Mori Sushi

Incredible new sushi spot in LA that's the most authentic Japanese sushi experience you'll find anywhere. The quality of food is immaculate. Only seats about 6-8 people, street parking, and high-end sake. The chef is phenomenal, as is her staff.

The best Omakase Sushi Restaurant in LA. It was phenomenal! Chef Nozomi, a talented woman, curated an exceptional selection of fresh fish from Japan that was expertly prepared. Each piece of sushi was a delight, showcasing her skill and dedication to the craft. The ambiance was relaxed, and the service was excellent. Highly recommend for a memorable sushi experience!

Amazing the best Omakase ever in the US. Legitimate Japanese sushi and all three fish are fresh all the way from Japan. The chefs hospitality was fantastic and would love to go again. As a Japanese I’m so proud of that I can enjoy this.

It was amazing dinner I’ve ever had.Strongly recommend.Chef Nozomi has fabulous own her style and skills. All fishes and plates dishes were imported from JAPAN. wWas very very traditional and authentic style !! From starters to dessert, never ever disappointed!! I’ll definitely go back soon!!

Their omakase is an absolutely transcendent experience that has forever reshaped my perception of omakase dining. While Michelin-starred sushi restaurants often adhere too rigidly to tradition, this trailblazing establishment consistently shatters expectations and elevates omakase to sublime new heights. For those who genuinely revere the art of sushi, a pilgrimage here is an essential rite of passage. As female sushi chefs rise to prominence in Japan's culinary world, this visionary chef and her peerless restaurant are poised to be West Coast vanguards of this empowering movement. An experience here is a privilege that sushi aficionados owe to themselves.

Michelin 1 star sushi restaurant. Nice to try. Course ordered: Premium Omakase (Private Dinner Service) $280/person * This was the only dinning option available due to COVID restrictions. See photos for what we ate. + EVERYTHING was delicious! + Fish was fresh, rice was just right, flavor was on point + Private dining experience, only 2 parties of less than 8 people per night. Only 2 of us and 3 others that night + Seating at the sushi bar and watch Chef Maru made everything in front of us + Service was excellent, caring but also not annoying - Premium Omakase is more expensive than other Michelin 1 star restaurants, about that same as a 2 star.

I had anniversary dinner with my wife here. The server was really kind and sweet even while I was making a reservation two weeks before the anniversary. The chef explained about each dish kindly and the server cared us very politely. Taste of sushi was awwwesommmeee. Especially, I liked the cold soft tofu. It was like vanilla ice cream. And smoked toro... I still dreaming of it. My wife and I deeply appreciate for their service. They completed our first anniversary of our marriage perfectly.

the appetizers are the best, and some pieces of the nigiris are good, but not all of them, and I had accidentally bite a fish bone in one of the nigiris, which should not happen, in my opinion. So I have to say the experience didn’t meet my expectation.

5 star food. Not even close. So many choices and all of the ones were tried were so varied and delicious. The owners were incredibly friendly and the service was perfect. There isn't many tables to sit at, so I recommend doing take out. Highly recommend their Philadelphia Roll.

The best Omakase menu we ever had! Reservations are made by calling and Chef Mori responds via SMS to confirm if there is availability. This is Chef Mori's 16 course Omakase, Kaiseki style dining. This is a type of Omakase that my husband and I have experienced for the first time! -- intricate, well thought out series of flavors that build up and prepares the palate for the succeeding course. It was a good night! I am only able to load some of the photos but it was a filling meal!

My boss recommended to me to take my Japanese parents here and it did not disappoint. Fish quality is spectacular and flown in from Japan so safe bet-

Mori Sushi provides a quiet, intimate atmosphere for a serious dive into omakase nigiri. However, it suffers from a bloated price tag, lackluster ambiance, and lack of a wow factor compared to other Michelin-star sushi establishments. Getting reservations here is also needlessly difficult vs. all other restaurants which have moved to Tock. This review is mostly comparing Mori Sushi's $280/person omakase with other comparable restaurants that we've visited such as n/naka ($250/person kaiseki, Michelin 2-star), Sushi I-NABA ($180/person, Michelin 1-star, Manhattan Beach), Hidden Fish ($100/person omakase 18-piece, Michelin Guide, San Diego), Sushi Tadokoro (Michelin 1-star, San Diego) as well as places outside Southern California like Sushi Yasuda (Michelin 1-star NYC and Tokyo) and Sushi Taro (Michelin 1-star, Washington DC). Highlights: 1) Intimate atmosphere When we visited, we were the only two patrons in the establishment. They require showing proof of COVID-19 vaccine, but I did not realize that you would have the entire restaurant to yourself. It's very quiet and peaceful inside, but it also felt a bit dead. 2) Kaiseki second course Chef Maru's kaiseki second course left quite the impression. Not only was it a work of art, but each item was excellent. The box crab was lovely, the smoked abalone was intense and maybe needed something to counteract the dryness. The abalone liver was exquisite. Smoked toro and smoked root vegetables were also outstanding. 3) Nigiri quality Each piece that we tried was truly exquisite. The octopus, for example, was a lovely texture and tasted silky soft instead of chewy rubbery. The pickling on the saba was muted/nuanced and didn't taste vinegary. The ocean trout with a bit of torching was sublime. The quality alone was top-tier. 4) Smoked items Maru's smoked items are stellar. Each one we tried which he had smoked - I believe over applewood chips - was just incredible. We had smoked toro, smoked vegetables, smoked abalone, and more that really had a deep flavor that left a big impression. Needing Improvement: 1) Making reservations Instead of using Tock, Mori Sushi requires you to call and leave a message with your party details and dates and your phone number. They will then text you back if there is space available. You give them all of your details including your credit card over text message, which didn't feel quite so secure. After no response after 24 hours, I texted back to ask whether my reservation was confirmed or not. It was confirmed, but in the meantime, I had assumed I had no reservation. I had not received a reply! 2) Price Tag Compared to the comparable establishments I listed above, Mori Sushi is more expensive than its competitors at this haute cuisine level. For example, Hidden Fish in San Diego does a similar quality 18-course omakase for $100/person - a steal by comparison! I've listed out other comparable restaurants at the beginning of my review, and Mori Sushi is simply overpriced for what you get. 3) Ambiance Though we had the establishment to ourselves, the interior is a bit outdated and didn't seem to me like such a well-regarded establishment walking in there. For example, n/naka has a very romantic atmosphere and beautiful partitions. Sushi I-NABA is set up like a cooking class where you gather around a U-shaped bar and watch the master in action. It's way more fun at I-NABA. 4) Wow Factor Besides the kaiseki second course and the smoked items, Mori Sushi didn't have too many things that blew me away. Most of the fish I had tried before at similar quality. Only a few had a house preparation that was truly novel.

Awesome omakase experience. Fresh Japanese fish. Great sushi chef. Wonderful service. Intimate.

The place is clean and spacy. It looks like a family business. So it is quite friendly with Japanese ways. The food is delicious and the price is reasonable. But the beef the roll is a kind tough that is chewing , not tender. That is the only thing I can complain.

Just recently went back and even though Chef Mori is not there anymore the service and quality of food has not changed. Chef Maru-San is the same funny guy I met the first and is still so cool as the new owner. We had the Omakase - 2 options one with all sushi and the other with hot food and my bf and I took both options and shared. Everything was just amazing and each bite better than the other. This is not your everyday sushi unless you have unlimited budget but this is definitely my go to place when I have to celebrate something special. My favorite best expensive sushi bar in LA.

