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"When I have the taste for sashimi, I fill up the car and drive 80 miles to go to Sushi Go 55. There are probably 500 other sushi…" read more »
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I've been here twice and have left extremely happy both times. It's a pain to wait to sit at the bar, so settle down and sit in the back at the tables. The waitresses are great and the service is so fast, though the line is long.
They have a limited selection of rolls but great sashimi. My only complaint is that there's a $20 minimum on credit cards and as a sushi weakling, that's hard to make when you're splitting the check.
Plus, a 6 pc unagi roll is $5. You can't even get that at Ralph's and this is infinitely better!
Pros: Support Little Tokyo businesses!! : )
Cons: fish is only so, so, attitude of wait and sushi chef staff
What happened Hama Sushi? I'm always super happy for you when I see long lines coming out your door, but really what happened? Where did the really fresh fish go? Where did the super grumpy Japanese college waitresses come from? Where did the paired down, simple, essential sushi experience that you offered, evaporate to?
This used to be the place I'd take my dad visiting in from Japan to, but it's time for me to do my homework and give some lesser known, INSPIRED sushi restaurants a try.
bye-bye hama. thanks for the fabulous sushi all those years ago....: (
Really great FISH selection
great service. I would say sit at the sushi bar
it will be way faster then if you were to sit at a table
love this place am a regular and hope to keep it that way
If there is a seating wait trust me wait its worth it...
I must say this is the best sushi I've ever eaten. The ingredients are fresh (the uni melts in your mouth!!!) and it was actually my first time being able to tell that the sushi rice is different from white rice (everybody has told me this for years, but I just cannot taste it). It was so goood.
They open around 5.30 for dinner and when we got there at 5.28, there were already about ten people waiting around. The place is small, so be prepared to wait if you plan to go around the time everyone else also want to go.
I thought the service was good, although at one point I was a little disturbed when the servers and the chefs started laughing so hard after conversing in Japanese, but hey, everyone is entitled to their own inside jokes. So laugh and be merry.
Upon entry, Hama Sushi greets you with a sign that says that they only do sushi and sashimi. So they set up an expectation that they are hardcore and purist. Unfortunately, the fish was only ok. And I'm talking all of it. I was actually kind of embarassed for their hand and at some point had to stop eating and force the remaining pieces on my friends without raining on their parade.
And I must say that even their rolls were unappetizing. Even the ones with soft shell crab inside.
There must be much better sushi in los angeles.
BEST SUSHI PLACE IVE BEEN TO IN A LONG TIME.
I GO BY MYSELF FOR A PICK ME UP AND BRING LITERATURE.
i discovered this place a couple of months ago when i was with my mother in little tokyo. since that time, ive been back 2 other times. never disappoints.
spicy tuna roll--the best ive ever had.
i like when you order the sweet shrimp, they give you the option to have the head in miso or fried.
toro is good!
i like the sea urchin. their eel roll is pretty good too. their rolls in general are pretty amazing.
for how delicious and amazing it is, i find the prices really cheap.
you should def try it, esp if you are use to eating mediocre sushi bc it will blow your mind. hee hee. sometimes i like to make superlative statements.
yum yum i love to imagine the sushi rolls crunching in my mouth.
it is just a sushi bar that sits like 15 people and then a small room with two tables that i think seat 5 people each. i want to bring 4 of my sushi loving friends, then we can sit at one of those tables.
YUM YUM I LOVE SUSHI. IF I EVER WAS GOING TO BE EXECUTED AND THEY ASKED ME FOR A LAST MEAL, I WOULD ORDER SUSHI FROM HAMA SUSHI.
So right now I am sitting in bed in Provincetown, MA. It is breakfast time, and I'm thinking, "What would I like to eat right now?"
The answer is Hama.
Seriously, that was my first thought. Obviously, that's impossible. So cereal it is.
