Sushi Nozawa

I miss this place! Sugar Fish just isn’t the same!

I realize it’s closed, but I wanted to post this in February when it was in its waning weeks.. .Yay Sugarfish;o)
Concise, to-​the-​point review of Nozawa, piece by piece.
Tried to restrain from my typical verbosity. Enjoy.
Arrival time: 6:43pm.
Seated time: 8:38pm. (we expected 1.5 hours, so a bit long but considering its his final week in business not bad. i had a book, irene had her iPad. and it was hella cold)
Greeted with a VERY warm towel, which was awesome.
Drinks came out immediately (large sapporo for him, sprite for her)
followed by the first course:
BABY Toro Sashimi w/​scallions & handmade Nozawa ponzu — literally amazeballs
second course:
yellowtail sushi w/​Nozawa ponzu– served on warm vinegar rice, also amazeballs. i can’t even begin to explain how superior the warm rice is to the typical ‘sushi’ rice we get in L.A. wow. the fish, as expected, was flavorful & buttery. best yellowtail i’ve had, hands down.
–and– (two courses simultaneously)
albacore sushi w/​Nozawa ponzu — irene’s first one had a bit too much wasabi, but i was in heaven. second one went down awesome, even for irene, and was a homerun.
next course (s):
scallop sushi — i’d never had scallop sushi outside of a ‘spicy scallop handroll’ and frankly was a bit leery. dumb move on my part. delicious, pure, beautiful.
crab spliffroll — jon gold actually coined the ‘spliff’ term for Nozawa’s handrolls. they’re open at both ends, and similar shaped to the ‘handrolls’ you’d get at famima and «about the size of a large spliff.» needless to say, real Crab and damn delicious.
next course (s):
lobster spliffroll — good, but tastes similar to the crab roll. what i’ve come to expect from lobster sushi is that it tends to disappoint. nothing like cooked lobster w/​butter.
halibut sushi — i enjoyed this one, was fresh but halibut just isn’t a super flavor-​packed fish and this was where Irene started losing a bit of steam. definitely needed the soy sauce/​wasabi/​ginger kick to make it excellent.
next course (s):
toro spliffroll — super excited for this one. tasted like a ‘normal’ spicy tuna handroll. not bad, but definitely not what i’d come to expect from toro and the first ‘swing and miss’ of the night for the 74-​year old sushi master.
red snapper sushi w/​Nozawa Ponzu — again, another sushi I (inexplicably) hadn’t tried. I was pumped. Very good, though not transcendent. The ponzu was really kicking in at this point, though — the man definitely has the market cornered on that dang sauce.
and finally:
creamy scallop spliffroll — much like a spicy scallop handroll, one of my faves. perhaps a bit too creamy, as it was a bit rich for Irene (I finished hers).
oysters — not sure about finishing the meal with oysters, but hey.. .Nozawa is the master, so we do what he says. That said, Irene doesn’t have an affinity for out of shell oysters — these were served in a ramikin, marinated in the infamous ponzu w/​scallions — so she passed after trying one. I enjoyed them, but frankly they were so massive that even for me the texture was a bit ‘much’ all at once. would have preferred two smaller oysters.
PRICE: $ 186 for two. Literally less than we spend on a really good sushi meal, and certainly less than Asanebo (Michelin). That said, I think Irene enjoyed Sugarfish more — his other, more lucrative venture, also with a fixed menu and presented more as a ‘tasting menu’ than sushi on plastic plates run out by the bus boys. This sushi was bar none the best pure fish I’ve had, and was exactly what I expected.

I would just sit at the sushi bar and let the master feed me what he wanted, never was I a bad customer… to bad yesterday was last day… will miss the Sushi Nazi.
Will get updated and re-​opened as a SugarFish.
Sad day.

