The 12 Best Handroll Bars In LA, Ranked - Los Angeles - The Infatuation

"Norikaya’s short menu is split between creative handrolls and izakaya dishes, and we’re team izakaya. The recessed lighting in this dark U-shaped bar sets the mood for a date, and the temaki looks like sushi you’d eat at a Vegas birthday party: a lobster “dynamite” roll heavy on spicy mayo, salmon with miso-mustard and baked eel topped with guac and strawberries for some reason. The abundance of roe, yuzu, and mayo do a decent job of masking the fact that Norikaya’s sashimi is slightly too cold, but we prefer hot dishes like fried squid with sweet cocktail sauce and spicy tuna crispy rice with chicharrón-like crunch. Use this spot for small bites, chit-chat, and drinking sake to Kygo and Norikaya is good fun." - brant cox, sylvio martins, garrett snyder