Echigo

Had a delicious omakase here + and uni order! Omakase was 2 apps, 8 pieces about $80pp. It was great!! All of the dishes had really good quality fish, nothing was disappointing. Service was great and everyone was very kind. Would recommend!

I recently had the pleasure of dining at this no-frills sushi restaurant that truly exceeded my expectations in every way. The setting was simple and unpretentious, focusing all attention on the culinary experience. The chef, a true artisan, impressed with his meticulous preparation and presentation of each dish. The fish was the highlight, offering unparalleled freshness and flavor that spoke volumes of the chef’s dedication to quality and craft. Each bite was a delightful discovery of taste, and the attentive service added to the overall warm and welcoming atmosphere. The service was incredibly friendly and effective. This hidden gem proves that sometimes the most memorable meals come from the most unexpected places, making it a must-visit for anyone seeking authentic and superb sushi.

Awesome spot for traditional sushi and sashimi. Absolutely no frills here and you won't find any western cut rolls on the menu. Prices are reasonable for top cuts, but def not cheap. Week day happy hour chirashi bowl was excellent, but everyone knows the lunch specials here are the real bargain. Reservations preferred for dinner, sushi bar does a nice looking omakase I'll have to come back for.

The quality of the fish here really stands out, and I was pleasantly surprised by how fast everything came out. I’m usually pretty picky when it comes to sushi, but this place seriously exceeded my expectations. Definitely worth a visit!

An amazing place - best sushi and great service every time. I always get the Omakase chef -curated lunch and dinner and love his choices.

goood sushi. friendly staff. interesting location. I love that you can order single items on the menu!

Omakase was incredible! We had seaweed salad, 8 pieces, and a blue crab hand roll for 45 dollars.

One of the most underrated sushi spots in LA. Very authentic and very good.

Echigo has been consistently great for years and is probably one of the best sushi restaurants in LA. Fyi: the sushi bar is reserved for omakase.

I recently dined at Echigo, and unfortunately, my experience left much to be desired. From the moment I walked in, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Let's start with the pricing. Echigo's menu boasts a range of sushi options that, in my opinion, are significantly overpriced. While I understand that quality comes at a cost, the value for money just wasn't there. The bill left me with a sense of regret rather than satisfaction. Freshness is a key element in any sushi experience, and Echigo fell short in this department. The sushi lacked the vibrant, just-caught taste that I've come to expect from quality establishments. It left me questioning the integrity of their ingredients and the overall commitment to providing a top-notch dining experience. The atmosphere, unfortunately, didn't help salvage the evening. The ambiance was unpleasant, lacking the warmth and charm that typically accompanies a good sushi joint. It felt like a stark and sterile environment, detracting from what should be an enjoyable and immersive culinary experience. To add to the disappointment, I found the presence of rules on the menu to be quite off-putting. It's one thing to have guidelines to maintain a certain standard, but the rigid feel of the rules left me feeling restricted rather than welcomed. A more customer-friendly approach would undoubtedly enhance the overall dining experience. In the end, I was so dissatisfied with the overall experience that I chose to walk out before completing my meal. Echigo's shortcomings were too apparent, and I couldn't justify spending more time and money on an experience that failed to meet even the basic expectations. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this sushi restaurant to fellow enthusiasts based on my recent visit.

My favorite little hole in the wall hidden gem. Always get the omakase and it's delicious. Blue crab hand roll to finish

Lunch special review: delicious but tiny! The price is right at $19 (the sushi is sliced deceivingly thin!) but next time I will know to supplement with additional pieces and rolls, so it'll wind up being more like a $40 lunch. A great option if that's in your budget!

Came here for lunch. I was actually surprised that my co worker knew about this place because the restaurant is pretty hard to spot. It's on the 2nd level on this run down plaza and the sign only says "sushi". The restaurant is small and decor is simple and minimal. I believe they only have nigiri and hand rolls so you know it's legit when they don't have any dragon rolls. I got their Omakase which was 8 pieces + blue crab rolls. For about $37, quality of the food is great. I enjoyed all their nigiri on the Omakase but the best thing was their blue crab roll. It was so good we ordered another one after the Omakase. Hole in a wall. Pretty good.

I come here for the sushi lunch special - $19 for 5 nigiri and one hand roll. The food is top quality and you can't beat the price. Second time here and haven't been disappointed. Free parking under the building.

