique flavors. The service and ambiance put the cherry on top for a perfect date night or girls night out! read more

Kiitsu - Knai kama, avocado, yellowtail, cucumber, and jalapeño. - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

See all

Soooo good. Attentive service. They've got nice lowkey booths for couples. I will be coming back soon the food surprised me!!

I want to start this by saying I never write yelp reviews. I am so disappointed that I just had to write this. I live close by so I ordered takeout thinking the sushi would be good as the restaurant is in a nice neighborhood and pricy. First off, the portion size for the cut roll I ordered was a joke. It was around half or less than half of the size of a typical cut roll. I also added avocado to it, and there was barely a sliver in there. I have never had an experience like this even at a more casual and less pricey sushi restaurant. I was also surprised that the restaurant provided prepackaged ginger that tasted very odd and plasticky rather than something more fresh provided in the sushi container. Not what you would expect from an upscale restaurant like this. Unfortunately to make it worse, the taste was not the best. It sounds crazy to say but I have had better sushi from grocery stores. There is obviously a lack of care for the quality of the food and customers experience, even with a hefty price tag attached. read more

Hands down one of the best Japanese food I've ever had! The ambiance was absolutely beautiful.. The sushi's and sashimi are freshly served without delayed! all the staffs are very friendly and accommodating! the service is excellent! Everything was seamless.Will definitely comeback with friends and family read more

See all

Imari is truly fantastic. A hidden gem in west LA. Their attention to detail, authenticity and creativity shines through every dish I've had (which admittedly is about half the menu.) Shout out to Smith, the GM there. He's extremely friendly, and makes you feel like you're the only person in the restaurant. You feel great being here and are always well taken care of. This is the place if you want a seamless experience. Don't miss it! read more

I heard of this place from some friends and I was waiting for a special occasion to go there since it's not really close to home. On my boyfriend's birthday we finally got to try it. Totally worth it! It's a small restaurant but cosy and somehow the majority of the tables get a very good view of the chefs working on the magic. They have a great selection on the sake which is not really common in LA. We got a cold sake bottle recommended by Cailin, our server which was very helpful and super nice. I asked her for food recommendations and she mentioned the Spicy Tuna on crispy rice and the Gyoza so we tried it. Both to die for but if I'll have to choose one it would be Spicy Tuna. Amazing dish, one of the best that I've ever tasted so far. We ordered 3 more specialty rolls and each of them had amazing quality fish. Just mouth melting no matter the type of the fish. At the end they were kind enough to treat us with a birthday mochi ice cream. My favorite was the black sesame. Thank you so much Cailin and Kiitsu. We will be back very soon. read more

Our favorite Japanese restaurant! The sushi is high grade and delicious,.We love the appetizers like gyoza, tofu, and tempura, and the Bento Boxes and Chirasi are also fantastic ! The staff is warm and friendly. Can't beat it! read more

I've been trying to find a great sushi spot in Brentwood and this spot delivered! This was the best sushi I've had in Brentwood! Great atmosphere and the service Arnold provider was incredible read more

I ordered Kiitsu's lunch special and was very satisfied! Fish tastes fresh, sides were great, and the price was right.

Food and service were excellent. Order the soft shell crab roll with spicy tuna. ( not on the menu but was recommended). Delicious!!!quality of fish and presentation was amazing. I would definitely recommend this restaurant. It was excellent. read more

Very traditional high quality Japanese food. Everything on this menu is an experience. Also get some sake with the food!! read more

See all

We tried Kiitsu for the first time last night. What a find!! The food was incredible, some of the best sushi I have had in a long time. The service was outstanding, with friendly and attentive waitstaff. Well worth the visit. We can't wait to go again. And again - to what is now our favorite sushi spot in Los Angeles. read more

I was just at kiitsu with my girlfriend and we both throughly enjoyed it! The crispy rice spicy tuna was our fav. The food is so fresh and the service was excellent too. We didn't have to wait long to be seated and the staff was attentive to our needs. The ambiance is a vibe. I highly recommend this sushi restaurant! It's def on the top of our list! read more

Great dragon roll, eel is awesome. Went with my wife and had a great date night. Highly recommend