By the time you read this… Nozawa will be gone. No. no… not in the eternal sense… just in the sushi sense. He’s laying down his sushi blades for good. It’s a sad day in Studio City… and Los Angeles for that matter.
I had the distinct pleasure of being served for one first and last time by Chef Nozawa earlier this month. I make it no secret that I am a sushi amateur BUT I know what I like… and this was no mere «like» my friends…’twas LOVE. Best sushi I’ve had in my short existence on this planet? For this humble Mexican kid from East LA… yes it was.
As most of you know… In his 47 years of slicin’ fish for a living… Nozawa in his 66 years on this green earth built quite the reputation. The moniker «sushi nazi» obviously gets thrown around… assuredly more often than he throws people out of his establishment for answering their cell phones, talking too loud, taking pictures or doing something as crazy as ordering california rolls. I, for one… love it… it’s HIS business, the man has paid his dues… he can do whatever the hell he wants! Respect your elders! Respect for one’s elders shows character!
I love the stories of Nozawa getting up at 4am to be at the Pacific Fresh Fish Market before it opens and getting VIP escorted to the loading docks where the trucks would arrive with fresh fish straight from LAX and beyond… where he would get first pick. That’s respect.
So, enough of my nostalgia… seriously…you’d think I was in love with the dude. OK, maybe a little.
I’ll give you the abbreviated version of my meal with Chef Nozawa…
BIG EYE TUNA SASHIMI appetizer… perfect chunks of tuna, ponzu, shaved scallions. better than the sugarfish version (same went for almost all the other cuts)
YELLOWTAIL — exquisite
ALBACORE — ridiculous, melt in your mouth absurdity.
CRAB HAND ROLL — WAY better than the sugarfish version.
BLACK COD — excellent
TORO HAND ROLL — too good.
HALIBUT — I thought I didn’t like halibut… turns out… it’s awesome.
LOBSTER HAND ROLL — wow.
Now, I had every intention of being respectful and not take any pictures… but as much as I respect the chef… you KNOW I love and respect all my beautiful Unilocalers too much to not snap an innocent pic.
I asked for one more order of albacore…
And it was just as gawdamn absurdly good as the first.
I stood up, paid my respects in the form of a sincere thank you and bow to Nozawa. And I SWEAR to you, I got a half smile and a wink… he’s just a big ‘ol pussycat. I figured what the hell, I’ll snap another pic of the man in action… what’re they gonna do? Kick me out?
I leave you with a quote I just read from Nine Inch Nails mastermind Trent Reznor
«Sushi Nozawa is quite simply my very favorite place in the world to eat. Chef Nozawa is truly a great artist and has lifted the spirits of many an evening with the simplicity and perfection of what he serves. I will miss seeing Nozawa-​san behind the bar.»

Well, Unilocalers, there are a few of my favorite restaurants that will never be reviewed simply because i don’t want all my secret spots revealed to the masses.
Sushi Nozawa is one of those places. I heard Nozawa was throwing in the towel and i am very sad to see him go so with one week left i feel it is safe for me to review.
Thank you Sushi Nozawa for years of great sushi. it’s safe to say that over the past 20 years i’ve spent thousands of dollars here and i’m a better man for it.
A little note to fellow Unilocaler Sean D. who gave Nozawa one star.
Sushi Nozawa was a gift from sushi heaven and sent here to teach us mortals what great sushi is, and also that sushi restaurants aren’t just for partying down, yucking it up and sake bombing with your moronic college buddies,
Nozawa was a true artist who everyday was creating a masterpiece. All other sushi joints are just serving up dead fish on rice.
Sean D you just sound mental and Nozawa, obviously, could tell you were a creep and wisely kept his distance from you. He and his wife were always friendly, respectful and appreciative, in their own way.
and if you actually knew anything about sushi you would know that most of the other sushi chefs in l.a. would follow Nozawa around the fish market every morning to see what he bought so they could figure out which fish were fresh.
Long live Nozawa! King of the Butterfish!

