The 21 Best Japanese Restaurants In LA - Los Angeles - The Infatuation

"N/Soto might be more casual than its tasting menu sibling restaurant, N/Naka, but this upscale izakaya in Mid-City isn’t a place you slide into on a weekday night. And, frankly, we’re fine with that—because sitting at N/Soto’s moody, low-lit bar with a shochu cocktail, grilled wagyu skewers, and a bowl of sake-steamed clams provides the same sophisticated cooking for a substantially reduced cost (and without months of waiting for a reservation). Every dish at this zen-like hideaway feels considered, from the tiny dab of caviar on top of the chopped toro nigiri to the tempura squid legs with chile-dusted mayo." - garrett snyder, sylvio martins