Maru-san is amazing. We recently had the private dining experience. 3 course appetizer (1 course is actually 7 bite size flavors), 16 nigiri, 1 dessert. 20 full flavor course dinner ! All of the fish chosen were fresh and well-prepared. Definitely earned the Michelin 1 Star and more. Will come back again with family and friends to share this great experience. Speaking from having ate at Michelin star restaurants all over Japan, Asia, and Americas. This is a gem.

One of my favorite omakase experiences ever. Price: it was a set price of $150 pp for omakase which includes homemade tofu, red miso soup, an appetizer plate, & 16 pieces of nigiri. 16 PIECES!!! Usually omakase places are about $100+ with only 8-10 pieces of nigiri, but Mori serves multiple appetizers along with 16 beautiful sushi pieces. I personally thought the price was very good for their quality of fish,service, and overall experience. It was only my sister and I at the bar doing omakase, so we had the chef's full attention. He was so meticulous with his work and so passionate about sushi. we enjoyed talking to him throughout our dinner. Their attention to detail is incredible. Every time they refilled our tea, they would also change the cup. Every time we walked away from the table, they would re-fold our napkins and make sure the table setting was perfect. All these little things only added to the experience. Parking: there's a small lot in the back. But if you come on a crowded night, you'll def need to find street parking. I definitely can't wait to be back. This is my new favorite sushi joint in LA.

Small restaurant with unimpressive exterior but good food inside. I had the mushroom appetizer, and sunomono salad, clam miso soup, cucumber roll and grilled cod. All very good. The rest of the family had a large assortment of sushi which they all enjoyed. For dessert we shared some green tea ice cream. Yum. The staff was very nice and very polite. There is parking on the street and behind the restaurant. I'd suggest parking tail in first in the parking lot so it's easier to get out when you leave.

Mori Sushi is another sushi restaurant that has been on my bucket list forever. Regarded as one of the very best in Los Angeles, Mori Sushi is one of just a few restaurants that earned a Michelin star in 2008 and 2009, the last (only?) two years Michelin rated restaurants in the city. With extremely high expectations, I was pretty excited to finally give it a try. My friend called them a couple hours before opening on Saturday (4/28/18) and was successfully able to make same day reservations for 6pm, right when they open. We were worried that they would be all booked, but that was not the case. In fact, there were only a few other parties dining during our visit. My friend and I opted for the premium nigiri omakase, which came to about $220 per person. Talk about pricey, but definitely on par with other top tier sushi establishments in LA, including Zo, Shunji, and Ginza Onodera. Ever since going to Japan, I've been on a mission to find the best sushi in LA, and Mori is definitely one of the top. From start to finish, our meal consisted of 32 dishes: 1. Homemade tofu with real Japanese wasabi and soy sauce 2. Red snapper - tai, kelp 3. Hotate - scallop 4. Japanese octopus from Hokkaido (mizu tako) - massaged and very tender for octopus 5. Sayori - needlefish 6. Aji - Spanish Mackerel 7. Tasmanian ocean trout with smoked soy sauce 8. Japanese jack Mackerel - shima aji 9. Stone Snapper - crunchy, fresh 10. (Sakura) Cherry trout, smoked. Super tender. 11. King fish 12. Baby red snapper with yuzu - kasugo tai 13. Shrimp 14. Bluefin tuna 15. Marinated bluefin tuna 16. Mackerel (saba) 17. Grouper - yuzu juice of some kind 18. Toro 19. Kohada 20. Baby barracuda - kamasu - super smokey 21. Snow crab - cooked 22. Mirugai - giant clam 23. Santa Barbara Uni 24. Uni from Hokkaido 25. Squid 26. Amaebi 27. Nodoguro - black throat sea perch - smokey and creamy 28. Ikura 29. Golden eye snapper from Chiba 30. Anago - sea eel 31. Tamago 32. Dessert Favorites: Kohada, Toro, Red snapper, Baby red snapper, Cherry trout, Golden eye snapper, and Nodoguro. What really impressed me about Mori was the variety, selection, and order in which our sushi was served. Our meal was very well-balanced, and managed to hit all of the different kinds of sushi fish we were looking for. We got an extensive coverage of both shellfish and regular fish, which I loved. This is something that was lacking at Zo. If you're looking for an expensive, top tier sushi restaurant, Mori will not disappoint. It's definitely in my top 3 of Los Angeles, maybe tied with Zo, but behind Sushi Tsujita, which is still my favorite. I felt the value here was pretty good in comparison to other sushi restaurants of this caliber. Sushi Ginza Onodera feels like a huge rip off after trying this restaurant, and their sushi was not nearly as good. Go ahead and check this place out for yourself!

I love the understated location and simplicity of Mori. I sat at the sushi bar (Omakase only) talked to Tatsu about my fish preference and for the next 90mins, bite after bite he impressed me with every bite. It took me 3yrs to find a Sushi Spot in La! If you love fish, this is the place!

Intimacy doesn't even begin to describe a pandemic meal with Chef Maru. My wife and I had the pleasure of enjoying the Omakase meal with a total of 1 person working within Sushi Mori. Quiet, thoughtful, considerate, beautiful and sublime might just begin to describe what it's like to have dinner for 2 with an illustrious chef who might care more about "motenashi" than brand recognition and bling. Who would have thought? When one has a meal like this, it's hard to separate the food from the person and the person from the ambiance. Indeed, all the elements of the experience blend together to truly be more than the sum of its parts. Would a plebian description of the quality of the fish and the subtle fragrances of the perfectly prepared rice and nori give a hint to the meal? Would even a thirty word attempt at describing the freshness of 2020 otoro? We will no doubt return to see Chef Maru, but it shall never be again the meal that we had in 2020. Unforgettable, indelible, irreplaceable... sacred. 本当に、ありがとうございました、長野先生！

Amazing food. If you know shushi, just gotta go. Chef Maru is amazing. A human, pursuing their craft to perfection. If you are worried about curb appeal, not your spot - but my 2 cents - if you have been to Japan and know what good shushi is, that shouldn't be your concern.

Absolutely incredible. The chef Maru guides an authentic Japanese experience from the first to the last dish. Everything is curated into the minimal detail; even plates are hand crafted. Many of the fishes are shipped over night directly from Japan. It's been a delightful dining experience, enriched by the chef's company and an enchanting Japanese atmosphere to season the meal with a cultural flavor. Culinary art! Taste and flavor of the dishes goes beyond everything above... just try it yourself!

Either weird or unique depending on your perspective. Meaning... 1. Reservations made via call/text with the owner. 2. Exterior is all boarded up, door is locked. Looks closed and out of business long ago, but it's not. It's open. Call to have Moru come unlock the door when you get there. 3. Seating for about 25, but we were the only 2 people there -- i.e "private dining experience". Sat at the sushi bar. (I liked the music and the art, but the ambiance is not really "elegant" or "fine dining-ish" in any way.) 4. No employees. Just Moru. Chief cook and bottle washer, as they say. 5. Nothing "fancy" inside. 6. Obviously a lot of technique going on with each bite, but nothing "wow". Mostly just fresh, raw fish on rice. Nigiri. 7. Expensive AF (app won't let me put in the price but it's prix fixe omakase so you'll know up front) ... add a hunsky for the tip. 8. Basically like a top tier private sushi chef coming to your house to make you a private dinner. Like I said, either weird or unique, you decide... 9. We don't drink alcohol and asking for a diet coke felt like seeking something completely un-heard of. None available. Canned coke however, was available. 10. Chef is a lovely, interesting guy. Talking with him was a definite enhancement to the "show".

