Looking for the best sushi restaurant but one that you could possibly just walk in to order at, and doesn’t’ have a 2-3 hour dinner time. An example would be Sushi Enya in Pasadena where everytime I’ve gone it is walk in available and the sushi was extremely extremely excellent.
Omakase or okonomi (a la carte)?
Sushi Tama (North Robertson) remains a solid choice.
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Oops that was a takeout review. This is the dine-in review… Apologies.
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Good question! A la carte is definitely my preference.
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You can often walk in at Sausabone on Olympic and Doheney
I second Sushi Tama. But it’s a good idea to call ahead to be on the safe side, especially for the counter.
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Photos of a couple recent Sushi Tama visits.
I have cause to be in the area during the daytime more than evening so my reference is based on that. I find they are busier on the weekdays than on weekend afternoons. One of the waiters said Friday nights can be busy, but they get a lot of cancellations on Saturday nights so walk-ins are appreciated.
When I started the Sushi School thread the aficionados advised me that becoming a regular someplace would improve my knowledge. For me Sushi Tama is that place. The proprietors set out to create an atmosphere of casual, unstuffy refinement of which there are few in this area. I wish them longevity. 
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Yum!
And that sake cup with the rabbit!
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Sushi Zo on National (Cheviot Hills, National near the 10). Always been great, never been a wait. Or even many other people there. I haven’t been there in a few years, but I prefer it to some other highly-praised restaurants. (To index my taste - Morihiro (aka "Mori) is my favorite.
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For informational purposes only (and someone please correct me if I’m wrong): Sushi Zo remains omakase only (no okonomi)…
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Chef Ei, formerly of Sasabune BH, is now helming the sushi bar at Hamasaku, and they have a very good omakase under $100. Very good on my recent visit.
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Brothers sushi in Santa Monica is omakase only at the bar for dinner but otherwise a la carte. It’s very good and as of now easy to reserve.
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Conversely, it is a la carte only at the table–omakase is only offered at the bar/
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how much is the omakase at the bar at Brothers SM? How much food?
The lunch omakase is great value at $90. It included a spinach salad, soup, an appetizer, around 6 pieces of nigiri, and a hand roll.
Dinner omakase was around $220 I believe, but involved a lot more food (around 5 appetizers and 12+ nigiri) as well as more seasonal fish.
Here are some random pics from my lunch visit
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One other thing worth mentioning is the rice at dinner is noticeably better because the chef is able to make a single batch for each omakase seating. He also uses red vinegar for the dinner rice. At lunch, the chef told me to come back to try the dinner shari and said it’s a different preparation.
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Thank you! Really appreciate the photos!
At $220, I will pass.
I know, I am being picky, but these pieces do not look they would compare to some of the best LA itamae. The knife work/ and shari/neta ratio just looks off. Perhaps I add another $80-100 and go to Kaneyoshi, Mori, Takeda or Shunji, etc. Nearly every bite at those places is a masterpiece.
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Yes, I would put Brother’s in the second tier of LA sushi restaurants alongside places like Matsumoto, Go’s Mart and Sushi Zo. Still very good and in my opinion worth a visit but not at the level of the places you mentioned.
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