Tried most of the sushi spots in Southern California, and Kogane is one of the spot I'd come back often. Authentic Edomae style Omakase, vinegar rice isn't overpowering the fish, and the sushi sauce on the fish isn't overpowering the rice either. The marriage and balance between rice and fish is exceptional. The red vinegar rice and aged toro by far are the best in LA among all the spots I've tried. Unless other restaurants serving cheap Uni , Kogane serves Hokkaido Bafun and purple Uni. The service lady Margret did a good job to kept the dining area clean, no trash, for ultimate omakasae experience, and chef refilled the vinegar before we even ask for it. read more

See all

We came here for lunch omakase. It was wonderful. It was 12 courses (I believe). Everything was delicious!! It is a small and intimate place so the experience is very nice. The waitress and the chef were exceptional. Looking forward to coming back to try their dinner selection! read more

See all

Just came from a dinner here to celebrate my sister's new job. We were lucky to be the only two people on a Wednesday night! We had the restaurant all to ourselves and a very memorable, fun, and delightful dining experience with John, Chef Fumi, and Chef Nabe! We had an amazing experience at Kogane. From the minute we arrived, we were treated with warmth and openness. John was so attentive and thoughtful, and chef Fumi was hilarious, personable, and happy to share his knowledge and expertise about the food we were experiencing. Chef Nabe in the kitchen also did a fantastic job of making sure each dish was on schedule and ready to go! From start to finish, all the dishes we had tickled our palates in the best way! The personal touches by John were so sweet, too! Attention to detail was incredible. They have a deep respect for the food that they put out. I mean, John would switch out our cups of green tea to make sure the temperature of the tea was just right! Also...they had a map to show us where they get the rare red uni! Honestly, I didn't know there were many types of uni! This was my first Omakase, and I'm glad it was at Kogane. This set the bar really high! If you want a gastronomic experience that is equal parts delicious and informative, with reverence to the food, I highly recommend Kogane! I walked out with a deeper appreciation for Japanese cuisine, a satisfied stomach, and a wonderful first Omakase memory! Thank you Kogane! I will be back! read more

See all

We tried both lunch and dinner at Kogane and both were awesome. Good vibe w/ funny chefs and awesome wait staff, everything is on point and worth to go for sure! I'm going back tonight, can't wait read more

See all

Kogane is one of those rare, omakase experiences that will blow your mind so much so that immediately after my dinner with a dear friend of mine, we made a reservation for lunch a month later. As I write this review, I am salivating over every delicious piece of fish, uni, scallop, tofu, and abalone that I had the pleasure of consuming at the chef's counter. Fumio-san is sight for sore eyes, always beaming with smiles when serving you the next piece of nigiri. Then there's also that intensity I love to observe as each chef prepares the next course. The lunch service we experienced the following month was equally impressive, and you definitely get what you pay for here. If you're looking to save and not experience sushi at its highest caliber, do not come to Kogane. For the rest of us, you're welcome. read more

See all

"Not long ago, I dined at a this sushi restaurant, and the chef's recommendations were nothing short of exquisite. I genuinely believe it's one of LA's hidden gems." read more

I went to Kogane for the first time with my friends for my cousin's birthday celebration and it was really nice and intimate there. The chefs along with the server (there's only one) were super friendly and nice! We did the lunch omakase which had 12-13 pieces, along with miso soup in the beginning (or end if you prefer). We also got a bottle of sake for our table! The lunch omakase itself was $100 per person but I believe they're raising the price to $120 per person after this month. The dinner omakase is obviously going to be a lot more expensive but you can make a reservation through Tock! Every piece we had was amazing and it literally melts in your mouth. I will definitely be coming back here and I would recommend this to anyone and everyone! read more

See all

Kogane has been a place I still dream about. I was worried that after my trip to Japan I wouldn't still be impressed with the amazing meal I had here. But I no longer have to worry. Yes Japan's sushi is amazing and price can't be beat, but the experience my husband and I had here along with the quality and innovation of their dishes still leaves a mark. Both chefs were so kind and entertaining. A gentleman had a friend come in late but they were neither rude nor upset. We ordered more sushi at the end of our set along with everyone else that night. One girl even ended up getting more uni when she earlier mentioned she didn't usually like uni. I'm not sure why people have rated so lowly. Based on their reviews, it sounds more like they were being rude and interrupting the service. This is not a place to bring business discussions. It's small and intimate and any conversations can quite easily ruin someone else's experience. read more

