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Categories: Sushi Bars, Japanese, Caterers [Edit]
Neighborhood: VeniceHama Sushi is celebrating it's 30th year this month!…
Mon-Thu. 5:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
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Is this the best sushi in town? No...I've had better, but it's pretty damn good. And it's close. And the bar is fun fun fun. I am a frequent visitor...the sushi chefs are very nice. Lots of locals go alone to hang out and they all seem to know the sushi chefs and sit at the bar. That's my kinda place! This last visit was perfect. I had tofu Agadashi from the kitchen. Salmon, yellowtail, and ono nigiri from the sushi bar...
YUM.
People thought this was:
Hama Sushi is the heart & soul of Venice. Its been there since 1979, so you know they're doing something right. They play surf videos projected onto the walls of the patio. The happy hour is great and their specialty rolls are to die for. I love the Green Devil roll (spicy yellowtail, jalapeno masago, and chili oil), the Venice roll (spicy tuna covered in seared tuna, onions, and jalapenos) and the Strawberry roll (shrimp tempura covered in snow crab and strawberries and an amazing sweet sauce!!!). If you want to make it for the happy hour get there early... it fills up fast! And don't forget to save room for dessert!
Oh yeah, its a good idea to make reservations. They are always busy. Or if you want to hide from the crowds they do take out.
People thought this was:
Located in the heart of Venice, two blocks from the beach and a few blocks from bar hopping fun, Hama sushi offers an interesting ambiance and good sushi to boot.
With a huge indoor courtyard to eat and enjoy the surfing on the flat screens behind the bar, with twinkly lights for romantic decor, and thin plastic covering the walls and ceilings to allow the starlight, moonlight, and ocean breeze to pass through, you'll feel beachy-keen and sushi superb at this place.
With a friendly staff, always ready with a suggestion or a happy smile, you'll enjoy your table (or sit at the sushi bar in a more enclosed room next door) and the food that is placed on it. With your standard rolls like spicy Tuna and standard sushi you can go here and know exactly what you're in for. They do have some more exotic rolls to choose from that change with some regularity so you can go for an adventure filled meal before a night out on the town or in the sand.
With sake and beer to compliment your deliciously prepared sushi (or maybe you choose to order a meal from their larger menu instead) you'll start the night out right. With a full sake, wine and beer menu your choices will almost seem limitless and your happy factor will increase with every bite and every wave crashing moment you see on the TV's and hear behind the walls.
Feel like you've been transported for a little bit to an ocean side Japanese restaurant in Hawaii before you step back out into the cool ocean breeze of Venice, California.
People thought this was:
The BEST sushi on the westside! Must have- strawberry roll, Venice roll, green devil, Chilean Sea Bass, Black Cod and the banana fritters for desert! I come here a lot and I have never been let down. Great happy hour and specials, too. A+
Sushi Hama brings so much to the table. Always go for something fresh and raw from the specials menu. Their special rolls are more than a tad expensive, about $18 bucks each, but they're so good! The Green Devil, the strawberry roll, and the Venice roll are among my favs. Also, if you're in a kind of fear factor mood, go for the Red Devil. This thing is so hot that it'll leave your mouth burning even after 20 minutes of chugging beer and anything else you can fine--but it's still kind of tasty and entertaining. You must, must sit on the patio if you go here. Yes, it's covered with a translucent tarp, but it's candle-lit and they play old surfer movies on two big screens.
This place also has a great happy hour. I've only been once, but they have a fair selection of sushi and sashimi as well as cheap beers. It was pretty crowded when we went, and when the bartender asked us to move down some seats at the bar, he gave us all free sake. It doesn't get much better than Hama.
The sushi is good, but most places have a better selection of rolls. The atmosphere is really fun and the happy hour is good. But the real reason to try this place is the scallop dynamite. It is amazing!!! The best thing on the menu for sure! Try it, you'll love it!
*** yay, i'm defintely a fan. Hama rocks! ***
best thing about a good eatery is that it can
withstand the test of time ... Hama is an icon.
in b-school they teach that restaurants & retail
business depend on location, location, location.
well, Hama is so good that it elevates its location.
