Sushi on La Cienega

So, I know they’ve closed, but I wanted to say thank you to the chef and staff for so many wonderful meals. One of my very favorite restaurants in LA, a place I always felt at home in, and where I enjoyed so much fab food. I’ll miss you, SoLC.

Before we came into Sushi on La Cienega we were excited to eat sushi before a 9 pm show at the Largo across the street. Coming in at 7:30 pm, well over an hour before showtime, we were adamant that we had enough time. Sushi is magical, in my opinion. As soon as we stepped in we smelled the delicious baked crab and scrumptious seaweed scents.
The ambiance was really nice. Well lit room, lovely designs and furniture. We walk in in and are instantly asked what we wanted instead or being greeted. We wanted to eat! Then they asked us how many. We answered with 4. They followed up by asking of we were going to a show at the Largo, and of course we were honest and confirmed.
They then said we couldn’t be served because we would only eat one roll! We were easily going to spend 140 dollars. I didn’t think that was understandable and fair. We had an hour and a half to eat and drink sake, which was our premeditated plans the whole week.
After being rejected we asked for the manager and tried to plea our case. He was making sushi and saw us trying to talk to him. He nodded his head, spoke in an Asian language and finished off by saying no in English. It was embarrassing to have everyone dining looking at us as we were being asked to leave.
I would never go back to Sushi on La Cienega and will never recommend this horrible service to anybody looking for quality sushi and service.

We ordered 4 different rolls and they were all amazingly delicious! My husband was about to order something else, but I stopped him — we were already so full.
There are 6 pcs in one set, and they may seem smaller than in some sushi places, but it’s perfect for those who want to try more! The fish is very good, and the rolls just melt in your mouth

Tough crowd Unilocalers!
Sushi on La Cienega is great. Everything we ordered was crazy fresh — salmon, albacore and yellowtail sushi. The docked star is from the Spicy Tuna Biscuit (aka Spicy Tuna on Rice Cake). They serve it over a balsalmic-​ish glaze that counteracts the flavors.
The presentation of the food is beautiful and we had excellent service. My group will be back!

Two stars only because the waitress was super nice!
But otherwise I would give negative stars if I could. They charge $ 20 for a rainbow roll, the most ridiculous thing I’ve seen in a sushi place and the portions are super small. The food is very mediocre and it took them forever to bring it out. We ordered a lot of food but all left hungry because the portions were small; and I’m a small person who doesn’t eat a lot. Never coming back again. If you’re a sushi person, I don’t recommend it.

If these people want customers, they sure don’t show it.
I came across this place while searching Unilocal in my eternal quest for «even-​better» sushi places in my area. Since the reviews looked decent, I drove over on a Thursday evening to find the place about a third full. Seeing that all the sushi counter seats were empty, I headed that direction but was deflected by the hostess who tried to steer me to a table.
Unless I’m with a group, I much prefer the counter to a table so I politely asked for the counter. Looking like she was caught between a rock and a hard place, the hostess gingerly asked the two chefs behind the counter if I could sit there. Without even looking up, one of them grumbled something, which she translated as «the counter is closed.» Observing that it was only 8:30, two hours before their closing time, I asked why it was closed so early. She spoke to the chef again, he grumbled again, and she said, «I’m sorry… they busy.» Busy my ass.
Something’s not right and I’m not about to try to figure it out. The only good thing I can say is that the hostess gave it her best. Can’t say the same for the loser behind the counter, however. Speaking of ass, they won’t see mine there again.

Awesome sushi! The flavor is always spot in. Not much of an atmosphere though, but excellent for a quick, affordable and easy sushi fix

Excellent service that went above and beyond. Nice, quiet spot with good sushi.
Had the miso soup and it was nice and hot. Highly recommended.

Great sushi and a cute little place. Service is good and pleasant. The menu is creative and each dish has a unique delicious element to it. Would definitely come again.

We visit LA twice a year and Sushi on La Cienega is a must-​go. The fish is always fresh. The ingredients are very different and alway a delight to taste.
Unlike most sushi restaurants that I experience back home in the NY area, the various dishes mostly come with their own sauces and you should not add traditional soy sauce. The results are amazing.
A very low-​key place. Not fancy. But the food is the type that you would normally have to pay up for. A true treasure.

Oh, God!!! This place is very good!!! Delicious, fresh, authentic !!! I found out that sushi place accidentally a week ago, and got to be addicted. Honestly, going to there every night for a dinner by myself, or with my friends (they really like too).
Just a one sad thing — they open from 5.30pm. I have to wait almost whole day to get my lovely food;)))))
Thank you to everybody who works there!!! Lovely place!!!

I came here based on the good reviews. The food was a 4 out of 5 but we saw a cockroach scurrying on the wall. Also, I specifically asked them to divide the check amongst what the four of us ordered (the waitress even wrote out what I owed by hand to show me how much my card would be charged), and then she just charged the entire bill to my card.
I might return.

