On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Categories: Sushi Bars, Japanese [Edit]
Neighborhood: Sherman Oaks
Mon-Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri. 11:30 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Sat. 12:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Loading...
All you can eat, yet made to order? Um yes please!
I'm so certain there's a Midori in heaven because this place is divine!!! There's no sashimi, but they slice a generous portion to top a smallish ball of rice.
In an interesting turn of events, I wasn't so hot on the specialty rolls. Most revolved around some variation of the California roll. And AND if you're not into raw fish, there's gyoza and tempura and rolls where the only raw ingredient is cucumber.
Definitely the best all you can eat sushi place. I mean, this could quite possibly be my absolute favorite restaurant.
And AND the owner gave us a free pitcher of beer! Or maybe it's because we drank more than we ate...
just went here last Thursday, and i was definitely impressed by how fresh the sushi was. I did the all-you-can-eat here for $25.99 and it is definitely one of the best that i have tried.
however, i do want to warn you that they are pretty strict about it. you have exactly 1 hour to order and finish all of the sushi. they mention not to "hide" rice and to finish everything.
regardless, it was a good time and you need to come here if you appreciate fresh sushi.
AYCE sushi is my one true love in life (sorry wifey!). Every time I move to a new city the first thing I do is find all the aforementioned types of restaurants and dominate the heck out of some raw fish. Midori has lived up to some of the best ayce places I have tried. Not the best, but definitely good enough that I will be returning.
The fish was fresh, the rolls moderately unique and they even have some more unique items on the menu (at least for an ayce) such as green mussels and sweet shrimp.
The only complaint is in regards to the service - it was crazy in a bipolar sort of way. Most importantly, the service was fast, so no complaints there. However, one waitress serving us was rude, abrasive and combative. She scoffed at our order, challenged us on whether we could eat it all and was generally unpleasant (sidenote - we finished it all and ordered more!). The other waitress was cheerful, easygoing and helpful. Unfortunately, the lesser waitress was our primary server. Oh well, don't let this stop you from enjoying your weight in sushi.
The bf and I did not know this was an AYCE place until we had already told my friends that we were down to meet up for dinner. Unfortunately we basically had an AYCE lunch so there was no way we could have done two AYCE meals in one day.
That said, we still came here but ordered a la cart since at one table, all diners either have to eat AYCE or a la cart. There is no mixing and trust me, we tried to persuade the waitress, but it didn't work. Another rule about this place is that all diners must be present before sitting at the table so make sure your party is all present!
Here's what we ordered:
-edamame: lighty dusted with salt gave this appetizer an addicting quality
-tempura: shrimp and veggies in a light batter. Was very good.
-baked mussels: mussels with cheese on top...not a fan of mussels but thought with the cheese I'd enjoy it. The cheese didn't make me a fan of mussels.
-ono (Hawaiian King mackerel) ($4.25): subtle taste
-Japanese mackerel: fishy taste, more so than the Hawaiian King mackerel
-B.S.C. ($9.50): it was different, definitely lots of scallops heaped on top of the rice
-dragon roll ($13): YUM. Loved it! Unagi (eel) and avocado and a California roll...how could it not taste good?
-unagi ($4.50): I'm a fan of unagi so this was definitely tasty!
Service was attentive, but that could be because the friends I went with go so often that they know the servers; so our dining experience there was enjoyable. If I had the stomach space, I would try the AYCE experience just for the specialty rolls...but diners beware of their many rules.
I've been coming to this restaurant for at least 5 years now and it's the best all-you-can-eat sushi in LA. My parents travel about one hour just to eat here. They have great sushi and the service is great. Parking could be a problem
I've tried the Midori in Studio City, but I find that it's not the same as the one in Sherman Oaks.
If you are going on a weekend or holiday, prepare to wait at least 30 min...It gets crowded and the place is kinda small.
Things to try:
Yummy Crunch
Salmon Sushi
BSC (Baked Scallop Roll)
ALL their sushi are awesome and taste fresh.
AMAZING SUSHI! HAVE THE "ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT" DINNER THERE SOON... my new favorite sushi place. This is all that needs to be said.
Its kind of a oddly run restaurant. Way too many employees not doing much and watching TV. Food quality is horrendous. Poorly made sushi. Our large Asahi came with two smelly pint glasses. Employees are cursing in Spanish in front of customers. AYCE or not, this place is not one we'll return to.