My wife and I had dinner this past Saturday night at Echigo. We got there at 5:30 and sat at the bar. We left dinner "up to the chef" and sat back. We've been to Echigo many times mostly for lunch. It had been a while since we'd been there for dinner. It was a special dinner. A birthday. We ordered saki. Not much. Just enough. What followed was dish after dish of delicious sushi. It was quiet. We were the only customers for about an hour. We ordered a few more types of sushi and then finished. Satisfied. Happy. Every one there had quietly made a perfect evening for us. No loud music. No glitches. Everything flowed. We've eaten in some of the finest restaurants all over the world. Echigo was the best. Special. Michael Franzblau

We have been going to Echigo for more than 20 years, and it still one of the best sushi places on the Westside!

Went here again and it was still a delight. Great low key place to meet friends and colleagues while enjoying an underrated restaurant capable of reaching Michelin status. Food 10/10 Service 10/10 Ambiance 6/10 - 2nd floor of shopping center. It works for me but might not for most.

No. I showed up to an almost empty restaurant at 7pm on a saturday night, and the guy seated me at the only table in the entire place that had no place setting. Then proceeded to not bring me a place setting at all. No napkin, no chopsticks. He brought me the miso soup I ordered, but I had no way to mix it without chopsticks. So I couldnt' drink it. And i couldn't get his attention. So after a while, I had to get up and walk over to any other table and take the place setting from that table myself, so I could then stir and drink my miso soup. I looked at the menu and thats when I realized the prices were twice that of any other sushi restaurant in Santa Monica. The cheapest nigiri was $11. Thats your salmon, or your tuna. Anything pricier started at $15 and up. Even Noma down the street was only $5-$7 for these same items. I put in my order for 5 sets of nigiri (2 peices a set, you know the deal). And the waiter proceeded to bring me the absolute smallest peices of sushi I have ever seen in my life. Literally half the size of a nigiri at any other restaurant. See the photo for reference. Each peice was spread with such a sharp tasting sauce that I couldn't taste the fish at all. In the end I did something to a peice of salmon (my absolute favorite) that I have never done before, and put soy sauce on it. I found that the "sauce" on the salmon wasn't even sauce. It was some kind of premade strip of flavoring. Something gel-like that I was able to just peel off with my fingers. I did so on the second peice so that I could try tasting the salmon without the overbearing sauce, and thats when I learned why they had covered over the fish with condiments. It was that farmed alaskan salmon you can buy at Costco, thats perfectly servicable as salmon, but also flavorless. I gave him my card, and he brought me the check to sign. Thats when I realized.... Where is my fucking card. He kept my card. I had to ask for it back. After all that I couldn't stomach my usual 20% tip. So I gave a minimum of 16%. So that was a total of $72 for 10 half sized nigiri, terrible service, in a dead restaurant. The food has left such a lack of impact on my stomach that I had to drive through McDonalds, which was, fortunately, just a few blocks down the street. I had tried to go to Noma, but they were to busy so I ended up here. Now I understand why this place was almost completely empty at 7pm on a saturday night. Now I've learned the lesson so many other locals have. I should have waited the 15 minutes for a seat at Noma. The good? Fast service? Friendly weight staff. The miso soup was tasty. Quiet (because of no clientelle). The Unagi was tastey, but you can't really mess that up. Eel is the "orange chicken" of sushi.

This is the best sushi in LA. I love Echigo. Get the butter fish and the blue crab hand roll.

