Correct.
Siam Sunset and the middle eastern chicken places you can get lunch for around $10.
Any of the Korean Bone Soup places in KTown around Western is a good deal. Usually near or at $10, plus rice and banchan.
KazuNori has no lunch special pricing per se, but they do offer a fast, chow-worthy meal for situations where time is the limiting resource.
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Cafe Brasil has the executive lunch special for like $10. But you are going to want some passion fruit drink.
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Kobawoo has a lunch special for the Bossam.
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Kreation MdR - the Detox Salad (because there’s only pre-made fridge section)
Kreation Santa Monica- the Chicken Kabob plate
both about $10
Also love the broccoli soup at California Chicken Cafe, and the soup of the day at Rainbow Acres. I have a thing for those No Bones buffalo chicken bites at Tony P’s, they’re like crack. I have them in their fried chicken salad (switch).
Would love Marina del Rey suggestions.
It’s 9 a.m. and I’m already musing about my lunch options. It’s a sushi day, I think. Shunji is closed today, so I am going to try and nab myself an $18 lunch special at Sushi Tsujita. How early should I get there, you think?
Maybe I will invest in a mumu.
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You should be okay arriving between 11:30 and 12.
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For me, Monday is generally a ‘no bueno’ day for sushi in L.A.- The fish wholesaler’s been closed for quite some time by now (yes, there is always the miracle of modern refrigeration, but still…).
Do Marugame Udon instead. Or Uovo. Or Northern Cafe. Or Fundamental LA.
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Grrrr… really? I thought that was only in the olden days.
Don’t know if this matters but I thought at Tsujita the fish is aged and cured in-house?
Maybe one of you sushi professors can shed light on this process? Isn’t it a misconception that sushi has to be “fresh”. I think the Jiro doc also mentions this.
You can certainly taste a deeper flavor at Tsujita. I do notice that sushi places close on Mondays (and while we are it Viet places close on Tuesdays!)
Just my .02 - some fish improve with aging, some don’t. Mackeral-types (Saba, aji, sayori)spoils rather quickly, as do shellfish.
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I like Sushi Tsujita! Thank to everyone that has posted about this place.
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The chawanmushi was wonderful, the texture was so delicate, and the uni was sweet and subtly briny.
The bento was very good, I loved the rice, and the combination of toppings was excellent. The ikura was some of the best I’ve ever eaten.
The sake is pricey for lunch, but they do a very large pour. I couldn’t finish it, much as I wanted to. 
The service was great, I arrived before they were open (no traffic!), and the server brought me ice water and a menu out to the patio; she was sweet, professional, and friendly.
No one told me how pretty it is inside. I think it’s one of the prettiest Sawtelle restaurants to which I’ve been. I like the bamboo.
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They have some nice lunch options. Fresh seafood. Tasty.Glad you liked it. Lunch there is pretty awesome.
it is, but not exactly stiff competition - like Friendliest Terrorist or Hardest Working Employee at the DMV
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Will arriving between 11:30 and 12:00 be early enough to snag one of the 15 $18.00 lunch specials or should I arrive even earlier?
TIA.
According to my experience there, you should be OK then… No guarantees of course.
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Had the Lunch special at Kiriko yesterday. For 22$ you 6ea nigiri a hand roll, miso soup and salad. I thought it was pretty nice with different textures of the fish all nicely cut three were served with garnishes.
I was able to walk in but they get pretty busy for lunch
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Steak frites at Cannibal.
Great fries, and beefy, chewy, yet tender hangar steak.
Q: “How would you like it cooked?”
A: [Blank stare.] “I don’t know, medium rare? Whatever the chef thinks.”
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Kabosu, Toluca Lake
One of the better sushi joints in the area (along with sister restaurant Sushi Yuzu) has a great $20 chirashi special. Sounds expensive until you realize it also comes with larger-and-better-than-average miso soup + side salad, along with sides of pasta salad and pickles. They also have great tenzaru soba special (no soup/salad) for $11.50.
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