Kazu Sushi

Happened to find this place and I highly recommend the omakase at the bar. The chef is a bit shy but super cute. Dassai is a good option for sake, kind of sweet and soft.

A gem in a sea of very crowded sushi in the area. The prices are a bit higher but it's one of the top 2-3 sushi restaurants that my wife and I have been to. We chose ala-carte as we're not huge rice eaters and stuck to mostly sashimi dishes. From the buttery smooth melt in your mouth Toro to the slightly charred wagyu that was like visiting heaven you can't go wrong. I think we tried about all of the sashimi dishes and a few sushi options, try the skip jack it was excellent! You aren't going to get california rolls at this place and for good reason. If you want legit sushi like you'd get in Japan, this is your spot.

One of the best traditional sushi places in LA. It always delivers a great variety of high quality items; omakase at the bar is highly recommended.

The best 🍣 I tried the Omakase and it was delicious 😋 melted in my mouth!

Nice traditional Japanese sushi. The website does need to be updated to remove some options no longer offered. The food was amazing, though.

One of the best places that I have had sushi in the valley. Great omakase. Fresh fish. No fancy sushi rolls here. It definitely isn't for everyone looking for a more heightened experience.

Kazu Sushi was one of the latest sushi restaurants that I've been to. I'm a huge fan of omakase sushi restaurants, and this one didn't disappoint at all. In fact, it was one of the best omakase style sushi restaurants I've ever been to. When I went, I sat at the bar and was served raw oysters, kanpachi, toro, blue fin tuna, sea eel, yellowtail, salmon, albacore, blue crab handroll, and others that I can't quite remember but were great. Everything was phenomenal. Fresh, melt in your mouth, and tasty. Especially their sea eel. One of the best sea eels that I've ever had in a sushi restaurant. In all, I highly recommend this restaurant. Although the ambience is somewhat bare and practical, and the service somewhat on the lower side, it's definitely the place to go soley for the food. It's probably the best sushi restaurant in Studio City, and I've tried nearly all of them

The best sushi in all of LA. The freshest and purest. No frills. As good as Japan. No Americanized/Californiazed sushi or sushi rolls here, in fact no sushi rolls - for that, go somewhere else. Come here for true Japanese sushi and sashimi. I think Kasusan is happy to have this place stay low-key. This place has been around for decades, low-key, in a strip mall, one-chef, one waitress, quiet, simple, but the quality and taste are delectable!

***Michelin Plate (2019)*** Kazu Sushi has been around since 1989?! Having lived in the Studio City area for quite a while, I was surprised to see this restaurant listed in the Michelin guide, as I had never seen or heard of it before. With a friend visiting from out of town, we decided to check this place out for a Friday night dinner (7/5/19) around 7pm. Located in a small strip mall on Ventura Blvd, Kazu Sushi may not look the most visually appealing from the outside. The interior leaves a lot to be desired, as well. The ambiance on a Friday night for dinner was completely stale and dead. To my surprise, we were the only ones in there, which was somewhat alarming. The dining room was very quiet, and the smell of the restaurant was of cleaning supplies. Not the best first impression, and definitely not a restaurant you'd take someone to impress. To eat, we sampled some of the nigiri a la carte. Our order included tuna, skipjack, salmon, scallop, amberjack, nodoguro, and more. Prices here are on the more expensive side, but still reasonable. With no one else in the restaurant, service was quick and efficient. Overall, I thought the sushi was above average, but aside from the nodoguro, nothing really stood out that much. The slabs of fish were nice, and the rice was cooked well.

If you want to enjoy the best sushi but expect to pay for the highest quality. Be sure to order Toro, kampachi, nodigiru, and definitely the veggie - shrimp tempura. The sake is fab. The ambience is simplistic with white table cloths. Enjoy this gem while it lasts! KAZU is a pro!

Delicious omakase and fresh fresh fresh fish. The sushi chef is beyond wonderful and spikes the dishes with mouthwatering flavor. I was a little confused because their menu said $90-$130 for omakase and I ended up getting charged $150 which was misleading however the staff was understanding and said they need to update their menu. Must gets are the monk fish lover, toro, candied crab, and thai snapper! Love the quality and service here. Can't wait to come back!!