The wife read the hype and wanted the check this place out and so a lunch reservation was made. We wanted the bar but unfortunately it was booked. Now I'm always down for good sushi but do I think it should cost this much? absolutely not. The amount of other good food I could eat for this cost is way more valuable but nonetheless happy wife, happy life. This place is small, they only seat about 15ppl per session and we were told the table we sat at was only going to be used by us for that day. The table even had a nice little placard with my wife's name on it. Staff is friendly and since there's only a few tables to serve the omakase flows well. The appetizer and soup were kinda whatever, soup was pretty bland. The 12-14 pieces of sushi that followed were very fresh and unique, personal favorites were the scallop and toro, I was kinda disappointed there was no salmon but I'm told that's a cheap fish? but either way I love my salmon and didn't get it. Uni was very creamy and fresh but I'm still not a fan, the shrimp was surprisingly good. It was a quaint experience, worth it? not to me but to each their own lol. I heard dinner was 3x the price so I don't think I'll be trying that anytime soon. read more

See all

Came here for dinner. This place only seated 6 people when we came for omakase. Had cute little name cards in front of your seat(name of whoever made the reservation). My bf doesn't drink so I just wanted a glass of white wine. But they only had red wine by the glass and not white which is very odd in my opinion. Anyways I am allergic to uni so I told the chef when he asked. So when everyone else had their piece of uni, I just had some egg looking tofu tasting thing. What was that?! So gross I didn't even eat it. They could've at least switched it to another fish instead. Other than that, their pieces and presentation was good. It is omakase so it is on the pricier end. read more

See all

Every single dish and every single piece of sushi was amazing to say the least.. I recently visited a Michelin star restaurant and let me tell you... Kogane was 1000x better from the food to the service. This place is truly a gem read more

See all

Food was amazing, the most delicious sushi I've had. The restaurant itself was also very nicely decorated with warm and welcoming staff. Would come here again. read more

See all

I have never done a review but it's a must today! Most RUDEST chef I have ever met! He kicked my party out for not eating RIGHT AWAY a piece of the sushi he served and scolded us for indulging in conversations. Not to mention it was for special occasion to celebrate a birthday. Our entire party was completely dumbfounded by this chef's irrational and unreasonable behavior. How can anyone run a restaurant as such???!!! It was not only embarrassing but truly a disgrace to such self acclaimed high level omakase restaurant!!!! It completely wiped out any somewhat decent experiences that I've had there the past couple times. Needless to say, we will NEVER EVER be back again to be served by such ARROGANT, DISGRACEFUL and DISRESPECTFUL chef!!!! read more

Came here for lunch with my wife to celebrate our anniversary. The only option here is Omakase for $100pp. We got seated at the bar which I HIGHLY recommend since you get to chat with the chef and see all the fish getting prepped and handed to you. The fish quality is excellent - no question there. But this is definitely on the pricey side. Its worth coming on special occasions. Beautiful restaurant too. read more