Happened upon Kiitsu on the way home from a bike ride this afternoon. My husband and I were still in our biking clothes and pretty sweaty, but they were so kind and didn't seem to mind. We opted to sit outside with our bikes to be polite haha. I'm so glad we decided to eat here because I'm picky about my sushi, and this place did not disappoint. Everything is so clean and neat. There's clearly high attention to detail in the menu, service, and ambiance. I ordered the chirashi bowl. My husband got the salmon teriyaki bento box. We shared a salmon lime roll. Everything was perfect. This is the best chirashi bowl I've had in a long time. Each piece of fish was nicely cut - they didn't skimp - and tasted fresh. The sushi rice was perfectly cooked and seasoned. The salmon in the bento box was cooked rare - I liked it, but just FYI in case you want to request otherwise. Impressively, even though we were seated outside, the service was impeccable. I never once felt forgotten about. I'm already excited to come back for a dinner date! read more

Kiitsu - Chirashi bowl for lunch - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Best experience at super chic sushi restaurant in Brentwood ! Top notch service , quality of sushi , great ambiance in Brentwood Area . It will be my go to sushi restaurant for sure Thanks for the great hospitality to owner of Kiitsu " Jason" and his amazing staff . Highly recommended read more

10/10 service, 10/10 flavor! Will most definitely be back, thank you Imari!! Thank you read more

this is about to be the longest review i've ever written...i was really excited to try this place but am sorely disappointed... i found imari when doing research for places to dine in brentwood and was excited to see this place had a special tasting menu just for valentine's day. we arrived just before our 8pm reservation. several couples were standing outside waiting. the hostess informed us that it would be a short wait as they were waiting on the 1st wave of customers from the earlier bookings to finish their meals and clear out. i gave them the benefit of the doubt and waited patiently. we waited for more than 30 MINUTES. we were getting hangry to say the least. soon there were at least 8 couples standing outside in the cold. the restaurant is very small so there was no waiting area. only 1 bench outside and a few heaters. after we were seated it became evident that the kitchen was severely behind on getting the food out. after being seated our server explained the tasting menu to us (see attached picture for the full tasting menu). there was an option to upgrade the main course to a5 wagyu, so my partner opted for the wagyu while i decided on the duck breast. the 1st course was comprised of 3 small dishes. the scallop dish was just ok - the emulsion sauce didn't taste like much and the scallops were gently seared but didn't have much flavor. prawn and chutoro sashimi were good but nothing out of the ordinary. unfortunately the TRUFFLE chawanmushi custard was a huge disappointment. the shaved truffles on top had absolutely NO flavor and we didn't taste ANY truffle in the dish. how can you say "truffle" TWICE in the menu description but not have any truffle flavor??not to mention the menu said "2 spoons in diamond plate" - no idea what that meant but spoons were just served on a regular plate. not a single diamond in sight. this was odd but we just let it go. the duck breast was not very tender and was gamey. the a5 wagyu was very flavorful and and melted in your mouth. it was probably the best dish of the night. hard to mess up wagyu though... the sushi dishes were ok and nothing special. not unlike any typical cut rolls you'd find at a regular sushi restaurant. lastly, the dessert was also disappointing. they added "grilled" mochi onto the ice cream dish which did not contribute any flavor except burnt rice. the green tea sauce added some sweetness to the dish but again, didn't add much. most likely the kitchen was understaffed, as the pacing of the entire meal was torturously slow. our first course (3 dishes) took an entire 1.5 hours to be served...we were literally sitting there twiddling our thumbs since each dish took no more than a few minutes to finish. we also had to ask several times for our sake pairings for each course. i am sad to say we were VERY disappointed in this dining experience. the tasting menu cost $125 per person, plus $30 for the wagyu upgrade. we also went with the sake pairings which were $50 per person. in total, the meal added up to be almost $500 after tip. for the pricing, we truly expected better. i don't understand the rave reviews of this place - the food was not higher quality than other nearby japanese places on the west side that are priced way more reasonably with better and faster service. i hope this was just a hiccup for the restaurant's first vday tasting menu special, but i don't think we will return any time soon. read more