Does the name Violet Beauregarde ring any bells?
*hint* willy wonka
You know...the girl who chews the gum, and ends up turning into a huge round puffy blueberry? Well picture that...and thats what my stomach looks like right now...
Lol it reminds me of the movie Matilda where the mean principle lady makes Bruce eat the whole gigantic chocolate cake (fat kid love cake...haha oh fitty cent..you so funny)
My eyes were too greedy for my stomach. I should be scared of sharp objects because one prick and i'm gonna explode out all the yummy goodness I just ate :)
What we had:
Edamame-yummy...get it
Green Mussels-gross...too salty and too much cheese..yuck
Chicken gyoza-yumm
sesame chicken-gross...i dont' know how the fucked up fried chicken pieces..but they did...
405 Roll
Rainbow roll-ehh it was not my favorite...
Crunch roll
Shrimp tempura
Yummy Roll
Dragon Roll
TJ Roll
Laker Roll
Tiger Roll
Clippers Roll
Spicy Crab Nugget-the funniest thing was this was my favorite..get it..i liked it so much i ordered a second one
House Roll
All of it was really good :) everything was fresh and delicious and great. Since we sat at the bar we chatted with the sushi chef and he was so sweet and awesome and was amazed at all the crap we were eating
I hate buffets sometimes because i always eat wayyyyy too much..Its like a contest to see who can win...the house...or me! who can eat the most and get the best bang for my buck...and i always lose...
note: this place is kind of small so obviously expect a wait...and the waitresses are kind of mean and rude...but i guess thats just how they are...probably because they are sick of dealing with people all day telling them they want things....but doesn't make it okay...
still i did like this place...probably won't come again for a very long time...my stomach needs time to rest and process :)
fun night eating myself into a coma.
"Aw my lord, my stomach is about to explode!" That is the feeling you get when you come out from this restaurant, and that is if you decided to go All-You-Can-Eat (AYCE) option. For around thirty dollars, this place lives up to its mission statement - "goal is to provide the best sushi possible... and still walk out with money in your wallet."
Please be advised that AYCE comes with limited time which is about an hour. First, I thought an hour was not long enough for me to really enjoy all different kinds of platter available, but if you order a handful of rolls and sushi each time, it is enough time to feel metaphorically speaking pregnant. Sushi was fresh and delicious. They had over twenty different variations of rolls to select.
Tip: To get the bang for your buck, make sure to order uni, sweet shrimp, and salmon roe. These orders can only be ordered once per person, because the cost of these sushi are not relatively cheap in general. Just these orders alone in a la carte is about twenty dollars.
Be warned when you leave your seat, your hands will react by gradually grabbing your belly to feel the satisfaction. If this happens, then you know that you 1) ate too much 2) felt like you got your moneys worth. That's all you can look toward in AYCE restaurants.
Cons: We waited nearly forty minutes to be seated and valet was $5. If it weren't for that, this place definitely would receive five stars.
I normally dine on the westside, considering I live on that side of the hill. I wish this place was closer to me, but lemme tell ya - the travel and the wait time is WORTH IT.
I've reviewed other sushi places, and I'm just suprised that this place somehow manages to stay in business. Everything ordered is MADE FRESH, not like a buffet-style where it could easily be out for long periods of time. Comparing Light House Buffet in Santa Monica and Midori Sushi - Midori Sushi just kamikaze's Light House Buffet out of the planet.
My group of 3 originally went to the Encino location, but the wait time at 8:30pm on a Friday night was an hour wait. ick. We had called up the Sherman Oaks location down the street, and they claimed it was only 10-15 minutes. So we rush over there.
We arrive around 8:45 or so, and there's at least 4 groups ahead of us - two groups with 4 or above people. So we wait. And wait. And wait. There's a few couples that get seated before we do. Grrr. Oh - did I mention this place officially closes at 10:30pm, and last call to order sushi is 10:15pm.
So, by the time everyone else was seated, it was around 9:30pm. Crap. So we order practically everything upfront.
We received the food quickly, and it was SO FRESH and DELICIOUS! I savored in the subtle flavors as best as I could for the time I had.
So despite the SUPER LONG wait, this place still deserves 5 stars. The freshness for the price is just unbelieveable. Again, I'm wondering how this place stays in business with the AYCE option. I'm not going to question, but only to come here again.