Best Omakase in LA! Hands down. I get how people complained on here about the price, but traditional Japanese Omakase as fresh as they serve here, costs money!

SAVE YOURSELF!! Literally don't go. The ambiance was terrible and the food was WAY overpriced and mediocre. We were the only people there and it really freaked me out. We were trying to go to Kazu Nori and went here by accident. We should have just turned around and left...

My 1 star is based SOLELY on their horrible customer service or lack thereof!! We did not eat there. Bf and I went there last night at 8:30 pm and there was no one else dining. It was so bright. No mood lighting or even semi dim lights. First We sat down at the sushi bar and the waitress was completely uninterested in serving us. My Bf asked her if they were closed or should we stay? She said they close at 9:30 pm and seemed VERY unhappy about that. Second red flag We started to order and noticed the prices were astronomical so we asked about the combination and asked if we could substitute the shrimp and she said no (3rd red flag ) so Bf answered with "what if we are allergic to shrimp and someone dies as a result?"She and Kazu (who who reluctantly appeared behind the sushi bar) talked amongst themselves and she came back out to where we were sitting and said "We can leave that out but NO substitutions. BF said "We are out of here"' and we left. Unbelievable!!

Kazu Sushi was one of my favorite sushi restaurant during my college days, and after almost 20 years I pay a visit back to Kazu Sushi again. I still remember those days when I hang out in Little Tokyo, Frying Fish is consider one of my favorite spot, first revolving sushi bar in LA back in the early 90s, perfect place for college kids with a tight budget to eat. At that time Kazu was consider high end sushi for me and whenever I saved up enough money, I'll go visit Kazu and treat myself a nice traditional sushi dinner. After 20 years, Kazu is still standing and serving the exact same old school, traditional sushi. It brings back a lot memory to eat here but you won't find a huge variety of sushi that will surprise you. Kazu maintain the same standard of fresh and tasty sushi but you might get bore by having the same selection on the menu every time you visit. Since my taste of sushi already evolved into a much higher standard than 20 years ago, going back to Kazu is more like refreshing my old personal memory, bring up some forgotten images of my past, but sadly I couldn't expand my sushi palate on new flavors, textures, or techniques from this visit to Kazu.

The sushi is fresh and well made. We had a couple of unusual offerings, including "candy crab," which was tiny and delicious. We requested omakase, "but nothing crazy," as my friend doesn't like sea urchin. The menu indicates that omakase is $60-120. Ok. Bill comes. $344 (before tip) for two people, 8 courses total and 3 cold sakes ($16 each). That's outrageous.

I ordered my takeout via text message. The sushi bento box is very tasty. Chef put the right amount of wasabi and sauce if needed. Every piece is a great experience. It just levels up my sushi experience. The price is extremely reasonable too. I will definitely go back.

This is the best kept secret in Studio City. By far, my favorite sushi spot. Incredible service and atmosphere. Calming and welcoming. Again, the best sushi in town. Omakase here is so delicious! Love Kazu!!!

"We stayed at this place for over an hour and a half for a friends' dinner, which was from 7 pm to 8:30 pm. We were asked if we were going to order more and also received complaints when we expressed our desire to leave early. The sushi chef said, 'The best customers for a sushi restaurant should eat quickly and leave early.' The service was awful, yet we were still charged over $400. We were very disappointed."

This is a hidden gem in Studio City. Kazu has been here for years, running this under-the-radar sushi spot. Where the ambiance might be lacking (no music, simple decor), the sushi makes up for it. The omakase is incredible and every a la carte menu item is spot on. Best kept secret in the valley, go here!

Had omakase for lunch and it was a very pleasant experience. Relatively inexpensive for the quality of the fish. I will definitely be back for lunch.

Kazu is the epitome of class. There are no rolls here. Just hard core sushi and cooked items. Kazu himself has been making all the sushi for as long as I've been going here - over 20 years. The omakase is divine. It's a bit pricey and somewhat sterile but the food can't be beat.

