"OK, real fans (Fish Heads? Sugar Babies? Yes-zowas?) know that Studio City is where the Trust Me empire really began. Back in 1987, when cell phones looked like bricks and my boyfriend’s mother’s favorite movie, Ishtar, was released, Japan-born chef Kazunori Nozawa opened a little sushi bar on Ventura Blvd. called Sushi Nozawa. The tiny, cramped space became famous for its uncompromising values, best demonstrated by the plaque behind the bar that read, “Today’s Special: Trust Me.” Sadly, Sushi Nozawa closed in 2012 when its namesake chef retired, but was promptly replaced by the current Sugarfish location. Legend has it, that if you close your eyes and bite into the blue crab handroll in just the right way, you’ll be transported back to Ventura Blvd. in the ’80s." - kat hong
