Sushi Yotsuya — Restaurant in Los Angeles

Sushi Yotsuya (yoh tsoo yah) has a very traditional Edomaè (eh doh mah eh) style which means that there will be no "clown rolls" which combine fish whose flavours or textures clash & then are doused with unctuous mayonnaise, tons of Sriracha or cloyingly sweet "eel sauce". If this kind of LA County fair-like food pleases your palate, save your money & don't go to Yotsuya.

1. Hotaru Ika were small squid about 3 inches long, probably steamed w/ a Sumiso (soo mee soh) Sauce which is a combination of Miso paste, sugar, Japanese rice vinegar & lends earthy, fermented sweet Umami along w/ gastrique to enliven the subtle squid flavor.

2. Red Abalone was served raw sliced in its own shell. The al dente textured meat was trimmed w/ black edging & had a natural slipperiness & touch of sweet ocean minerality. Also flame seared soft, bitter liver & parts of the abalone.

3. Shigoku Oysters in Ponzu (pohn zoo) Sauce. Raw oysters tasted of ocean brine & the supple meat had a velvety thick texture that was enlivened by the citrus juice in the Ponzu sauce.

4. Ankimo was revelatory. I was used to eating the ready-made Ankimo that is sausage shaped & wrapped in clear cellophane plastic. Many times this kind of Ankimo "torchon" was dense, heavy, & smelled old & fishy.

Ankimo served here is the liver itself in its natural shape. Texture reminded me of grilled foie gras de canard w/ a similar light liver taste. Color of the Ankimo & foie gras were also similar w/ light beige brushed a meaty rosy pink.

Sweet Sumiso accompanied the Ankimo just as a glass of sweet Haute Sauterne would accompany foie gras.

Sushi:

5. Maguro was aged which gave it a buttery, meaty texture. Flavour is similar to aged beef where you can taste a bit of iron from the blood.

6. Toro is aged for a gamier edge. The fattiness melted in the mouth, but a more primal taste of meat lingered on the tongue.

7. Sawara/needlefish has the most translucent beautiful flesh w/ bright fine silver scales. Chef Masa placed a sheet of bright spring green Shiso/Japanese basil under the translucent Sawara to create a truly elegant looking Sushi which is translucent w/ glowing green underneath & a shining silver streak on top. Sawara is very delicate in taste. Use of Sho-yu/soy sauce would be a sacrilege.

8. Kurodai/sea bream is white, slightly chewy w/ clean, light sea flavour.

9. Akadai/red sea bream had sweet meaty sea kissed Umami w/ Iki/ liveliness, vivacity.

10. Kamasu/barracuda is white, dense, meaty. Slightly sweet & dressed w/ lemon zest & finely julienned dried red chile.

11. Aoyagi/surf clam is wonderful w/ fleshy soft yet al dente texture & sweet briny flavour that lingers.

12. Hirame/halibut was a neutral flavoured fish that for me was more about soft, velvety texture.

13. Tai/red snapper was soft pliable meat & sweet sea brine came together for the ideal Umami.

14. Ika/squid was pristinely white, slightly rubbery, but firm. Yuzu Kosho-/Japanese lime zest & green chile paste dressed the mild Ika w/ piquant citrus gastrique.

15. Saba/chub mackerel was marinated in Japanese rice vinegar to firm up the meat & to take the edge off of its soft textured, oily, meaty fishiness.

16. Uni/sea urchin had a belt of Nori/black seaweed paper around the circumference of the Sushi rice to hold in the layers of Uni, the eggs of the sea urchin. Texture is like Italian panna cotta w/ a briny, foie gras Umami.

17. Ikura/salmon eggs seemed to be marinated in Sho-yu Dashi/broth in the exact same Sushi form as the Uni. Eggs would burst to release an oily, fishy Umami.

1-17a) Ryo- Sake (sah keh) in a pretty aquamarine bottle shaped in a free form wedge. Smooth neutral, mildly sweet flavour that had enough astringency to clear the palate without leaving an aftertaste.

Chef Masa knows his fish. He leans toward more mature, full meaty aged flavour in his darker fleshed fish which may not agree w/ people who always insist on fish being "fresh" when aging improves the taste...

If you're looking for an authentic omakase sushi experience in the Valley, you should check this place out. :)

The restaurant was completely empty and we were the only ones dining.

FYI, this place only serves omakase, which means that the chef will serve nigiri (pieces of raw fish on rice) based on what he has in stock and what he feels like serving you. The sushi will keep coming until you tell the chef to stop and that you're full. You should sit at the sushi bar for the best experience. It's a very traditional Japanese sushi experience. You won't see a menu or any sushi rolls or tempura and other Japanese food items at this place.

The Omakase that I had included about 15-20 pcs and cost ~$90-100pp.

Items that were served: Albacore Carpaccio Tuna Otoro Hamachi Kanpachi Sea bass Red snapper Alfonsino Black snapper Scallop Oyster Spanish mackarel Sardine Scallop Salmon Octopus Crab hand roll Uni

Overall, the quality of the sushi and the rice was good. The chef states that he tries to get the best quality fish and the freshest fish that he can find when he goes shopping in...

This restaurant is a hidden jewel. It was visited but not rated by Michelin. It is Omakasu style. Masa trained under the same master chef that trained the Sasabune chef. Masa visits the fish market each morning and selects some of the highest quality and unique fish you can get anywhere in LA. He offers fish I have never seen in any other restaurant and always has something I have never tried before. It is not cheap, but the food here is worth every penny. Each piece of sushi is uniquely seasoned for the specific fish and will have multiple layers of flavor. The salmon for instance comes with an almost invisible strip of sweet pickled seaweed that perfectly complements the flavor of the salmon. This has remained my favorite sushi bar for 20 years because it is the best, especially when the fish are migrating and have the highest fat content. That is when it becomes magic! Anyone who is serious about sushi in LA must eat here or they are...