See all

Incredible meal from start to finish. We had the tasting menu with the added Wagyu and Marinated Duck options. I'd give every plate a 9 or 10/10 - except the duck. Although it wasn't off-putting, it just didn't seem to have a lot of flavor, especially for the added price point. The Wagyu was out of this world though, so kudos on that. Smith's drink selections were spot on! A great accompaniment to each part of the meal. Outstanding staff, great decor/music, and a thoroughly delicious meal. What more can you ask for? read more

Nice decor and amazing food! Service was excellent and the booth seats against wall were nice. Had good amount of food on the menu, unlike where they list every Japanese food they can think of. read more

See all

Easily one of the best sushi restaurants in LA. I used to go here when it was Ngao many years ago, so I decided to pop in and see what replaced it. I was truly blown away. One of the most upsetting things in LA is how the service industry has just given up on professionalism and hospitality... it was nice to walk in and be greeted by a friendly hostess... this extended beyond just her- the waitress, the chef and the owner were incredibly attentive, warm and welcoming. The food was delectable and the fish was so fresh - nothing tasted fishy, and everything was seasoned to perfection. I'm a total sushi snob, and it's safe to say this is definitely my new go-to spot. Ten out of ten! read more

See all

Fantastic food and service! Came in for lunch and had the omakase. Great selection. Everything tasted fresh.

AMAZING food. AMAZING service. My socks are blown off my feet every time I come here. The waitress was very accommodating and attentive. We had the gyoza, wagyu, cherrywood-smoked black cod, chutoro sashimi, and the matcha and fried mochi dessert. Everything was to die for. Highly recommend!! read more

I truly hate to say it but this place is a joke (If you want an actual sushi joke google "Timothy Olyphant sushi chef"). After being a lifelong patron of Nagao's sushi, which was the most interesting, satisfying and best priced/quality sushi in the state of California, (which this place replaced), Imari is a complete insult in comparison. It is extremely overpriced with a dull menu, mediocre taste/food quality and is overall just another culture-less, yuppy LA establishment. I couldn't help but chuckle listening to overdressed yuppies talk about how "It was the best sushi they ever had after traveling to Japan" (They must have been referring to Little Tokyo). For the price, nearby Katsuya or Wabi on Rose is much tastier and more dynamic. Sugarfish and hole-in-the-wall Sushi King are by far the better values. Blue Ribbon in nearby Palisades is more or less the overall top dog of Westside sushi special roll satisfaction so save yourself the heartache fellow Nagao-ites and find a superior experience elsewhere. read more

TL;DR - It's fine to have a limited, pricey menu if your food is exceptionally tasty and flavorful. But when that flavor simply isn't there, then you have a serious value issue that's too big to ignore. Imari has a very limited menu with some very basic dishes, including one dish comprised of 4 types of cucumbers while another is simply tomatoes, yuba and sea salt. My wife and I opted for the potato salad starter that included 4, quarter-sized pieces of sausage. Beyond the meager portions of sausage, I was disappointed by how little taste this dish had. The deeper into the meal we got, the more evident it became that these simple dishes rely upon intricate explanations to justify their prices. For example, there's a 5-piece chicken gyoza dish for $12. Our server started wafting the dish, encouraging us to take in the smells when all they need to do is place the food down on the table and let the taste speak for itself! And the fresh gyoza we tasted was nearly indistinguishable from defrosted gyoza taken from your local supermarket. Even our handrolls ($10+ each) couldn't hold a candle to those from KazuNori (which cost roughly 50% less!) There's no way around it - the food was bland. We kept waiting for the flavors to jump out at us, but to our frustration, that never happened. Instead we were left pondering why we'd spent so much on food that left us neither satiated nor satisfied. I don't begrudge the management for talking up the food origins and their presentation. After all, this is LA! But as is the case with storytelling - show, don't tell. And without taste to match their exceedingly high price points, I don't have faith Imari will be around for long. read more

We have been numerous times and every time the food is absolutely incredible. Each dish is perfect. The flavors are unique and not a detail is missed. Cannot recommend enough! read more