Best meal in 2017 so far. I'm very very impressed/wowed by the fish quality and chefs magic to bring out the sophisticated and delicate fish flavors here. Devils are in the details, love how Chef varies the ingredients and rice vinegar amounts to balance different fishes. Dining ambiance: very relaxing, private plus great interaction with Chef at the sushi bar. Highly recommend booking ahead through phone calls. Decided to enjoy the most of the meal, we went with $140 omakase (app Platter, plus 17 pieces of nigiri, and dessert) plus plum wine (nanbu bijin non-added sugar plum wine). Many many highlights on the follow... Tofu with homemade soy sauce and wasabi 4/5: Firm but very fine texture, love the rich soy bean aroma. Seasonal appetizer Platter 5/5: Marinated fatty smoky fish: melts in your mouth, rich, juicy and flavorful. Shirako with ponzu and kelp: creamy texture with refreshing ponzu and kelp flavors. Eel tomago: love the combination. very mild and aromatic. Tamago very fine and soft texture. Marinated oranges: seasonal refreshments. Pickles: very good with the right amount of vinegar. Nigiri! Red snapper 5/5. Excellent. Scallop 5/5 very very good. Most fresh, fat, juicy one I've had. Octopus 5+/5 best I've had so far. Massaged with salt. Ume soy sauce. Very refreshing. A little chewy in the end. Snapper 5/5: fresh, sweet, juicy and a touch of meatness Spanish mackerel 5/5: a piece where you taste ocean not dead fish. One of my fav Halibut 4/5: sweet, a touch of fishness not in an offensive way Tuna 5/5: delightful homemade soy sauce with Satisfying tuna. Nice aroma goes really well with the rice. One of my fav piece of the night. Japanese kingumaku (?) 5/5 Melting, aromy (similar to uni/seared wagyu). Fatty. Love this one. Hamachi/Yellow tail 5/5: soft and fatty. The oil-ish aroma comes out upon biting. At this point, I gave up on figuring out which nigiri is my fav of the night because all of them are so good! Tuna 5/5: The aroma, the soft texture, and the sophisticated taste profile (touch of spiciness, a touch of refreshing sourness, and a signature tune flavor finish). A wow piece. Toro 5/5: excellent. Soft, fatty, melting. Japanese sardin 3.75/5 vinegar a bit too much vs personal preference Hamasi 5/5: smoky fish. Amazing. Soft melting. Love the smoky touch. Also highlight. Snow crab 5/5: SWEET JUICY. Something you don't taste in east coast! So good. Sea urchin 5+/5: largest piece of uni I've ever seen. nutty, sweet, fresh, tender, and juicy. Another highlight of the night. Snapper 5+/5: snapper smoked. So tender, juicy, sweet. Brilliant piece to wrap up the night. Taste similar to the best scallop, but texture is fattier that it literally melts in my mouth. Now let's move to dessert. Excellent mousse, best of a kind. Silky, luxurious taste and texture. Overall, amazing omakase with premium fish quality/variety, brilliant chef skills and good service (easily top most NYC sushi bars). LA, until next time... Urasawa, Yamakase, and Q.

Outstanding! No other words. After visiting Japan it's hard to come by somewhere as authentic as Mori. Such an intimate and wonderful experience!!

The atmosphere was nice and decor pleasing. We were greeted with the traditional "irasshaimase". We have a reservation and was seated promptly. We ordered the mp omakase. Everything was delicious. Sush a great experience.

A wonderful blend of gourmet deliciousness. Love the quality, attention to detail and easy to get to. A chill, classy yummy place.

Mori Sushi is the perfect place for a special occasion, in this case my Wife's birthday. We ordered the Premium Omakase which included an appetizer, sashimi, matsutake dobinmushi (matsutake mushroom broth w/ shrimp), what felt like endless amounts of the freshest sushi from Japan, and house made dessert. The service was first class and our sushi chef, Kuma-san, was friendly and engaging. The night started with house made tofu, soy sauce, and fresh wasabi from the Mt. Fuji region. The tofu was silky smooth and the house made soy sauce added the perfect salty / earthy flavor that was well-balanced. Add in a touch of the fresh wasabi and it was the perfect bite to start an incredible dinning experience. Next came our appetizer, highlighted by smoked tuna (top five bite of the night), grilled sweet shrimp, and cod roe. I'll let the pictures speak for the sashimi and sushi that followed because my words will not do them justice. Mori Sushi is one of the best sushi experiences I've had outside of Japan. As I said to start, Mori Sushi is well worth it for that special occasion!

Completely "hole in the wall" gem of a restaurant. Will definitely return for fine sushi dining.

The selections include many types of fish right from Japan and the best available uni from Japan. Everything is very fresh. Each piece of nigiri sushi is a concerto of simple flavors to compliment the fish to perfection.

I was making reservations with this restaurant (Maru), and provided all the information that they requested, and he confirmed my reservation the next day when I double checked if it's confirmed, he said Yes. Now he is texting me that they are full, seriously? After I thought I had a place? I'm giving two Star for the previous visit which had a nice quality of fish. Very disappointed for their unprofessional and no credibility.

Ordered the omakase for 160 dollars. Started off with a small tofu appetizer. Then there was a bigger appetizer but none of the items were too expensive. Fish quite small. Some fish 2ere stringy. Overpriced. Service was good.

This may just be THE MOST OVERRATED restaurant on Yelp. The premium omakase was $600 for 2 people with a relatively inexpensive bottle of wine. The food was, as they say, meh.... There wasn't anything remotely special about the meal. The variety of fish was good, but it included lots of duds and lowlights. Absolutely ZERO CREATIVITY. The service was good, but why wouldn't it be with a restaurant that is 85% empty? I wouldn't go back EVER, and I have to advise you not to waste your time or money on there either.

The sign overhead flickers and the door and windows are boarded up but fear not! Mori is indeed open and taking patrons on culinary adventures. The meal started with an assortment of small non-sushi items. The eel tamago and smoked pickled radish were particularly memorable. Then came the sushi courses. Absolutely stellar. From the toro and ocean trout to the baby barracuda and sardines. 100% would come back. In fact, we made the next reservation before we even left.

I am seating here there are 10 people eating. I look around and it's nice that familys are having a good time .Literally took me an hour and a half to get seven pieces of sushi super bazaar I remember I came here about seven years ago and I didn't remember how slow things are in the sushi was good to C average

"Mori! Mori! Mori! Mori!" :: Mori pauses as he opens the card from the envelope :: "Mike A...You are not the ahi!!!" And that's how I found out that the baby ahi wasn't even mine. It's okay. I'll love it anyway. I mean, to be honest, I'd love any ahi that attached to me the way this baby ahi does. But if I'm being honest, it hurts. Because I know there's something between us - me and my baby ahi - that will never go away. No matter how great of a father I am, no matter how many soccer practices I drive him to, no matter any of what I do. He will always know that I am not... I can't even say it. It's too surreal. * * * It was something like that, but you had to be there. One Michelin star. OK. Let's get this out of the way real quick. How many of you have Michelin tires on your vehicle right now? Do you even know? Does it even matter? Now, for perspective: if you don't know whether you are already a patron of the Michelin brand, how could you put any stock into their recommendation on restaurants? In fact, what does it mean to be a Michelin star reviewer? You work for a tire company but you specialize in being the penultimate reviewer of restaurants? Your employer-job combo is weird and not enough people are questioning it. * * * Back to Mori Sushi. I came here with my lady. The chef was super nice, thoughtful, and effusive. The fish was superb, though I expected nothing less, and they met my expectations. Deep sake list. Modest decor. Convenient location. And, above all else, hands-down the easiest Michelin star table you can reserve. Excellent sushi. You get what you pay for. You pay what you get for. You for what you get pay.

