Iki Nori — Restaurant in Los Angeles

It’s intimate, sleek, spotlessly clean and no-nonsense—just you, the chefs, and an unapologetic focus on excellent sushi. The ambiance is as straightforward as it gets: bar seating only, no reservations, and a revolving door of hungry patrons who clearly know good sushi.

I kicked things off with the reliable opening act of any sushi bar, edamame. Sure, it's a staple. Then, onto the four hand roll set—their signature offering. The lineup of tuna, toro, spicy tuna, and spicy yellowtail is like the greatest hits album of handrolls. For the price it's the best value, delivering on freshness and flavor without overcomplicating things. The seared hamachi toro hand roll and salmon truffle hand roll maintain the momentum, offering bites that felt indulgent yet remarkably light. The rolls are crisp, the fish is clean, and, most crucial, they don’t rely on a mayonnaise bath.

Next, it was on to the A5 wagyu sushi nigiri. It’s the kind of melt-in-your-mouth experience that makes you consider ordering another round on the spot. Then there was the scallop nigiri, a dark horse on the menu. Often underappreciated, it deserves some love—silky texture, subtle sweetness, and delicate finesse. The seared toro nigiri followed suit, each bite boasting a lightly charred edge—I knew immediately I’d be going back for seconds.

Hot take: while the handrolls are top-tier, I’m convinced the nigiri is the reason to come here. There’s just something about that direct, no-frills delivery of fish on rice that handrolls can’t quite compete with. Iki Nori does it with an understated precision.

You order, you eat, and you’re out in an hour. I recommend showing up either just after opening or right before closing, as I did, to be seated without much fuss. If you are after a sushi purist experience, this is your spot. And while the handrolls get most of the hype, don’t sleep...

It was a terrible dining experience from start to finish and I wish never saw this place on instagram claiming that it’s better than Kazunori which is far from true.

We went there around 10:15pm thinking that we would have enough time to eat because they close at 11pm. At exactly 10:40pm the waiter showed walked behind us while we were eating and told us that they’re doing last call in 5 minutes and was waiting for me to immediately order even if I was eating and when I told him to give me a few minutes to order he rolled his eyes. He came at 10:43pm with the credit card machine and told us that we should either order or pay while I was eating my food, even if I wanted to say anything to him my mouth was full. I was very frustrated and asked him if he just wanted us to pay or leave before we were inconveniencing him and he said that he’s asking because he wants to start putting the food away which is not my problem at 20 minutes before the time that they say they close.

I would like to add that the food was subpar, the salmon was very fatty and fishy and the other fish inside the rolls didn’t taste like anything and the only thing that I liked were the scallops. The rice tasted bad and didn’t stick together at all. And even if there was anything about that meal that was good, that guy just didn’t let me enjoy it at all.

They should never compare themselves to Kazunori because at Kazunori they have warm rice, way better fish and dramatically better customer service.

I will never come to this place ever again! Even if they pay me to eat here, it will still not be...

How can I even explain it. My experience at Iki Nori Sushi Bar was nothing short of a dream come true. The atmosphere, for one, 10 out of 10. Very low key, yet classy. You don’t feel any pressure walking in, yet you can tell they know what they’re doing.

The service is impeccable. The food tastes like it’s fresh from the ocean. Out of all the handroll spots I have tried in the world (yes - the world), Iki Nori is one of my favorite. Top 3 (including omakases I have had in other spots) in the world for me.

service by Brody and Chris also amazing.

Just wonderful. 5 out of 5. I expect a Michelin star for them soon.

Great.

Edit/update:

Okay. So I went again. And I have to say.. I don’t think I’m going anywhere else for hand rolls and specials anymore. Their daily specials and special hand rolls just absolutely made my entire month. I think I will go back again this week.

One thing I have to note.. Brody made a drink I wanted to try, but when he saw that I wasn’t extremely satisfied with it, he asked if I wanted something else and made it right away. It was my fault for ordering something that I was unsure about, but he just replaced it for me at no extra cost. Chris also told me to try something and it was so good even though I did not know what it was.

Like I said, if Michelin doesn’t award a star or two within two years.. I...