The Hump

May 18, 2015 LA Times
Sushi chef who served whale at a now-​closed Santa Monica restaurant was sentenced to two years’ probation, fined $ 5,000 and ordered to complete 200 hours of community service for his part in a scheme to import and sell whale meat, authorities said Monday.
Kiyoshiro Yamamoto, along with chef Susumu Ueda and Typhoon Restaurant Inc., the parent company of the restaurant the Hump, were indicted in early 2013 after a sting operation involving an associate producer of the Oscar-​winning documentary «The Cove» revealed that whale was being served off-​menu to customers.

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How disgusting are you? I’ll never eat here and. Hope you are closed forever !
Please don’t review this business if you received a freebie for writing this review, or if you’re connected in any way to the owner or employees.

When I found out a couple years back that this place had closed for serving whale, I was very sad. It made a perfect date night spot, or place to grab a drink & sushi after work without it being some über trendy hipster scene.
It was here that I got the freshest Uni I’d ever tasted, making me actually like it. When the chef found out that I didn’t like Uni previously, he so confidently stated that what I had tasted wasn’t fresh-​cut. So the slices of Uni that changed my mind were offered on-​the-​house, just to ensure sheer satisfaction over such a true Japanese treat.
Then I watched in shock and delight as other patrons’ meals of octopus and lobster were served while still moving on the plate. Perhaps thats why I wasn’t shocked when I heard The Hump served whale and was getting shut down. This place was legit.
Best of all, the views of the tarmac from the Santa Monica airport, as The Hump was located basically ON the runway. At night time the lights twinkled like candles reflecting on water, and then the dramatic energy as planes would land right next to us.
It was really a very cool spot for local SaMo’s to come and relax in an intimate location. I hope it reopens some day– without the whale.

I’ve been there several times. Chef Yama San was great, food was great, the location is incredibly romantic. The waitress, Keiko! All very nice people. Their food is great, always something new to try!
Too bad they got stung by the whale incident.
All people make mistakes., and its not the worst thing in the world like some people make it sound. I don’t agree with using endangered species for food, but at the same time people need to examine their own souls.
the people who say things like «they should burn in hell» I mean, really? Unless you’re a vegetarian and don’t kill animals, killing a cow is not different than a sheep, than a dog, than a squirrel. A swordfish, a shark, a salmon, well just another fish.
People in Alaska, Norweig, and many other countries eat whales. Yes, they’re people, and they eat whales, raw.

Save the Whales!!! (for my dinner)
Well well well. Our Humps friends were burned at the steak — no pun intended — for serving an animal that is endangered, whatever that means in an era where we could likely clone 1 million of them (or will soon). And the place is called the HUMP! haha Well, you should have all know!
I guess I feel like murdering a human being is a pretty serious crime but there are all these groups running around defending these maniacs by offering excuses. But there is no advocacy group for the owner of restaurants that murder animals! Because like, um, that’s why we go to them.
My opinion here is that the principal should be either all animals have individual rights — in which case no living creature should be killed — or none do (the latter is the correct position).
Its a crazy world where we pick and choose which animals have rights depending on their cuteness, possible intelligence, size, lack of taste, number, etc. Not that I like people who abuse animals. Can’t stand that.
Personally, I am not keen on killing whales to eat. I tend to agree that they’re quite majestic and its not something that I would be into. However, that’s my choice which I don’t need to push on to someone else.
But to do what they did to this guy… I mean wow. But the crazy, ironic part is that this is another celeb pseudo Japanese spot with very expensive food and silly patrons who think that they’re in the know. Said patrons are also often nutty nut pseudo socialists who drive 300 grand cars, take private jets, live in mansions and probably pollute the earth more than a group of a 1000 of us. And yet they never shut up about the trees, whales, or whatever the hell it is that day that they’re using to make the rest of us forget that they really stand for, and believe in… nothing.
Well, I don’t think that this man should have closed. I certainly don’t think that he should have accepted being used by a movie team and the Government as a scape goat. Do you know what goes on in most restaurants in LA? The filth, the quality or lack of it in food? Japanese restaurants are some of the best, and most law abiding… when the law makes sense. In this case, it does not.
I feel very bad for the owner here, more so because he had to take a bullet for a world that is full of contradictions — and one increasingly based on anti-​industrial, anti-​capitalist, anti-​man views.
Still, like Bill Gates when attacked by Reno, he cut and run. Sad. That’s what the 3 stars are for. He gets 5 in my heart for standing up to an irrational world. He’s gets 1 for pandering to idiot patrons. Instead of committing restaurant hara kiri, he should have did what Mifune Toshiro did in Samurai Rebellion and go after all these momos with a sword.