Great sushi, did the lunch omakase and was amazing! The fish was fresh and delicious, wish I had ordered ponzu but it was great none the less. High quality

If you know sushi, you would agree that this place serves legit sushi. Yes, menu is minimal (as with most restaurants in Japan - less is more). The ambience is exactly like what a small sushi place looks like in Japan, nothing to deserve one-star criticism. Service: Minimal as many stated below - the server could come off as rude. However, she kept our water glasses filled and delivered our food as soon as it's ready. Something to note - most asian restaurants have the same serving style, they literally don't kiss your behind, so just beware and don't expect some hard kiss-butt action as you would from American restaurants. That's all. I did the omakase option - which has a price tag of $80-$140 (obviously the range depends on how much you eat and market price). Mine turned out to be around $125. My meal started off with some raw oysters with ponzu sauce. The oysters were on the smaller side, but very fresh. I enjoyed them. My second course was a monkfish liver dish. Fish liver is an acquired taste, the texture could come off weird, and depending on how it was prepared, it's a hit-or-miss type of situation. I like how it was prepared by the chef at Kazu. The liver was creamy, balanced with ponzu sauce, and topped with fish roe. Cream and ponzu is a match made in heaven. Without the ponzu sauce, the liver would have been way too fishy and way too rich for my taste, but I finished the dish without feeling terrible. Then off to chef's selection of sushi- overall, very good sushi with fresh fish; just the basic. When you have fresh ingredients, you do not need all the "fancy" things to top it off - freshness is the best seasoning. 1. Toro (weird that they gave me toro in the beginning). Although it looks more red in the picture, the toro was actually more fatty than it looks. Definitely melt in your mouth. 2. Sea bream, amber jack, and big eye sea perch 3. Mackerel 4. Crab leg and Japanese prawn 5. Uni and Salmon Roe 6. Eel two ways: one is prepared savory and one is prepared sweet. Love them both! 7: Blue crab hand roll - OMG! To die for. Definitely the best seasoned! They give you a generous portion of it too. I was tempted to order a second one but I was way too full!! I definitely enjoyed my food here and would come back in a heartbeat!

Good value for what you get. However after just eating sushi at asanebo, this place just doesn't taste as good. The fish isn't as flavorful. Maybe it was an off day- we ordered on nye. The little sushi rolls were very delicious and overall it was super filling for one person.

If you're looking for a place that will serve you authentic and traditional sushi, look no further. Here at Kazu you will get that. One of the best Omakase you will find in the Valley. Kazu San is one of those master chef that takes his food very seriously, and he will only serve you the best quality fish he has that day. Each nigiri he serves will have a perfect glaze of nikiri or seasoning so "NO" dipping. Which I love! Plus here at Kazu you will see no special rolls here. So no California roll guys. If you'er into the rolls this is not the place for you. The service was excellent and friendly. Kazu San was very friendly and explaining all the nigiri he was serving. The restaurant itself is very small. There's only about 6 tables ,and about 10 seats at the bar. Note: Setting at the bar is Omakase only. His Omakase start from $60 -120 pp. FOOD: Omakase: Kumamoto Oysters Abalone Sea Snail Monkfish Liver Toro Maguro Ikura Ika Skipjack Tuna Hamachi Hara (yellowtail belly ) Kanpachi Tai Amaebi Alfonsino(Kinmedai ) Sea Eel Hotate Aji (Spanish Mackerel ) Big Eye Perch Saba And ending with a traditional roll toro and blue crab roll. If you notice he didn't serve us uni that day. Only because he said the uni he has wasn't creamy and fresh enough to his standard. I didn't think I ever encounter a chef like that. I like that!!! Everything was fresh and perfectly prepared. I'm definitely a huge fan, and I can't wait until my next visit.

I was so excited that Kazu offered take-out omakase - I thought I wouldn't be able to continue my birthday tradition of eating omakase because of COVID. My boyfriend and I ordered the premium omakase priced at about $110 each. It came with about 22 pieces, 2 rolls, ginger, wasabi, and soy sauce. We ordered via text message, our order was ready at our requested pick-up time, and everyone working in the restaurant wore masks and gloves. Omakase definitely isn't the same when you're eating at home, but the food was just as delicious and amazing!