Venice has had its ups and downs. Abbott Kinney
now appears to be the nuevo strip for what's hot ...
yet Hama resides on a turnabout across from a
post office, a smoke shop, and old residences.
so why is Hama so cool? so casual? so good?
it's their friendly staff and quality sushi/sashimi.
tonite i shared a sashimi combo (about $38) that
was delish. it's ~20 chucky pcs of 5 different fish.
damn, that was good. so were the appetizers of
hamachi kama (grilled yellowtail collar & ponzu)
and the scallop dynamite ... a flavor expolosion!
*** nice spot for a date or a chill. do the bar. ***
People thought this was:
Ate here last night and I have one word to describe it: rip-off.
We two persons ordered two "specialty" rolls, an edamame appetizer, two miso soups, a small sake, and three a la carte sushi pieces. The bill came to $79. With tip, it was $88.
The service was very attentive and nice and helpful. But I found absolutely nothing special about the sushi. It was actually quite boring in my opinion.
The place was packed, and full of young, smiling people. I wonder where all these struggling post-collegiate diners get the money to afford this rip-off restaurant.
People thought this was:
Let my start by saying, I love Venice. There is nothing like the eclectic crowd who frequent the most coveted of local hang outs. Hama is one of those places that you don't hear of when you first move to LA, you have to be accepted by the locals before they will let you in on their secret. It is very obvious that the people who go there aren't your average tourist folks, which is fabulous.
The ambiance is one word: original. On any normal circumstances, surfing and sushi don't go hand in hand (except the obvious connection) but this place has adopted that mentality. While they have an enclosed dining room and an outside seating area, the outside seating area has more flavor with projector screens playing surfing movies. When I went with my girlfriends last night, the documentary Riding Giants (Greg Noll is a legend) was playing. Talk about making you feel connected to the beach cruising, surf and sand community that is Venice.
The sushi was very good, they have many different options and a lot of creative rolls. Everything we tried was great. We got some basics but also ventured out into uncharted waters and I have to say I wasn't disappointed in the slightest. Their Sapporo was ice cold, nice :)
I had a major internal struggle giving this place 3 or 4 stars, but ultimately the service wasn't that impressive. I am very easy going but it didn't make a whole lot of sense to me to have us wait almost 10 minutes when there were 6 open tables on the patio within plain sight. Also, our waitress was slow and never came to make sure things were good or ask if we needed more drinks. And it wasn't that packed. The bus boys were good, they actually ended up helping us more than she did.
Also, the tables are too crowded! I get that they are trying to fit in as many tables as possible but they are too close together and you end up sitting in the middle of somebody's conversation and getting your chair hit from behind a million times.
All in all, the surfer vibe and the food brings this place up in my book. I would highly recommend it if you want to impress your visiting friend with a very localized Venice spot, it's eclectic and tasty and definitely memorable.
People thought this was:
i was a bit put off about the outside appearance of this restaurant, but after reading the reviews, I wanted to try it out for myself.
We sat in the "outdoor patio" area, which was cool and not as stuffy as inside the restaurant. Our server was very friendly and attentive.
The food was very fresh and delicious, but pricey.
We shared:
Ponzu Oysters - Very fresh and love the fresh horseradish
Green Salad - Simple and standard green salad w/ ginger dressing
Edamame - Standard
Veggie Tempura - Standard. Fresh, doesn't taste like it was fried hours ago.
Green Devil - really good, could be a little spicier
Strawberry Roll - WOW. Who would have known that strawberry can go so well with sushi? I loved this!!!
Bill was rather pricey for 2 people, but the food was very good.
People thought this was:
Hama going to tell you a little bit about Hama. They have some pretty good sushi for the prices that they charge. I got a lot of sushi and I have never in my life ate so much sushi for so little. Hama make sure I go back because the chefs are great.
People thought this was:
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this place! The sushi is fresh and soooo good, very casual, cool type of atmosphere.
The Lobster Dynamite is awesome...just ask for the sauce to be on the light side.
Bring a cool friend here for a birthday...this place is rockin for birthdays! Be sure to sit on the patio and remind the hostess it's your friends bday, they will take good care of you by blasting music "They say it's your birthday"...and the lights flash with the music...most people around you get into it too and sing along and cheer!