This is a great Sushi spot no one seems to know about. It is never very crowded and they have their own parking in the back. I also appreciate that they have air conditioning. I have gone to several sushi places that are not air conditioned and it is not enjoyable to eat raw fish in a hot muggy sushi restaurant. But besides that their quality is great, very fresh and tasty. They also have a great selection and variety of specialty roles. I will absolutely be back and this will probably become my go to sushi spot!

Edit: can’t say enough about this spot. It’s so friendly and the food is simple & fresh.
Been coming here for a couple of years and I always walk out with a smile. Amazing service, fresh & delicious food, and the staff are always friendly.
Love their hot appetizers and creative list of rolls. The baked eggplant dishes are a go to along with their fresh sushi & sashimi.

I am IN LOVE with this sushi place!
The best place to go for sushi… HANDS DOWN! They are consistently delicious! The sushi chef/​owner makes the most amazing rolls EVER! He has a signature roll that is always different each time I have come to dine. «DNA» Do Not Ask… it’s a great roll and like I said, DIFFERENT every time and is ALWAYS delicious!!! They only open at dinner time and it’s worth going to, if you haven’t been here… please DO SO!
My girlfriend and I love this place and can’t go anywhere else, because it’s not the same!
It’s a small restaurant, quiet and worth going to… I wouldn’t Unilocal it if it weren’t true!

Sushi on La Cienega may not have the most original name but I believe it’s because they focused all their creativity on the dishes themselves. In the middle of restaurant row this place is a good find at a reasonable price. A mom and pop shop, the place is smaller with no real frills but the staff is attentive and accommodating, while the owners are warm and inviting.
Chicken Karage — although it was good it wasn’t at all what I was expecting. The chicken is coated and reminiscent of General Tso chicken. However the flavors did come through on the dish although I was slightly disappointed at how the sauce took away from the crunch of the chicken.
Salmonpeno carpaccio — Salmon sashimi with a sliver of jalapeño on top each slice, drizzled with a creamy jalapeño sauce. Nicely done and flavored.
Albacore with plum sea salt sashimi — a really nice dish, the freshness of the albacore was complimented by the yuzu and twang of the plum sea salt.
Uni — very fresh and meaty it was one of the better unis I’ve had in a while. Lately it seems that uni has been smaller at various other sushi restaurants I’ve visited, but here it’s thick and plump and the sweetness of the uni is a welcomed treat on a summer night.
Spicy Tuna and crab on rice — what a great upgrade from the regular spicy tuna on crispy rice. So many more dimensions and the unagi sauce really did temper the dish. A must try.
All in all I really enjoy the place and the atmosphere and am always a proponut of family owned businesses. Give this place a try people, it’s cheaper than other sushi places in the area and just as good.

Overall, a pretty mediocre place. MEH.
Came here on a Saturday night with my sister since we were craving sushi. This place isn’t hard to miss since it it located right next to a gentleman’s club. Classy. I guess we should’ve also taken it as a sign since there was only one other party there when we were seated.
We ordered their Hot Night roll, Albacore Delight roll, and vegetable tempura. Everything came out pretty fast. The Albacore Delight and the vegetable tempura were okay, but I personally thought the Hot Night roll was too mushy and tasteless. I also didn’t really like how they put sriracha sauce on the rolls. Service was really nice and helpful though, so that was appreciated. Still, wouldn’t recommend this place.

Good sushi sashimi presented very well.
Not exactly a glamor spot – the décor is fairly spartan. But that makes it feel somehow more relaxed and honest. Also had a small bottle of the cold sake, which was good and priced well. And they offer brown rice, so healthy people have a good option. My only gripe: the black cod was tasty but a bit small.
You can park on the street (although La Cienega can really get busy). However, it seemed like one of the rituals of being a regular is to boldly navigate down the really tight driveways that lead to the back parking lot. I made it in and out without a scratch, so I guess I’m in.

This is officially my go-​to sushi spot so I’m bumping them up to 5 stars.
With sushi, consistency is key. I want fresh fish. I want rolls. I don’t want to deal with crowds or a scene. And I can count on a smooth experience at Sushi on La Cienega. Plus how many sushi spots have a famed award winning chef? This one does.
So here is what I recommend you order:
hot night roll
handsome J&A roll
soy tower
spicy tuna biscuit
blue crab handroll
rock & roll
I promise you will not be disappointed! It’s not cheap but sushi is one of those things where you get what you pay for! Worth every cent.

The food, I should say, it worth more than 4 stars. It is a combination of French and Japanese. Well, two delicate cuisine, made these dishes even more delicate! I mean, small portion. We had 3 rolls, not even close to make us feel full. But I have to admit, the flavor, the great combination of the ingredients and the beautiful presentation really earns itself 5 stars!
Recommend the fire dragon roll (so you can have both spicy tuna and eel), also the philly roll with salmon and cream cheese. wow! great salmon!
And the biscuit is soo good too!
Just the service was a bit slow. Only one lady serving, really a challenge!