Everything here is a work of art. From the most beautifully sliced fish, down to their handcrafted dinnerware- Mori Sushi is a sight to behold. We opted for the Premium Omakase, which ended up consisting of one large appetizer platter, 16 pieces of nigiri and a light dessert. And wow, what an appetizer dish! Hotrau, steamed, fish, smoked radish and tuna, fresh bamboo shoots, and intensely flavorful fruit. Then the nigiri arrived, hands down the most perfect looking nigiri you'll ever see. He has a highly stylized way of slicing fish with a very large "wing". It adds a bit of textural difference as the "wing" portion is slightly thicker. I wouldn't say they have the best fish I've ever had, but select pieces such as their Aka Ikka, and Engawa were phenomenal. Each slice is paired with freshly grated wasabi and seasoned before arriving on your plate. No need to fuss around with dipping the fish in soy sauce and getting too much/not enough. Our party was super impressed with the plating and skill of the chef so we ordered an additional plate at the end. He served uni from San Diego and Hokkaido, as well as the remaining 3 types of fish we had not eaten earlier. Rice is lightly seasoned, just a very very light hint of vinegar, but the texture is just the way I like it. It retains a bit of that slight chewiness, and just sticky enough to hold its form. Tea is literally replaced every 5-10 minutes so you'll always get a hot cup. A different cup. I think I drank out of 12 different cups that night as they were all hand crafted so no two were the same. It felt wasteful, so I'd try and down the rest of my tea before the waiter took it away for a fresh new one. Mori Sushi remains one of the most memorable dining experiences, I highly recommend you give this place a try.

The problem with the restaurant scene in Los Angeles is that Americanized/commercialized Asian food is favored by consumers over authentic cuisines serving high quality ingredients. Being a sushi aficionado, I've tried all the top rated sushi restaurants in Los Angeles - from Urasawa to Asanebo to Sushi Zo - and I have to say that Mori Sushi has the best quality and value in the city (while charging much less than Urasawa). With that being said, it hurts me to see that Mori is usually pretty quiet due to their lack of promotion and advertising. They also refuse to compromise on their strictly traditional Japanese style, which is why I love them so much. Mori sushi serves only wild caught fish flown in from all over the world, always fresh and never farm raised. Every single person that I have taken to Mori has adopted this place as their favorite sushi spot. In fact, my best friend just took me here tonight to celebrate my birthday! We ordered the premium nigiri Omakase (as usual) and let Maru-San take us on a journey of delicate and delicious flavors. My favorites are isaki, blue fin tuna, sweet shrimp and of course Santa Barbara sea urchin! If you ever want to impress a serious foodie who cares more about food quality than gimmicks, take them to Mori sushi.

Maru San is #1 quality is #1 service is #1 period. cant wait to go back! actually love mackerel now! saba saba saba sanma!! san clemente uni?!?!? atmosphere is very relaxed and cozy...located right on the corner. white interior with some hanging art pieces. clean and neat. sake suggestions were awesome!

A quiet Saturday night in LA found us gazing at the sunset then Ubering off to dinner at Mori. As we approached down Pico - we see that the lights are off in the restaurants. Sudden anxiety grips us as we wonder if they were closed (since most of the street had power outage). This would dash our birthday dinner plans . . . But wait, what soft light in yonder doorway glows? Flickering LED tea candles! They were open!! Yet, the power was definitely out and the kitchen down - luckily - sushi is served cold and that they could do. Sushi omakase you say? DONE. We dined in the dark using cell phones as flashlights to see the delicately prepared cuts of Nigiri. Homemade tofu - so silky soft - Black drum, Needlefish, never frozen Hokkaido scallop, Ahi, Bonito, Buri (so good), Akami, Pike Mackerel, Baby barracuda, Saba, Fresh octopus (tenderly massaged for no less than 20min), Boston bluefin toro, Amaebi - Santa Barbara, Cod glazed with kelp, Tasmanian trout, Kinmadai, Uni (both Santa Barbara and Japanese). A light dessert and free beer for our troubles. Until the next time . . . lights on and a bigger omakase!

Terrible overall. Went with a friend and we both got the omakase (I believe it was 120$/person). I was beyond disappointed with the entire dinner and dining experience. Extremely long wait times between all dishes. The best part of dinner...the homemade tofu... Fish didn't taste so fresh and the rice kept breaking apart when I tried to dip the fish side into soy sauce...and yes I know how to use chopsticks. My friend hated it even more and wanted to leave halfway through but I was hoping for the best and i thought things would get better (they didn't). I would most definitely recommend not coming here and I will never go back. Without a doubt the worst sushi dining experience I have ever had.

For my frame of reference... I've been to Urasawa. I have to say that I loved Urasawa, for the entire Kaiseki experience (had a little of everything - soups, lobster, Kobe beef shabu shabu, and sushi). For Mori, there is no doubt that they do sushi well. They are a no nonsense sushi place (not Kaiseki). We've ordered the premium nigori omakase for 2 people and 2 bottles of sake. I went to dinner in workout apparel, because I didn't pack appropriately for my routine visit to LA. However, they still served us and I blew $800 for this early bday meal. It's a very minimal and casual setting, so I didn't think we needed to dress up and yelp indicated "casual" attire. The nice waiter stared at my Asics shorts for a bit when I entered, but I wore a nice v-neck shirt, so at least I looked okay from the waist up. It also helped that I was seated at the sushi bar. Anyway, Tatsu-san served us at the bar. I have to applaud the selection of fish. It was definitely different from the usual (tuna, yellowtail, mackeral, etc..). We had toro (3 different types), Hokkaido trout, Barracuda, Black Cod, 2 types of Uni, several types of Mackerel, Flounder, Buri, Gizzard Shad, Japanese Sardine, Tako, Ikura, Salmon, Yellowtail. Service was intimate, professional, and nice. Tatsu-san drank with us when we offered him sake. The quality of the fish was fresh. I can say that this is the best sushi I've ever had. The fish selection was special and I loved the lack of pretense. Sake selections was great because they had my Kimura Junmai Daiginjo sake (offered at Urasawa as well). Go here and order the premium omakase! Quality and selection of fish = Wonderful!!!! I usually eat egg whites and spiralized zucchini for my day-to-day meals, so blowing money on a good meal once in a while is worth it! I've never had uni and ikura like that before.

I remember nothing of that first day I arrived, but I'm sure it didn't matter where it came from. Be it from my mother's breast, a plastic bottle, or even from one of the eight teats of a wolf, I would have eagerly suckled just the same. Years passed and I became more and more discerning. Eventually, too discerning. No longer content just to be nourished, I developed a pathological view of food. So...I find myself sitting here tonight willing to drop an ungodly amount of cash for dead fish on rice. We order the "regular" omakase. My sweetie starts chatting and joking with the chef in Japanese, and I just sit there smiling and nodding, feeling as relevant to the conversation as a wooden chair. Her looks can sway any man, and before I knew it, the chef makes us complimentary nodoguro sushi from the "premium" omakase. Actually, he gladly makes it for her, while my piece is just conciliatory-nodoguro. Nodoguro is a fish also known as blackthroat perch. I go spearfishing and the perch from our California waters is meh. But this is BLACKTHROAT perch, brought in from the Sea of Japan. A rare, highly prized delicacy. It's a small white fish with a deceptively mundane appearance. Yet, because it's a deep fish that lives in cold waters, the meat is deliciously fatty like o-toro. I know only a handful of places in LA that serve nodoguro. My thought soon turns to how to score the next hit. The check comes and I glance at it. The numbers remind me of my disease. There was a time when I was happy with the $5 California roll from Sushi Boy...