See all

Best. Omakase experience. Ever. I've been to my fair share of omakase, and I must say, this has been the most unique. I'm glad I got to try this place before they get super popular, they just opened 12/28/2021! TLDR: High price point (worth it), unique and interactive dining experience, unique food and ingredients, amazing chefs!! And don't let the location or the fact that it's nestled between subway, TMobile, or an empty pick up stix fool you into thinking this won't be one of the best Omakase you'll experience! First of all, they only have 2 seating times available for dinner, 6;15 or 8:15, I highly suggest the 8pm one, even though it's later and the meal does literally run 2 hours, you'll have the freedom to order any items a la carte, instead of getting rushed out (although I'm sure they do it very politely) for the next seating. We got there a bit early, and trying to go in they did ask us to wait outside, since the 6pm seating was still finishing up/they had to clean up a bit afterwards. At this point the location was definitely throwing me off, much like how Go's Mart does with their strip mall location in Canoga Park (also worth checking out!). The interior on the inside is very minimal and tastefully designed. The bar is the main attraction along with their simple back drop, it actually looks almost exactly like Kabuto in Las Vegas, except less awkward. In talking with Kwan-san, he has a fun time working with the designer to get the place constructed to how wanted along with spending an obsessive amount of time online buying the copious amounts of plates! You are welcomed and greeted by their wonderful server, Margarita, that's literally her name, haha. She's very attentive, sweet and kind! Throughout the entire dining experience you really get to know the Fumio Azumi and Kawn-sans personality, and they also make an effort to get you know you as well, like asking about your name, where you come from, your typical sushi spots, etc. It all makes for a very interactive omakase experience which honestly is the proper way. They start you with some appetizers to prepare your pallets for the onsalaught of deliciousness to come, a drink, steamed abalone and clear broth with sea bream. Now, the food itself is really next level, I've never even had a lot of the items served the way it was before, and for the items that I have had before, their quality was somehow 100% better! Some honorable highlights were: Firefly squid with bamboo - this at the height of the season is only available for 1 month out of the year, I've never eaten these bio luminescent squids before, and now I crave them! They were so tender and their heads had so much flavor. Aged Blue fin toro,7 days aged blue fin Toro, and otoro - now with these cuts of fish, you usually have an expectation of how they would taste, because they're popular and have an expected texture/taste. But the fact that they age their tuna, it really does elevate the fish, it just melts in your mouth in a more unique way. Uni hand roll - this is a clear example of something you probably have had before, but they completely elevate it here. Their rice is marinated in 5 year old soy sauce and then mixed in with uni, then placed on top of (I kid you not) the thinnest, crispiest seaweed paper and then topped with more uni. The seaweed paper is so crisp that they tell you to eat it right away ( have your camera already prepped you don't want to disobey Kawn-san!) Usually when you bite into a hand roll, you have to eat it off or chew it off slightly, but here, it just tears away with barely any effort. Now, my fiance does not like uni, but tonight she ate most of her uni hand roll, that says a lot. But the roll itself is so flavorful with uni since they mix it in with the rice read more

See all

My husband and I went here to celebrate our anniversary. However, the chef rudely kicked us out and scolded us, accusing us of not appreciating his service. He even asked if we had ever tried omakase before. When we said we had, he asked, "Which one? Kaneyoshi?" I'm not sure what his point was in mentioning another restaurant. I guess this is why they haven't received a Michelin. read more

I went for a business dinner and the chef kicked us out of the restaurant in the middle of service. He said he didn't want our money. We were stunned. Before he kicked us out, he scolded us repeatedly for not thanking him enough for the food, although we actually did, repeatedly. He also said he did not like the way I was sitting and talking to my clients sitting next to me rather than focusing on him. The issue was that we were sitting at a sushi bar, the only seating in the restaurant, and to talk with my clients, I had to sit at an angle when I spoke to them and the chef said he did not like that. When he asked me to face him directly and thank him, I did. But he still kicked us out of the restaurant. It was bizarre. After we got kicked out, we politely and calmly complained to the co-owner, who started crying, clearly embarrassed by the chef's behavior. Then the chef came out on the sidewalk and said we were not allowed to complain because he did not make us pay. The food was mostly good but not great. We have recently been to Michelin-starred sushi restaurants in New York and Tokyo. This place was nothing like those. read more

We made a reservation on tock for lunch on Saturday 12:30 pm, table seating. We arrived right on time and got seated at our table. There were 6 other people sitting at the bar already. The restaurant had 3 other tables (2 person) that were empty during the entire duration of our meal, guess they are not that busy for lunch on the weekends. We got served 12 pieces of sushi, 1 appetizer bite, and 1 hand roll. It was filling enough but the sushi pieces were definitely smaller in size. Maybe they make their sushi smaller during lunch vs dinner would be bigger, I am not sure. I mean lunch omakase is only $100 per person compared to dinner at $250+. I think sitting at the bar is probably more fun because you can interact with the chef. All of our sushi just seem to come out directly from the kitchen in plates of 3 pc sushi at a time. read more

It's been awhile since we had omakase. And this place did not disappoint! Everything was delicious and the ambiance took me back to Japan! I don't know when I can go back to Japan but for now this place will do! I had originally wanted to have dinner w just my husband and leave my kid behind but last min I decided to take my 2.5 year old daughter . I messaged the restaurant and they replied in a timely manner! They were super accommodating and allowed my daughter to be seated w us at the bar! I had to bring her food but they were very nice bout it ( since it's mostly raw fish available ) I can't wait to come back again read more

