Sushi by Scratch Restaurants: Los Angeles

"Phillip Frankland Lee's sushi omakase bar, originally from the San Fernando Valley, now has nine locations, with two more coming. Lee and his team served a sushi tasting at Resorts World, featuring elements from the Encino original, with 16 courses of maximalist sushi. One standout was a scallop with yuzu kosho made from California chiles, adding heat to the smooth scallop. Lee uses 'pickled' rice, balancing more sweetness than typical vinegared shari. The meal's more-is-more approach contrasts traditional edomae experiences, offering unexpected delights." - Eater Staff

"In one those typical restaurant-closes-in-Beverly-Hills-and-a-fake-unathorized-one-opens-before-the-official-one-reopens-in-Encino situations, the end result is the Valley getting a fantastic new restaurant. The entire place is essentially a 16-person bar with no waiters (the chefs do all the serving). They’re going to want you to do a pre-fixe menu and you should take them up on it. No, this isn’t your once a week hangout place, but it’s a massive step forward for the Valley’s dining situation." - brant cox

"Sushi by Scratch, overseen by chef Phillip Frankland Lee, will be opening another location in Chicago, reports Eater Chicago, with a 17-course omakase menu in River West. Originally founded in Encino, Sushi by Scratch earned a Michelin star for its outlet in Montecito. The Chicago version is set to open on February 8." - Matthew Kang

"Scratch Bar has been one of our favorite prix-fixe restaurants in LA for a while, and though you obviously can’t take part in the immersive dining experience first-hand right now, they’ve officially reopened for takeout only. The menu will change weekly, but you can generally expect a three-course meal for $49 per person that includes a protein of your choice, a bunch of vegetables, and dessert. If you want to get a little boozy tonight, they’re also selling wine, beer, and liquor at additional prices." - brant cox

"Back up in the Valley, co-critic Patricia Escárcega reviews Sushi Bar, the offbeat, mostly hidden seafood spot in the center (quite literally) of Phillip Frankland Lee and Margarita Kallas-Lee’s Encino restaurant empire. The nearly two-year-old Sushi Bar has similarly spawned its own follow-up, this one in Montecito just south of Santa Barbara, but for Escárcega’s review purposes she’s focused on the one near the 405. There the critic finds the $125 omakase experience to be “fresh and uncomplicated,” even if it lacks some of the purity of other high-end sushi houses: Escárcega does quibble at the occasional speed of service, and the overall theatricality of the place, saying simply: Still, the food is satisfying and intriguing and worthy of a visit, though the review is short on details about who is doing the actual cooking when Lee is out of town at one of his many other ventures. There’s no question about the simple dessert from Kallas-Lee, though (“a sweet frozen lozenge of lime ice cream and black sesame shortbread encased in a green tea chocolate shell”); it is simply marvelous." - Farley Elliott