"The $295 omakase at Shunji is split into two parts: a few seasonal vegetables and seafood dishes that come on gorgeous little plates, then 16 or so pieces of nigiri to follow. It's the second part that made us weak in the knees, including lean marinated tuna aged two weeks, warm black throat perch that’s barely seared, and extremely plump uni from Santa Barbara. The fish melts on your tongue like a popsicle in a heatwave, and the tangy-savory sushi rice is elite. Shunji (the chef) is an old hand in the LA sushi scene and has a knack for injecting levity. We miss the old days when he offered lunch specials, but the dinner-only omakase here is worth a special splurge." - garrett snyder, brant cox, cathy park, sylvio martins