Norikaya
Japanese restaurant · Koreatown
554 S Western Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90020
Highlights
Upscale Japanese bar with creative handrolls & small plates
Upscale Japanese bar with creative handrolls & small plates
"AB Steak chef Akira Back partnered with restaurateur Robert Kim (Mama Lion, and a forthcoming Nancy Silverton pasta bar) to open this striking counter-only temaki roll experience. Think of it like a variation of Yunomi or Kazunori but with more luxurious flourishes. All the major Nobu-esque dishes are here, too, like crispy tuna rice and yellowtail with serrano chile and yuzu soy sauce, though many of the dishes offer some Korean touches. Crispy rice gets a hit of kimchi seasoning while the lobster roll is presented “ssam” style. A meal-ending unagi temaki comes with a layer of fresh strawberries for a subtle tangy hit." - Matthew Kang
"Norikaya is a combination izakaya and hand roll bar from the AB Steak people, but its menu reads very Koreatown. The moody, intimate space has a U-shaped bar where you order things like lobster tempura temaki, crispy rice topped with kimchi-marinated tuna, and agedashi tofu in dashi-soy sauce. We recently visited Norikaya. Read our thoughts here. " - sylvio martins
"Chef Akira Back has opened a vibey Koreatown temaki bar on the busy intersection of Western and Sixth with partner Robert Kim, who operates AB Steak and Mama Lion. Back made his name doing Korean-inflected renditions of Japanese lounge fare at his Vegas restaurant Yellowtail, but has since grown into a global empire expanded to places like Dallas, London, and Seoul. The approach is fairly simple here: well-made temaki hand rolls with high-end ingredients and a small number of shareable appetizers, all served on a high countertop. — Matthew Kang, lead editor" - Eater Staff
"Norikaya’s short menu is split between creative handrolls and izakaya dishes, and we’re team izakaya. The recessed lighting in this dark U-shaped bar sets the mood for a date, and the temaki looks like sushi you’d eat at a Vegas birthday party: a lobster “dynamite” roll heavy on spicy mayo, salmon with miso-mustard and baked eel topped with guac and strawberries for some reason. The abundance of roe, yuzu, and mayo do a decent job of masking the fact that Norikaya’s sashimi is slightly too cold, but we prefer hot dishes like fried squid with sweet cocktail sauce and spicy tuna crispy rice with chicharrón-like crunch. Use this spot for small bites, chit-chat, and drinking sake to Kygo and Norikaya is good fun." - brant cox, sylvio martins, garrett snyder
"Norikaya’s short menu is split between creative hand rolls and izakaya dishes, and we’re team izakaya. The recessed lighting in this dark U-shaped bar sets the mood for a date and the temaki looks like sushi you’d eat at a Vegas birthday party: a lobster “dynamite” roll heavy on spicy mayo, salmon with miso-mustard, and baked eel topped with guac and strawberries for some reason. The abundance of roe, yuzu, and mayo do a decent job of masking the fact that Norikaya’s sashimi is slightly too cold, but we prefer hot dishes like fried squid with sweet cocktail sauce and spicy tuna crispy rice with chicharrón-like crunch. Use this spot for small bites, chit-chat, and drinking sake to Kygo songs and Norikaya is good fun. Food Rundown photo credit: Sylvio Martins Tuna "Tacos" A moment of appreciation for how cute these teenie tiny tacos are. The tuna is too cold so they don’t taste like much sadly, but the wasabi mayo is pleasant. photo credit: Sylvio Martins Lobster Dynamite If you’ve eaten a dynamite roll at your local strip mall sushi spot, you know the mayo-y, spicy flavor bomb in this $12 hand roll. It tastes good, but we’re not sure it’s worth the price. photo credit: Sylvio Martins Unagi Strawberry Eel and sweet flavors are usually a match, but they feel like strangers here. The fruit (plus the guac) in this roll tastes tacked on, but, hey, it looks pretty. photo credit: Sylvio Martins Blue Crab California The best hand roll on the menu. It’s made with a generous amount of mayo-y crab salad that still tastes like crab. Plus, the roe blanket adds some tasty brininess. photo credit: Sylvio Martins Crispy Rice Katsuya’s famed spicy tuna crispy rice has been copied a million times over, but we’re convinced the one at Norikaya is the best we’ve tasted. THe sushi rice is fried until its outer crust bubbles like chicharrón, but the inside is still chewy. The kimchi sauce in the spicy tuna also adds a delicious fermented funk. photo credit: Sylvio Martins Crispy Calamari These fried squid parts are crispy as promised and 100% tentacles, which is kind of fun. The Japanese cocktail sauce was so sweet we had to double-check it wasn’t ketchup though. photo credit: Sylvio Martins Beef Filet This chopped-up filet mignon is the heartiest option on the menu. It’s cooked a nice medium-rare, but arrives lukewarm and overwhelmed by the vinegary nanbanzu sauce on top." - Sylvio Martins