Best sushi experience. Quality was amazing. Felt like I was in Japan! So sad sushi melted away so quickly... wish I could savor the flavor longer

What an amazing Nigiri Omakase journey! I came with a really high expectation and turned out, everything was on point! I was extremely impressed by the wide sourcing of the fish they had, and also the texture of Shyari (Sushi Rice). It was one of the best Shari I have ever had. It was Kuma-san being my Itamae the night. He was young but talented, well-trained and very earnest to every detail. With a brief explanation of the distinctions among four different types of Omakase from Kuma-san, I opted for the Premium Nigiri Omakase and expected to try some fish that I have never seen before. Kuma-san was knowledgeable and comfortable to chat with. I really appreciated how incredible Nigiri Omakase experience he delivered for me. The fish sourcing of the Premium Nigiri Omakase is primarily from Japan (the majority is from Hokkaido and Kyusyu), only a few of them from other places. Zensai (Appetizer) was Cod Milt with Ponzu Sauce. Winter is the season of Shirako (Soft Roe of Fish). The Cod Milt was pliable yet springy. Very delicious! The pleasantly tart flavor of ponzu sauce really stimulated the appetite and also cleaned the palate for an upcoming array of Nigiri. 1. Tai No Konbujime (Red Snapper cured w/ Kelp) Excellent! The sweet flavor and the aroma of the Kelp were notable. The texture of Tai was phenomenal. 2. Hotate (Scallop) Very good! The knife cuts furthered the overall mouthfeel. 3. Tako (Octopus) It has gone through massage treatment. Tender yet still retain the essential leathery mouthfeel. 4. Sayori (Needlefish) First time trying Sayori and it was softer than I thought it would be. 5. Aji (Horse Mackerel) Mind-blown! Delicate, sweet, and smooth. The second one of my favorite in the night. 6. Akizake (Chum Salmon) Amazing! Slightly springy and the aroma was remarkable. Another one of my favorite. 7. Matsukawa-Garei (Barfin flounder) First time trying this type of Karei (Flounder) and I absolutely loved its texture, firm and crunchy. Delish! 8. Shima-Aji (Striped Jack) Excellent! Pliable and super dainty. 9. Buri (Wild Yellowtail) The flavor was very nice! They only adopted the wild yellowtail swam downstream from Hokkaido all the way to Shimane. 10. Mirugai (Geoduck Clam) Great! A little bit crunchy yet soft. 11. Katsuo (Bonito) Good. 12. Tasmania Trout. Similar to Akizake, but I liked Akizake's texture more. 13. Matsukawa-Garei No Engawa (Edge of Barfin Flounder) I thought the edge cut would be crunchier than the belly cut, but it was softer. 14. Kidai/Renkodai (Yellowback Seabream) First time trying it and I was shocked it tasted a bit too pliable to me. The taste was subtle. 15. Binnaga Maguro No Zuke (Soy-Sauce Marinated Albacore Tuna) Unusual to see Albacore Tuna adopted in this kind of preparation. Super tender and smooth. 16. Hon Maguro (Wild Bluefin Tuna) Great! A hint of nice metallic flavor. 17. Saba (Mackerel) This was the only cut I didn't like as much as others. 18. Iwashi (Sardine) Very nice served with a dab of grated ginger and chopped green onion. 19. Chuu-Toro (Medium Fatty Wild Bluefin Tuna) I don't usually like the Melting-in-your-mouth mouthfeel. It's too oily to me, so Ootoro was opted out from my Omakase. However this Chuu-Toro was incredible, really liked it. 20. Kohada (Gizzard Shad) Good. 21. Kamasu (Charred Baby Barracuda) Oh boy was it so GREAT! That charred mark really elevated the flavor to next level. 22. Zuwaigani (Snow Crab) So good so sweet! a touch of grated ginger enhanced the sweetness of the crab leg meat a lot. 23. Santa Barbara Uni (Santa Barbara Sea Urchin) The BEST uni I have ever had! This was not my first time trying the Santa Barbara Uni, but it tasted totally different here. 24. Aori-Ika (Bigfin Reef Squid) Great! Nice chewy texture. 25. Sake No Shirako (Trout Milt) Another one with charred mark. The fragrance was irresistible! Very delicious! A perfect ending. Mizumono (dessert) was a small Zenzai (Mochi with Red Bean) and a few slices of Japanese Pear. The red bean was cooked a little bit sweet as it should be, just right amount of the sweetness. In the midway, I couldn't help but keep thinking of their sushi rice because the texture was outstanding. It played a huge role in each cut and enhanced the overall taste of each nigiri. Service was friendly and efficient. They replaced the hot green tea very often and the cups were getting bigger and bigger. I couldn't hold but tittered in a silent laugh when I saw a cup was as big as a bowl. The way Kuma-san prepared each nigiri was quite simple, only brought out the flavor but never overpowered or ruined the taste. It was an unforgettable Omakase experience. I left with so much enjoyment and will be come back soon.