I’ve eaten sushi all over Los Angeles and I have to say that this spot is the gem of Sushi! Don’t be scared by the hole-​in-​the-​wall nestled between two other Japaneses inspired restaurants. Nazawa does omakase right! My boyfriend and I have been coming here for over two years (in fact we joke that he had me at «sushi nozawa», as he took me on our second date here.) The walls read «Trust Me» and that just what you have to do. Fabulous fresh fish on very warm sushi rice.
However it might be done, the texture of Nozawa’s fish is out of this world. The toro and albacore literally melt in the mouth. Our favorite item to this day is the crab handroll… we will go just for that! With that being said, everything that Nozawa touches is delicious and we both are very sad to hear that he is retiring next year. The service is always fast and the staff always friendly. Go try it if you haven’t yet!
Do note… it is fairly expensive so be prepared for about $ 60 – 70 per person. Enjoy ya’ll!

Definitely an emperor’s new clothes thing.
I mean, I like warm sushi rice but a lot of places do that. I don’t want to say the sushi is bad, it’s not.
I ordered mostly Sashimi which usually yields results.
My ankimo sashimi showed up like a pile of unmentionables. It was sloppy soup, not the fine rich divine cuts that I expect on Ventura Blvd. Ordered yellowtail belly and got a kanpachi (baby yellowtail) which is fine.
His wasabi is not all that, no wasabi root like at the Sushi Spot.
I think people feel they are supposed to like this place. So the chef is drunk and rude? So what?

«Sushi Nazi»? Seriously? Nozawa-​san is a master sushi chef, and he appears to be @least 70yrs old. I’d be willing to bet that he only partially resembles a «nazi» when some ignorant a**hole asks him for a goddamn ‘godzilla roll’. or makes equally inappropriate and un-​welcome requests to change his brilliant coursing of the meal… My primary regret was not getting to see him toss some barbarian douche out of his restaurant for doing just that. Maybe next time. And yes, there will be a next time.
If you happen to be a barbarian douche and require instructions.
Just quietly and politely accept what he gives you. He knows better than you. Much much better. You are a just a douche. He is a master.
Respect him or stick with «geisha house» or one of the other «hip» poseur spots in hollywood.
If anything, the «attitude» @Nozawa is shaped by an old-​school sushi master encountering hollywood douche-​holes, and growing frustrated in dealing with them politely. I hear he also drinks heavily. Understandable for a 70yr-​old japanese man who likely came of age during an era in which japanese considered all non-​japanese as primitive barbarians. Then., perhaps to his surprise. the more open he was about his dislikes, the more his «legend» grew… So why be nice?
It should be noted that the sushi preparation @Nozawa is something not often seen outside of japan (and almost as rare in japan itself). Nozawa uses rice that is warmer and more loosely pressed than what most people are used to (*sushi should generally be eaten by hand, not with chopsticks*). A tad more vinegar as well. The intent here is less about aesthetic beauty and more about ‘enhancing’ the flavor of the fish. This is neither the «correct» way, nor the «incorrect» way to make sushi, as many Unilocalers have alternately stated. There’s a word for it, but i have no recollection what it is. Maybe you can google it. In Japan, sushi chefs learn numerous variations during their 4−5yrs of training prior to becoming a licensed apprentice… and as in many other areas of cuisine, there are different ‘schools’ of thought on what is ‘best’.
IMPORTANT: If top-​shelf TORO is what you associate with ‘amazing’ sushi (as i personally tend to do), Nozawa falls short of the top ultra-​high-​volume places that can afford to buy the very best whole-​fish tuna @auction (where they go for $ 20k and up these days and are mostly bought-​up by brokers based in tokyo and then sold to toyko’s finest sushi houses). In the US, I know that Matsuhisa buys whole tunas… giving the fattiest choice belly cuts to his namesake restaurants. and the secondary cuts to Nobu.
Fair Warning: answering your phone or trying to take gay pictures of Nozawa-san’s sushi will land you in the back room… where he keeps the zyclon-​B and the «special oven». Trust me.
Warm Regards,
–g

I here they call him the sushi Nazi. Rumors are true. 1. The sushi is very very fresh. 2. Sushi Nazi will kick you out if you order California roll at his bar. 3. he will chop your ass into kamubuko if you disrespect his food.
Be polite and you get treated right. peace!