People thought this was:
By and large my favorite sushi place in LA. Sure I like Katsuya and Blowfish and all those modern places, but nothing can beat Hama. It just feels authentic LA sushi joint. I take all of my out of town guests here because they would never know to go here otherwise, the restaurant for sure has a local vibe.
I've been going here since I was a kid and I'm pretty sure had my first brave encounter with Eel here. We've been best buds ever since...its pretty hard for me to leave a sushi place without a little Unagi in my belly.
Hama fuses all my favorite things about home: beach culture, sushi, and laid back locals.
I just returned from meeting a friend for Happy hour at Hama. The nice thing is that they actually have a pretty extensive menu of both hot items and rolls at close to half price from 5-7pm. Just wished we got to try everything at the Happy Hour price. The sucky part about Hama is that they only serve Happy hour items at the bar - which consists of 10-12 seats. We got there in plenty of time, but all the seats were taken with a line to boot. The hostess informed us that we'd have to show up at 5pm, and there's often a line at the door.
Given that, we sat at the table anyway. We sucked it up and paid twice as much for the same stuff that people were eating 5 ft away from us. Sushi at Hama is definitely pricey, ordinarily I wouldn't have an issue with that if we got outstanding fish and generous/creative rolls. My friend and I paid $13 for each of our rolls and they were on the small side. For $13, I'd expect some decently size pieces....my friend didn't particularly enjoy her philly roll either. We paid $40 a person for an appetizer, one roll and one drink (soda/tea).
We won't come here again, there's plenty of better sushi to be had in LA for far less the price. Chaya has a decent happy hour with more seats to go around (even if the menu isn't as extensive).
Friday night...
Me: So where do you want to meet for dinner?
B: Hama Sushi in Venice, reservations at 8:15pm
Saturday night...
Me: So where is Tracy having her bday dinner?
L: Hama Sushi in Venice, have you been there? We have to be there by 8:30pm.
Fate brought me to Hama Sushi TWICE in a row this past weekend and both times it gave a memorable and impressive performance.
Act I - the Atmosphere
Barry W. was right about the iconic factor and Hama just has that chill eclectic vibe character of Venice. Its a bit pricey so it also has the gentrified sector of Venice as most of its clientele. As you walk in, the right half of the restaurant is a quaint patio with strings of lights overhead and the bar, which is open seating and gives you a big flat wall projection of an addicting surf video. The left side of the restaurant is indoors and has more of a legitimate upper echelon atmosphere including the sushi bar. On Friday night, I sat at the bar and actually prefer this service better than table seating, which was what we got on Saturday night. BUT the bar would only be good for a 1-3 person party...any more people than that, you really should get a table.
Act II - the Food & Drinks =D
An impressive selection of sake, minimal wine list, all three popular Japanese beers: Asahi, Kirin, Sapporo; the best thing is their array of Sochu martinis, in tropical flavors like Guava and Mango...the tropics and pacific came alive in my mouth!
In my two visits there, I had the...
Hamachi kama - grilled yellowtail collar, buttery, flaky, and oh soooo tender
Scallop dynamite - being baked with cream, mayo, and mushrooms helped disguise the lack of freshness in the scallops
Sashimi combo - 5 different fish, tuna that near melted in the mouth, all in a beautiful arrangemnt. my whole face lit up when it arrived, need I say more?
Tempura combo - meh, I've had better...a little on the soggy side
Venice volcano - a variety of sashimi arranged a top a bed of greens with a little mini dish of oil that is set on fire when brought to the table! I know its gimmicky, but it worked on me =D
Concluding remarks - I've heard that parking and finding a seat at the bar can be difficult, but I was lucky both nights in a row. I guess Hama and me were just meant to be. But if you aren't as lucky as I was, valet is only $4.50 =)
People thought this was:
This is a All Time Classic Landmark Japanese/California
Mecca 2 Blocks from Venice Beach.
This is one of the 1st Authentic sushi restaurants In The United States!