YOLO = you only live once. Started off and often used by those who specialize in mindless Vegas style partying any weekend chance they get, holding frou frou cocktails with their BFFs, and puking on the dance floor. Also instagramming various body parts at the swimming pool or lounge chair while another hotel nearby goes up in flames. Yes, let what happened in Vegas stay there please. But, when you combine Mori Sushi Premium Omakase with the YOLO attitude, you get YOLOmakase (TM). Sure beats #PhoodPorn, #TrustDatChef, #HolyF**KToroUniWagyu, #MeltInYourMouth, #OMaGase It's pretty simple here, come during dinner and go big, before you go home. Even if you are visiting. Owner Maru-san (Masanori "Maru" Nagano) is not your typical sushi chef, and the level of skill he has for not only nigiri, but kappo ryori/kaiseki-esque cooked dishes, are truly astounding, provided you have a discerning taste for them. Started off the meal with a small bottle of Tasuriki "Kome No Sasayaki" Daiginjo from Hyogo Prefecture, a sake I have never seen before (Mori's sake selection is obscurely eclectic in a very intriguing way), and apparently has won awards. Bold, dry, and smooth refreshing is how I would put it. A bit more affordable than their super high end obscure bottles. From a glance at the sake menu, the owner or sake somm must really like sake brewed with Yamadanishiki rice. The signature tofu had the texture and smoothness of a ridiculously wonderful Japanese soymilk custard (also reminded me texture wise of Taiwanese almond tofu 杏仁豆腐). A little seasoned soy sauce, and sharkskin grated fresh wasabi, made it far more delightful. Next up, a awesome earthenware platter of beautiful arranged delectable bites (zensai 前菜) with an aesthically pleasing kaiseki style presentation: - Simmered mini horned turban shell from New Zealand (sazae-ni), probably with a little soy sauce, sake, in its own juices. The texture was similar to bagai 梅貝煮 from the nicer Japanese restaurants in Hong Kong. Fantastic. - Takuan (pickled daikon) smoked with cherry wood (iburi gakko いぶりがっこ), and house made non smoked marinated tsukemono (pickles basically), and cherry wood smoked bluefin neck/cheek (kama). Heavenly! - Hotaru-ika (firefly squid) with su-miso sauce. Daaayum.... - Rapini - chilled greens were refreshing to have - Wakasagi ワカサギ【公魚】- Japanese smelt, tempura. Insane frying skill, not a drop of oil left behind. So good. - some delectable house prepped bamboo shoot slices - baby Mandarin quat and "special baby peach" (若桃の甘露煮 marinated in syrup and maybe some liquor)...so bloody good! There was a bowl of dashi with abalone slices and a truly wonderful light egg that had seaweed inside, amongst the courses somewhere. Nigiri time followed: Madai no konbu jime - kelp marinated sea bream Sayori - halfbeak Hokkaido scallop Kurodai (Japan) Sakura Masu (cherry trout from Hokkaido) Hiramasa Sawara (I believe also smoked with cherry wood) Gindara no konbu jime (Canadian black cod, marinated it in kelp firmed up the texture and imparted the wicked flavors into the fish). Wild boston bluefin (akami) Buri belly (wild Japanese adult yellowtail) Kohada (gizzard shad) Chutoro (wild Boston bluefin) Kamasu (baby barracuda) Ma-saba Akagai (from Japan) Mirugai (Geoduck) Nodoguro (blackthroat seaperch, seared) Santa Barbara fresh spot prawn (ama ebi) Legendary side by side tasting of Hokkaido bafun and Santa Barbara uni Steamed abalone with raw liver on top, with a brushed reduction sauce cooked with abalone Ikura (strong katsuo dashi presence) Seared kinmedai (alfosino) Otoro Anago Desert: a delectable tofu mousse (tofu blancmange) with brown ("black") sugar syrup (kuromitsu), and a very fine gelee made with yuzu juice! Finished the meal off with a beautiful roasted green tea (Hoji Cha) via Shizuoka. From start to finish, an extremely smooth operation and execution by waitstaff. Chef "Maru"-san was engaging and very friendly, laser focused, yet very personable, down to earth and made us feel at ease. The decor may be a bit minimalist or somewhat bare bones, but the food truly spoke volumes. The sushi rice here, is not the red vinegared version used by many top places in Hong Kong, Taipei, Japan, but works so well here. The rice, if retaining the style and prep of original owner Mori Onodera, is sourced to a farm in Sacramento area, and is polished prior to cooking. It's hard to describe how great the sushi rice really is until you try it, from the temperature during serving to the texture (down to the flavor and the taste of the individual grains), moisture, stickiness level, and "mouth feel". After having this, you start to doubt your tastes in the past... For those who appreciate the finer details of preparation, thoughtfulness, washoku, will truly get it and have a blast in here. Bring your like minded loved one here and experience YOLOmakase (TM), the way to go. (You can soothe your crying wallet later).

I came here a while ago, so I won't be able to breakdown the experience course by course, but wanted to share an overarching summary for this review. Mori sushi is a small but well-known joint in West LA. This place was made famous by Chef Mori, who has since moved on to Shiki in Beverly Hills. However, the quality of the sushi is still really good. I ordered the nigiri Omakase, and the sushi was great. You get about 16 pieces, and each piece is unique. The standard pieces of O-Toro, Uni, Ikura are all present, as well as other unique and standard fishes I won't go into too much detail here, as the Omakase experience is meant to involve a degree of surprise and the unkonwn. I would consider myself a sushi connoisseur as I've travelled to Japan on numerous occasions to eat at some of the world's finest Omakase restaurants, and this place is definitely one of the best Omakase experience in LA. As someone who usually doesn't like Wasabi (I get a lot of flack for this from friends and sushi chefs alike), the chef here convinced me to try some when he mentioned the wasabi he used in his tofu dish was imported from Mt. Fuji. You could say I was quite impressed. One thing I would have appreciated was a slightly larger portion for each Nigiri. With this, I mean the bigger slice of the fish on top of the rice. Japanese cuisine is usually very elegant and therefore portions are on the smaller end; however, I couldn't help but feel that the nigiri's here were on the smaller side compared to other sushi joints of similar quality. Overall while it was a bit expensive (check came out to be about $165 including tip, tax and a beer), this place is definitely worth checking out. It's quality is comparable to other sushi joints in LA (Sushi Zo, Sushi Q, etc.), but you get it at a fraction of the cost.

Though our experience at Mori Sushi took place in September of last year, we took diligent and detailed notes about each course and we're so happy to finally give our chicken scratch some love and reflect on it. Because it was a birthday celebration, we went big and did the 16-course omakase at Mori. We started with house-made tofu served with a side of house-made soy sauce and freshly grated wasabi. The flavors were mild but refined, which allowed us to focus in on the tofu's texture and really appreciate the skill and mastery that went into the preparation of the tofu. The second course was a plate full of small bites. Though each one was very different from one another, each bite complimented each other so well. Starting from the left hand side was a string seaweed salad served with some freshly grated ginger. Smoky, earthy and viscous in texture. To the top right of the mozuku was a couple pieces of charred salmon. This salty and oily bite was a perfect follow-up to the mozuku. To the right of that was unagi wrapped in tamago. How can you go wrong with egg and eel? Super sweet and flavorful. To the bottom right is fig that was served with a nutty sesame sauce. The green nubs below that are baby peaches which tasted just like candy. Super sweet and exploded with flavor upon the first bite. The yellow slices are pickled radish which paired with the dried, pickled fish behind them, were a great combo. Lastly, the red and orange pieces are bell pepper and daikon, respectively, which were pickled in a sweet vinegar. 8/8 on this plate, folks. The last appetizer before the sushi extravaganza began was akadashi - traditional aged red miso. In the miso soup was nameko mushrooms and red snapper garnished with mitsuba. This soup was so rich and deep in flavor, and you bet we slurped down every last drop. Onto the first fish of our sushi fest. Red snapper. Super clean and pure with a salty aftertaste. Following that was scallop. Also really clean, gummy and offered just the slightest hint of that ocean flavor we all love in small doses. The texture kind of reminded us of a Japanese gummy. The octopus that followed was surprisingly soft and silky. Though it did have a slight crunch to it, it was much less crunchier than most octopus you get at sushi restaurants. After that was hirami served only with salt and no soy sauce. This is one of our favorite fishes and Mori's hirami definitely made it up there to our top 3. The fish was citrusy, bright and slightly salty. Next up was the Spanish mackerel. This was served with just lemon with a wasabi and green onion paste on top. The fish was sooo flavorful and not fishy at all which tends to be the case with mackerel. The wild yellowtail was super clean. Not fishy at all and just pure, unadulterated freshness. The Japanese mackerel was sightly fishier than the Spanish mackerel and had a slight crunch to it. It was served with a little bit of wasabi. The next fish was a first for the both of us - skipperjack. This was served with that wasabi and green onion paste that the Spanish mackerel was also served with. Though raw, it tasted and felt as if it had been cooked. Really interesting and yummy. Check out the texture on this fish! Also a first for the both of us. This orange snapper was marinated in yuzu and was quite sweet with a bit of crunch from the skin's texture. The end of the bite almost tasted like candy. Woah! The akima maguro was marinated in Mori's special soy sauce and delivered the perfect combination of tuna and soy flavor. The toro was one of those "wait for it....." dishes where we stuck the pieces in our mouths and stared at each other just waiting for that toro-liciousness to hit us. It was oily, buttery and melted in our mouths just as toro should. What a treat. Another first for both of us was Japanese sardine. This fish was really soft and quite salty. Super yummy. There were so many new types of fish we got to try this evening, which was really exciting. Another fish we could cross off of our list now is baby baracuda. This fish was really smoky and tasted as if it had been grilled on charcoal. The Japanese snow crab was served slightly warm. It was just the most perfect bite of rice and crab; sweet with a hint of ocean complimented by the slightly acidic sushi rice. And onto our favorite... uni. This is always the part we look forward to at any sushi restaurant and Mori did not disappoint. Their uni was super sweet and had that buttery melt-in-your mouth effect. Oooweee! Topping the night off was golden eye snapper. Also slightly smokey but very clean and simple. Not only was the food spectacular, but the service was amazing. Big shouts to Kuma-san, our sushi chef, who took such good care of us, described everything in such great detail, and answered all our questions. Thanks for an amazing night, Mori. We hope to be back soon.