I know restaurants don’t have souls, but sometimes I wish they did so that places like The Hump could forever burn in unquenchable fire.
Whales are mysterious, beautiful, strange, and intelligent creatures. They’re right up there with chimpanzees in terms of intelligence, communication, and the complexity of their social structures. You know how it’s kind of spooky to look a chimp in the eye because of how human it looks? Well, would you ever want to eat that little guy? If not, why would you eat a whale?
The sad part is that whaling might become even more common in the future. Thanks to some wonderful activism – and contrary to what Josh L. says, it’s not a fad; the save-​the-​whales movement has been around since the ‘70s – the scale of whaling has been drastically reduced, and many species have benefited over the past twenty years. The bad new is that countries like Japan and Norway continuously use foreign-​aid as a carrot/​stick to coerce other countries on the International Whaling Commission to lift the ban on commercial whaling that has been in place since 1986. To many of these countries, whaling doesn’t really matter one way or the other, but they would like to receive foreign aid, so they vote in Japan and Norway’s favor.
What does all of this have to do with The Hump? Well, the more accepted something like eating whale becomes, the more afraid politicians will be to stand up for what is right. What is right in this case is to spare our enormous aquatic cousins from the brutality of industrial-​scale whaling.

I have been to The Hump several times for business meals. At over $ 100 per person on average to eat there, you’d think you’d get a better experience.
The first time I went there and sat at the bar on my own dime, the sashimi was relatively good, however I didn’t feel that the quality warranted the price. We’ve been back several times since on business meals as some of our East Coast colleagues like the view.

Omakase has almost always been unmemorable which is relatively unforgivable since what you get is supposed to be Chef’s Choice. My last time there we ordered a combination of sushi and at least ²⁄₃ of the serving was Uni… way too much Uni. The Scorpion fish was very good, but that was one bright moment out of many that were average.
The service was average, our waitress didn’t seem to know as much about the menu as I would have liked. Her recommendations implied she must not have actually tasted them herself.
We used to like to go there mainly for the view at sunset of the Santa Monica airport. It was nice to sit outside on the deck during Spring and Summer evenings.
We decided to stop going there a few years ago because we found a couple of strip mall joints like Little Brother and Shabuya which are closer and offer fish that is as good or better for a hell of a lot less.
If we’re up for more expensive, interesting sushi, we go to Hama or Nobu. Hama is probably my favorite.
Recently I heard they admitted to serving Sei whale which is illegal and during the same instance were found to be serving «cow» meat which they were calling «horse» meat on the same dish with the Sei (verified by the publicly available search warrant affidavit). I was more bothered by the fact that they were defrauding customers with the cow than anything else. Makes me wonder what else they are doing in the back. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention it.
We won’t be back.

How is it that this place has a huge string of 1 star reviews… and it still averages so high?
Anyway, this restaurant sucks. Trying to make up for the mediocre sushi they serve here by adding novelty in what they serve. Obviously they served whale here. Who knows how long that was going for?
Don’t bother wasting your time or money here. Obviously there are plenty of other sushi spots to explore other than this one.

Good riddance to this horrible restaurant. I have experienced two horrible sushi dinners at this over-​priced and inferior quality sushi restaurant. After my last bad experience over a year ago, I swore I would never return.
After having numerous dollars exhorted from me, it is nice to know that their poor quality and poor service will soon be a «thing of the past.» With all the great sushi restaurants in LA, let’s collectively put this one «out to pasture.» Serving bad sushi is one thing, but violating importation laws is something much more severe.

