Yoshi's Sushi - (323) 203-1140

• Sushi

My boyfriend and I have been frequenting Yoshi Sushi regularly for more than two years. We love it! We often order their specialties; blue fin tuna, lobster rolls, and their amazing live scallop, which is prepared as a two-part meal. Half of it is raw and delicate, and the other part is cooked with mushrooms, special sauce with spices. We love their miso sea bass, which is a warm tender dish, and very comforting. There is always a scurry over it when it arrives to the table, no matter how many orders we place! My uni with quail egg is always fresh and the perfect temperature. (Something that has often been inconsistent, in my 25 years of ordering it in other sushi bars.) Two of my favorites are the salmon pate which is a sashimi diced dish topped with jalapenos, and the tuna poki, which is cubed tuna tossed with fresh seaweed in a sesame seasoning. We also like the goyza pork dumplings with the teriyaki dipping sauce. As you can see we primarily order sushi?s or sashimi?s, but have many friends that we have taken there that are not really fish eaters. I cannot speak for the dishes they order, but I can say that EVERY ONE of our friends, who have tried it, loves Yoshi?s. We have a hard time going anywhere else now because it is so consistent, and fresh and that is always so when you go to other sushi bars!"

Yoshi has been one of our favorite sushi spots since reading the reviews on Citysearch last year. The ambience feels inappropriately cheap compared to some of the menu prices, but the sushi makes up for what the decor lacks. Katsu-ya in Studio City being our all-time favorite LA sushi, we needed to find a place on the other side of the hill that had some similar specialty dishes. Yoshi offers a heartier version of the crispy rice with spicy tuna, excellent and inventive rolls (we love the sushi bomb and the spicy California ball), as well as fresh nigiri. I don't even like cucumbers, but the cucumber dish served when you sit is delicious! Yoshi has great drink specials like 2 for 1 beers and free sake bomb night (free sake when you order a beer) that keep us coming back on weekends. The friendly staff and delivery are an added bonus! Plan to spend a minimum of $20 a person if ordering specials.

Attractive environment and pleasant atmosphere. Open and bustling bar; friendly and attentive staff. However, food quality is lacking. 5-10 minutes after ordering, I was told my halibut would have to be cut from a different section of the fish because they were running out, but that there wouldn't be too much of a difference; I accepted--a mistake. Halibut was gummy and popped in my mouth as I bit down; it tasted like it had been sitting out for entirely too long. It may have been cut against the grain; perhaps that contributed to the gumminess. Yes, I was warned and I accepted, but I was expecting slightly different flavor or hue; not what seemed to me to be bad fish. My other orders were all decent; temperature issues and unimpressive flavors, but a good menu selection. Prices are decent, yes, but better sushi is available in town for just as much of a deal, if not more. In short: I came, I ate, and I don't see myself ever returning. 3 stars for average.