Very nice place to enjoy the best sushi and fish in LA. The owner chef Mr. Nagano is one of the best sushi masters in LA. His Sushi is excellent !!!

Disappointing meal. For $250 per person the variety of fish was not impressive. There were no unique or interesting dishes that should be expected for this price point. Additionally, the ambiance was blah and the interior needs to be updated, especially the bathrooms.

It's quite difficult for me to try other sushi restaurants living in the Valley. Just 10 minutes away is a destination sushi restaurant where I'm a regular. Mori Sushi has been on my radar for so many years now and made the decision to finally visit for lunch. I knew immediately that this would be a restaurant fit for food nerds. When taking my order I said no fried and NO spicy tuna. He looked at me and said that they don't do spicy tuna there. I was quite delighted to hear that. I hate spicy tuna. Mori Sushi is what I would consider one of best sushi restaurants in Los Angeles. If you're a sushi connoisseur, this is a must. The original chef has retired and the new chef was his right-hand man. When Michelin came to visit, Mori Sushi is one of the few restaurants that earned a Michelin star. Chef Niki from Chef's Table trained with the original chef out of culinary school. They source their rice from a farm in Northern California. The tofu and soy sauce are all housemade, and the ceramic flatware is all custom made by the original chef. That level of detail here is very rare even at some of the best restaurants in the city. If Urasawa is the #1 sushi experience in LA, this could be easily considered #2. From the moment I walked in, service was top notch and what I would expect at a fine dining restaurant -- even better than some the fine dining restaurants in LA. They were professional and extremely attentive. Even the chef looked at me at the end of my meal nodding as if to see if I was satisfied with the experience. I ordered the chirashi omakase which was said to be the best value on the lunch menu. It came with the omakase soup and a salad. On a bed of their special rice, was the chef's selection of fresh fish, uni, and tamago. Mostly exotic fish from Japan, Boston, Alaska, and Tasmania. The wasabi is fresh in the bowl. I completely cleaned that up which is rare when most sushi places give me the artificial stuff. I can't wait to return again! Easily one of the top restaurants in LA.

One of my favorite omakase experiences! Everything was delicious and service was on point. Mori is easy to miss, it's on the corner and isolated from other restaurants. There is a free parking lot behind the restaurant and also lots of street parking. Yes, this place is not cheap but like a lot of people have said, don't come here expecting cheap sushi. Come here ready to drop some money but for an amazing melt-in-your-mouth sushi experience. Well worth the value! Omakase started off with this incredible homemade cold tofu appetizer. It was unreal and has now ruined store bought tofu for me... Then came the nigiri. Loved that each piece was unique and unusual. No hamachi or salmon or regular tuna here. The fatty toro was bomb, the golden eye snapper and baby barracuda were delicious.. Seriously every piece was drool worthy but can't remember all or even half the names... Server was great about explaining each piece and where it was flown in from. The dinner ended with one of the best desserts I've had. It was a set of toasted rice? Ice cream that looked deceivingly like green tea ice cream and a tofu custard-like dessert, both homemade. The flavors are hard to eloquently explain but both were just so well executed! The perfect consistency and sweetness and the two went well with each other. Only wish that I could have had three times as much hehe.

So far there are only 4 Japanese restaurant/sushi bar in LA that I am willing to pop a DRC wine in there, and I am glad I find Mori to be the 5th one because they meet my criteria of outstanding sushi. One advantage Mori has is their connection with Tsukiji fish market in Japan where they get their fish directly from. This gives us diner a wide variety of fresh fish to enjoy. Together with a fine choice of rice and a well prepared awasezu (vinegar mixture), the sushi has the perfect stickiness and taste. The omakase course begins with the spring themed appetizers with pickles, berries, grapes, bamboo shoots, grill black cod, and etc. My 04 DRC Montrachet was the perfect wine to pair with. The second bottle I brought is the 2012 vintage of Kakunko which has a real nice floral character and is an elegant way to begin with the nigiri course. The last bottle is the Dassai Beyond which is extremely smooth and soft on the palate, I like it with shellfish such as abalone and clams. I order 2 more rounds of sashimi after the nigiri course end because I need to refresh my memory on the very creamy Bafun Uni, it also gives me a reason to try the Kokuryu Ishidaya sake Maru san recommended. Mori sushi is no doubt on my list of top 5 sushi bar in LA.

Michelin Star #18 After a very disappointing "fancy" sushi dinner at Zo, I didn't have high hopes for any of the other acclaimed LA Michelin sushi spots, but Mori showed me what Zo should have been. Once seated with drink orders in, we were looking to spend around $125 each for dinner. We were told we'd get three appetizers and a lot of sushi, sounded good to us! We started out with some of the most tender octopus with a white miso sauce. I'm always impressed that people can make octopus so tender with just a light marinade or quick boil. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/oTVEcJuw5cN7iGRhH1-dDg?select=fzEdAqZYYP0-gPJ8fBk3xA Next up was a simple yet delicious soup with some veggies and a nice chunk of fish. The real star here was the broth, which was clear, light, and intensely delicious. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/oTVEcJuw5cN7iGRhH1-dDg?select=zZP4kf7wzh8vZWkpQBV-JQ Our last appetizer was fried abalone, served with tempura veggies. The abalone was cooked just enough to soften it up a little but still left it with a nice raw crunch. It was really good. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/oTVEcJuw5cN7iGRhH1-dDg?select=IatMUijrd1gpv3lp19pYAA Around this time, we saw a couple next to us eating an amazing looking grilled prawn with uni atop it. It smelled and looked so good we had to have it. So a few minutes later, we were served some of the largest prawns I've ever seen, with a nice pile of uni baked right on top. The prawn meat with grilled and savory and went magically well with the sweet uni. Under the prawn meat was a nice surprise of prawn roe, mmmm eggs with more eggs! http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/oTVEcJuw5cN7iGRhH1-dDg?select=wSM4sGpiAR3wMYWrsEAGQw http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/oTVEcJuw5cN7iGRhH1-dDg?select=LDF8MjSyHUFZWA-gnpg8Lg Next we had 15 individual pieces of sushi that was paced and ordered very well. It wasn't like Zo where every piece was rich and fatty and one noted. Here it made sense; start with some mild fish, mix up the textures of what was being served and slowly move into the fatty rich fishes. One of the highlights was the two types of uni were got to try, some from California and some from Japan; California being much sweeter but the Japanese variety had much more depth to it. The chef was also kind enough to sacrifice a large octopus tentacle for us, just so that we could have the suction cups as a little munchies, one of my favorite things! http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/oTVEcJuw5cN7iGRhH1-dDg?select=iiAGy4VDmRhfky61ujbA2Q For dessert we had a plate of some superbly fresh farmer's market fruit, the orange flesh honeydew being my favorite. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/oTVEcJuw5cN7iGRhH1-dDg?select=qgpuLHv--ZpC1qIVRWHB2A Overall it was a great meal; the food was top notch, the price was right, the service was stealthy, and the chefs were all happy, chatty, and made the experience all the better. This is what I expected from a one star sushi spot.