Our dinner at Hama in September was delicious. I wanted to come back the next night and eat more, and would have if I didn't have bank account blues. It is a simple place. It is a cheap place. It is a small place: they only have a bar for seating, so sometimes you are forced to converse with people you'd prefer to avoid.
But the fish that night was very fresh. So melt-in-your-mouth good. The rolls were simple and unpretentious and had beautiful flavor, especially the eel and avocado.
I hope it wasn't a fluke, as the prices really are cheap and there are a few dud reviews scattered on this page. But it's a good sign that the five star reviews keep piling in. I will definitely be back to see if the place holds up to scrutiny a second time.
I've been wanting to try Hama for a while. Usually we'd put our name in at Komasa and Hama and whatever comes up first is where we'll go. Last Sunday was Thom Yorke at the Orpheum and I was so hoping for Hama. I wasn't even planning on putting my name next door but as the wait dragged on and I was worried about missing Thom and his lazy eye I was thinking maybe I should have.
But I will never go next door again! OMG the albacore toro was seriously the best thing EVER. I really wanted a little ponzu for it but with it being my first time and all I was a little leery of what was kosher to ask for and what not.
Finally after about 25 minutes it was time...I was starving and so ready! I was even going to try the sweet shrimp head with the eye in honor of Thom. But low and behold they de-eye them for you! The sushi chef joked that he eats them all in the back! He was pretty friendly in a I'm not sure cause you are new but still willing to eat random stuff I give you way.
The no tempura sign isn't totally true. They have tempura just not as an appetizer but in rolls.
The albacore toro is a must. Snapper was delicate and fresh. Tuna red and delicious. Unagi tasty and sweet! Sweet shrimp eye less! Hamachi so good! The only thing that wasn't mind blowing was the seared albacore but it was still fantastic it just didn't compare to the belly ;-)
Dessert was Thom Yorke at the Orpheum...I mean sweet oranges!
The bill was insanely cheap for everything too! I can't wait to go back for some albacore toro...in fact I think I need to go like today!
My bf and I were super excited to check this place out. The notice on the door ("Only sushi, sashimi, No tempura, No Teriyaki, No Noodles...") made us think that this place has GOT to be good because they're not messin around. It is also super cozy with only two sushi chefs. The wait was a good 30 minutes even though there was no one in front of us. We came on a Monday at 7:30 PM.
The hamachi was really good, very very tasty. Salmon was good, average. Tuna sushi was also better than average. Albacore toro was...frozen or something..not very good. Albacore sashimi was not good but everyone around us loved it. We were playing rock, paper, scissors to see who would had to finish it. They did not have Japanese scallops, only bay so the sushi chef gave me one to taste and I did not end up ordering the scallops. Uni was also not bad. We also had two beers and two green tea ice creams and our bill came out to a little over $100.
All in all, it's not worth $100. It seems like this restaurant caters to the non-Asian palette/patron. The albacore sashimi is a great example of this. Also they have a buncha rolls so....we were very disappointed at this discovery after seeing the sign in front.
It was a first and a last but I'm glad I tried it.
YUM! Fresh sushi that is not covered in sugary sauces!!
I love this unpretentious place. The sushi is melt-in-your mouth fresh and the restaurant itself is simple, efficient, and clean.
My friend and i spent a long time there chatting and ordering at intervals and no one was throwing the check in my face.
The whole experience was A++
Not the worst sushi but not the best either. We went there since the other places at Japanese Village Plaza were packed. There were only about 3 people at the sushi bar and the tables were empty during lunch. Hama's menu was very simple: sushi and sashimi. We ordered sushi combo B: assorted nigiri sushi, spicy tuna roll and miso soup. My sushi was not bad but the waitress didn't really pay attention to us. I would rather go to Komasa.
Went there again tonight right before closing and it was literally one of the best sushi experiences I've ever had. Since it was 10ish, there was plenty of parking on second (which is hard to come by), not too many people at the intimate sushi bar, and attentive servers who refilled my tea periodically without me having to ask.