I went to Echigo last night and felt compelled to leave a review, because I couldn't disagree more with some of the negative reviews i had read prior to dining there. To be fair there are things that can be criticized -- the atmosphere leaves much to be desired, and the prices do feel maybe 20-50% higher than I'd have expected. But putting those issues aside, when I look for reviews on Yelp, the hugest thing I'm trying to determine is whether or not the food is up to my standards. As a pretty massive sushi enthusiast/snob, I can tell you that this place absolutely does not disappoint. The quality of their fish is excellent. Maybe not "world class" but it's still easily 4.5+ stars, if not a full 5 stars. My favorites in no particular order were the monkfish liver, butterfish, scallop, salmon, and toro nigiri. But truly everything I ate was delicious. There were no duds. I found the service to be a little uneven. They were all super nice and we never waited long for food or drinks, but they did seem a tiny bit scattered. Not a big deal. One last thing which I saw mentioned in another recent review was the presence of "rules" that were characterized as being anti-customer. This is absolute nonsense. The menu in several places mentioned how they would gladly accommodate special requests and modifications. And the only real "rule" was that if you sit at the sushi bar it's entirely devoted to omakase. Other than that it's such basic stuff like your standard "tip is included for large parties" etc. I found these to be more like informative guidelines letting you know what to expect. Seriously anyone complaining about this is like a person complaining about a hotel that tells you they will only wash towels left on the floor in order to save water. I see it as a heads up about how they operate and far from a reason to be deducting stars. Anyway if you close your eyes to the prices, I am quite confident that any fans of purist sushi (no weird rolls) will not just like, but LOVE their meal at Echigo!

The good: no wait and free parking in the plaza The bad: mediocre at best sushi quality, as in Mitsuwa sushi is comparable to their sushi. The miso soup is bland and does not have much flavor. Rice is too dense and wet. For such a mediocre sushi restaurant, they might as well sell rolls, because for the price, Mitsuwa will get you better quality fish. Try: not wasting your time or money here. You might as well go to sugar fish.

This spot... let me tell you when I say I'm DEF gonna be a repeat customer. My kinda hidden vibe Cleanliness: Clean AF Social Distanced- Not a spec of dirt in sight Ambiance: Super simple/ minimal decor/ open 2nd floor windows/ business white kinda look Food: FRESH! Beautiful sushi choices Not just that boring salmon/ toro stuff. Tho, the salmon was out of this world amazing! Hands down best raw salmon I've had in years. Disclaimer: I usually don't like raw salmon (only like cooked) but this salmon... no words. Absolutely blew my mind. Service: Perfect- Server Shin & Chef Toshi were kind, helpful, & all around just awesome! No stuck up vibes here. Ordered: Live Shrimp- Head in Miso Soup (FAVE) Shrimp Eggs- Drooling yum Salmon- MUST! Shima Aji- Mackerel Barracuda- NEED Butterfish Anago aka Sea Eel Sayori aka needlefish YUM Salmon Skin Handrolls Cucumber Sunonomo Green Teas: Coulda been better honestly Large Perrier Extra Ginger: $3 (large mound) absolutely worth it Ty Echigo team Ps: Let me know when you get hotoru Ika, Iwashi, & kohada again plzzz hehe ;)

Was... surprised. The lunch special is a tremendous value, and for $5 more you can get a miso soup and edamame added. Dine-in is well spaced due to COVID-19, and they were not only empty for a late lunch, but they had a seat right by an open window. And for a piddling $23, I had five pieces of sushi (maguro, sake, hirame, fluke, hamachi, I think it was) plus a blue crab hand roll. All quite fresh, and at that price, a superb value. Sure, you go up to the 2nd floor, the space is kinda spartan looking, the ambiance casual, but it all fits.

Best sushi in LA. If you're hungry, order two lunch specials. Consistently the freshest, highest quality fish. And the small additions they add to the nigiri are perfect.

Everything about this place is amazing. The food, service and cleanliness is excellent. I would encourage giving this place a shot.

Sugarfish who? Never heard of her. Wow. What can I say? If you're a fan of traditional sushi at a great price point, look no further. As of April 2021, the lunch omakase is $45 pp and includes a miso soup or seaweed salad starter, 8 pieces of nigiri, and a blue fin tuna hand roll. It is located in an unassuming strip mall but the restaurant itself is very clean and the service is exceptional. I was fortunate enough to go with some close friends and it was very fun to pop the sushi in our mouths and look at each other at the same time and marvel at it's fresh fish-like taste. I have had Omakase in San Francisco and Manhattan and I would like to say that for the price point this restaurant delivers an exceptional meal. I was very tempted to get more butterfish and another tuna hand roll. This is definitely worth a try if you're in the area - it's even worth a try if you're not in the area! I wish I could go every day. I love you Echigo!