See all

Kogane had wide-open reservation availability. I opted for their lunch menu. There was plenty of free parking space. The restaurant opened right on time. The interior was clean and was pleasing to the eye. The chef proactively asks for feedback on wasabi and rice quantity, and the waitress frequently refilled my drink. Scallop- soft lightly salted Striped jack Bluefin- extra tender Tuna Something from Aomori prefecture Firefly squid: this was not normally on the lunch menu. But they provided it on request. Delicious. Kinmedai- nice smokey flavor Botan ebi Saba- very soft, the softest ever. He mentioned that they chose a particularly fatty bit. Said that they marinated with something else, not salt and vinegar. King mackerel- skin side seared with binchotan Uni- from San Diego Negitoro roll read more

See all

My husband and I were invited to be guests by his clients who frequent this restaurant. It is a fancy omakase with 2 seatings. We were the second seating at 8:15 pm. We arrived 15 minutes early and were told to wait outside until 8:15. There's a Wing Stop next door and it's not a fancy place. Since we were on business and guests we had a lot to discuss. My husband had to sit turned away from the chef in order to face his clients. The seating was a bar and not a table top where we could face one another. About 30 minutes in the server who is a co owner came over and asked us to quiet down. Then about 10 minutes later he served me shrimp even when he asked me what my allergies were. So my husband ate it and then suddenly the chef started to scold my husband and was upset telling him he was rude bc he wasn't facing him and bc he was talking business and not paying attention to him! We were all shocked and self corrected right away. But the damage was done and the entire room was feeling awkward. Then about 15 minutes later he said service was over for us and to leave. So we left but the clients asked to speak with the co owner outside. They were mortified and so were we. The chef then walked out and said we couldn't complain bc he didn't charge us. The whole evening was ruined. If you want to go there and actually have a conversation then don't go. You have to be focused on him the entire time and you're not allowed to be loud. Buyer beware! read more

I came here for a birthday dinner, 8:15pm seating. It was over 20 courses served (if you count 1 nigiri as a course), and probably half the meal was not just nigiri. The food was excellent. Zero complaints. The two chefs serve the meal together, and they are hilarious to interact with. Their manager Jon provided the service for all diners (only 7 at each seating) and service was impeccable. They went over and beyond what I expected in every way. Their dining room is beautiful. The restaurant is in an atypical location though, an Alhambra strip mall, next to Subway and Starbucks. No valet; just park in the strip mall lot and walk to the front door. Dont be fooled though, this is a high-end Omakase sushi place. The one difference from most other similar places in LA is it does not have the pretentious vibe. Everything from their service to the jovial nature of the chefs is very easy going and approachable. You never feel as if you would offend them if you ate the food the "wrong way" although they do make recommendations on how to eat certain dishes. If I had to criticize something, it would be the chefs' absence of the traditional "pedigree" of sushi chefs, e.g. "i spent 2 years making only rice in Tokyo and the next 20 training" etc etc. In LA, many of the other high-end Omakase places have such pedigrees. But does it really matter when the entirety of their product (food, service, dining experience in general) is exceptional? The chefs are very open about their backgrounds and how they got into the sushi business, and it actually led to interesting conversations over the course of the meal. Go eat here ASAP, before they get their Michelin stars and a reservation becomes impossible to get. read more

Had an amazing experience from service to food. The place feels very welcoming. There's a lot of interaction with the chefs and customers and that what makes it enjoyable. The food was great! Would definitely come back! read more

Kogane - Uni - Sushi Bars Near Me - Alhambra, California

Wow, every bite was fantastic. Both chefs were so welcoming and explained each piece thoroughly. It was an intimate A+++ experience. Truly the best omakase in LA. read more

See all

Ok, so today's my Birthday and finally got reservation (lunch easier than dinner) at Kogane and can confirm the hype about this 5 month new Omakase Sushi Oishi aka Delicious indeed! The Name Card is a very nice touch and feels special VIP the minute you walk in and walked out of there very satisfied. Don't know how I can possibly have the 20+ dinner set though that offers abalone. read more