The bf and I are undergoing some major changes in our diet -- we eat far too much for what our bodies can physically handle. I nearly busted open the other day at Chevy's when my bf was complaining about how much his stomach hurt from overeating. So this time, we ordered conservatively and slowly:
- Salmon sushi: As always, OMG good!
- Salmon sashimi: We ordered the fatty toro (belly) cut so it was oilier but super tasty.
- Yellowtail & Albacore sushi: Delicious as usual
- Spicy tuna cut roll
- Tamago: I know, it's just sweet egg.. but it's so damn tasty!
- Miso soup: I didn't try it this time but judging by my bf's reaction, it was average.
& a bottle of hot sake.
All this came out to $45, which we thought was a great deal. So now you know.. come towards closing and you not only get great service but easy parking.
Tip: Ask for cucumber side dish. I'm not sure if they charge (they didn't last time) you but it's freaking good and I always ask for it. The chef gave me a large portion this time so I think he might have charged us but it was delicious so ask for it!
Also they're open until 10:30pm now.
When the bf wants sushi, we always automatically head over to Komasa. Sadly, komasa has been closed… Read more »
I here to settle a dispute.
Having read the reviews, apparently there is an unspoken rivalry between Hama and neighboring sushi joint Komasa. We've decided to see what the fighting is all about. Both my GF and I decided to eat at both restaurants at the same night. We ordered the thing at both locations: salmon, tuna, albacore, yellowtail, sweet shrimp and eel.
Hama: The fish is fresh and the service is friendly. This place has a large sushi bar and maybe 2 tables. This gives the restaurant an authentic Japanese feel.
Komasa: The fish was not as fresh, a bit dry. Service was friendlier than Hama's. But the ventilation is horrible. We smelled like we've cooked for 8 hours in the kitchen. This place has a smaller sushi bar and more tables.
In conclusion, we like Hama the best. Mainly for the quality of the fish and the ambiance of the restaurant.
the salmon is amazing, but the service is mehh.. i dont know. It's like they don't want your business or something. the ladies working it are super stuck up. Whats up with the attitude? All i want is my sushi fix!! This place has too many requirements! each person must eat at least $10 worth of food (who eats less than that anyways?? it costs me $25-30 to fill up!!) sushi only, no rice, minimum amount for credit card, if you order chawanmushi you must order two .. boo on you!
I only came back to you because Komasa was closed, but not again!!
I have always wanted to try hama for so long especially because its next door to komasa ( my fav ).… Read more »
I ALWAYS love coming here! Hama Sushi never disappoints me.
We came back here this past weekend and found it just as delicious as ever! Every time I eat here, I always find a new favorite. My latest discovery has to be the chawanmushi (sp?) but their policy is that you must order two, not one. But overall, ordering two wasn't too bad because my boyfriend didn't finish his so I was able to trade him for my sweet shrimp head in miso soup in order to enjoy that steamed egg goodness again.
So now my must-haves when dining there include: sweet shrimp with the heads in miso soup, spicy tuna hand roll, red snapper, broiled mussels with mayo, chawanmushi, albacore tuna, and unagi. I also recommend asking for a root stick. It's a Japanese pickled root that the sushi chef dips in toasted sesame seeds. It's has a unique taste and helps to cleanse your palate after your meal.
Please only eat here if you're a fan of authentic sushi. Since my last review, I've noticed that there were a lot of people ordering "egg sushi," crab meat handrolls, Philly rollls, tempura rolls, and California rolls. If you're a fan of such "sushi" just go eat at a Kabuki so you don't take up seats at the bar so people like me can enjoy the authentic sushi offered by Hama.
I've actually been coming here since I was young because it's my father's favorite sushi restaurant.… Read more »
Whoa... I never had fish this good. They must seriously have a lake in the back because it tastes as if they just killed the fish when you order. They only downs (if you can call them downs) is that they only serve traditional, actual SUSHI... not no Americanized fancy rolls with fusions of sauces and other... stuff. It is simply a piece of the most awesome fish you'll ever taste on top of a patty of rice.