This place has Always been Solid
Great Date/Drinking Spot
I have been here many many times
I went here last year and was a Little Disappointed,
But I came Back here Last week and I Was Blown Away!
They Remodeled the outdoor seating area and Have a new Chef Here.
This Place is Back on the Top of
My List as One of the
Best Japanese/California Places in Los Angeles Again.
Last week we had
Dish # 1 Raw Oysters with Ponzu Sauce (Two Huge Great Quality Oysters Great)
Dish # 2 Tofu Salad * Best Dish Must Order! (Fantastic Baby Lettuces with a Homemade Sesame Miso Dressing with Red Seaweed and Tofu slices) The Lettuce they use here is Primo Quality.
Dish # 3 Tamago Sushi (Good)
Dish # 4 Soft Shell Inside Out Crab Roll (Very Good)
Dish # 5 Ama Ebi Sushi (Raw Shrimp Sushi Fantastic! They Killed the Live Shrimp in front of us and gave us the Deep Fried Shrimp Heads afterwards Delish)
Dish # 6 Miso Soup with Clams (Excellent)
Dish # 7 Deep Fried Green Tea Ice Cream * Best Dish Must Order!
(I still cannot figure out how they make this dish, Yes It is deep fried Ice Cream, They Prepare This Dish
Textbook style it is a classic dessert,
it may have been invented here)
They even have a Secret Japanese Beer here I have Never seen anywhere else
* Top Pick Must Order
(Ask Sushi Chef for It)
Bonus Points They also have Local Venice
Beach Artist's Work for Sale on the Walls Here.
All in All
Hama Is Firing on All Cylinders Again.
Hama Is Back and Better Than ever.
Extra Bonus Points Because
they Play the Eagles "Hotel California"
Every Night at Closing Time Here.
Easy Five Stars
Great sushi spot on the beach. I think better than most of the sushi restaurants in SM, cheaper too. Great place to catch the game too, the patio has TV's. First time there you gotta try the Surf & Turf roll.
Hama - how you have changed over the years.
A long long time ago Hama was a neighborhood spot in Venice. Not the best sushi in the world but not too expensive either and the crowd was what you might call traditional Venice eclectic.
a decade later prices are sky high and the crowd is blonder and tanner (granted this could be the same crowd but they just got richer and more successful than me in the intervening years). seriously this place is shockingly expensive for what it is, but i guess you are paying for the scene which is admittedly attractive.
But the question I'd pose to you is: is there anything attractive about a person of the opposite sex seemingly throwing money away at mediocre fair? imagine what they will do when they have access to your wallet? it is kinda the sushi equivalent of someone that would buy something from Jacob the Jeweler - sure its expensive and we all know it - but those are low quality ingredients that have no class or style.
Harsh i know. Hama is also advantaged by the fact that there aren't really any good sushi options south of the 10 and west of the 405. If you are going to be spending this kind of money go to Sushi Roku (it isn't TONS better but you won't feel cheated like you do at Hama) On the up side the service was good - we showed up here at the last minute for a dinner for a friend's bday and they shuffled some things and got us a table for 6 on a Fri night so thanks for that. if you sit at the patio bar you have a pretty good view of the crowd if you want to people watch.
I really like my neighborhood sushi joint. It's broken up into two areas: one with a low-key counter and outdoor-type patio where you can watch the game or surf videos...or go left and get greeted by the sushi chefs and the typical dining room. The service has always been on point but it's the edamame, fresh rolls and fish that have had me coming back now for years. Reasonably priced great quality fish is not easy to come by and Hama has yet to let me down. Be sure to check the board for specials, as their menu has stayed the same and probably will never change. They do have great selections on sake, as well as unique cocktails, but take note it is beer and wine only.
People thought this was:
Nice size roles and great looking sashimi. The sake came with an ice bucket which I'm a big fan of
On the down side ALL of our food came out together. Usually that's a good thing but sushi should come out as it's being made. The 3 of us ordered 6 items or so. It was famine or feast. The table was too full but the waitress kept trying to pile more dished on. I finally asked her to put them on the table next to us. Half were meant at appetizers the rest as a meal.
Aside from the inexperienced waitress the atmosphere was relaxing. It had an authentic (but still Americanized) feel.
