MAI SUSHI TAPAS & BAR

"Mai Sushi Tapas is a little restaurant on Miracle Mile that serves sushi and Japanese interpretations of pintxos (hence their use of the word tapas). This place works great for tons of occasions. You can have a full meal or a quick bite after work without ruining your appetite for lasagna night. From 5pm to 6:30pm, all the food on their Happy Hour menu (except the nigiri combo) is under $10, and you can get a beer for $4 or sake for $5. photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc It’s also a great choice for a casual date night, where you can split a bunch of small plates and watch relaxing Ghibli food scenes play on a loop. Sit at the counter and watch the chefs assemble rolls with tempura shrimp, spicy tuna, crab, and habanero citrus truffle. The place is small and dark enough to pretend you’re in an alleyway izakaya. Food Rundown Mai Premium Box If you’re not sure what to get, go with this assortment of appetizers, pintxos, and sushi. It’s nine bites in total, and they’re big enough to share with someone. photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc Nigiri Mai’s sushi rolls and sashimi are great, but we love their nigiri. It’s almost too big to eat in one bite. photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc Uni Snow Crab Pintxo This is our favorite pintxo here. Three of the most decadent flavors we can imagine—uni, fluffy snow crab, and creamy truffle mayo—are piled on a piece of fried bread and skewered. We could have four of these if they weren’t so filling." - Virginia Otazo