This has been one if my favorite sushi restaurants in LA for a very long time … Could it be nearly 20 years? The trust me format has ruined me. No more Stanford Rolls or Godzilla BS rolls. Just the real deal sushi for me.
This place isn’t cheap, but well worth it. If you’re one of those people who think you should have the right to eat sushi the way you want it, make it yourself at home. This isn’t BK where you can have it your way. You have the sushi the way Master Nozawa says you will will have it and you’re going to enjoy it, damn it!

Wouldn’t give this place a 5, but a 4 is sure good enough to categorize the «Nazi» term of Sushi «Nazi» Nozawa that people in LA call it.
Non-​stop eating, no menu, and all sushi…
The chef doesn’t like the menu system, in fact, he has a huge sign saying «Trust Me». I seriously put my life to him and trusted what he served.
There were a lot of different variety of rolls and sushi available. The only problem was, I did not have time to take pictures of anything nor did I get to learn each and every fish. They serve a bit too quickly compared to other Japanese places. Another thing is, their rice is uniquely different. You either like it or you don’t. But I loved it. It wasn’t like all the other places where the rice is slammed hard together and stuck together like cement. It was more like soft individual pieces of bouncy textured rice.
I’d come back again.

Sushi Nozawa’s vibe is unlike any other in LA.
The first time you go to Nozawa’s, you may find the décor clean, bare, and a little cold. But for those that return, you’ll notice several nuances. Especially, how the restaurant reflects Nozawa himself — efficient, quiet, and reserved.

At times, the service is too efficient. Leaving some to feel rushed when plates come quickly. Don’t fret. From the few times I’ve eaten there, He’s never reprimanded me for savoring my meal. Though truthfully, I have never been on Nozawa’s bad side.
Regardless, you’ll find yourself full before you know it.
To deal with the quiet, I’d suggest for you to be comfortable in your own skin. Learn to enjoy the calm. Again some will find the lack of buzzers, assorted ringers, and overall digital interruptions disconcerting. Appreciate that there’s no need to yell to talk to someone in front of you.
Nozawa is not pushing sushi boundaries. There’s no Japanese-​whatever fusion or innovative sushi here. Nozawa produces simple, fresh, and delicious sushi. Be aware that he uses warm sushi rice. This increases the fishes’ fragrance but at the cost of rice adhesion. So for those without nimble chopstick skills don’t be afraid to use your hands.
I find Nozawa’s price comparable to most high-​end sushi spots. Though some believe that Nozawa offers less value. Since there’s no waiter standing by your table to serve you a carefully paced nine-​course meal served under dimmed lights. Others find great nostalgic value of the days before cell phones. I agree with the latter. Quiet, adult moments are far and few between in LA.
I’ll end this review with an awkward warning. Please know that if you fall for warm-​rice sushi. It may forever ruin other sushi restaurants for you.

What do you do when sushi keeps coming to your table and it doesn’t stop? No arguing. No wasabi. Sushi raw and sushi fresh! I order for you!
Things got quiet and serious. Eat sushi and enjoy! No soy sauce for you and no fucking wasabi! It’s not loud in there and there is no music. You forget you’re in a strip mall in the valley and reality starts to slip away and all there is is sushi.
They could have come by a few times but they came by at least eight times! Lots of sushi and lots of work for them. It was sushi hell in a way. It kept coming and you didn’t know what or when it was coming but it came just about when you finished the last juicy, tasty morsel of sushi in front of you. So wet and slippery. Mmm, slips down your throat so good. OK. sorry about that. That was odd. I’m totally straight by the way. Anyway. to clarify the service is excellent and the staff is sweet! It’s sushi twilight zone without the scary ending though. Luckily I ordered water with a lemon slice and not saké. I would have regretted the saké considering the amount of sushi ingested.
Celebrity sighting at Sushi Nozawa. Jason Biggs. For some reason as he was leaving the restaurant I saw him and we locked eyes for two beats. Then I gave him the head nod. He gave me the eyebrow nod. Like yeah, do I know you? I have no idea why I gave him the head nod. It was involuntary I swear. I planned on just walking right past him but my subconscious said, «You know him so don’t be rude.»
The omakase experience was great. If you’re a masochistic sushi sensei I suggest you try Sushi Nozawa. Mercy is for the weak. The sushi deserves no mercy.