Ended up here by absolute chance after a night of cancelled plans and couldn't be happier. It doesn't look like much at all when you walk in (some soft music and slightly dimmed lights would make a huge difference) but wow the food was fantastic. I had salmon and yellowtail nigiri along with a spicy tuna roll. Everything was so fresh and tasty. This is authentic style sushi so like others have said...don't expect some crazy cut roll with 836328 ingredients like at more Americanized spots. Just solid, well done sushi. If there was just some tiny adjustments to the ambiance to make the space more inviting it would be perfect.

Have not ate here in a long time but my dad was across the street at a recover home after surgery and my mom and I would come here once a week. Back then they did not have any rolls available and was told that is not traditional. The waitress would say rolls are American style, so we would always go with Omakase. Holy crap I remember everything was melt in your mouth and each dish brought out next was very thought out. The dishes would get richer and richer till you were full. I see some reviews talking about hiding wasabi in the sushi.....Kazu does not cover anything and let's the fish speak for itself. I can't wait to come back and eat here again

Literally the best sushi in LA. Best sushi, best sashimi, best appetizers, best wagyu, best green tea, best ginger, best water and the best service

If you gave this place less than 5 stars you probably do not know how to eat sushi or what real sushi is. Kazu San is the real deal and a real master of his trade-this is straight up some of the best fish in the city, cut to perfection. His omakase course is something you will never forget--starting off with oysters on the half shell and a flambé quail egg, finishing with his classic smoked salmon skin hand roll. Dining here is a true Japanese experience and though Kazu San is pretty quiet when he's working, he is very friendly and will talk to you about anything (Especially food and Jazz). If you are looking for Japanese-inspired American food like "California" or "Philadelphia" rolls--know that this is not sushi and not the place for you. For foodies who are looking for the real deal and an authentic Japanese meal--don't sleep, for its one of the best you will find. Thank you Kazu San!

Kazu (not Lazy as my ridiculous phone changed it to before I realized it on my check in) picks these delicious fish out at the market himself. Every piece melts in your mouth. I have NEVER had a bad piece of fish here. Authentic and hard to stop eating whether it's Salmon, Tuna, Yellowtail, Toro or any number of the huge selections of fish on the menu. My favorite appetizer is the Baked Mussels. I almost could make a meal out of just those. Kazu is a one of a kind and those who come here won't go elsewhere as they just don't measure up. Thank you, Kazu, for your years of sharing your amazing talent!

Really solid spot for a sort of, middle-high-end sushi experience. I got the lunch omakase which was in the ~70 range. Old fashioned vibe, a few japanese business men in there, and that's it. Fish was very nice, clearly real deal sushi (no philly rolls lol), but maybe not mind blowing. Mostly I enjoyed how laid back it was compared to those super $$$ place you normally associate with omakase. I'd go back for dinner.

This place was amazing! I'm in love the best sushi place in studio city. The oysters were amazing I had 24 of them!

This place gives me the creeps. We came here since we didn't want to wait for the restaurant next door, Sugarfish, (which we should've). The sushi was mediocre. For the price they charge and the concept they have - same as Sugarfish, the quality of the fish was below par. We came when it was almost empty. They were in the process of cleaning up which is understandable if they were closing soon but it was around 8:30pm... The service was quite lacking. I didn't feel as if we were attended to, even though we were almost the only ones there. We literally had to flag down our server if we wanted something. The decor was very minimal and they had unflattering fluorescent lighting - which made me see all the flaws in the fish, like it's discoloration. I've learned my lesson. Patience will get you better sushi.

This place is legit. Fresh premium sushi. Halibut was so good!! No stupid lines to wait in like the trendy spots down the street. Clean and fresh. Plus Kazu has been there for awhile. Do yourself a favor and try it out! For sushi and sashimi lovers only

Haven't been in here in years. Stopped by tonight and was as great as I remembered. Not busy as all but it should be. Go. Run. Thank you Kazu!

