You would not expect to find some of the freshest and most traditional sushi in a Studio City strip mall. Well Chef Nozawa or "The Sushi Nazi" as he's known, serves traditional Japanese classics at his restaurant Sushi Nozawa. You receive no menu, you must ask for one. If you opt out of the menu, (which you should) you get the Nozawa's special: "Trust Me". Nozawa prides himself on providing the freshest fish possible by going to the Fish Market every day in the very early morning. Whatever looks best to him that particular day ends up on your plate that night.
Signs all over the restaurant simply say "Trust Me" and so that is what we did. The first course was a raw tuna salad in a light vinaigrette. Also worth noting is the house made wasabi and ginger. The second course came swiftly following the first, as Nozawa watched vigilantly to see when we finished our previous course. Next came slices of Yellowtail and Toro over hot sticky rice. What's also different about this place is that the rice is always served hot. If your chopstick skills aren't up to par, your hands will suffice.
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Ginger and Wasabi |
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Yellowtail and Toro Sashimi |
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Raw Tuna Salad |
Only midway through, 2 Crab Handrolls and 4 pieces of Albacore sashimi arrived. The crab was not overpowered by the sauce. That's a trend Nozawa sticks to; he serves his fish raw with little to detract from the fish itself. He wants the quality of the fish to shine through. Yet another course, 2 Toro Handrolls and 4 Halibut sashimi were delivered by the only waiter at the restaurant. Delicious as always. After we cleared our plates, our server asked us if we wanted another course; Matt was ready to quit, but Ethan pushed him into one more course. Probably the best sashimi of the night came here. We were graced with Black Cod sashimi and Scallop Handcone. We weren't hungry enough to fully enjoy the rich Scallop Handcone after 4 full courses, but the Black Cod was simply awesome.
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Toro Handrolls and Halibut Sashimi |
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Scallop Handcones and Black Cod Sashimi |
It's up to you how much to order, but beware of the price. You won't know how much it is until your bill comes at the end, and "trust us" it's expensive. However, like we said in our last post, it's worth it. Quality comes at a price and you're sure paying premium here. There are no fancy flavors or colorful plates here, just extremely traditional sushi served the way it's meant to be.
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