Since my first review was deleted, even though I am someone who has first hand experience dining at this restaurant, I’ll give a detailed account of my dining experience at the Hump.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
I don’t know what I was expecting when I first ate here. It was a few years ago, and seeing the Hump on the news about illegally serving endangered whale meat brought back memories.
It was May, anniversary time, and that meant sushi. I checked around, and this place had great reviews, so I figured this would be perfect for me and my lady.
Having done time at Pico Tech, with classes at the airport, I knew my way around, but it still was a bit tricky finding the entrance. Parked the car and we walked around, and up to the top level. Typhoon is right below it– same owners. sidenote: Typhoon tries to be hip with the crickets and ants, and makes people feel like they’re being so adventurous, but the food kind of sucks, and it’s too loud. (TAKE YOUR BUSINESS ELSEWHERE)
You walk into the Hump and the first thing you notice is the beautiful etched glass wall depicting the Himalayas. You may think, why the hell is a sushi restaurant named the Hump. Short for humpback whale? Haha, hindsight is ²⁰⁄₂₀ (it’s Sei whale that they were busted for, also endangered, but not the same.) No, the «Hump» is what the WWII pilots called the Himalayas, as they flew their missions flying from India to Japanese occupied Asia. See? It’s in the airport… and it’s related to sushi because… give up, maybe it really is some subliminal kujira reference. (THIS PLACE SUCKS)
BTW: I thought that the Japanese hunted whales for research only? What? They sell it? Really? Would you support a restaurant that creates a market for endangered species. What next? Tiger penis skewers? Endangered turtles? (SAVE YOUR MONEY)
The server came by too take our order after we got our drinks and I told her omakase all the way baby. Anniversary and all… Maybe I should have changed my shirt because she asked me if I was sure. I let that slide. (DON’T EAT HERE)
Gotta say, the lineup was very inventive. Not standard sushi fare at all. Excellent presentation. We had a funny moment when the amaebi was brought FRESH with the head of the shrimp face up, and the antennae rustling like the A/​C was hitting it– I made my girl shriek when I poked it and the it started going crazy. I had a good laugh. It wasn’t wasted, they later take that head and deep fry it and it comes back in a soup at the end of the course. Omakase was about 9 courses– we were still hungry so they tacked on Kobe beef which came sizzling on a stone– quite tasty. All the sashimi was super fresh. Never was offered any endangered whale kujira. Server had to double check for the omakase, she wasn’t going to offer endangered whale meat at $ 60 a pop. (SCREW THIS PLACE)
The bill came out to $ 420 after tip. I understood then why the server asked me if I was sure… At the time, it was fine. Now I’m pissed that I spent any money to support this place.
I’m sure the poser wannabe Unilocal sophisticates are going to get their panties in a bunch that people downgrade the reviews of this place based on them serving illegal endangered whale meat delivered in the trunk of a Mercedes. I guess upholding a User generated review site’s holy Terms of Service substitutes for having core beliefs. You don’t think this information is relevant? Pat yourself on the back. You’re so cool, and adventurous, and you make witty cracks in your reviews, and you’re a complete f*ng jackass. Thank god many people base decisions where they spend their money on criteria beyond ambiance, and speed of service.
In summary, the view of the private jets taking off and landing as the sun went down over the horizon did make for some great ambiance. And they do take credit cards and reservations… service was just ok… And they serve endangered whale illegally. Save your money. This place sucks. Don’t eat here.

Totally got sick. I had the runs for 3 days! I thought I was dying out of my back end.
This place was a complete rip off! When I paid $ 250 for my bill, I thought I would leave satisfied, but but I actually left sick. $ 250 down the toilet… LITERALLY.
DON’T EAT THE WHALE. Not sure THAT’S legal, but hey, I guess this restaurant can pay off whoever it wants to get whatever it wants!
This restaurant is a disgrace.

My original review for The Hump was deleted with an e-​mail explaining to me that Unilocal reviews should come from «first-​hand experience» and «not in response» to hearing something on the news. The e-​mail also stated that they take the matter «very seriously» and «review it very closely». To sum it up, Unilocal in San Francisco deleted my review and told me that I haven’t been to The Hump, a restaurant a few miles from my house. So, Dear Unilocal,CENSORSHIP SUCKS.
& Dear The Hump, Thanks for the many interesting dates where men (boys?) have tried to impress me by spending $ 200 on a plate of raw fish. Your prices are insane. Thanks for the food poisoning. AND SHAME ON YOU FOR SERVING AN ENDANGERED MAMMAL.