I think it fits perfect with the area
I'm a long time fan of the crab cake roll at Hama. It destroys. This was an old school haunt of mine from back in the days when my sushi tastes were far less adventurous than they are now and I used to always get the same thing, so I can't speak about most of the menu. But I repeat, their crab cake roll is an excellent roll, well executed, borderline gourmet sushi roll. A good place to consume many large Asahi's as well. Good date spot.
If you don't like Hama, you're a communist.
People thought this was:
Went here for my sister birthday back in March. Keep your eyes peeled open for this place at night, I can see people not spotting this place without the aid of a gps system. We had a reservation and were seated in a timely manner. The place was filled with young loud college grads. You really have to speak loud to have a conversation. The service was fine, but sushi we ordered was ok. None of us were blown away by the taste, nor were we disgusted. A bit pricey for quality of the food.
Saturday night 8/22/2009 We arrived early and were still promptly seated and that's where it went downhill from there. We were seated at the table furthest in the back and stuck behind a table for two that made it next to impossible for our waitress to get to us. The waitress was rather hurried and after seating us and getting our drinks we didn't see her again for 20 minutes. We had to flag her down to place our order. After placing our order the food came out over the next hour a little at a time. My guests were through eating their order before I received mine. The food was good but if you go here make sure you don't get stuck at the table in the back by the kitchen. I'll never go here again...there's much better places in Venice/Santa Monica like the Hump.
When people say the food is awesome at Hama Sushi - I think it must be opposite day and someone forgot to tell me. The rolls here are pretty lame if you ask me. They have some cool options that I don't see very often (i.e. the strawberry rolls) but they aren't expertly executed and they charge you the price of an expertly executed roll.
I think that people who give it high ratings must be talking about the atmosphere. Hama Sushi is usually loaded with people who are having a ton of fun. It's got a projector thing going on and cool patio type seating. All in all, the food really isn't that good - but if you are here with a bunch of people who you really, really like I guess they help you forget that you are paying top dollar for mediocre rolls.
People thought this was:
yeah....I went on a date here....the sushi was not bad, but not spectacular, especially for the price. My date swore by this place, and I new he had good taste, after all, he was dating me, but this choice made me question his taste altogether. I think he liked the place due to the rapport he had with the owners (who are super sweet by the way), but to me, the meal was nothing to write home about.
We just ate whatever the chef prepared for us, which was fun, but the sushi on the whole, left a lot to be desired. Luckily we had a lot of sake, which made me forget about the mediocre meal momentarily. (yeah, try saying that 5 times fast). If you do decide to dine here, just be aware that the prices are steep. I peeked at our bill, it came to a little over $170, and I'm sure we weren't charged for everything as my date was super friendly with the owners as well as the chefs.
Several better choices for sushi in LA, go read my Katsuya review.
People thought this was:
This is my favorite sushi place in Venice, except Canal Club which really ranks up there. Hama is somewhat nondescript place in that nothing really stands out as stellar; rather, it's reliably good fish so long as you don't have to wait too long for it.
People thought this was:
I found the food at Hama to be hit or miss and the prices as well. I loved the miso soup with the crunchy oniony bits, but the sushi didn't impress me nor did the service. Overall, it's a super popular sushi place in a casual setting with high prices. I much prefer K-Zo.
People thought this was:
Sometimes the stars align and everything just seems to come together. Last night was one of those nights at Hama. It was my first visit there and I must say that it was WONDERFUL, dare I say orgasmic? (figuratively, NOT literally, you foodie perverts!)
So,
1 wife, 2 bottles of sake (small ones of course), 1 Kirin Light (large, of course), a Super Veggie Roll, a Caterpillar Roll and a Spicy Tuna Roll for desert and all was good in the hood! G-DAMN!
Besides the food, the service was beyond exceptional. For some reason business owners, especially restaurant owners, seem to be attracted to me. Last night (Wednesday night) was no exception. Ester, the owner, came over and made sure that everything was to our liking, which it was, however, she did seem slightly annoyed that I had never been there before. (I cannot change the past, but I sure can change the future!) Ester came over at the end of our meal, once again, to check in on us. Not only did Ester check in on us but so did the manager(?), David Munyon (I think). He was also nice enough to recommend a place for us to dine today, on Thanksgiving Day, since my wife and I are L.A. orphans. But please don't worry about us, we had a great time being with each other all day today. Maybe the best Turkey Day ever!