Not just the best all you can eat sushi, Midori Sushi is the best Sushi hands down. I've eaten at different sushi places and I am absolutely amazed by how good they make it here. The only thing that I don't like is the 1 hour limit on eating, but it kind of makes it fun and intense, like a race to see if you can get full before the time's up.
I'm having an "I miss LA" kind of day and thinking about all the amazing sushi...
Midori is one of my favorites. The all-you-can-eat deal is not at all as dodgy as it sounds- it's actually fantastic. Go with a small group so you can share, which allows you to get a taste of a lot more.
My best experiences have been sitting at the sushi bar rather than a private table. The chefs will make recommendations, and not in an effort to up-sell, but to really offer you the freshest and best items they have that night. I've had the most amazing mackerel by recommendation of the lovely fellahs here! Highly highly recommended.
I've gone to another Midori's restaurant on the same street in Studio City, and I have to say that my experience at this location was just as great. The only big difference I really saw was that the service here was actually quite better than the other location.
If you get a table, again, everyone must order AYCE ($26... $32-33 with tax and tip), and you have an hour to consume as much sushi and Japanese appetizers as you'd like. My friends and I crave nigiri, so we loaded up on Hawaiian mackerel, salmon, tuna, yellowtail, and albacore. We also tried some of their rolls. I recommend their Dragon Roll... it was a great blend of eel with the CA roll.
Usually it's an hour time limit, but they didn't impose that on us at all (It might have been because we started at 8:30PM, close to when they were closing). We ate a good 9 plates of food, and everyone was very satisfied. The service was very friendly and always checked up on us to see if we needed anything.
I would say go here for some of the freshest sushi possible at a good price. Although it's one of the more expensive meals you'll consume, it's worth a visit every now and then. Parking is available on Ventura and a small lot outside... which usually gets full so valet ($5) is almost forced onto you.
Oh god, I had so much sushi I was ready to PUKE after leaving. It's not b/c the food was bad or anything. On the contrary, it was b/c everything was so amazing and fresh. I couldn't stop stuffing my mouth with Hawaiian mackerel, salmon, halibut, yellowtail, yellowtail collar, and white fish. Oh, and their miso soup was so good. It really hit the spot b/c the weather had been pretty chilly lately and I needed something to warm me up!
I didn't like that I had to finish the rice that came with the sushi, but hey I can't really complain. If they only made us finish the slabs of fish and not the rice, they'd be out of business. Also, know that you must finish everything you ordered before you can order again. One more thing: you only have 1 hour to get all the food you want. So for those of you who are thinking about staying for 2-3 hours, you can forget about it!
The lunch price for AYCE is $5 cheaper than dinner. Go before 3PM to get charged for lunch. Just know that if you do this, you may not be able to order a couple of things on their menu like the yellowtail collar (I LOVE THIS STUFF).
In terms of parking, you can park in the lot and pay $5 or valet, or go on a Sunday and get street parking. I was about to get valet until I saw a metered spot open up and parked there instead! Woo hoo, saved myself some $$$!
The service in general was pretty quick. I thought they would try to linger around and waste your 1 hour, but nope, they didn't anything shady like that. Towards the end of the night it was harder to get the people's attention b/c they sort of went into the back of the restaurant and started cleaning up, but I was still able to order some food.
I won't be going back for a while b/c I'm sort of sick of sushi right now, but when I have another strong craving for AYCE sushi, Midori will definitely be on that short list of places I'd go to!!!
I have pretty mixed feelings about Midori.
The place is pretty awesome because it's decent sushi for All You Can Eat. That would be the way to sum up the place. I think if you were to go a la carte here, you would be pretty disappointed because you'd be able to get higher quality sushi for the same price.
But when it comes to all-you-can-eat... Have at it! Get the most for your buck and enjoy it!
The thing that irks me the most about this place are the sauces. There's just something off about them... not like the flavors that you get at other sushi restaurants. For example: Their eel sauce tastes more like katsu sauce as opposed to what I'm familiar too as "eel sauce".
This is kind of a big deal, because many rolls are topped with eel sauce, and I'm not feeling the katsu sauce on my sushi too much.
But still... It's all-you-can-eat. So, it's a small price to pay for the amount of food you may be consuming. If anything, you can just stick to nigiri sushi all night!
12
26
It's an all you can eat Sushi place. However, the fish tasted like what a band-aid smells like. Not the most appetizing if you can imagine.
