SUGARFISH by sushi nozawa — Restaurant in Los Angeles

It was my fault that I coincidentally watched Jiro Dreams of Sushi on Netflix the night before.

I came in thinking, AWESOME, I'm going to pretend this is Jiro's place minus the cost + travel!

I left feeling very disappointed.

PARKING Avoid the $6 valet in front. Go to the parking structure on Grand, just past 7th located on the right. It'll be $3 after restaurant validation.

We got there at 7:30 on a Saturday, and only waited 10 minutes for a table since they require everyone to be present before they seat you.

FOOD We got 3 Trust Me ($30) and 1 Nozawa ($40)

Trust Me includes Organic Edamame - This was OK. I'm not fond of cold edemame.

Tuna Sashimi - This was cut in small chunks and doused in ponzu. Cannot tell quality of fish due to the ponzu drowning.

Albacore Sushi (2 pieces) - I've never been a huge albacore fan because of ponzu Salmon Sushi (2 pieces) - Buttery Yellowtail Sushi (2 pieces - Good Halibut Sushi (2 pieces) - Good Toro Hand Roll - A small roll but good Blue Crab Hand Roll - A small roll but since it was rich, just enough

Nozawa includes above + Snapper (2 pieces) - didn't try this Daily Special - Halibut chunks in ponzu - dude again with the ponzu?

$2 for Hot Green Tea

You'll notice immediately that they serve warm rice here. Which is fine, since the Jiro film said it SHOULD be served at body temperature. However, it makes the rice very mushy, especially the part when it's right underneath the fish. I didn't like the texture.

I'm also not a fan of using ponzu so much. In my Trust Me, there were 2 dishes with it, and in the Nozawa, there are 3. I don't think having ponzu as a starting dish, sets my palate up for the remaining as my tastebuds are already ponzu'd out.

Without sushi chefs on the floor (they work in the kitchen out of sight), I feel they can't gauge the speed in which we were eating. Very often, right when the last piece goes into our mouths, the dish will get whisked away and a new one will be there. This isn't considered efficient, it just feels rushed.

Plus, whenever we asked for a tea refill. instead of taking 2 cups at a time to the kitchen, they took them 1 at a time. Really? Sometimes they'd forget they need to refill the others too when obviously, if you just LOOKED AT THE CUPS, you can see they need refilling!

The restaurant itself is a modest size with modern decor but being in Downtown LA, the environment strips the "authentic" sushi place feel. It's very loud inside, and... well... trendy.

They will add a 16% service charge to your bill on top of the tax, so your tip is already figured out.

Overall, I can't tell if the fish was fresh or not, due to ponzu, + the mushy rice. It jumbles all the flavors and texture together, which makes a very confusing dining experience.

I'd personally go to the mom & pop type sushi joints, but if you have a fancy date, this place will fit the bill. And you can walk across the street for Bottega Louie...

The hype unfortunately did not live up for me.

I've been blessed with the opportunity to try wonderful sushi in my life and sugarfish is mediocre to me. I got their special sushi plate and it was okay at best. I thought the quality of the fish was okay not great. I could definitely tell the tuna was not fresh but had been frozen due to the color and taste. Which leaves me questioning why I even bothered to eat here if I wanted fresh fish?

The fish quality wasn't even really what bothered me the most, it was understandable but some other things aren't.

Why I didn't love it:

rice to fish ratio: I thought there was too much rice to fish. Yes it's cutely shaped but I don't care about shapes, I want fish and the appropriate amount of rice to go with it.

VINEGAR: that's all I tasted when I ate the sushi. typically sushi rice has vinegar in it to enhance the sushi taste but maybe it was that night or whatever, but holy crap.... the vinegar was strong and overbearing. It got to the point where I removed all the rice and just ate the fish.

Selection of fish: Dismal is what it was. They only had basic fish cuts and maybe a couple of the more exotic ones. If I'm paying to go to a nice sushi restaurant then provide that quality. I didn't pay the special sushi plate price to get salmon, tuna, and yellowtail.

This last one is just my personal preference. I did not like how you cannot see the sushi chef make the sushi. This means I can't see how fresh the fish is and how they're making it. It makes me question the quality of the sushi. The kitchen is closed off and all I pretty much saw was a couple of guys just mass churning out sushi. It was really just disappointing. I have never had sushi like this until this restaurant and I don't think I will ever again.

The service was good. They are normally very busy so expect a wait. I don't think it's worth the wait but if you're looking to eat sushi in a trendy, modern restaurant, I guess this fits the bill. But in comparison to other sushi establishments I've had of the same class, sugarfish is the bottom for me. I don't mind paying $$$$ for sushi but I just wouldn't...

Yeah. This place lives up to the hype.

The menu is very simple- its composed of primarily sushi/sashimi and cut or hand rolls prepared with one of about a dozen fish and crustacean options. Nothing is fried, there is no eel sauce, are there are no 5-ingredient rolls. The quality of the fish is so incredible, you'll be grateful you don't have anything extra to distract you.

The design of the restaurant is beautiful: simple, tasteful, and contemporary (perhaps a reflection of their menu). Dress code is fluid, most guests are casual (jeans and Vans), some guests are more up-dressed, but this isn't a place I would necessarily go to after the beach or a hike- unless its for take out : )

If you're trying for the first time, it might be helpful to know: Seating: they do not accept reservations (first come, first serve seating), and this is a moderately-sized restaurant. Probably 15-20 tables and a bar that seats no more than 10. There's likely a wait (usually 15-30 min) if your party is larger than two people.

Parking- its limited (read: unavailable) on the street, but there's two different structures around the corner on Grand Ave, rates vary but are usually $2-4/hour for a day rate, although I've seen up to $18 flat rate for weekend nights. If you're feeling confident about seating and your timeline for dinner, the Whole Foods on Grand opposite the parking structure validates for 90 minutes with a nominal purchase at their store (I think its about $5-10).

Tipping- its not an option at Sugarfish. Instead, an 16% service fee is automatically applied to your order, regardless of party size or final bill. This fee is also applied to take out orders.

Also, if you're not sure what or where to start your order, any of the "Trust Me" options are a great way to sample some of their most popular items. Just one caveat- often items sell out, so if the Hirame is gone for the day, pick a substitute and accept you'll have to go back to try it...