I was looking for some decent sushi and chirashi in the area and came across Echigo. Located on the second floor of a non-descript plaza (right above Prime Pizza), Echigo has a variety of sushi cuts and a good lunch special. I came for dinner and was easy enough to make a reservation online (though they have a bit of a dated one on their website where you select a spot and hear back the next day if you got it). Some highlights include the crab handroll, the salmon skin handroll, the salmon nigiri, the barracuda nigiri, and even the monkfish liver was good. Cuts will vary in freshness as some were starting to get less fresh in taste and texture. Overall a decent spot, but lunch may be the best value here.

Yes! Highly recommend. This sushi bar/restaurant is a hidden gem on a main street!!! The food is some of the best sushi I've ever tasted.

Echigo is a hidden gem on the westside. Tucked away on the 2nd floor of a small plaza, the friendly server continuously keep your glasses filled and you get quality sushi. I like this restaurant because it is not pretentious, nothing fancy, but just quality fish. Happy Hour Monday - Thursday 5:30-7:00p, stop by for a beer or take advantage of their specials. Alternatively, you can try the Omakase. Parking is available on both the ground level and underground. Just be careful going down because the space can be tight. Definitely worth trying if you are in the area.

I'm picky with Sushi and rarely eat Sushi on the west side. Found this gem after my yoga class at Laughing Frog. Sushi lunch special was exellent. $19 for 5 pcs + Blue Crab handroll - can't get this quality for the price around Santa Monica!

Hands down my favorite sushi place of all time. I've been to my fair share of places and none have beat the quality and deliciousness of Echigo. It's a little hole in the wall and best secrets in LA. I always recommend to get the omakase to get the best fish they have. The chefs always pick the best pieces. I like to add a bowl of ikura nigiri, you won't regret it! Also add an extra piece of butterfish to top it all off. The staff is always so friendly and quick. Each piece of omakase comes at the perfect time. I can't imagine a better sushi experience!

I really wish more restaurants like Echigo existed around here. While you will find basic maki rolls on the menu, Echigo's focus is definitely on serving simple, traditional nigiri sushi. No Americanized rolls. In fact, I don't even think you can order a bowl of rice here. Authentic sushi is what you come here for, and the quality does not disappoint. Tried Echigo last Saturday night (3/10/18) for my first time. From the outside, one would expect this place to be just another American-style hybrid sushi restaurant. You definitely wouldn't expect this place to be as authentic as it is, and you may not even think to try it, unless from a recommendation. Located on the second floor of an unassuming strip mall, Echigo is full or surprises, and offers a reason to be excited. A recommendation and solid Yelp profile is what brought us here. I often scour Yelp looking for authentic sushi restaurants to try, and this one looked as legit as it gets. The prices seemed more than reasonable, and the pictures were promising. The menu was possibly the most impressive part, featuring rare, hard-to-find items, as well as some of the pinnacles of Edo-style sushi. I was convinced. A bloodbath of sushi ordering ensued. Awesome specials/daily offerings posted on the wall by the sushi bar added even more to the anticipation. My order included Suzuki sea bass, Itoyori snapper, Managatsuo, Barracuda, Belt fish, Kanpachi, Halibut, Red snapper, Sardine, Skipjack, Spanish Mackerel, Kohada, Ono, Shima aji, Bonito, Butter fish, Mackerel, Baby tuna, Skip jack revisit, and an itoyori snapper revisit. In total, I ate over 30 pieces. I may have gotten a little carried away, but their menu was pretty irresistible, and I wanted to try a lot. My first order was a success, which lead to a second and third round. Everything was so fresh and delicious, I couldn't stop. The rice was perfection, as well, served nice and warm. My favorites included the itoyori snapper, barracuda, skip jack, shima aji, and bonito. The halibut, baby tuna, butter fish, and ono were good, as well. The Mackerel was definitely better than most I've had. The belt fish reminded me a lot of eel. The red snapper was the only piece that disappointed. It was overly fishy and just OK. The ambiance and decor won't blow you away here, but the service is good, and the sushi at Echigo is sure to impress. The variety cannot be beat, and the price point is extremely reasonable for the quality and freshness. If looking for a high-quality sushi restaurant that won't break the bank, Echigo is a great option to try. Echigo serves fresh fish on warm rice that melts in your mouth.

Yay! They're open for take out during the LA "shelter in place" period. This is our favorite sushi place. The master chef is talented as well as a kind man. Humble, soften spoken and a true artist. The prices are amazingly affordable when compared to other LA sushi restaurants with the same level of quality. It's easy to get a reservation and the staff is very polite and well trained. It's in a strip mall, but don't let that discourage you. This is why some think of it as a hidden gem.