I ordered: Aji http://www.yelp.com/bi... (which was pretty good) but because it was not on the all you can eat menu I was only allowed (1) order of it. Ono http://www.yelp.com/bi... (not very appetizing) we only ordered once. Unagi http://www.yelp.com/bi... (2x) this is probably hands down the reason I'd go back! I love the sauce they use, however, the eel sushi itself would have probably been bland. Spicy Scallop hand roll http://www.yelp.com/bi... was delicious!! I wish I had room for more than one. Sunset Roll- Was delicious! and Rainbow roll began to taste like my Salmon and Tuna orders. http://www.yelp.com/bi... (which began to get me sick). I enjoyed the spicy Tuna Tartare' on top of the crispy rice delicious- I've forgotten what that is called but here is a photo of it...someone else took. http://www.yelp.com/bi... it's prepared cut into fours so you're not overwhelmed when it gets to your table. I also ordered tempura & was saddened they did not really have a desert menu.
My overall experience was excellent. I'll definitely be back but knowing what to order is important when eating here. Happy eating!Xx
This is the 2nd Midori location I've been to. We sat at the bar and received some pretty good service by the chef. Sushi was great while we were eating it.
Then after several hours later, i got sick. I'm still giving this place 3 stars because the sushi tasted great as i was eating them. I probably won't be back at this location, but definitely will get my sushi fix at Midori in Encino!
This place is definetly the bomb dot com! I'm from Hawai'i so I'm very particular about my sushi, especially when it comes to the freshness of the fish and the fish to rice ratio and, I must say, this place passes both tests with flying colors. I haven't had this rude service that people speak of but I guess service would come off rude since they're constantly so busy. Parking kinda sucks but I can usually find street parking. You can opt for the valet parking, which should show how good this place is cause where else can you get valet parking in a strip mall right next to a frickin 7/11?!
The selection for the all you can eat menu is amazing and if you were to go anywhere else, for the amount of food you get and the quality, it'd be over $100 easy! The appetizers are also part of the all you can eat so I'm always getting the calamari ! And make sure you try the Kamikaze roll! Mmmmmm...OK, enough talk, I'm heading there now!! The only thing I'd say is missing is dessert! Midori, please add some tempura ice cream or maybe some mochi ice cream to your menu!!! Thank you!
I love this place. A strip mall sushi joint that's truly all you can eat. To top it off the food rocks!
Everything you can ask for from Unagi to Scallops to Seared Tuna, you name it, they have it, AND it's all you can eat! Did I mention that yet?
The most fun part? They will charge you for anything you don't finish. Why is this fun? You will end up staring down your friends, and issuing challenges like, "Okay, I'm ordering another plate of rolls, are you man (or woman) enough to take it on with me? Whatcha got? Bring it!" If you don't finish you lose money, so this really becomes a "put up or shut up" moment. hehe
My last trip there we rounded it off with a game of Credit Card Roulette. This is where everyone puts their credit cards upside down at the edge of the table. The waitress is told to choose one at random, and that person pays for everyone. My friend, who offered up this brilliant game, for the shaft. Hehe we laughed and laughed, but felt bad so we bought him drinks the rest of the night out as a sort of way of making up for his misfortune.
Love this spot, quality food, good staff. You'll love it!
I thought the rolls had too much rice, it overpowered the flavor of the sushi. I hope its not a trick to get you full faster. Either than that it was really good.
Good quality for all you can eat. It's made to order too, so it's not like a bunch of sushi sitting out for a while like at a buffet.
The uni and sweet shrimp, you could only order one each, but everything else was unlimited - including appetizers - but why waste your stomach on that when you can have more sushi!
The $26 was DEFINITELY WORTH IT. Would've spent 2 or 3 times that much at any other sushi place and not have been full. I was stuffed after eating here, and actually had trouble w/ my last few pieces.
One thing that I wasn't a huge fan of was that the pieces of sushi were all pre-cut. I assume it was because they had to make it fast since it was all you can eat and people kept ordering fast / a lot.
Go here.
Good food, good atmosphere, a bit pricey but worth it. Loved the calamari.. its was different, but loved it. I've been to many Japanese restaurants and this place had the best shrimp tempura ever. The one I had today melted in my mouth and was bursting with flavor (yeah i know shrimp tempura with lots of flavor, hard to believe but true). I'd have to go here a few more times because this day could have been the day things were good. You know how that is, you go to a place, everything goes well and the next time you go there, everything goes to shit, the service gets bad and the food tastes different, like you went to another place or something so stay tuned, so far so good that's why i gave it 3 stars. We had calamari, shrimp tempura with vegetables (melted in my mouth, best Shrimp tempura ever), rainbow roll and the B.S.C. roll. ALL TASTED FRESH.