Without a doubt among the greatest sushi experiences of my life. Yama-​son, you’re an inspiration. It is truly an honor and a privilege to eat the food that you prepare. Everything you served in your delectable Omakase feast was mind-​blowing, a new experience, and expertly prepared. An artist and a god of sushi to say the least. It truly is a once in a lifetime (I hope it’s not) experience, fit for kings among men.
Our dinner started with a scallop and water-​tiger uni salad, served with a wooden spoon, and a giant glass of Saki. Every drop was savored. It was rounded upon by the lightest and freshest red-​snapper one could ever ask for. As it was served, Himalayan rock salt was freshly ground by the master off a rock of salt bigger than a human head, to accent the flavors and complement the fish in the softest way. That said, it still illuminated and brought out all the tastes of the fish. Truly remarkable.
Its important to notice the way Yama teases your pallet every step of the way through this Omakase masterpiece, bringing out just the right amount of progression as your meal moves onward.
Next, a Shishaki rock oyster that was among the best I’ve ever had, served in a visually stunning bowl, floating in ice, and topped with a dollop of uni, (more like an ice-​cream scoop) to quench the taste, accent the flavors, and bring out everything this fish has to offer; while leaving your tongue full of rich uni at the finish.
Following was a tea-​tureen of Japanese delights, fresh eel, and shrimp, which all complemented themselves exquisitely with a twist of Japanese citrus fruit, which we were instructed to squeeze in after opening the kettle, and pouring large draws of this delicacy into our clay sake glasses.
The escalation continued with scallops, served on the half shell with black truffles and gold flakes on top. The progression complemented with more Japanese citrus to mirror the last course, that we were of course still pouring large cups of, and sipping with our new fish. This was then complemented and followed by regional king crab and fresh made dipping sauces, specifically to complement the delicious steamed legs, which were cut perfectly in half for easy access. Truly an art the way the food continued to flow.
At this point, the sun began to set over the tarmac of the SM airport, and the staff lit a beautiful fire for us. The engraved etched glass wall behind the bar lit up accenting a small plane making its final descent over the Himalayas, and you could feel the vibe of the meal changing to hotter, heavier foods. I sipped my sake realizing just how much of a privilege the meal had already been, and how little we had truly experienced of the sushi masters grand plan. This was just the tip of the iceberg.
We moved into the first of our hot courses, aside from the seafood tea tureen, which turned out to be more of a beverage to accompany the light fish we were eating. That said, I should mention that no one left any of the goodies at the bottom of the tureen once we drank all the broth, and some of the finds were amazing. We now progressed to a Japanese sardine katsu, served with a Japanese shishito pepper, a new varietal I’d never had, but truly enjoyed. They complemented each other so well. It was a course you had to fight to not devour too quickly, and truly spoiled me with respect to tempura. Yama, was untouchable all night, and is also an exceptional tempura master. His use of flavors and textures were second to none.
As the main event drew near, a live fresh unagi was brought out for our viewing pleasure, and we enjoyed a mixed pan-​fry of shrimp and squid to accompany the amazing show that was about to take place. This was truly unique, and something I’d never seen before. The details are unimportant, but the result was another soup, that rivaled any I’ve ever had, made from fresh unagi and some killer footage and pictures. The flavor of the broth was breathtaking, yet the eel still resonated through, all seasoned to perfection. I truly realize the strength and vigor of these amazing creatures now; both their physical strength, and the repertoire of available flavors they can provide to finished dish’s.
Thank you Yama-​son, for all you prepared and showed us. It’s a meal I’ll never forget. Following, we relaxed our pallets with a fresh and homemade raspberry ginger sorbet, that I ate with my chopsticks, a sushi custom that is now beginning to following me everywhere I go.
This meal may not have been for the faint at heart, but was a unique experience, and truly an art to say the least. Thank you again.
–be