The oysters on the half shell were GREAT too.... oh man... my mouth is drooling.
Overall- the most freshest of the FRESHY FRESH seafood you'll have in your entire life.
The wait can be long as it's a tiny spot so be prepared.
I had the unagi, spicy tuna handroll, spicy salmon handroll, tuna and hamachi sushi, and albacore in ponzu sauce...
It's decent, but I don't think it's anything special. Ended up paying $45, but I had a decent amount of sushi.
Didn't suffer through a wait because we came for a random weekday lunch. It's not often that my fiance and I are up in the LA area, much less Little Tokyo, so we decided we had to take advantage of our day and get sushi while we were in the area. A little research led us straight to Hama Sushi, and yelpers did right by us again (thanks foodie friends!).
The restaurant is really small, with 18 seats at the bar and a few small tables - I wouldn't recommend this place for large groups. There's a sign that says if you sit at the sushi bar, you can't order noodles, rice, or teriyaki type cooked items. They're serious about their fish here!
We sat at the sushi bar and proceeded to indulge in: salmon belly, sweet shrimp, tamago, uni, unagi, yellowtail, 2 types of toro, albacore. If I had to choose a favorite I'd have to pick the UNI - my gosh, it's like it was taken straight out of the ocean and popped into my mouth - it just melts in your mouth with no fishy taste whatsoever. Everything was soo fresh, definitely one of the best sushi restaurants I've been to in Socal. One thing I would like is for this place to serve a larger variety of fish. Expect this place to satisfy you with tried and true traditional favorites rather than modern concepts with a unique spin.
Excellent sushi in an excellent location. Fish is fresh, the chef takes your order down with a huge Winnie The Pooh bear pen (that's authentic) I had about 4 orders of sushi two pieces an order came out to about $25 with Oysters added to the order.
I recommend placing a reservation at another restaurant and coming here to eat first before going to a cheaper place.
Also you get a warm hand towel once you sit down to wash your hands..Awesome.
I LOVE Hama Sushi! I am Japanese and I think it is one of the BEST sushi places I have ever tried (and trust me I have tried many sushi places all over the world) My personal favorites were sea urchin and tuna and mackerel, For two people it cost about 100 total (I eat a lot) and I think it was totally worth it because they are so prompt with service and the quality of the food is the BEST. Be prepared to wait for 20 mins or so (which is worth it) not a lot of seating, but it feels so personalized once you are there you will know what I mean. The people working there are really nice too so overall I give this restaurant 95 points ...
If you are in little tokyo eat here!!
I was a california roll girl up until about two years ago...I truly undertstood the wonders of sushi after dining at sushi yasuda. Since that moment, I've been in search of sushi as delicious (but less expensive).
Here it is! And it's 1/3 of the price!! The fish is so fresh and not fishy at all. I've been here about 5 times and have always sat in front of the same sushi chef. He's wonderful and often slips me some extra fatty pieces of salmon (the salmon is my favorite here).
Apart from amazing sushi, the softshell crab is delicious and the fish neck looked very meaty and appetizing - will try next time.
The wait can be long, so have a snack before.
I bow to Hama.
Like a brave Kamikaze,
Make Hama last meal.
Hama never disappoints for straight-up traditional sushi. They don't have that much variety in terms of fish or sushi rolls. What they do have is super fresh fish at a reasonable price. I've been here a couple times now and I'm always impressed by the quality of their fish.
We got a couple of pieces: albacore belly, yellowtail, eel, salmon, halibut and a california roll. The halibut was a little different from the usual. It came seasoned with ponzu sauce and radish. Delicious!
I came here with high expectations and left with a big smile on my face. The sashimi was so fresh and mouth-watering that this is currently my favorite sushi place outside of Tokyo! The service was efficient and attentive and the sashimi cuts are very generous and NOT sloppy. Their sweet shrimp, toro, and yellowtail sashimi leaves me anxious to go back for more! The place is pretty small so I would suggest going during offpeak hours.