This is my go to place for sushi. I've been here about 8-10 times now. Twice I sat at the tables with friends but all other times I sat at the bar and had omakase. There is a huge difference. At the table, it's a fine, solid sushi experience. At the bar, it's truly a divine sushi experience that makes you grateful to have functional taste buds. He starts off with some oysters and then toro sashimi. Next is the greatest ankimo you'll ever have. It's smooth, slippery and buttery, not at all dry or hard like at some places. He then takes you on a journey thru sushi heaven with an outstanding lineup of incredible fish, including nodoguro and kenmedai, my two favorites. He also does an amazing sea eel served two ways, one with just a dash of yuzu and the other with the traditional eel sauce. I still can't decide which one is more delicious. He ends the omakase with a toro hand roll and a blue crab hand roll, both of which are exquisite. The meal ends with a bowl of house made sorbet, a perfectly refreshing end to an absolutely perfect meal. The downside to this place is that the ambiance is dull and even a bit sullen. It's also almost always empty so I don't quite know how he stays in business. I hope he does bc this is the best sushi in LA and I'd be devastated if it closed. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this place. I'd give it 6 or 7 stars if I could!!!

This place is the best sushi restaurant. Very authentic and traditional, and I'm from Japan. :) Yiu can have a great experience here if you are serious about Sushi. If you're only into non-authentic, Americanized sushi rolls, this is not your place. Me and my friends have been to Kazu-sushi a couple times now and we always do Omakase. It starts with Kumamoto Oyster shooters, so good and refreshing. Then their is 3 appetizers on the plate (this time it was Ankimo, halibut sashimi, and flavored quail eggs.) My favorite sushi from Kazu-San, and I believe that's what they are known for, is Nodoguro sushi. Oh man, so flavorful. It melts in my mouth. Hamachi (yellowtail belly) is also my favorite as well. There is nothing "eh, okay" about Kazy-san's sushi. Always great. At the end, you get some Maki-sushi. Japanese pickled plum cucumber, blue crab, and tuna (maguro) rolls. So good. And the dessert comes with Omakase too. I definitely recommend to do Omakase to get full experience. Kazu-San gives you all the sushi in particular order. I like it because I wouldn't know what to eat first and next... And Kazu-San is great. He is funny, sweet, and cares about his customers. :)

They had the audacity to add in a tip on a to-go order and then they had a ten dollar minimum on a cash order for to go. Ridiculous business practices. DO NOT ADD IN TIP. THAT IS SO RUDE.

Nice people but the food wasn't worth the money. They hide wasabi in the sushi, have a really poor menu, and of course everything is overpriced. This should be advertised as an exotic Japanese restaurant that serves their own special seafood. I have to admit they do have a separate piece of laminated paper that explains they don't do "American" sushi, which they give you with their menu Also the establishment has a pungent odor of toilet cakes...

Overly worth the price. Super good sushi and innovative appetizers, especially the tiny fried crab. Will visit again.

Really really terrible. I have no idea how this place stays in business. So we didn't want to wait 45 minutes for Sugarfish, so we came here. Super plain terrible decorations. Waitress was not friendly at all. Sushi was expensive and not worth it. Sushi - some was "good", some was "okay" and some was "bad". If you like Sugarfish, Sushi Park, or Nobu - don't come here.

Yellowtail sashimi- 4 star (didn't like the texture personally, but I'm sure other ppl will love it. Kanpachi (premium yellowtail)- 5 star. Wow, that stuff is good. Freshwater Eeel- 7 star. THE BEST i've had in my ENTIRE life. Tuna sashimi- 5 star. One of the BEST. And I gave up on tuna for the longest time, and now, I'm back. Tuna hand cut roll- 5 star. Tuna quality plus the perfect texture of seaweed and rice made it incredible. Spicy tuna hand roll- 7 star. I hate spicy tuna, and this place made me want more. Umeshiso hand roll- 5star. I looove. LOVE it. My own thing...it's acquired taste. Japanese sour plum with perilla leave. Plain sunomono- 4 star. NOthing special. Regualr sunomono. Spanish Mackarel- 4 star. Personally didn't like it too much. I would go back to thsi place for some hand rolls, tuna sashimi, and the FRESHWATER EEL. Excellent. BEST ever.

