n/soto@Mid-City ★★★

Quality Izakaya Spot by the Creators of n/naka. Reminds me a lot of Raku in Las Vegas (or West Hollywood, which is no longer there). Fantastic Kushiyaki (grilled skewers) and Sushi. Tofu was smooth and silky. Love the Bone Marrow with Miso and Wine flavor, paired with Grilled Rice Ball. Great cocktail. Good service. Accepts walk-in, but reservation highly recommended. Corkage fee is $30. Valet parking or street.

Sashimi Moriawase $43
chef's selection

Warm House Made Tofu $8
ginger, tosa joyu

Brussels Sprouts & Salmon Skin Salad $16
red onion, poached egg

Unagi Kushiyaki $9
japanese freshwater eel

Tebasaki $6

Geoduck Nigiri $15
jumbo clam

Sakamushi Clams $18
shiitake, dashi

Miso Baked Bone Marrow $16
umeboshi onigiri

Beachwood Lager Beer $7, Umeshu $16 (umeshu, pommeau, yuzu tonic)

4566 W Washington Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90016
(323) 879-9455
http://n-soto.com

Kaijin Sushi@Los Angeles ★

Sushi Rolls with Lower Price Point. Great option for affordable sushi, especially during times of the great inflation. Great quality. Seems to be Thai-owned. Connected to the Thai restaurant next door.

Kaijin Special Roll $16
deep-fried soft shell crab, spicy tuna, cucumber inside, topped with seared tuna, seared albacore, green onion, and fried onion

Spicy Scallop Roll $7

Paradise Roll $14
baked roll of imitation crab & avocado inside, topped with salmon, green onions, and smelt egg

Kaijin Sushi
7825 Beverly Blvd, Ste 1
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 852-3092

kodō@Arts District ★★★

Fantastic New Izakaya Restaurant. Hidden gem in the Arts District. Only opened for 4 weeks. Love all the food. Could get pricey. Premium Trio Handroll is expensive ($60), but it's worth a try. Shark's Heart was very special. It tasted like Chicken Sashimi, which was great with its texture. Monkfish Karaage was moist and soft with the perfect flavor. The Shiso Gelato tasted like Green Tea Ice Cream. Great cocktails. Probably can't go wrong with any cocktails there. Great service. Dinner only. Arrived 30 minutes before our 6:00pm reservation but still got seated. Have outdoor, indoor bar, and indoor booth seating. Arrive early. Street parking could be a bit challenging in the busy area. Reservations made via Resy.

Special: Premium Trio $60
toro, uni, and black caviar with shiso leaf served on a handroll

Complimentary Brewed Sencha upon arrival (one per person)

Midori's Melon Soda $14
nankai kokuto shochu, midori, lime, chareau, clarified milk, soda, cherry
Special: Aperol Spritz! with Blood Orange $16

Special: Bonito Sashimi with Onion Salad $29

Special: Shark Heart $26

Monkfish Karaage $16

Tsukune (Chicken Meatball) $15
chicken, jidori egg yolk, yakitori-dare

Egg yolk will stay in middle – there is a hole under it

Special: Premium Trio $60

Kimo (Eel Liver) $7

Gelato Fruit Cup $14 (charged $14 but it's $12 on the menu)
strawberry, japanese mandarin, kumquat jelly + shiso gelato

kodō
710 S Santa Fe Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90021
www.kodo.la

Chaya@Downtown LA ★★★

Exciting Uni Fare@Chaya. A la carte uni menu for a limited time March 10 - March 31. Live Uni Sashimi was the best must-try item from the menu. Tasting it with Dashi Jelly instead of soy sauce brought it to another level of enjoyment.

Live Uni Sashimi with Dashi Jelly $22

Poached Organic Egg "Onsen Tamago" $10
santa barbara sea urchin, scallion, shiso, wasabi, dashi broth

Homemade Uni Tofu with Wasabi Soy $12

Live Uni Sashimi with Dashi Jelly $22

Uni & Snow Crab Cake with Mitsuba Leaf $18

Uni & Abalone Akitakomachi Risotto $28

Chef's Bento Box $44
baked hama hama oyster, field of greens salad, sea bream sashimi, nigiri of tuna, spanish mackerel, albacore, grilled scottish salmon, grilled prime hanger steak

Baked Hama Hama Oyster from Chef's Bento Box
garlic butter

Grilled Prime Hanger Steak from Chef's Bento Box
roasted potatoes, baby carrots, three peppercorn sauce

Nigiri of Tuna, Spanish Mackerel, Albacore from Chef's Bento Box

Farmer's Market Cocktail $13

Chaya Downtown
525 S Flower St
Los Angeles, CA 90071
(213) 236-9577
thechaya.com

DK's Donuts@Santa Monica ★★★

Cronuts in LA. Simply delicious. The donut shop is 24/7 and has plenty of cronuts, which means that they will never run out. You can fix your Cronut cravings anytime now. Dessert anytime. No line too.

Nutella Strawberry Cronut $3.95

Don't worry - Cronut is carefully placed in a sturdy togo box.

DK's Donuts
1614 Santa Monica Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90404
(310) 829-2512
dksdonuts.com

Hinoki and the Bird@Century City ★★★

Great Service. Superb Quality. A must-try New American restaurant.

Lobster Roll $19 (MP)
green curry, thai basil

Crispy Lotus Root $7

Pepper Toast $12

BBQ Pork $21

Spiced Okra $9

Flan $9

Mango “Snow Cone,” $9
macadamia nuts, lime cayenne jelly

Miso Donuts, Honey Caramel $9

Burnt "H" for Hinoki

Picture with Nick, the super nice Assistant General Manager

Hinoki & The Bird
10 Century Dr
Los Angeles, CA 90067
(310) 552-1200
www.HinokiandTheBird.com

EMC@Koreatown ★★★

Great for Happy Hour. $1 Oysters and discounted drinks. Love the creamy Uni Pasta. Rich and flavorful. Free 2 hours parking in lot with validation.

Uni Pasta $20
cream, fish roe, chives, dried seaweed

Happy Hour $1 Oysters

Crispy Smelt $6
lightly battered, garlic, pepper, salt

EMC Seafood & Raw Bar
3500 W 6th St
Ste 101
Los Angeles, CA 90020
(213) 351-9988
websiteemcseafood.com