Asanebo — Restaurant in Los Angeles

This is one of the absolute best and must-visit sushi restaurants in Los Angeles.

I made an early reservation for Friday night at 5:30 but arrived around 5:15. I was the only diner for almost an hour but had the honor of sitting at the bar in front of Chef Tetsu's station and he is seriously one of the nicest, most humble, and most talented sushi chef's in Los Angeles, in California, in the USA, in the world.

I kept ordering dish after dish, fish after fish, because each and every item put in front of me was so fresh, unique, flavorful, and delicious.

Chef Tetsu is very welcoming and happy to talk about all things sushi, Japan, his restaurant, staff, and more. His staff too are all so incredibly kind and attentive.

I loved all the nigiri, each one with a complex and unique flavor profile. My favorites were the golden baby snapper, zuke tuna, marinaded salmon. The miso black cod was so soft, umami filled and delicious. The truffle was outstanding. The spicy tuna crispy rice was perfect. The yaki toro was seriously butter. The scallops were incredible. The ono handroll was excellent. Everything was sublime.

Worth every single penny and every single second at Asanebo. I can't recommend this...

Asanebo is where you go when you want to experience real Japanese mastery—not just in technique, but in soul. Chef Tetsu is an icon, full stop. A master chef with the demeanor of your favorite uncle: warm, funny, and fiercely dedicated to his craft. Watching him work—side-by-side with an A+ team of chefs—is half the joy of the experience. The other half? The food.

This is the OG. The fish is flown in fresh from Japan, and it shows in every bite. But this isn’t just pristine sashimi (though yes, that’s phenomenal). It’s creative, award-winning Japanese cuisine that never loses its roots. Think uni tempura, delicate toro tartare, and hot dishes that surprise you with depth and balance. There’s reverence here, but no pretension.

And the sake list? Curated personally for Tetsu. Ask for his favorites—you won’t be disappointed.

If you’re looking for flash, go elsewhere. If you’re looking for the best Japanese in Los Angeles—or honestly, any city—Asanebo is the place. This isn’t a trendy spot chasing stars. It...

Have been to Asanebo numerous times and pre-covid it was my go-to for high quality non-gentrified sushi. It is still good but not the ultimate. Hopefully in the next few months it will be back.

In my latest visit I found that the fish was generous in size but found the rice lacking in quality as well as the fish being good but not great. Also many of the menu items were not available, staff had to come back to our table numerous times to tell us that what we ordered was now sold-out. What was disappointing is that we observed many of the unavailable items served to other tables that ordered set menus long after we had finished our meal.

Don't get me wrong I still will be back hoping the Asanebo of years past returns, however if you are planing to dine now be warned that Asanebo is still working out...