What the fu@k. I mean the foods alright but Ive been sitting here for one hour waiting for 2 roles. There is only one other party here....

Just like the in restaurant dining experience, Kazu's new take out was a treat. I ordered via text the day before and he met me outside the next day, a smile protruding from beneath his mask, handing me my delicately prepared order and a tray for me to place my credit card. It was a fast and safe experience. The sushi was very affordable and just as delicious as the restaurant meals we've enjoyed in the past. Thank you Kazu!!! Will be ordering more very soon.

Always love Kazu. In April he helped us celebrate my boyfriend's Bday with Omakase takeout. Fabulous as always. Thank you Kazu!

Beat sushi I have had in the US. Fresh. Sushi melts in your mouth. Had the toro and halibut, Authentic sushi fish from Japan by Japanese staff. Some hand rolls available. Had the blue crab, salmon skin, and the spicy tuna hand rolls. All excellent. No cut rolls. The wagyu was also incredible. Washing all the food down with some smooth nigori sake was an added bonus. Expensive but well worth it. Forget about all other sushi places in town. This is the one.

We had a disappointing experience here. The restaurant smelled like cleaning solution. The ambience is drab and the service mediocre. The food is not spectacular. We've been to Japan 8 times, for months at a time, and this place does not come close to the sushi restaurants there. We've been to Michelin Star sushi restaurants in Tokyo where the food, service, and atmosphere were superb. Kazu is lacking in all three areas and the price is outrageous in comparison.

It was BAD!! BAD SERVICE BAD PRICES AND BAD SUSHI, DO YOURSELF A FACE AND GO TO SUSHI STOP, ITS WAY BETTER.. THAT SERVER WAS RUDE, she have me two slices of ginger and told me if I wanted more I would be charged.. and the sushi was half the size of a normal roll and the fish was not freash... I'm sorry I came to try it out myself, don't make the same mistake!!

I didn't love the sushi, but it was not bad by any means. Good quality fish, but I still prefer Sushi Gen & Sushi Park. Don't go here if you're looking for less traditional sushi (dynamite rolls, etc). Small, simple restaurant - on sushi row in Studio City.

Excellent authentic sushi experience. We were the only customers on Tuesday evening and felt like Japanese royalty :) The seafood quality was immaculate, so fresh and buttery. The waitress was very attentive and the chief/ owner was excellent. Their prices probably are not for everyone, but it's totally worth it.

Authentic. Fresh. Delicious. Anyone who likes sushi will appreciate this place. Kind of a hole in the wall. But what it doesn't have in LA glam - it makes up for it in its incredible sushi. This place is the real deal.

Went here during the week for lunch after trying to research the best sushi in studio city. Still haven't been to Asanebo but I have been to most of the other sushi places on Ventura Blvd and I got to say this is my new favorite for an elevated special occasion (premium omakase around $140-$150/person). We ordered the omakase. The sushi chef (older Japanese gentlemen clearly been doing this for many decades) was amazing. Each piece was artfully crafted, and so fulfilling. Traditional at its best. Highly recommend. Ill be coming back tonight to take the wife =)

One of the best omakase sushi experiences ever. All the fish was perfect. The sushi chef offered lots of options. Some of the standouts were the toro, the golden eye snapper, the sweet shrimp, the uni and the albacore.

Traditional and quality - hands down. But I would say it's lacking an edge- the service was not terrible but pretty impersonable. Spent a pretty penny while dining with basic stuff and didn't really feel it's worth the 4 stars, honestly.

The sushi was very good and I enjoyed how they didn't offer any cut rolls, so if forced me to go out of my comfort zone and just order sushi instead. I always order sashimi, though :) The only thing I didn't enjoy is the fact that the staff was not very friendly. There was one lady there serving us and we were the only table in the restaurant. You cold tell she didn't like making small talk. Even so, the food was tasty!