Feb 2020 - had the omakase special $46 lunch and the Valentine's Day special $60 (has a different seaweed appetizer, soup and cream puffs). Sushi was delicious and fresh with warm rice. Real wasabi is a plus. Toro, halibut, bonito, scallop, red snapper w Yuzu, baby tuna, Japanese snapper, and butter fish. Omakase special has the Cho tuna instead of toro tuna. Overall it was a good experience.

I think my husband put it best: this is the kind of sushi restaurant you go to if someone else is paying. It was kind and good of the server to tell us we were only getting two pieces with each order. So you're looking at about $7-10 for two pieces of sushi. It's not American-style rolls, either, although you can get a hand roll. The sashimi here is good. It's not exceptional. It's also not a lot of food. For a few orders of fish and a bowl of miso, you're already looking at close to $40. Perhaps this is only sushi for the discerning, but I don't think I'd go back.

Didn't know about the review and just walked in and had the best sushi ever. Ordered the five piece sushi lunch special and have to order second rounds since they are just too good.

I've been patronizing Echigo for almost 20 years. I can't believe it's been that long already but I am so happy that they've beat the odds and weathered the pandemic. I've gone to other sushi restaurants around So.Cal., some much more expensive, but all roads lead back to Echigo. It is seriously THE most consistent sushi restaurant I've ever been to. The quality is always top notch, never a bad meal. I'm so impressed with how it's maintained its high standards throughout the years. Echigo is not cheap but for the consistency and quality, its price point reasonable compared to other similar edomae sushi restaurants. If I could afford to go every day, I would.

Delicious sushi, and excellent service. Dishes came out one by one, and the waiters provided guidance on which to eat with soy sauce or not. Felt like a bespoke tasting menu. Quiet on a Saturday night. Perfect for a low key meal out. Small bottles of sake are perfect size to share between two people driving home.

Omakase (in a Japanese restaurant) is a meal consisting of dishes selected by the chef. If you have self-inflicted dietary restrictions, as I do, having someone else select what you put in your mouth is a bit uncomfortable -but fun for me at the same time. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy a bit of uncertainty - just know, if omakase consist of other types of meat besides seafood and if I am dining out with you -you're welcome to eat it for me. Restaurant wasn't overly packed for a Friday night, had a overall casual vibe-nothing fancy (although, my new friend mentioned it has gone through renovations). It is located upstairs in a corner strip mall and service was adequate. We didn't have to wait too long to get seated at the sushi bar. Omakase here at Echigo is all seafood- Thank heavens. I was so engulfed in the conversation with my new foodie friend, that we both are unable to recall the order of sushi! Okay, I admit -I did a Yelper FAIL, but I remembered to take pictures! (see my pics below). Although, I can report that everything melts in your mouth-so incredibly delicious! The rice has a delicate smoky/salty to it and is a bit more sticky (which was fine with me). Some pieces already had wasabi and the chef will make recommendations when soy sauce is not needed. My new foodie friend chose a dry sake to complement our meal and we had Asahi beer as well -alcohol is the added culprit to the poor recall of the sushi order as well (Ha!). I have no clue as far as how much this meal with break your bank, as my generous new foodie friend took care of everything -just trust me that it is worth it. If you're in search of amazing sushi this is one place worth a visit and your foodie friends will love it here.

The good: the quality, freshness, and taste of the fish is fantastic, the rice is moist and slightly warm, and the nori is crispy and light. We ordered the tuna hand roll, blue crab hand roll, and the tuna, scallop and albacore sushi. All were very good, and I would give 4 stars based on the food alone. The bad: the atmosphere is very sterile (but clean), and feels more like a hospital waiting room than a restaurant. And the price is quite high. The other: the menu has a very wide variety of fish, and everything is very simple... as in no avocado, cucumber, or other typical accoutrements. The focus is solely on the fish.

I truly wish I could afford to come here more often because Echigo is truly special! The omakase is amongst the best I've ever had despite not being overly expensive. The fish here are top notch and only eclipsed by how perfect the experience is.