Without any apologies, if you think this is great sushi, then you have never even had good sushi.
The shame is the quality of the fish is excellent and fresh — it’s everything else that let’s it down but mainly, as far as quality of food is concerned, it’s the rice and the over-​seasoning.
Sushi should be, at it’s best, great quality fish on slightly warm high quality vinegared sushi rice. Some fish like saba need to come with vinegar and sometimes the chef will add ponzu. This guy, produces the worst rice ever, poor quality, crumbly (I’ve never had so many pieces just fall apart) and massively over vingared so that you couldn’t taste the fish. On top of that, he added seasoning to practically every piece, ruining it. It was very very poor and insulting to the fish, as well as the customers.
Furthermore, we’d barely taken the last piece off the plastic serving plates when they were snatching them away and putting the next pieces in front of us, leaving no time in between, usually when eating a meal of this price I’d expect to sit at the bar for 60 – 90 mins. Presentation — a huge part of Japanese cuisine was missing completely.
I was shocked by the cost. I’ve regularly paid $ 120-​per person for sushi but at $ 180 (incl. 4 beers) at this quality, service and ambiance, I feel ripped off.
Real sushi fans, eat here at your peril — and those raving about it, go and try some real sushi and compare to this guy killing it.

Damn. It took me awhile to warm up to Sushi Nozawa because I’ve been such an avid fan of Sushi King. While I stayed loyal to Sushi King during my dining experience, a few days later… that creeping craving for Sushi Nozawa hit me. It took me a few days to realize it, but yes… Sushi Nozawa is amazing.
There’s a reason celebrities choose to go here. There’s a reason he’s called the Sushi Nazi. Don’t expect to get great friendly service. Not the place. That definitely threw me off, and it’s still my number one complaint… BUT I can’t deny that the sushi is AWESOME. The omakase doesn’t seem to change THAT much, but that’s okay… as long as it’s GOOD. That Blue Crab Hand Roll will always keep me coming back.
He’s got a bajillion signs that say «Trust Me.» It makes me want to rebel, but he’s pretty intimidating, and I do not want to be banned from this sushi paradise. It’s a small and cozy restaurant. It can get pricey, but if you stop after the crab roll, it’s typically ~$ 50 per person.
Just talking about it… I want a Blue Crab Roll NOW.

Total hole-​in-​the-​wall, unassuming place in a tiny strip mall, but the sushi was AMAZING!!! Authentic, top quality fish, and traditional Japanese cuisine!
Honestly, the albacore here is the BEST I’ve ever had in this country, 2^nd only to one restaurant I visited in Japan. Get the «chef’s special» which costs about $ 50-​$ 70 depending on the day. I got albacore, yellowtail, lobster hand roll, uni, tuna and scallop roll — my favorite. Everything was high quality, not stringy. Rice was warm, soft and just the right amount of sweetness.
NOTE: absolutely NO cellphones! If your cell phone even rings when you are inside the restaurant, they will kick you out! I heard a particular hollywood celebrity came here, answered his phone — sushi chef yelled at him and told him he’s never allowed to come back again!!! Dang, cellphone nazi!

Yeah, so I’m going to piss off a lot of Unilocalers, and hopefully the owner never remembers my face but, let me frank:
Yellow tail sushi– 2 star (meh, i’ve had better yellowtail)
Freshwater eel sushi– 2.5 star (meh, I’ve had better eel)
Crab roll– 4 star
It was my fave item at my first visit, then second time I went back, the rice was crumbling, so were the yellowtail sushi and the eel. I’m talking like, the rice crumbled and fell into pieces into my soy sauce, and I pathetically had to pick it out one rice by rice. That’s a poorly packed sushi, a first, if you will. Mind you, I say this was my fave cuz everything else was Whatevaaaaaa. It’s almost like saying you like canned tuna roll at a sushi restaurant, yeah, like THAT.
I really don’t understand how this place has set it’s price considering the décor, plastic ware, and the quality of food. But then again, I never had the omakase.