Food- AMAZING 5 stars for the food!!!..they say they only have sushi, no side of rice, and no other items such as tempura...I took this very literally, but I did see people with edamame, and a side salad
Atmosphere- Place is Tiny, only a sushi bar (for say 10-12) and 2 other tables, in a small separate room. Nice and cozy next to the "others". Don't go for an intimate date.
Wait Staff- OK at best, sushi chef's busy, not much time to give you tips for what is the best catch of the day.
Tips-
1. Do not park across the street, park in the lot on the same side of the street as the restaurant, you get your ticket validated there.
2. 20.00 min on credit cards.
3. Wash your hands in the bathroom, do not use stinky towels (see other review below)
What happened to this great place?
Everything just came out...... uninspired
overpriced
and flavorless.
Ugh
not that it was bad, but when you go from Excellent to mediocre after two visits.... it's just soooo disappointing.
Never ever again
Ordered sashimi combo, B combo and assorted rolls
No albacore toro, which is the main reason that I came.
Just such a disappointing visit.
There's really no point in coming back when my hometown favorite is so much cheaper, more convenient and serves way better sushi.
Bye bye Hama
you know what they say about the candles that burn brightest . =\
R: You wanna go WHERE at What Time??
E: Pasadena, 6pm
R: Yo do realize we live in Orange County,…
Read more »
Too many other reviews here to bother going into great detail, but I did not think the sushi was fresh at all (but we ordered combo plates) - they had to have been prepared in advance because the fish had already dried out on top. The spicy tuna (hand) roll was very mushy as well and although passable, just not my cup of tea. Very surprised - No tempura!
Perhaps ordering at the bar (we had one of the two tables) would have produced better results, but with so many other quality choices I doubt I will give this place another chance. Price wise it was quite reasonable.
i think the sign right when you walk in the door pretty much says it all about this place...
"Sushi and Sashimi only.
NO Teriyaki, NO Tempura,
NO Noodles, NO Rice by itself"
SMALL (and by small, i mean the entire place consisted of a sushi bar that sat less than 20 people and one small room that only had two tables with maximum occupancy of less than 10)
fresh and simple sushi with decent cuts at decent prices
the reason behind the less than 4.5 star average rating of this place on my part is the service. not the service after we were seated, but the insulting and laborious wait before getting seated. granted i understand this place is TINY in size so we were expecting a wait. but when we put our names in for a party of two on a friday night, we were told that it should be 30 min to an hour and that we should stick around cause it will most likely be closer to 30 min or less since most people on the list leave (that should have been our red flag warning). there were only 4 parties ahead of us so we waited, and waited, and waited, and waited....over an hour and while we were waiting we witnessed two other japanese couples, who had arrived later than us, get seated before us. we were about to just walk out and never go back when we finally got seated.
on our way out, recognizing our earlier frustration the waitress said "next time come back on a weekday, don't come on the weekends".
this statement, which was meant to soothe, felt more like insult to injury.
there really are VERY FEW things in life worth more than an hour wait, let alone unintentional insults to top it off.
there are tooo many other GOOD sushi places in LA to endure this wait
Came here with a bunch of colleagues in July (we were in LA for a convention). When we walked around looking for it, we almost missed the door from the outside. You only see the one door, walk past it and you've missed it.
We sat at the sushi bar, and the sushi chefs were really good at making our orders and served us. Everything we had that night was fantastic, and he had ankimo that night too! It came out to be $80 per person, but it was really good sushi.
The next evening, my friends came without me, and said that the itaeme-san didn't pay much attention to them, and they were served the lower quality fish, completely different experience from the previous night.
That just really convinced me that sushi chefs treat customers differently, and I haven't figured out the criteria yet.
When I first tried this little place called Sushi Five in Tustin, the chefs kept sending me the old fish, and I kept sending it back. I know it takes time to develop a relationship with your itaeme-san, but still ... no one should be served stale fish, especially at a sushi place.