Oh, and for the record, the host was very nice and professional, and our server could not have been more attentive, professional and nicer.
I cannot wait to go back for a second, third, fourth, and fifth visit. I'll keep you all posted.
It was pretty good. I like the inside outside options.
Food was pretty good and somewhat affordable for 3 people $108 (only 4 beers). Service was decent. Cozy lil neighborhood place in Venice. I would go back for sure.
Food- 7
Atmosphere- 7.5
Service- 7.5
Overall exp- 7.25
Drawbacks...not overly impressed by any sushi or rolls.
People thought this was:
Why is it that every time I eat here I have a run in with a rude waitress or a snotty hostess that tries to seat me at the worst table in the house? Because there are bad tables here that make you feel like you are eating in a hallway.
Its crowded which to some might make it hopping. To me, I'd be a little less annoyed if the food was better and the prices went hand in hand with the overall experience of the meal.
Pretty solid sushi place in Venice. There is nothing that jumps out at me about this place. The price isn't crazy expensive like a lot of places. The atmosphere is pretty cool. I am not a fan of their sushi bar, but I really like the outdoor dining area under the tent. This would be a good place for a decent sized group.
This place can get really crowded though, and waiting for a table can really suck.
People thought this was:
I usually don't hang out in Venice much, but a friend recommended that I try this place. Its in the round circle area, which was a bit hard to spot.
The place had a small patio sitting with a long bar interior, which made it cozy. They had variety selection of sushi rolls, executed with excellent taste. The Chef's special dishes were the best - extinguish taste and love the presentation of the plates.
Good date spot or a night with friends for some japanese bamboo sake.
The restaurant is ON THE CIRCLE. There's a HUGE, BRIGHT, HOT PINK sign that screams "HAMA" in front of the restaurant. But, I must've been blind because I drove in the circle several times and still didn't see it. Fortunately, I was force to park while going around and around. And as soon as I parked, I ran into the restaurant (teheheh...:P)
The food is good but nothing to rave about. However, I gotta give Hama an extra star because it's so cute; I love their patio. They have projectors showing various shows on the wall, people lining up the bar, people sitting on the table, the sky is cover so no worry about rain. Very very cool ambiance.
People thought this was:
Lots of local peeps around here swear by this place and at one point it was a trendy "hip" place to hang out. Sushi? Well, its so-so depending on your taste buds and how they are acting...... Hit or miss but nonetheless, its a sushi joint geared towards the trend rather than the quality of food. As most sushi eaters move on/try newer places, they will then judge the quality. Let this place be a stepping stone for others to follow.
Good crowd, loud and the sake do flow like a river here.
Cruise on down to Hal's afterwards and enjoy a more peaceful drink atmosphere or waddle your way down ocean blvd and enjoy the local pubs.
People thought this was:
Ok...Hama is my favorite sushi restaurant. I have been a Hama faithful for 8 years!! I was saving this review to be my 100th. Hama has great atmosphere, excellent food and service and hot servers. I can't say enough about this place - it is a well rounded spot. I do my best to go in once a week - typically on a Thursday or Friday night.
Hama has two different atmospheres to choose from. Let me choose for you - Outside. The bar in the patio is where I always sit. The inside dining room has more of a restaurant feel. In all the years I have been going to Hama, I have sat inside twice.
Hama has 3 TVs and 2 Projectors - a great place to watch a game. It also helps if your on a boring date or just bored with your company.
They have recently started a Happy Hour, as well as making some new additions to the menu.
If you are there at Last Call you will be sent home to the tune of Hotel California - A nightly Hama tradition.
A great place for a birthday as well - I've spent 5 there.
My Recommendations:
Spicy tuna - ez rice
Spider roll w/ ponzu
Yellowtail sushi
Spanish Mackerel sushi
Albacore sushi (my favorite)
Green Devil
Venice Roll
Nato roll
Beef Sashimi
Toro Sashimi
a couple of bamboos to drink and tempura green tea iced for desert.