Quarantine Review! Came here after seeing a famous celebrity go in #shameless. Never really paid attention to echigo as it isn't placed in the best looking plaza, but I'm really glad I came to check it out. Parking is really easy as they have a garage and there's ton of street parking. When you go into this restaurant, it's really a hidden gem, albeit unpolished in terms of decor regards, but a gem nonetheless. The servers and chefs were very friendly, knowledgeable and recommended some delicious fish. Comparing my experience to places such as Sushi Gen in DTLA, I would definitely have to say that Echigo could compete against them without an issue. The fish was extremely fresh and tasty. If you are looking for delicious high quality sushi, go ahead and try Echigo out. On a side note, the pricing is on the higher side.

This sushi restaurant is a true gem. Traditional omakase style, no frills, no BS mayo-rolls crap. The fish is always excellent. Although the decor may not be the most hip, and the owner/sushi chef the greatest conversationalist the quality of the food is top notch. If you like Sasabune and restaurants of that ilk you will be more than happy here, especially when you get the bill! If you want a quick lunch you will not find an omakase lunch that will come any quicker. I can't say enough about this place. Maybe not for date night, unless you are both foodies and appreciate a find when you see one.

I don't know what happened to my beloved Echigo. I used to come here all the time when I lived in Brentwood years ago. At least once or twice a month for a few years. Last time I was here was about 7 years ago, so it's been a while, but I still remember how much I used to love their sushi. I wanted hubby to walk down memory lane with me so I dragged him here last weekend, and we had the omakase at the bar. Price-wise, it was $49/pp, so totally reasonable. We got white fish sashimi, toro, halibut, scallop, skipjack, kanpachi, kinme snapper, amaebi, butterfish, and blue crab roll. Out of all these, I only enjoyed kanpachi, amaebi, and blue crab roll. The knifework was really poor, the sushi chef didn't interact with us at all, he had a helper that would baste the sauce/seasoning and hand the sushi to us without any fanfare. Scallop had a fishy aftertaste, salmon wasn't even included in the omakase, and I found the butterfish too fatty. In short, I didn't have any sushi-gasm moments, and I was left unsatisfied. I'm not sure if it was an off day, or I had a different palate years ago, but I don't think I'll be coming back... there is just too many great sushi restaurants in LA to go to a mediocre place. Lack of ambience doesn't bother me at all, but I want a little better omakase experience than what I had at Echigo. Too bad.

Hole in the wall. Food is absolutely delicious and the service is amazing. Definitely would recommend coming!

Omakase fan on a budget? This may be the place for you that mixes in a bit more cost with an overall satisfying meal. (This is only the dinner review as a heads-up). Pros: +Personally, I've never experienced much of a wait here when I've been (mostly weekdays) and they do take reservations just in case if you call in. There is a private underground parking lot and lots of street parking around as well (just be mindful of signs). Remember that this is on the 2nd floor (there's a big 'sushi' sign to help guide you). +Love how if you buy a bottle of sake, they will save it for you until the next time you come which is awesome. They have a not too bad variety of wine, sake and beer. Sake bottles can range in rice pretty wildly as a heads-up. +Service has always been awesome and the chef has always been super kind in explaining the orders and whether to dip it in soy sauce or not. +The Omakase price is definitely solid at about $50 for a good amount of food and a lot of the food I think is pretty solid (favorites including the Toro and the blue crab hand roll) They do have sushi also available a la carte. Rice is a little warm which might not be great for some as a heads-up. +/- Note that the bar area is only for Omakase first customers only. At the tables, you can order a la carte if you'd like. +/- Also note that this is a fairly straightforward sushi place with little in terms of fancy rolls or other items. +/- Vey minimalist in design and decor and equipment just as a heads-up (don't expect fancy TV's or bells for instance). Cons: -Although the price is great, I do admit that sometimes the sushi isn't always as 'good tasting' as some of the higher tier sushi restaurants around town perhaps. Placebo effect? Perhaps but for the price you're paying, the flavors seemed mostly fine on my end. Echigo may be a bit quieter and less-known Omakase place in the busy Japanese restaurant-filled Westside but I personally am a fan!