***Like Kiriko, the omakase at Mori Sushi is not as excellent as Sushi Zo; therefore, it is best to stick with their good weekday lunch specials, which feature good quality Japanese dishes at reasonable prices*** Mori Sushi is a little sushi restaurant with a contemporary cafe-like decor. Mori Sushi features several good sushi lunch combinations as well as a bento box (contents vary by the day). I've had their lunch combinations on previous visits and the sushi was good but not as good as Kiriko, Sushi Zo or Asanebo. And in some cases, you might even find fresher fish (on some cuts) at Sushi Dokoro Ki Ra La or at a Sugarfish. I opted for the omakase at Mori Sushi on this visit, which featured mostly sushi though there were a few cooked dishes and appetizers as well. I actually enjoyed the cooked dishes and appetizers more than the sushi here, which makes me think I should opt for the bento box on my next visit. Here is a rundown on what was included in the omakase. (Tofu with wasabi and soy sauce) The tofu was very good--very creamy. The wasabi had a great kick to it and the soy sauce provided a great and needed salty flavor. (Oyster) The oyster was fresh and had a good briny flavor. (Squid, seaweed, cucumbers, and miso vinegar sauce) I really liked this one. The squid was very tender and I enjoyed the miso sauce. The seaweed and cucumbers were also good. (Octopus cooked in red bean and tea leaves, fish gelatin) The fish gelatin was just okay, but the octopus was very tender and had a good flavor. (Fish stock soup with snapper and daikon) I really liked the soup--good flavor and not salty. The daikon was tender and the fish was moist and had a good flavor. (Santa Barbara spot prawn, scallop, octopus, snapper, pink peppercorn, onions, tomato, greens) The Santa Barbara spot prawn was very good. It had a naturally sweet flavor and the flesh was soft and moist. The grilled scallop was also good (very soft). The octopus was also very good. The snapper was decent but not as good as the other seafood here. The sides were fresh. (Sushi) There were several pieces. The sushi was fresh, but it did not have the incredible softness or moistness of sushi you would find at Sushi Zo or Asanebo. Also, a few of the pieces (like the Japanese mackerel) were a little on the dry side. Still, there were some good pieces. I liked both toro pieces, which were flavorful and very soft (great fattiness to them). I also really liked the barracuda (which was slightly cooked). The snapper with salt was also good and I liked both eel preparations (one with the sauce many places use and another with salt). The squid was also good and I liked the crunch of the giant clam. A lot of the other pieces (yellowtail, snapper, needle fish, silver skin fish) were just okay (maybe even slightly dry). (Two kinds of uni and salmon roe) The salmon roe sushi was good as the salmon roe burst with a good flavor. There were two kinds of uni. The darker, more orange one was the best. It had a sweet and ocean flavor that was very good. It was also incredibly creamy. (Toro cut roll, some kind of egg sushi) The toro cut roll was decent though I have never been a big fan of minced toro. I liked how the seaweed wrapper was still a little crispy. The other piece was kind of like an egg sushi. I have always thought egg omelet was too sweet and too cold. I liked this one though. It was not too sweet and it was kind of bread-like (not too juicy or cold). The after meal drink and dessert consisted of some good brown tea (though I'm not a tea fan) and lemon sorbet. The lemon sorbet was kind of a simple dessert, but it was very fragrant. Service was very good as always. The waitress was very attentive, polite and friendly. The staff in general was personable and welcoming. The food came out at a good pace. Prices are high. Their omakase is in the same price range as Kiriko and Sushi Zo. I like how Mori Sushi offers many little appetizers. You do not really get that at Kiriko and Sushi Zo is almost all sushi. Still, if you are just a sushi fan, I would say Sushi Zo is best followed by Kiriko and then Mori Sushi. Mori Sushi does have a sushi only omakase (maybe the sushi is better with that option). The weekday lunch options are a good deal though. And since Mori Sushi offers little appetizers and cooked dishes, you might get a more variety of traditional Japanese cuisine than you will find at those mostly sushi spots. Mori Sushi is a very highly rated sushi restaurant (it had a Michelin star when they did them in LA) and there are some nice sushi cuts as well as a good variety of Japanese dishes. If you want a really good omakase, my suggestion is to head to Sushi Zo. However, if you want to try a reasonably priced but still good weekday sushi lunch spot, Mori Sushi is worth considering. Parking is available on the street by meter. 2 hour metered parking can be found on the side street.

We got lost on the way to get here, the place was not hidden, but it was right at the corner and the stupid tree was blocking the Sushi Mori sign. Next time just remember to see concrete wall and also, they have parking spaces in the back to the right side. First time ever that I went into a sushi place and I don't see any soy sauce or wasabi, made me even more intrigued. With that being said, let's move on to the food review. We decided to get Omakase and the best place to sit for that: Sushi Bar! There are 2 types of Omakase they offer here, Sushi Omakase or Mixed Omakase. Sushi Omakase comes with 3 different appetizers and the mixed one, comes with 5 different appetizers. We chose the latter and here are what we had in order: *2 pitchers of green tea (somehow they don't serve per glass, instead 1 order of green tea equals a pitcher which can be shared for 2 people) - Home made tofu with fresh wasabi and soy sauce (on the side) - very smooth - cooked sardine, abalone liver, abalone with yuzu kosho, shiitake mushroom, pike eel broth gelatin, okra and pink vegetable (I forgot the name for this) - Pike eels (hamo) soup with eggplant - red snapper marinated with kelp(seaweed) - halibut fin engawa - this one is a killer, super delicious! - Wild medium yellowtail belly - Big eye chutoro - Blue fin otoro - Spanish mackerel - Kohara - Fresh Octopus - Giant Clam - Aori Squid - very creamy - Ikura - so different - Santa Barbara Uni and Hokkaido Uni - really good (SB), oceany (Hokkaido) - Fresh Albacore - Seared baby barracuda - Seared Anego - Tamago - Sesame Ice Cream/Ginger Ice Cream with hot tea Everything was so good, but the highlight for me has to be the Engawa, I never had that before and it was so so good. My first uni was at Sasabune, the unis here were a bit different, more orange color, but I still got converted and able to ate them, so they're approved by my stomach. Other highlights were the aori squid and ikura. By the way, Sushi Mori grows their own rice in Sacramento, so the rice here is a bit different and I like the fact that they don't put so much rice onto each sushi and didn't fall apart easily. Sushi Mori was pretty busy when we're there, so we were attended by the other chef, his name is John. He's very knowledgeable in explaining where the fish came from. By lunch's closing time around 2.15, we're the only customer left and Sushi Mori came over, joined in the conversation and were joking around. They were pretty friendly, though in the beginning I thought he looked so serious. Well, lucky for me, the meal was a business lunch so it was practically FREE. If not, our lunch bill came out to be over $300 + tips for 2 people. It was a very satisfying lunch for me.