Kushiyu
Category: Sushi Bars [Edit]
Neighborhood: Encino18713 Ventura Blvd
Tarzana, CA 91356 (818) 609-9050
- Price Range: $$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street, Private Lot
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
37 reviews
Neighborhood: Woodland Hills
"Any Kabuki restaurant would get 5 stars in my opinion (except for the Burbank location, which seasons it's spicy tuna salad differently than…" read more »
21 Reviews for Kushiyu
This is my favorite japanese restaurant in the valley that I have been to so far. My bf and I sat at the sushi bar (best place to sit btw and you can interact with the cooks). The sushi was awesome, very fresh and the grilled skewer items are delicious! I would come here all the time if I lived close by. I would suggest making reservations for group dining though as it gets very crowded. I agree with Jeff A. in getting the spicy tuna on sticky rice patties! I could eat just that and be satisfied.
So devoted to Sakura in Culver City but Kushiyu has become my favorite sushi spot.
Look at the food we had, ALL of it fresh and yummy:
-Lemon Roll
-Asian Roll (car wash)
-Tony Roll
-Yellowtail sashimi with cilantro and jalepeno sauce
-Salmon sashimi with diced vegetables
-Spicy Tuna on rice cakes
-Jumbo sea scallop and uni sushi
-Yellowtail belly sushi
-Cooked sea bass
I've heard the sashimi tower is a bit of a disappointment.
My first real sushi experience was at Kushiyu few years ago and since then I've been obsessed with trying new sushi restaurants. However, sometimes you have to return to where it all began.
While this place did get a bit more pricy, since the last time I've been here, it still had great service and fresh fish.
We started off with Hot Sake ($8.99) and Kushiyaki (skewers). We got swordfish (2), Japanese peppers (2), and squid (1). The swordfish is a must if you come here. It practically melts in your mouth. The squid was perfectly prepared and the peppers were a great addition to our meal. Other times I've been here we had Chicken, Beef, Chicken Hearts, and other Kushiyaki. I recommend one of each, as they were all delicious. (Check out the pictures)
Next we ordered more Hot Sake and some sushi. Our meal consisted of:
1 Hirame Yuzu (Halibut sashimi and citrus sauce) - was ok, not my thing.
1 Chilean Sea Bass in a potato - was pretty good.
2 Tuna - Fresh.
1 Salmon - Not a big salmon fan.
2 Halibut - The Halibut was prefect.
4 Albacore - Was alright, I've had better.
2 Yellowtail - Very fresh and tasty.
2 Yellowtail Belly - Great!
1 Zuke Salmon (marinated salmon with salmon eggs) - Ehh... was too fishy.
1 Half-&-Half (Spicy Tuna, shrimp, and peppers) - Didn't get to try. :(
(Check out the pictures)
The check came out to $148 without tip. ($180 with)
(We did order a lot, but expect to pay at least $85-110 for two)
They also have great Ika-Pirikara (squid with spicy sauce) and Unagi (freshwater eel) nigiri. One of few sushi places that I really enjoyed Unagi. I usually order these two things, but we were pretty full at this point.
Their rolls are nothing special, but their nigiri selection is great and the fish is always fresh. Great place for a date.
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This place was great, nice clean atmosphere inside and cool central sushi bar. The service was great and fast and the food was great as well.
I only tried the kampachi and spicy tuna. Both were treats. However, the kampachi was the standout in this meal.
I got their before 12 and it was pretty empty but it filled very fast approaching noon.
Lucky for me this place is next door to where I work so I'll be hitting it up whenever I can!
I always recommend valley peeps to this place! Sea Bass is amazing.. Tuna melts in your mouth, Hamachi is great too! It's always crowded that's the only downfall.
This has become my favorite sushi/japanese restaurant in all of Los Angeles! Their skewers (especially the fish one, i think it's sea bass) are great. Their sushi is fresh and the albacore melts in your mouth. And they've got a dish not on the menu that has spicy tuna on sticky rice patties that are sooo good too. I can't recall if they have rolls here, but this is really an awesome place for sashimi style sushi and I highly recommend it to anyone. Make sure you call in advance for reservations so you don't have to wait (in case there's a line).