See all

One of the best omakase experiences I've had in LA. We came at lunch for my birthday and the service was amazing, the sushi was fresh and outstanding and the ambience was so nice. The chefs there are so nice and talked to us about all the fish they got and their process. The restaurant is small and intimate and you need to put a deposit down for reservation. The sushi bar has limited seats but worth booking there. read more

See all

Was really good experience ，Not cheap but totally worth it Thank you give me perfect birthday どうもありがとう read more

See all

Been on an omakase kick and decided to try it for lunch. Made reservations on Tock. Located in an unassuming plaza sandwiched in between Starbucks and Wing Stop. Only 15 spots for lunch: 7 for sushi bar and 8 for tables. I believe there is no table option for dinner. For tables, virtually no interaction with the chef(s) (but you can hear their convos with the bar customers haha) The experience is what you would expect, explanation of each piece...sometimes one at a time, sometimes 3 at a time. Pieces seemed to be on the somewhat smaller side. Rice was the perfect texture and seasoned very lightly. Nothing was fishy or off-putting, sometimes it didn't even seem like raw seafood! Expect about 1.25 hours for the lunch experience. Lots of free parking in the back! Minimal decor inside, can't see the interior from the outside. Felt like going in to a hidden world. For lunch, it's 12 pieces of nigiri sushi + miso soup (at the beginning or the end, your choice!) + negitoro hand roll. For those who are omakase aficionados, you'll be fine here. You'll appreciate the attention to detail and the flavor nuances. Our server, Margaret, was pleasant, efficient and down-to-earth. She was the only server handling the entire floor (tables + greeting + seating customers). Thanks to the sushi chefs and Margaret for this indulgent meal. read more

See all

Not good if you are not of Asian heritage no menu forget about walking in. Super expensive good with little to no taste. I would not recommend read more

Kogane - Outside of the place - Sushi Bars Near Me - Alhambra, California

Hubby took me here for lunch for my birthday and it was definitely the best omakase we've had and we've been to quite a few of the high end sushi places in LA like Q Sushi, Sushi Zo, Sasabune, Urasawa, etc. They have the nice touch of personalized name cards and they had misspelled our last name but went to the trouble of printing out a corrected name card. The service is amazing and they went out of their way to make sure we had the correct amount of wasabi and that everything was to our liking. Most sushi chefs are a little on the reserved side but chef Fumio San was so friendly and really went out of his way to educate us on the sushi. Here's the courses we had: 1-Japanese barracuda not seared 2-scallop 3- sea clam from Okinawa 4- 23 day dry aged bluefin tuna 5- dry aged toro with 5 year aged vinegar served room temperature 6-Spanish mackerel 7- sweet shrimp from Canada 8- striped jack Miso soup with shrimp head 9- live octopus from hokkaido 10-seared golden eye snapper 11-uni from hokkaido 12-toro hand roll 13-unagi 14-tomago To me the highlight was definitely the dry aged bluefin tuna and toro. That really took it to a whole new level. Lunch is $120 per person but toatally worth it for the quality of the fish. We are already planning on coming back to try out their dinner menu. read more

See all

I wanted to love this place so much and become a regular customer but after today's experience, everything about this place changed for me. I must have booked my lunch reservation at Kogane about 6 weeks out and was looking so forward to dine here with my hubby and three special people in my life. I originally booked for 7 people but had to reduce to 6 people and finally to 5 people one day before our reservation. Apparently they did not receive my message that I left on their answering machine the evening before our reservation so it was partially my fault that I didn't confirm with a live person of the change in our reservation. Fifteen minutes into our reservation, one chef told us that since our 6th person didn't show up to the reservation that we had to pay for the no show. We agreed and kindly asked the chef if he could add more dishes to our dining experience since we had to pay for the one no show. That's when things escalated with the chef who questioned whether or not we knew what Omakase was and if this was our first experience. To answer the chef cordially since he didn't allow us to provide him with an answer, yes we have on a number of occasions. We each have had experiences with average to Michelin rated Omakase and Kogane is the worst we have experienced in customer service and probably food as well since we didn't even get to try it out. Long story short, the chef kicked us out instead of trying to appease us as potential returning customers. It is sad that we had to experience this at Kogane, but at least we know now to never go back or even give it a second chance. For Yelp readers looking for an excellent dining experience with Omakase, don't waste your time here unless you don't mind poor customer service. Fine dining experiences are only excellent when excellent customer service is provided to consumers. You won't find it here. I am giving this place a one star Yelp rating for the free water and wet wipes we were provided before we got kicked out. read more