Overall: Don't be deterred by the $$$ Yelp pricing. Their $15 lunch set and a few additional orders of their many interesting, varied selections will set you back $30, but you'll leave full and satisfied. Definitely get their Monkfish Liver, which has a foie gras-like texture. Food: 4 Lunch Set ($14.99) includes 5 pieces of nigiri sushi and a blue crab hand roll. It's not the cheapest sushi joint, but this is a deal in comparison to their normal prices where the cheapest plate of nigiri sushi is $5. The fare is standard with tuna, yellowtail, white fish, salmon, and albacore. The fish is of good quality, and the sauces and garnishes complement it well. However, the rice was warmer than it should be in some pieces, and one began to crumble in my hands before I could pop it in my mouth. The albacore was delicious but it was drenched in sauce, and the white fish was cut poorly. I hope that this is a result of our late entrance rather than reflective of their normal food because I had high hopes. However, if it is a result of us coming in last minute, I am highly disappointed that this affected the quality of what they sent out. Monkfish Liver is poached in store and topped with a miso sauce. In store steaming makes all the difference. It's served still warm, and it's more buttery and smoother than any of its counterparts. In fact, I'd dare say it almost resembled foie gras. Service: 4 It's hard to get bad service at a Japanese restaurant, and they graciously took us in even though we came about a minute before they closed at 2 pm. We had to order food all at once because they were taking last call orders. Food came quickly, one after the other, and lunch took about 20 minutes all together. I'm not complaining because I had to be somewhere by 3 pm, but I did feel like the speed at which food came was a result of their desire to have us leave so they could close up. This did NOT show in their service; they were polite and professional. However, it may have shown in their fish. Ambiance: 3 The restaurant is a unassuming plaza with treacherous underground parking (the ramp down is steep and winding and the spaces are tiny). The restaurant itself is clean, but it's sparse with white walls and minimal decorations. Perhaps not the right place if you want to impress your eating companions with food and ambiance, but none of your foodie friends will complain if you take them here just for the sushi.

By far my favorite Sushi Restaurant in Los Angeles. The most tender fish served piece by piece over soft warm rice. It's all about quality, not a lot of fancy rolls just quality sushi. Happy Hour Monday-Thursday 5:30-7:00pm. Give it a try.

Pros: great quality of sushi, polite servers. Cons: extremely expensive, $6 for a small single sushi roll! Insane pricey. The place is far from being fancy to charge such price. Last time here.

Another Yelper put it well: this is sushi for the discerning. High quality, traditional, and absolutely delicious. A way to treat oneself or others for a special occasion. I've been here only three times in the past 10 years, but each time has been a consistently exquisite experience.

Echigo is yet another beautiful dining experience to add to my list for 2010. Fresh sashimi and decently price omakase. I was schooled in the technique that Nozawa and students of Nozawa use in terms of nigiri. Warm rice with subtle amounts of vinegar. Boy was it delicious. Not too warm and not too soft. Fluffy. Aromatic sweet vinegar taste. The cuts of sashimi were all fresh and the omakase kept coming with almost what seemed like no end (great for three hungry girls). Memorable courses included the fresh like it just died scallop, delicious melt in your mouth albacore, kanpachi, and the heavenly crab roll. The cuts of sashimi are thin so if you are a hungry monster (or a large male), you might want to order a la carte until you are full. Everything was scumptious.

Echigo is a no nonsense type of sushi restaurant. You're not going to find any special rolls here, just straight up sushi. Initially, I had high standards based merely on the reviews. I'll admit I was skeptic upon entering the plaza and parking in the questionable underground parking lot. Skepticism continued when we walked into an empty restaurant at 7PM on a Saturday. All doubts washed away upon first bite. Albacore -- Medium firm fish lightly dressed with ponzu sauce and green onions. Perfectly flavored, perfect temperature, served on a perfectly seasoned block of warm sushi rice (all nigiris are serve with warm sushi rice here). Kanpachi -- In the same family as the yellowtail, the Kanpachi isn't typically served at sushi restaurants. Whenever I see it on the menu, I always get it. Echigo's version did not disappoint. Beautifully cut with the more timid flavor to match. The sushi rice gave it a nice sour kick. Skipjack -- A teency mushier in terms of texture but it is also seasoned with ponzu sauce and topped with green onions. The skipjack is the cousin of tuna but the color looks similar to the yellowtail. Eel -- Slightly toasted eel drizzled with unagi sauce and sprinkled with sesame seeds. You can tell by the texture that the eel is fresh because it wasn't rubbery with a layer of gooeyness underneath. Blue Crab Hand Roll -- Mouthwatering blue crab. I like Shunka's (Costa Mesa) version much more because they stuff it with far less rice and much more of the blue crab. I could barely taste the blue crab but what I could taste, simply fresh! Keep in mind, each order of nigiri is served individually - 2 pieces per order, 1 piece per dish. Service was perfect but I suppose that is to be expected when you're the only party in the restaurant. You can tell the sushi chef puts a lot of love into all of his orders, so be patient! Everything tasted great but the prices were indeed a bit steep. If I were to come back, I'd probably stick to their omakase.