Kushiyu is one of my favorite sushi joints). I always drag my friends here when we have lunch dates. I go to school in the bay area, but I visit Kushiyu at least once every time I come home.
Food: Excellent!
-spicy tuna on rice cakes: omg, they are to die for. I don't know what they put in the tuna, but it comes with avocado, on rice cakes, and I always order 2 orders.
-lemon roll: my favorite roll here! spicy tuna on the inside, fresh tuna on the outside, topped with lemon slices and pine nuts. loves it!
-lime roll: really good. fried salmon on the inside, fresh salmon on the outside, topped with lime slices, some green pepper thing, and a fish egg.
-salmon tower: my favorite appetizer here! fresh salmon and tomatoes on wonton skins with some sauce. it's so good.
-i've had some of the regular rolls such as the california roll, but nothing too memorable.
-sashimi: very fresh and light, perfect for when you're watching your calories!
-kushiyaki: really good! my favorites are the chilean sea bass and the chicken and green onion. mmmm.
Dessert:
I've had a few of the desserts here, but I remember the fruit creme brulee. It's not really creme brulee, it's more like sugary fruit with carmelized sugar on top. Either way, order it! It's amazing.
Service: The servers and the sushi chefs are nice and friendly. They are normally pretty attentive.
Atmosphere: It's always super busy and kind of noisy, but I like it.
There can be a bit of a wait, and they take only a few reservations per hour to accommodate walk-in customers. I normally come in around 1:00PM on a weekday and get seated immediately.
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I've lived in the valley all my life and just discovered this place one night. Amazing skewers, especially the SEA BASS that's to die for!! Definitely recommend this place if ever out in the valley. You will be satisfied!
this place is good.it can get very hectic when its busy.i like the lemon roll,smoked scallops,foil cooked chilean sea bass
Really good sushi also pretty inventive, not wierd inventive, just good. The spicy tuna on crispy cakes is the bomb. We also order skewers too. My only complaint is the wait, there's always one, and there's been a few incidents a B level celeb, has taken away seats. Whatever it's L.A. It's also pretty showy a bit pricier, but I suppose worth it.
Overall good food, highly recommended
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Went here for the first time last night. The lime roll is outstanding. Really, I have never had anything quite like it. And the rice cakes beneath spicy tuna and crab are also delicious, and the halibut in a spicy sauce was divine - very spicy and fresh. All in all a good experience - 4 out of 5 stars because though it was delicious, they excel at fusion sushi and they generally had too much going on to just experience the taste and texture of fresh fish. That said, the salmon egg accent on the halibut sashimi and lime roll was a a perfect salty soft exploding topper.
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Just average sushi. The lemon roll was pretty good, though I thought the sauce and lemon masked the flavor of the tuna. The sea bass was tasty but a little cold by the time it arrived at my table. The quail eggs were a tad rubbery. The spicy tuna roll was average. I did enjoy the half-and half though (I think it was half crab,half tuna on a fried rice cake). Really, nothing to write home about. I recommend Restaurant Tatsuki instead, down the street. The fish is of better quality there.
I love Koosh. That's what we call it in my family. You can find my brother here probably five or six times a week. Naturally, I'm jealous.
There's a ton of good sushi in Los Angeles, and I've tried lots of it. I am just never happier with my food than I am at Kushiyu. I always leave full and happy. Love the spicy tuna on crispy rice cakes. Love the albacore with jalepeno and garlic. Adore the kushiyaki (that is koosh speak for things on skewers) Primarily the chilean sea bass kushiyaki and the ground chicken and onion balls. The black cod is to die for. Pretty much everything is to die for. The service is excellent. Yes, there may be a wait, but it's totally worth it. Why do you think there are so many people waiting...could it be because its crazy awesome?
I think so.
Go directly to Kushiyu. Do not pass Go, do not collect $200 dollars.
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I admit it, every time I go to Kushiyu I say, "I'll try something different."
But most of the time, I just get the lemon roll. There's just something about it. Must be the crack. Seriously, I sometimes wake up at night thinking, hmmm, lemon roll, how can I GET MY HANDS ON A LEMON ROLL? It's not pretty.