The food here is fantastic! . Great omakase lunch set! If you can splurge ($120/ person) for lunch, I would recommend this sushi restaurant. My favorites are the otoro, the scallop, sweet shrimp, saba, and the hand roll. Everything else is great too! Must make reservations on the Tock App. Our host/ server was very knowledgeable of how all of the different fish have been prepared. Would come back read more

Kogane - Sushi Bars Near Me - Alhambra, California

See all

Absolutely amazing omakase sushi. Course after course of sheer delicacy and perfection. The best sushi I have ever had in Los Angeles. Charming ambiance; soft jazz background music; lovely service. What an incredible treat. read more

Best dinner we've had in a long time, beautiful interior, amazing & hands on staff. The chef was teaching us so much and so personable. The food was out of this world amazing and I made sure to make an reservation for my parents to enjoy it later. Perfect for a special occasion or celebration! Highly recommend if you want the best omakase experience! read more

Super delicious and great ambiance! The service was top notch as well. Will definitely go back again. read more

See all

Lunch at the sushi bar with Chef Kwan. As a short summary, each item that Chef Kwan prepared for us demonstrated an excellent balance of flavor and texture to deliver an exquisite experience at a very fair price: - Rice to fish ratio was good - Fish is prepared in ways that either offset less desirable components or enhanced the strengths (salt and vinegar; dry age; etc.) - In addition to the traditional sushi rice, Kogane implements another rice prepared with aged vinegar that introduces a different flavor profile - Three types of soy sauce with varying saltiness which played well with the fish and rice - Appreciated that Chef Kwan asked if we needed more or less wasabi after our first piece - Printed a special name card for our birthday guest The menu may change but our favorites are (in no particular order): the uni, handroll (especially that seaweed), eel, charred fish (forgot what it was!), miso soup, sweet shrimp, amberjack (not too sure if it was an amberjack or a mackerel), and tuna. Service is top notch and very friendly/accommodating (they have little boxes for you to put your purses and other belongings). The environment is comfortable, well-lit, and clean. Will be back soon! read more

This is a small Omakase restaurant that was a splurge for me but totally worth it! I sat at the bar and the chef prepared each piece for me in real time. As a party of one, lunch took about 45 min. Excellent waitstaff kept my water/tea full, provided me a basket for my purse, and there was a small personal note with my name at my seat. Lunch includes 12 pieces of sushi, a hand roll, and a shrimp head miso soup. Everything was amazing and I got to try some very interesting fish I wouldn't have had the opportunity to otherwise. Highly recommend! read more

See all

A new omakase restaurant that opened up in Alhambra that brings quality to each bite. Chef Kwon creates a masterpiece with each dish using different ingredients to compliment each other. The amount was prefect without feeling bloated but enough to feel full and content. Highly recommend making reservations on Tock to come and enlighten the tastebuds. read more

See all

Great new sushi restaurant in the east side of LA where you typically wouldn't be looking for sushi. They serve lunch and I was able to stop by to try their 12 course omakase menu ($100). Great selection of fresh fish with thoughtful enhancement of flavors with different varieties of sushi rice depending on the flavor of the fish, nice clean space and the sushi bar area looks very upscale. I hope I can try their full dinner menu next time. read more

See all

Wow, I can't believe such a great sushi bar would come to East of Los Angeles. I am so used to traveling to West LA. The place looks amazing, minimalistic, calm and intimate - how any sushi bar should be. I noticed the bar is pretty deep with light wood, gives you a safe distance from viruses. Chef Fumio is a very friendly and humble person, and the other staff are nice as well. The food is pretty good! We got omakase for lunch (12 pieces - but seemed more when were eating them) and is very satisfying. On that day, most of the fish came from Tokyo market. The cold sake they selected paired really well. I am so privileged to have such a great place nearby to eat. Ha, it just makes me miss Japan more. read more