I’ve been a customer for well over a decade. As the original Edo-​style sushi restaurant to open in LA, it is still the best IMHO. The fish is melt-​in-​your-​mouth fresh and the rice is warm and fragrant.
Nozawa-​san can be a little grouchy, but only if you are clueless and don’t respect sushi traditions.
But this is not a place for sushi newbs or the faint of heart. Be sure that you enjoy at least 95% of the typical sushi varieties before you even dare sit at the bar for Omakase. Otherwise, it’s best for everyone involved to sit at a table where you can order what you want.

I felt very mentally prepared when I walked into this place. I have been reading about it for years, and I’ve heard every story. My story goes like this: it was the day after thanksgiving, the restaurant was empty at noon, spare the three of us and two other couples. We were seated immediately at the bar, Nozawa made sure we knew that he was going to choose for us, and we agreed. We got tuna sashimi in ponzu sauce (too much sauce for sure), toro sushi, blue crab hand roll, albacore sushi, yellowtail sushi, toro hand roll, and we got to choose our last course– I asked Nozawa to choose for us. He gave us Black Cod sushi and it was definitely the best of the day. Yes, the blue crab hand rolls are amazing, I could sit on my couch and eat them like potato chips, but that black cod with a bit of ponzu was fabulous.
Like many, I’m not a fan of the strong vinegar taste in the rice. I like it warm though, and it adds to the melt-​in-​your-​mouth effect his fish has.
Long story short, I see this place as owned by a guy who respects good fish. It doesn’t have to be presented in the most beautiful way to taste good! Nozawa made jokes, he smiled, he wasn’t at all the man I thought he’d be, which I kind of thought would end up happening!
My dad told me a few years ago we visited friends in Big Bear who had invited Nozawa and his wife to stay with them for the weekend as well. He brought a cooler of his fresh fish for all of us to enjoy. Too bad I was 12 and barely remember this happening! If it was now, he would regret it sorely– I would eat it all myself!

Un-​Japanese. Lacking true sushi master spirit.
Art of sushi is deep. A trade that real sushi masters upkeep with pride. Nozawa brings embarrassment to the true sushi masters as Americans visiting this place would wrongly assume that Nozawa’s phony way is the Japanese way.
Do not be misled.
Do not get fooled.
He is a fake.
I won’t get into the details of my horrible experience at Nozawa, since the words won’t do justice to the travesty. You had to be there to really know.
Sushi masters are very stubborn about choosing the best fish. They are rigid about their method of preparing the rice. They are unbending about the need to keep the kitchen clean. Most important of all, they are meticulous about serving their customers. Experienced chefs could guess customer’s eating preferences by just looking at them. Chefs value communication with customers, not just to entertain them, but also to better understand customer’s preferences and needs. They watch the customer closely from corner of their eyes. If they are eating fast, it could be an indication that the customer is still hungry. Great deal of effort, almost as much as effort to make sushi, is placed on accommodating customer’s needs. That is the Japanese way.
When eating omakase style at a sushi bar in Japan, chef asks if there are any types of fish you don’t like. Customer would often give an unhelpful answer like «I don’t like smelly fish.» Chef may think in his mind, «none of my fish is smelly, idiot!», but he simply smiles and start serving fish with less fish oil.
Even in Japan, you do sometimes run into phony sushi chefs that don’t understand this customer first concept. They are often ones that only think about money or personal ego. These phonies want to reduce wasted fish, so rather than accommodating customer desires, they keep serving borderline spoilage fish.
CONCLUSION: I would avoid Nozawa at all costs. Beginners to sushi might find this place amusing, but expert sushi eaters would likely be disappointed. If you have to eat sushi in this area, you’ll do far better by going across the street and eating at Asanebo.