You can’t serve food that rhymes with FAIL

You still got it, you gorgeous Hump, you! I enjoyed another wonderful meal here last Fri and I just have to share the new dishes I tried (and loved):
— spicy scallop roll– delicious and tender scallops in a spicy, creamy sauce.
— Dengaku– eggplant, baby scallops, rock shrimp, and crab all served in a sweet miso sauce.
— the HUMP ROLL– wow. It’s like a fish orgy. In a single roll. I can’t even remember all the different kinds of fish in this one now. It’s too big to take in one bite, but its still good…
I also found two new drinks that I really liked. The Miyasaka sake is delicious, with delicate floral notes, a hint of plum flavor (which I love), and a nice balance of sweet and dry. The other drink is the Hitachino Nest Red Rice Ale. I had only tried the white ale before, but I think the red is way more interesting, with a complex and delicious flavor.
So, yet another wonderful Hump visit. Someday, someday, I will have the omakase here and stop staring enviously at neighboring diners.

Went on a whim today to visit my good friend who is a sushi chef there, Ken-​san. I shared an Omakase with my partner and it was one of the best omakase’s i’ve had.
Scallops with marinated roe eggs and jelly fish.
Flounder with yusu and himalayan sea salt on one side and Flounder with black truffle, chives and onion gelee.
King Crab legs with ginger vinegar
tempura mix (prawns, kale and some unknown veggie which was amazing) that you dip in curry salt and lemon
toro hand roll, scallop sushi, spanish mackerel and one more which i cant remember the name :)
with red miso soup
pretty amazing food coz everything seems to be so fresh and well seasoned.
will definitely come back !!!

I would go back just for the awesome king crab legs. That was the sweetest, most tender delicious crab meat I’ve ever had. And now give me a moment to salivate…
Ok done. Now why the 3 stars? Well… aside from the crab meat everything else was just OK. And for the paycheck I plunked down for the meal… well automatically this place has to WOW me to hit the 4 – 5 star range.
I took the bf here for his birthday since he’s a big sushi fan and the reviews were solid. We got the omakase and while it was all fresh and pretty good… nothing really made me go mmmm… yummy. I mean, I don’t think my standards are crazy… I’m just asking for a little tango of the tastebuds. We got some interesting scallop ceviche type dish, a huge kinda steamed up mushroom dish, king crab legs, different types of sushi (eel was great!), and some other fiery thing. Like I said… all good, all fresh. Just not worth the almost $ 300 I plunked down for the two of us.

Best sushi on the west side. FULL STOP
Belly up to the bar and let the chef do the driving.
Bring your wallet and a co-​signer.