I would have to say that this is the best AYCE sushi place, I come here many many times and for only $25.95 a person, that is well worth it! Just make sure you come here hungry so you can try the entire menu. I recommend the Clipper roll for the people who arent into raw fish. Their nigiri isnt always the freshest but they cut you a thick slice for a small ball of rice. Overall, I love this place and highly recommened!
I love this placeeeee, down to the cheesy engrish on their webpage that says " EAT ME ALL" in all caps. YES I WILL EAT YOU ALL. The all-you-can-order sushi dinner here is the best I've had! Everything is made to order so the fish stays fresh. I guarantee this will be the best $25.95 you've ever spent on sushi!
The B.S.C. Baked Scallop Roll is a must!!!! And the ama-ebi (sweet shrimp) is so much better than your regular shrimp. Savor those little sea critters though because it's limited to one order per person, and they don't offer it for the lunch buffet.
trying a new short approach here.
Love this place. All-you-can-eat sushi(in an hour) for $25.95. Fresh sushis made to order. Rice in Nigiris not too big and fish are cut in good portions. Good selections of Nigiris and also specialty rolls. Includes some premium items such as Uni, amae ebi, and salmon roe at limit of 1 order per customer. Good Value, service is decent. Stop seating for AYCE around 30min before closing and last order for AYCE around 15 min before closing.
Note: if you sit at a table(does not apply at sushi bar), either everyone or noone orders all you can eat. That's the rule.
Tip: Go on weekdays if you can...far less wait. Sit at the bar if you can...order turn around way faster. parking can be an issue from time to time unless you know the "secret" parking.
I'm not a fan of All-You-Can-Eat Sushi because in my opinion I think it's crap, but OMG I'm in love with Midori. Came here on a weekend night and it was packed. Had to wait, but didn't mind because that just means I will have a bigger appetite to eat more food.
At $25.95 per person and unlimited orders of YUMMY appetizers, TASTY specialty rolls, and GOOD QUALITY sushi - now that's heaven! Food is prepared after you order so it's not like those buffet type places and service here is excellent, very friendly and they even gave us recommendations on what we should order. Food came out fast, we chowed down, ordered more, and the next batch came out within minutes now that's what makes me smile.
I will definitely come back if I'm in the area but I don't think I'm willing to sit in 2 or more hours of traffic just to go to Sherman Oaks from Long Beach.
A perfect place to pig out on sushi. ALL YOU CAN EAT BABYYYY!!!
Good selection of rolls and nigiri. We ordered a bunch of different rolls, all were pretty good, and tons of nigiri, which have pretty generous slabs of fish. I loved the cucumber salad as well! My friends have been a few times and advised for us to sit at the sushi bar so we can get our food faster than the fools sitting at tables. lol!!
Seriously though, you gotta come hungry and mentally prepare yourself. Go big or go home. You really should eat a lot considering the price, but that shouldn't be too hard. Two rolls, some nigiri, and you're already over $26!
I wish there was a place like this in the Bay area....or maybe not, because I'd bring my friends there to pig out all the time. ;P
Great sushi but service could have been better..
ILL be back to visit again..hope service will be better next time
Went with an eager friend with the express intent of doing some damage. We did the all you can eat and ordered about $80+ worth of delights, but couldn't finish it all. The experience can vary depending on which waiter/waitress you work with. The first one we ordered from was a gal, maybe Thai? who didn't put in our entire order. Second, we ordered from another Asian guy that was super efficient and even managed to bump us up in the order chain. Owner came out a few times to check on customers which was a nice touch.
We ordered:
Tempura- Nothing special 3/5
Gyoza- One of my favorites, though fried instead of grilled. 5/5
Cucumber Sunomono- Never came
Miso Soup- Standard
Tuna- Satisfactory
Seared Tuna- Bleh
Salmon- Don't think this ever came
Mackerel- Friend was satisfied
Albacore- Never came
Scallop- Covered in mayo 3/5
Uni- Yummmy as always 5/5
Ikura (Salmon Roe)- Didn't come the first time, but sent it back anyway. 1/5
Salmon Skin Roll- Decent, could use more salmon skin
Alaskan Roll- 5/5 My favorite!!!
