Sushi Sasabune Review

i was a little late getting into sushi, i had tried it several times when i was younger and just didnt acquire a taste for it. a little over 10 years ago my friend connie took me to this hole in the wall sushi spot that changed my life!

the place was called sushi sasabune in west la. it was a small unassuming brick house, all it had was a neon red open sign out front. you would never think it was even a restaurant. it has since moved to a bigger location on wilshire... i have to admit it has lost a lot of its charm and "cool factor"... but whats most important is the food hasnt changed!

nanci and i just went last night, this is what it looks like now





i have been to many really great sushi restaurants, some of the most popular and the most expensive... and i guarantee you that sushi sasabune not like any other sushi you may have tried. lots of places have really good fresh fish, but the freshness and quality of the fish at sasabune is like no other place i have ever been! it converted me into a sushi lover... and actually my sister didnt like sushi until i took her here and it converted her too!

the head chef at sasabune is nicknamed the sushi nazi. they used to have a menu with only one item on it, the chef special, and the description just says "trust me". i dont think they have the old menus anymore, but have stuck with the motto of "trust me" which is printed on various things like the chopstick wrapper and the hand cloth wrappers.



sasabune does not serve california rolls, spicy tuna rolls, or any other "american bastardization" of authentic japanese sushi. they make this clear as soon as you walk in with this big sign at the hostess table. ive heard that the susi nazi kicks people out for trying to order california or spicy tuna rolls, not sure if thats really true.



on to the food! one of the first things you might notice at sasabune is the wasabi... it is so soft and literally melts in the soy sauce like ice cream. secondly, something somewhat unique about sasabune is that they server the fish on warm sushi rice.

the chef special is traditionally called "omakase", or chefs choice. the chef will serve several items of what he feels is the best fish of the day. at sasabune, they have two versions of the chef special... the american version which is predominantly fish... and the (more expensive) japanese version where you get more of the exotic items like urchin and stuff... ive never tried the japanese version.

so heres what nanci and i got last night. every time i go the courses stay pretty much the same, but it varies a little depending on what is the freshest of the day.

the first dish is always the albacore sashimi. ill tell you right now, whether you like raw fish or not... once you try this dish it is game over! you will love it! not only is the fish extremely fresh, but the ponzu sauce that it is served in is the best ive ever had and bursting with flavor. i think this is why sasabune is a good place to take sushi newbies, because the flavor of the ponzu is so good and so strong that they forget they are eating raw fish.



i guess since nanci and i came as a couple, instead of giving us both albacore sashimi they gave us only one, and the other was baby tuna sashimi so we could have both. the baby tuna sashimi is equally delicious, with a sweet sauce on it



next course was tuna and toro sushi. the fish literally melts in your mouth! i should also mention that sometimes the chef will season the fish with a sauce, in which case you should not dip the item in soy sauce and ruin the flavor. other items are not seasoned and you should dip them in soy sauce. the servers will always tell you which items to dip in soy sauce and which ones not to.



next was red snapper and halibut. notice also that it is also customary for traditional japanese restaurants to sprinkle cheerios around the table. just kidding aiden was with us and flinging his snacks everywhere.



oyster and baked mussel



salmon and yellowtail



scallop and golden eye snapper



although the butterfish is actually cooked... it is one of nanci and my favorites! we were so excited when they brought it out =)



albacore and kampachi



last dish is always a toro handroll and a blue crab handroll. the blue crab handroll is actual blue crab, not imitation. also note that pictured is a 2 person serving, u only get 1 of each



and that was pretty much our dinner last night. unfortunately sushi of this quality does not come cheap. expect to pay about $65 per person before tax and tip, which can vary depending on what they serve that day. its definitely a place that is too expensive for most to go to all the time. but if youre ever in west la, have some extra money to spend, and want someting a little different i highly recommend giving sasabune a try... TRUST ME!