Nighttime in Santa Monica. A drunken stroll across the street from Mom's Bar. (http://su.pr/1QLW4P) It started to drizzle. Jin Y. and I walk into a sushi bar wearing Leather and Lace. Cucumber handroll. ($5.20) Miso soup. ($3) Hot green tea. A fascination with the whipped consistency of their wasabi. Looking back, I think I ate all of the ginger (sorry Jin!) I forgot what Jin ordered...I was drunk! They kicked us out cuz they were closing. Post-Yelp Elite Event Eats are always fun :) Tip: minimum $15 purchase if you pay by credit card.

Echigo is one of those surprisingly decent restaurants tucked away in LA's nondescript strip malls. Identified from the street by an illuminated sign advertising "sushi," Echigo seems rather generic. But, from the moment you set your eyes on the menu, you realize that that sign makes total sense: Echigo serves only traditional sushi. My friend and I visited Echigo on a weekday evening; we were one of only two parties in the entire restaurant. Since we specifically came to Echigo to try their omakase (~ $49), we opted to sit at the sushi bar, which provided us with a clear view of the chef. For the price, the omakase was solid, but nothing to write home about. The omakase consisted of 1 plate of sashimi, 8 pieces of sushi, and 1 hand roll. Most of the sushi was served with minimal wasabi and a generous dash of ponzu. At times, I felt like the texture of the rice and the fish blended together; perhaps the rice was a little too warm and a little too wet. Nevertheless, the overall quality fish was good: fresh taste, smooth texture, and decent portion size. The highlights of the meal for me were the butterfish, yellowtail, and blue crab hand roll. Although I didn't feel particularly full after the meal, I was satisfied with the experience. Would I come back to Echigo? Probably not. There's many other restaurants (i.e. SugarFish) that offer comparable or better omakase at similar prices. If you're willing to pay more money, there's definitely higher quality fare. Would I recommend Echigo? Sure. It's not a bad place to get your sushi fix and definitely worth trying if you're looking for quality sushi on the Westside.

The bottom line is the Sushi is fresh and good. They have no fancy stuff or rolls here but that is OK. My favorite was the albacore. For the lunch special ($14.50) they bring one piece at a time. That is one way to make sure you do not eat too fast(: When I was finished with the 5 pieces for the lunch special I was still hungry. If you go here it should be fresh as mine was. If are hungry and want a full meal be ready to open the wallet and peal it out.

Eichigo made me realize what a fresh Ikura is suppose to look and taste like! Went there two time already with my boyfriend and every time I have been such a great experience. The service was also wonderful. Their Ikura and uni is the best I've tried so far, uni's consistency is like a ripe mango! The rice!!! It was warm and firm. Great taste. Everything about that place is solid. Also, their echigo beer goes great with the sushi.

Very good service. Was greeted right when I walked in, and food was prepared right in front of me. Food was made quickly and was the best sushi I've ever had. The crab roll and tuna rolls were awesome. The miso soup and edamame completed the meal perfectly. Was worth every penny and would 100% recommend.

Echigo had been on my list for a while but I knew the bill could get pretty pricey at dinner so have been putting it off, that is until I heard about their lunch special! The $14.95 lunch special includes five pieces of sushi and a blue crab hand roll and overall I was very pleased. Fish cuts weren't the neatest but the flavor and quality of fish was spot on. It's not a huge lunch but it's a perfect light lunch and I appreciated the large amount of wasabi and ginger delivered with the first piece of sushi. The five pieces if sushi included albacore, tuna, salmon, yellowtail and one other that now escapes me. The blue crab handroll was smaller than most, but the taste was excellent. Reservations are not necessary for lunch. Mostly a business lunch crowd. Parking was easy in the lot below.