My Favorite Sushi Joint!!!!
5 stars Fo Sho!
People thought this was:
Hama Sushi
Best salmon egg so far I had in the United States.
Where I'm from, salmon egg was always marinated with sake and soy sauce.
And that's how I tasted it there.
Good sushi. Appetizers there are okay, nuttin especial.
Most of the sushi chefs there are real J, made in Japan.
That's why I have a problemo with their "soju" drinks on the menu.
Whatever happened to shochu instead?
Shochu is the real J drink.
It's like Meehikano restaurant has no tequila, only offers Caipirinha.
Other than that, I'm pretty happy with this place, would def. return.
People thought this was:
This was definitely a disappointment. Several friends of mine recommended me that I go eat here, and I finally had a chance to go last night.
First, I was thrown off by the decor and the atmosphere. Um... tent like outside seating with big screen TVs showing sports channel... ooook. Uncomfortable chairs. Cheap looking settings. Weird lighting. It was a total shack!
Secondly, I was sad that they didn't have wide variety of fish. It's always a turn-off when I discover that I can't order my favorite kind of sushi/sashimi, simply because they don't care to serve the wide selections. Come on, it's a sushi place. I shouldn't have to have a conversation like "do you have this? No? What about that? Not that one either? What about... Oh you also don't have that. Ummm... ok, what do you have then?"
To make the matter even worse, the fish wasn't all that great. I was hoping that whatever they have would at least taste wonderful, but wasn't the case. I'm not saying that it was horrible, but was at best "ok."
To sum up, cheap and uncomfortable settings with not so wide selections of ok-quality of food, with a price of high end place. Hmmm... something tells me that I am not going back there again.
People thought this was:
After waiting 30 minutes for Mao's, we all decided to walk a block east into Hama Sushi.
We waited about 2 minutes for them to prep our table for 8 and they were so nice and accomodating despite our being so beligerent and obnoxious! Apparently, the party I was with was already 5 drinks past drunk, but of course that didn't stop them from ordering tons of beer and sake for the table.
2 words. Chilean Seabass.
It was so nicely wrapped in a banana leaf with a bamboo stick through it and served with tiny greens with a sweet balsamic vinegrette and mixed berries. The fish was glazed with a sweet citrus-y sauce that as cooked so perfectly well, it pretty much just melted in your mouth - it was excellent. This was $22.50. I didn't see much more on the menu that was more than this... so prices are very reasonable. I also ordered yellowtail sushi on the side and that was $6.50 for 2 pieces. Amy B ordered their beef teriyake and mixed tempura and both were excellent and very flavorful.
The place is so decieving! You're under pretty much a tent with a long bar and cheapy looking tables and then all of a sudden this amazing food gets served to you!
Although this wasn't my first time here, it felt like it - last time was about 6 years ago. What's kept me away this long?
The owner was outside when we left and asked me if I enjoyed my dinner and to make sure I came to visit her again and more often. That was sweet!
People thought this was:
Is that film live? They have this recording of the sushi chefs making sushi projected on the outside of the restaurant. We'd pull over on our beach cruisers and just watch wondering if it's live.
We finally decided to check it out and grabbed a spot at the counter. The sushi was alright. Not exactly mouth watering, knee trembling stuff. Decent. But we never got an answer from the sushi chef about whether this film was live.
People thought this was:
I've been to Hama twice- once as takeout and once during "happy hour."
The sushi is ok, but I'd go for the 5-7pm happy hour everyday where drinks and a special menu are cheaper. We sat at the bar and ordered as we ate, enjoying the food at our leisure. The atmosphere is nice, the inside is adjacent to the patio with heat lamps and surf movies screening on the wall. A nice, casual way to end your week and enjoy some sushi.
Sushi - Free Delivery!
Neighborhood: Santa Monica
Bring your Lunch Receipt after…
Neighborhood: El Segundo
Neighborhood: Venice
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Venice
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Venice
Category: Restaurants
Venice, CA
Category: American (New)
Marina Del Rey, CA
Category: Japanese
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