Best Sushi In LA?? Where??

The debate will always rage on about who has the best sushi. We all have our favorites but take away everything but the sushi... Sushi Zo is my choice. Why do I like Zo? No baloney... No California Rolls, No Spider Rolls, No Tempura Rolls. Just nigiri sushi and temaki sushi just like regular sushi bars in Japan. Sure I enjoy Kaiten Sushi and I think Hide Sushi is great as well, but that is like comparing McDonalds to Black Angus and Black Angus to Spago. Don't get me wrong... I like McDonalds and love Black Angus, but there is a time and place for those. Zo is about the quality and flavor of the fish... not the sauce (soy or other type of sauce) which can overflavor sushi or hide bad fish. Zo's food can be simple because he uses only the finest fish and ingredients. I have been fortunate to have dined at some of the finest sushi bars in Japan as a guest of top executives of major companies in Japan . When I return the favor in LA and take them to Sushi Zo, they are blown away by the authenticity, flavor and quality of sushi available at Sushi Zo. Final thought... If you think sushi is expensive in LA, try some of these super high hidden gems in Tokyo and anything in LA WILL SEEM A LOT CHEAPER. $300+ per person is not unheard of at some of these establishments in Tokyo. $500+ is the record for me.

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[Tokyo] First time in Tokyo...what can I not afford to miss?

If cost is no issue... and tasting the culture of Japan is your goal, you can't miss Restaurant Michiba. It is the namesake restaurant of Rokusaburo Michiba, the original Iron Chef Japanese who is the winningest Iron Chef. Incredible balance of flavors, subtle intricacies of taste and texture. I have never had a better meal in my life. I was a guest of a President of a Japanese Company, so I did not see the final bill, but I know with the amount of expensive drank and the most expensive Kaiseki meals requested it was not cheap. I believe they do have a la carte selections, but the Kaiseki Dinner (multiple course dinner) is unforgettable. It is located in the Ginza district near the Ferragamo store in an upper floor.

KAISHOKU MICHIBA

Kanematsu Bldg. 8F 6-9-9 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061

Telephone: 813-5537-6300
Facsimile: 813-5537-6301

URL: http://www.michiba.com

Open 11:30 to 23:00
(22:00, Sundays & National Holidays)

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sabu sabu

Just find a large department store and go to the bottom floor and you will find INCREDIBLE SUPERMARKETS that are clean, everything fresh and incredible fruits and vegetables (with prices to match)

As far as shabu shabu goes try Shabu-Zen. It is a chain of Shabu Shabu Restaurants throughout Tokyo. They have a number of choices of differnt Shabu Shabu Meals including all-you-can-eat options. No matter what meal you select... you won't find any thing better in the states. The worst quality meat is better than anything I have had in the U.S. If you order the top quality meat you are in for a treat. Cost is anywhere from $30 per person on up.

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Moderately priced food near/in Shinjuku

Near the Kabuki-Cho exit of the Shijuku Station there are a vast number of restaurants nearby all of which seem to cater to foreigners. Most have some type of display, so you just point out what you want. One of the greatest places we found was a chain of sushi restaurants called standing sushi. Yes there are no seats but the quality of sushi and the price are outstanding. You stand and order (or point out) what you want and the chef makes it for you on the spot. You have to order three orders at a time. No dishes as well, just a clean leaf which he puts the sushi on. The only dish is for the soy sauce. Extremely reasonable and delicious. For a snack or a full meal this is the place.

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Tenderloin -- La Verne?

I have been to the Tenderloin about 5 times and I have to say that I have really enjoyed my meals there. They have a steak called the Stockyard which I think it is a Tri Tip Cut and it is one of the most flavorful delicious steaks I have ever had. The prices are very reasonable. I enjoy a good steak and I used to eat at Pinnacle Peak and Cask and Cleaver a lot, but I just can't find a steak I enjoy more. Pinnacle Peak, Cask and Cleaver and Northwoods are good choices for steak in the San Gabriel Valley.

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Need recommendations for the area that I am moving to. National Blvd/overland area.

Second on Sushi Zo..... Just remember this.... I DRIVE 35 MILES TO EAT AT SUSHI ZO.... YOU ARE SO LUCKY!!!!