The Hump is a sushi restaurant located in the Santa Monica airport, which is definitely an odd location (can you imagine yourself ever needing to be there?). Because there are so many good sushi restaurants in Los Angeles, I imagine some (like me) find it odd going to the Santa Monica airport for sushi.
Going into The Hump, I was kind of reminded of the Encounter restaurant at LAX. Planes flying overhead. An old, shabby elevator that heads up the restaurant on the 3^rd floor.
The décor is not your typical sushi restaurant décor. It is a small space with an outdoor patio. There is a sushi bar as well as a few tables. The décor is kind of an odd mix. Brown wood table/​chair combinations with a bunch of neat looking light fixtures (that vary across the room). The brown wood tables mixed with the brown wood rafters give The Hump a kind of cabin/​country club feel to it.
They draw a little bit on the airport with a few pictures of planes on the walls. There are also a few tapestries hanging on the walls (not quite sure of the origin). The floor pattern is red stone floor pebbles. With the big glass windows, you also get to watch the small prop airplanes take off. Given the small space, I think the décor worked making it feel personal and a place for locals.
We went for lunch. They offered their lunch menu ($ 20 and below). They also offered their dinner menu, which was much more expensive. I went with their lunch sushi combination.
It started with a small salad consisting of frisee, thinly julienned carrots, radicchio, cherry tomatoes and a very light vinaigrette. The salad was very fresh and nicely seasoned (very light seasoning with the vinaigrette). The frisee made it slightly bitter. It could have used something to offset it.
Then came a bowl of piping hot miso soup. Very hot. I had to let it sit. The broth was very flavorful; the wakame and silken tofu were nice. It was good.
The sushi had 5 pieces and a cut roll. The portion size was small. I recently went to a place where the sushi was cut way too thick. The sushi at The Hump was cut more appropriately, but the overall size of the sushi was slightly small (especially since there were only 5 pieces).
The sushi was fresh. Unfortunately, the rice was slightly overcooked. I really liked the salmon. There was also a seared ahi, which was very good. There were two other pieces (I think it was yellow tail and snapper). They were not as good as the salmon or the ahi, but they were okay. The Hump puts a decent portion of wasabi on each piece. I kind of like that but be forewarned.
The cut roll was a inside-​out spicy tuna roll. The spicy tuna was good though I kind of like mine to have more of a kick. From the a la carte menu, I got the seared scallop sushi (slightly expensive at $ 9 for two pieces). Lightly seared and wrapped with a thin band of seaweed, it was okay, but I would not get it again.
I saved the oddest piece for last. This nigri sushi piece had a dark purple /​chocolate brown color to it. It was topped with some small onions, grated ginger and some of that broiled eel sauce (kabayaki). The fish did not have the most appetizing color. The taste was very strong. Very distinct fish taste. It was fine, but I am not sure I would want to have it again. I wish I had it earlier in the meal because it did leave a strong aftertaste. My friend thinks it may have been bonito; she also thinks they may have marinated it to bring out that distinct color and taste.
The Hump did not have much of a dessert menu (many Japanese restaurants do not). There was a chocolate cake and an assortment of fresh fruit. Instead, I went with the homemade ice cream. Served in a martini glass was a tiny scoop of sorbet and a tiny scoop of chocolate/​mascarpone ice cream. Both the sorbet and the ice cream had a crystallized frozen malt texture. That texture is what you would expect with a sorbet but not with an ice cream.
The flavor of the ice cream (whether it was the chocolate part or the mascarpone part) was non-​existent. Quite bland. It was also over $ 7, which was a bad value considering the size.
The service was very friendly and excellent. All-​in-​all, The Hump was a mixed big. For the most part, I enjoyed the food; the food, not counting dessert, would be in the 3.5 stars range. I would skip dessert if I came back. The one thing that I noticed in several Unilocal reviews was that the food was overpriced. I definitely felt that was the case for dessert.
My sushi (not counting the seared scallops) was about $ 15. I thought it was a fair price (given the quality); however, you may need to order something else; if not, you could leave hungry. I am not sure I would come back and pay their dinner prices. Overall though, I think The Hump is a decent (but not great) sushi option for lunch.
Considering The Hump is at an airport, you would think parking would be expensive, but it is free and easy to find

Disappointed. Japanese Fusion. There wasn’t even one standout dish. Unmemorable.
The fish quality was definitely not that great. They just drown everything in sauce. They use gold flakes, whoop dee. Bonito sashimi, and seared blue fin sashimi was mediocre. not fesh at all. and salty. The chawanmushi was just typical. There was no shrimp like the server told us but instead fish and gingko nut. The king crab legs were difficult to eat. They cut it for us and all but the meat stuck to the sides of the legs. The scallop drowning in vinegar w cherry tomatoes with a hint of wasabi was ok. All I tasted was the vinegar. We each got 3 spoons of seared tuna w uni, green onions, and black tuffle w black tuffle sauce. 3 spoons prepared the same way. Weird.
The sushi platter was just ok. The rice was a tad to vinegar-​y. the engawa was not bad. Chewy. The sweet shrimp was mediocre. The tuna was good. the orange clam was mushy. The salmon, unmemorable. The 2 pc spider roll was hUGE. But nothing special. the khoada was ok at best. The kanpachi with green salsa (Serrano chiles) was nothing great either. The shrimphead came in the salty miso soup. Also they gave us special ginger with miso paste. Interesting. The ginger was too soapy tasting for me. The tuna with mountain yam, seaweed in miso sauce was mediocre. Too much sauce and salty. The quality of the fish was meh.
For 150 $ omakase it better be DAMN good, but it wasn’t. the dessert platter came with apples, cantaloupe, asian pear, kiwi, sour orange, small piece of chocolate cake (good), homemade raspberry ice crème, and cherry chocolate chip ice crème which was icy. The flavor was good, but I wished it was cremier.