Here at Hama, I was given top quality fish, fresh and prepared correctly, no stringy end pieces, tako cut in thin slices, not a lot of rice on my sushi, etc. I certainly had a great experience.
I've noticed that in many sushi bars, the chefs you know (having built a relationship) will always serve you the best food he's got. So cultivate a great relationship with the sushi place of your choice -- you will be rewarded with excellent meal.
On a side note, in the Japanese Lighthouse magazine, there's always plenty of Japanese restaurants and Sushi-ya ads around. I have NEVER seen an ad from Hama there. It is really known thru food circles, and they really get a majority of their customers through word of mouth. Plus the last time I was here, pilots from JAL airlines were eating at this place, and they spoke highly about the food here.
the fish is excellent and excellent fish can be had next door. It has a strange cold feeling here. Though not rude by any means. The typical Japanese hospitality is not present. The seats are crammed and everyone is quietly eating as if not to disturb the sushi chefs, waitress or other guests. Yes, I'll take great food over atmosphere any day, but here, there is almost a feeling of being unwelcome. We spent $100 which included one beer. I think the same quality can be found at my other favs for less and with tons more fun.
Brian: "So Friend, what should we grab for dinner?"
Friend: "I fee like Sushi dude"
Brian: I can roll with that. Where at?"
Friend " To the best place for Sushi in Little Tokyo.....:
Brian "You've intrigued me with your bold statement friend, lets go."
Is this place the best sushi place in Little Tokyo? No clue....sushi places are as common in Little Tokyo as Asians at a Dave and Busters, and I"m sure there's many that I haven't hit yet. But is it the best sushi place I've been to so far? No contest.
This place is the picture of an authentic sushi place. Its about as big as a closet and can only seat maybe 25 people max. It has the arsenal of efficient and intimidating Japanese sushi chefs putting together little morsels of delight. This place seems to pride itself on its simplicity. Right behind the bar, they have a sign saying that they don't sell tempura or teriyaki or noodles or even rice. The only thing they do is making rolls of the finest and freshest fish to please your palate. The quality of the fish is amazing...the freshest I've had. They may not have the super complicated, super colorful rolls, but a simple spicy tuna roll here is just as satisfying as a lesser place's rainbow roll. I strongly recommend getting the plate of albacore sashimi, which was sublime and anything salmon or yellowtail related.
Prices are either cheap or expensive depending on kind of sushi snob you are. $3.50 for a hand roll or $4.50 for 6 small cut ones. The famed dish of albacore comes out to around $13-15. If you're a sushi lover thats more into the quality and freshness of the fish rather than the diversity of more exotic rolls, I definitely recommend checking this place out.
Serious place for sushi ONLY.
The badly hand written sign inside says Sushi only - NO RICE.
You walk in and there's a hush in the room. Everyone is eating.
Its no Sushi Go 55 but its the next best thing.
I've been wanting to come here for ages and when I finally did, it was right smack dab in the middle of the Nissei Week parade. Beautiful sights but that provided for a pretty noisy experience at Hama because they kept their front door open and part of the demonstrations included purposely backfiring cars, motorcycles and other such vehicles.
The menu was short and sweet, unencumbered by non-sushi items like teriyaki, udons or other things that non-sushi-eating people order. They make this very clear via a handwritten sign at the entrance. (Funny though, they did offer a "teriyaki" special on their boards that day).
The fish was super fresh and delicious, the nigiri, rolls and temaki's very well made. It's simple sushi done fabulously. My favorites of the day: tai/snapper (served with lemon juice and sea salt - "no soy sauce") and the spicy yellowtail hand roll.
Sadness: When I asked for hotategai (scallop), was advised they only had the small bay scallops - no thanks.