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Disneyfood

I think I have eaten at just about every restaurant in the parks, in Downtown Disney and at the hotels. I would say just about everything is not bad at the Disney Resort. I will say however, unless you want to wait in a long line in many of the restaurants, you better make reservations by calling Disney Dine. My families personal favorites are the Carnation Cafe on Main Street (pot pies and sandwiches), the Vineyard Room in California Adventure (expensive but good food and they give kids a great entertaining booklet) and Hooks Point at the Disneyland Hotel. All three of these seem to be less crowded than most other places, probably because of the cost and the fact that they are a little hidden compared to other places to eat.

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Best teppan grill

Tried Tokyo Wako the other day and all I can say is this is not Japanese Food. Quality of food is pretty good, but the flavors are definetly not Japanese. Taste like a Japanese Restaurant with a Chinese food chef. Very expensive as well. I didn't ever think I would say this but Benihana is better than 95% of the Japanese Teppan Yaki places and it is still reasonable.

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Duck's Japanese restaurant in San Gabriel

San sui tei is very very OK. If you can handle a 15 minute drive from there, TAMAYA in Hacienda Heights (corner of Azusa and Colima), might be one of the best Ramen places in L.A. My wife who is Japanese, loves the place and swears they have the best Gyoza. She had such a craving for Ramen that we just about tried every ramen house in LA from West L.A. to Ontario. Not the prettiest restaurant, but the service and food is very good.

Back to Duck's. Had the spaghetti one time,not bad, but it isn't something I will ever order there again. The set dinner/lunches with the "katsu-don" (Fried pork cutlet with egg on top of rice, covered with a sweet soy broth) are delicious and really their specialty, even though their namesake says Ducks Spaghetti and Curry. Very well prepared and reminds me of the Katsu Don I had in Japan.

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Best Burger in LA?

Great Working Man's/Women's Burger in the Pasadena Area....
THE GALLEY (AKA the Boat)-part of the Clearman's Chain of Restaurants (Northwoods Inn, Steak and Stein) but only in Pasadena at the Corner of Huntington Drive and Rosemead Blvd. Great oversized burger with comes with cheese, chili, secret, lettuce, tomato and a really tasty sesame bun. Get a half and half of their famous red cabbage salad and blue cheese salad with the burger. Usually there is a long line to get your food, but it moves pretty fast.

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Japanese Restaurants in East SGV - What is happening?

Thanks GrindzHound! I was talking to my cousin and she said the same thing about the Japanese Restaurants in the O.C..... Terrible and mostly owned by non-Japanese. That cousin of mine took me to Honda-Ya in Tustin. All I could say is... Am I in Japan? That place reminds me of many of the small hole in the walls in Japan with great food. I know that many of the Japanese community in the OC travel to Torrance and to West L.A. to get good Japanese Food.

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Japanese Restaurants in East SGV - What is happening?

I think Japanese owned and here is why. A chef creates what is given to him and is under the owner. The chef may or may not be the purchaser of the raw products. For instance if the owner is Chinese or Korean, he or she may prefer to purchase similar products of their own culture such as Nori (seaweed) or soy sauce. Althought the flavor may be close, it is probably not the same. Also the owner will make the final decision of where they purchase a certain product/fish/etc. not the chef and if the owner tells the chef to do something "their" way, he or she will have to make it that way.

I also like to taste something in their true ethnic format. We all cook different types of foods, but we all seem to put a spin on it which fits our own individual cultures. I just want to have some authentic Japanese food.

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Japanese Restaurants in East SGV - What is happening?

Thanks everyone for the great insight. I should probably say good Japanese food at Kyala, Hayakawa (the one north of the 10 freeway off off citrus) and Bishamon. Heard of another in Diamond Bar as well, but have yet to try it. I guess I will have to search hard to find a decent Japanese restaurant in the area.

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Japanese Restaurants in East SGV - What is happening?

Thank you very much. Will have to try Yama. I thought it was just a little Japanese market.

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Japanese Restaurants in East SGV - What is happening?

What is happening with all of the Japanese Restaurants in the East San Gabriel Valley? It seems that more than half are Korean or Chinese owned and the food quite frankly is TERRIBLE. In the City of Walnut, outside of Jubei (I think) every other "Japanese" restaurant is owned by a non japanese owner. The food is so bad that I drive miles away to get good Japanese food for lunch. For sushi just about every place out here that I have tried has rolls just drenched in sauces to cover up the cheap fish.

I guess it is just me, but especially with Sushi, I think for the health and safety of customers, a classicly trained sushi chef from Japan or someone who spent many years under that person is a must. It's so bad out here that for sushi, I will drive all the way out 35+ miles to Sushi Zo is West L.A.

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