So, I'm not all that adventurous about working my way down the menu. But, if Husband orders other things, I will eat them (and if he orders the chilean sea bass on a skewer which is BUTTAH, I tell you, I will distract him and then swallow it whole while he's not looking) and then.. return to eating my lemon roll.
I've gotten a few things here that tasted a little fishy (I guess every sushi joint has a bad day or two), but I'd say 90 percent of the time the fish is spot on.
The service is excellent, and I love that they have a little kid's policy -- they can't run around like little hellions and they can't sit at the sushi bar. I think because of this, every time I've gone, even when there's a flock of toddlers in the place, you hardly notice. Quiet as mice. And when you're forking out good money for sushi, I think that's exactly how it should be. Definitely give the place a point for that. If I wanted to listen to squealing, I'd go to Chuck E Cheese (and don't know why these parents with kids in the throws of the terrible twos screaming stage of development DON'T. But don't get me started).
Anyway, it's all about the lemon roll.... lemon... roll...
My Husband and I love this place.
The wait can be a bit to bear when Im pretty hungry. But it's well worth it. The fish is very fresh. I'm big on Sashmi, so the fish has to be VERY fresh. There's nothing worse that biting into a piece of fish that is a little stringy and warm. =( Needless to say, at Kushiyu I've never had this problem. I really enjoyed the seabass and salmon.
I give this joint 4 stars because sometimes the service is a little slow. If you're sitting at the bar and need drink refills, it can be hard to grab someone's attention. I also find the bar to be a little cramped. I'm left handed and I hate bumping elbows with a stranger.
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So my family goes to this place like every week and are loyal customers to this place. I personally don't like sushi but I like to eat their barbuced items. So last week our table ordered a lobster or shrip roll and it reaked, so i thought it was me being silly but my family also agreed. They tasted it and they said it wasnt good quality fish so they returned it. So we got our bill and they charged us for what we didnt eat, so the assistant manager was yelling at us and arguing with us about not taking it off the bill. I mean the fish was pretty bad!! Any normal place would deduct it. I mean the food is great its just that one experience that made it bad. Just make sure you order something you will def. like!
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BEST SUSHI IN THE VALLEY!!! This place could have a gnarley wait sometimes, but trust me it really is worth it!
the spicy tuna on cruncy rice and vegetable tempura hand roll are a few of my favorites. The creative vision of the chefs has led to some really divine taste combinations coupled with creative visual presentation...so your eyes and mouth will be completely and utterly satisfied yet hungry for more!
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One of my favorite sushi places. I always get the sea bass robata. The Lemon Roll is so refreshing. It's a spicy tuna roll topped with tuna and thinly sliced lemon and pine nuts in a delicious sauce. My favorite! The spicy tuna sushi is their version of spicy tuna on crispy rice. Also a must have. Their shrimp tempura roll is also good. If you're watching the carbs, they make a great spicy tuna hand roll.
They're not open for lunch on the weekends (which makes me sad) but if you're around during the weekdays definitely stop by because they have great specials.
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I love me some sushi!! For the price, it's definitely good sushi eats. Their spicy tuna on rice cracker with avocado appetizer--so good!! One of my favorite ways to eat spicy tuna. I'm also a fan of their non-sushi items as well--like the fish and beef on skewers. Very tasty. The wait can be a pain, especially considering you're in the middle of a strip mall...but which good sushi restaurant isn't tucked behind a motel or between a Relax-the-Back Store and the street?! Come on, now!! Who's with me?
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This place USED TO BE great! I remember, about 10 years ago, if anyone mentioned Kushiyu, I'd be all over it! But it's gone down in the past couple years. I dunno if it's the new management or the fact that they remodeled a couple years ago, but it's just not the same. The wait gets ridiculous sometimes, but I just don't get it! The shrimp tempura role is good, not great, just good. The spicy tuna is okay. The creative rolls didn't do much for me. I just miss the old Kushiyu, bring it back!
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Yes, the aroma of fish is a bit overwhelming when you first walk in but the food is top notch.
My favorite sushi is the yellow tail belly, it just melts in your mouth.
From the grill, the seabass is the best choice.
Sushi rolls - Lemon drop and Johnny roll and you're good to go.
Service is okay , I don't recommend bringing a date since the noise level tends to be high even during the week.
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