Service: The sushi chef was very quick but meticulous (not talkative at all). He did a great job considering at one point, he was making sushi for five people, ordering as we went along. I can't say the same of the girl who got us everything else. Our ice tea's went unrefilled for whatever reason (may have to do with the fact that she went outside to watch the parade). Sugar for our ice tea's was cane sugar in a bowl and a spoon. Upon her return, no effort was made to see if we wanted more ice tea even though at that point, we were the only people left in the restaurant.
Pricing was reasonable (though I made a mental note that my other favorite place was about 25% cheaper) and we walked out of there pretty happy campers.
I'm glad I got that out of the way but now I know that when I want sushi in Little Tokyo, I should head on over to Hama Sushi.
this is a little hole in the wall gem in little tokyo that had great fresh sushi~!! we had an assortment of delicious fish: fatty tuna (like butter, mmmm), tuna (light and fresh), salmon (smooth and silky), mackarel (melted in your mouth, drool), eel (the best i've ever had), yellowtail, urchin (don't let the way it looks scare you off...has a pleasant, sweet flavor...it is also an aphrodisiac, oh la la ;) ), salmon roe, egg, softshell crab (this was the only one that was not so special), complemented by a bottle of kirin and hot sake.
parking validated, but make sure you park in the garage that is on the same block. we were seated almost right away, but then again we were only a party of two. service was as expected for a small japanese sushi bar (inattentive and cold), so minus one star for that.
overall, great dining experience! will definitely come back again! next time, i want to try the red snapper sashimi plate...it looked AMAZING!
The place is small, the service is good, prices are decent, not the best fish ever but still pretty good, definetely going back.
Things I tried:
Belly Tuna
Albacore Toro
Salmon
Uni
Sweet Shrimp
Halibut
Red Snapper
2 Bottles of Kirin
Just like what everyone else said, there is a sign stating there's no filler menu items such as tempura, noodles, or rice bowls. I saw only 1 vip type of room with a table and the rest of the place is a bar only. You tell the chef exactly what you want and he'll get it started. (if you're not sure you can look at the menu on the plastic display.)
They chefs are somewhat Sushi Nazi's but to be honest, the only Nazi thing they did was tell us no soy sauce with the red snapper sprinkled with sea salt and lemon juice. Other than that they were nice and got our food and even asked us if we were good.
Food was all good, no complaints there. One thing I'd hoped for in the future is if they would extend their fish menu to a more broader range. I think it's just too basic for my blood. I'd love to have tried some Salmon Toro, Blue Fin Tuna, Scallop, that other places tend to have.
They have fresh fish at a reasonable price. Uni was not fishy at all, instead creamy and sweet. I thought I was officially ruined after Urasawa, but Hama Sushi saved me!
Sweet shrimp was firm. It's nice that they serve the heads in a miso soup for you.
This was a pleasant surprise. I like how the focus here is good quality fish. No fluff.
There is usually a wait for Hama and there is a reason for it. The restaurant is small. There is only enough room for about 15 people at the sushi bar and there are 2 tables for 4-7 people in a side room.
Beyond the restaurant being small, the quality of fish at Hama is excellent. The hamachi was buttery soft, the ankimo was fresh and well balanced, the maguro was delicious.
They only serve nigiri and sashimi. If you want a fancy roll, go somewhere else. To me, fancy roll usually means the restaurant will use lower grade fish. If you have superb fish, you don't want to ruin it with avocado and fake crab meat and other filler crap that most people equate with sushi.
Hama serves fresh, straightforward sushi and I will be coming back for more.
The best sushi I've had out of Japan!
Usually there is a long wait, and it was kind of hard to get the server's attention, which is unacceptable especially because the place is so tiny.
absolutely fantastic food.
i have been in LA 2 months now, and this is one of the best meals i've had. the fish is fresh, the price is right, and the vibe is lively and fun.
small spot so the wait can be a while since they don't take reservations, but it's so worth it!
recommend: red snapper, hamachi, and mackerel
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Sushi Bars
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I have all my lunches here, 5 out of 7 days.…
Okay....I know all sushi spots are different but…
General: Mastro's (delicious steaks, sides and the…