BSC- A bit too much mayo-ed scallop. I think they messed up and used only a fake crab roll instead of a California roll
Dragon Roll- never came
Rainbow Roll- decent
Shrimp Tempura Roll- decent
Baja Roll- didn't finish
Ginger Roll- didn't finish, but certainly a unique taste
God! I love this place. I sometimes plan my days off around coming to this place. This is the BEST AYCE Sushi bars in Los Angeles. They have a few other locations that are just as good. Parking can be tough but just drive around and you'll find something.
The sushi is quite good, even compared to non-AYCE restaurants. They also have some great hot dishes like Teriyaki, Tempura, salads and Jalepeno Bombs! Geez, my stomach is growling as I write this review.
Anyhow, I like to go with a group of friends for dinner. I like the weird stuff like Uni. You can only order one order per person of those special items like Uni and Salmon Roe. So, if I go with 8 people, I'll order 8 orders of Uni and eat them all. That is 16 pieces of Uni!!! I will share with those in my group who are adventurous but I usually scare them away so I can have all the uni. Yes, I have done that and their uni is worth it.
They also have lots and lots of rolls. They're crazy about rolls. Sometimes I have to remind myself not to go to crazy about their rolls, especially when I go for lunch. I think the price is $25 for lunch, after tip and $30 for dinner after tip. I don't drink so that will add to your bill.
I usually come here for weekend lunch to avoid crowds but decided to try dinner for once. It was definitely a mistake, the sushi portions were definitely not as great as lunch time...a lot more rice and very thin slices of fish during dinner. The rice filled me up so fast that I couldn't really order seconds. Also, the sushi chef somehow drenched the same sesame-acidy sauce on all of the fish, thus made all the different kinds of yummy fish taste the same and actually kinda yucky. Service-wise, unlike lunchtime, it is hard to flag down a waiter for water etc. The only time a waiter came by is to give us the check. I've had better experience here before and am sad to say this place's lost my love.
Unlike some other sushi joints, Midori gives you a generous portion of fish (fish to rice ratio is… Read more »
The weekday all-you-can-eat lunch option is amazing! Many choices of nigiri and very good quality, which is why nigiri is the majority of what we usually order. Mackerel, yellowtail, tuna, salmon, albacore, etc were all top-notch. We also really like the salmon skin salad. The ~$26/person is on the pricey side, but the quality is well worth it, and especially if you eat a lot.
Don't let the "all you can eat" scare you away from Midori.
For a hungry hungry hippo, this place is great. All sorts of sushi/rolls/apps/specials on the AYCE menu. Rules are rules, 1 hour/$25 each, blah blah. I love it. Standouts were salmon sushi, tuna crisp, edamame, some baked scallop rolls.
Good atmosphere, super quick and great service. 'Nuf said!
I typically equate all-you-can-eat restaurants to not-so-classy bbqs at the park. Sure there's lots of food, but it's all been sitting around for hours and doesn't look to good by the time you're ready scoop up a pile of it.
This place was surprisingly better than most all-you-can-eat joints. They make the food when you order it so that solves a big part of the problem. The actual quality of the sushi isn't as good as other places, but if you're coming here you're obviously trying to eat on the cheap. What did you really expect?
One weird thing about this place, they require you to eat all your rice. I don't think I've ever been to a more carb-friendly restaurant before. It's all obviously to fill you up on cheap rice as opposed to their pricier fish, but still that was a bit odd.
Mind you, this is still all you can eat sushi, so you aren't getting the absolute best fish in town...but you are getting a hell of a lot of it and it's really pretty good.
Pro: all you can eat for a reasonalbe price, big slices of fish on the nigiri (not so big you can't eat them, but good sized). More than just the basics - you can try some tasty specialty rolls, good seared tuna, and (limited) sea urchin and sweet shrimp included.
Con : you are forced to eat a lot of rice - no sashimi and the nigiri/rolls have plenty. You can't leave it on your plate either so prepare to carb up. Ordering most of the appetizers is probably a mistake - the sesame chicken was dry and tasted way to floury...but you pretty much have to eat everything or pay extra.
That said, most the cons are related to cost saving measures, which I'm down with to have a decent place for AYCE sushi. We went early and had no wait, and sat at the bar and got served everything by very friendly and professional staff.
Wow, what else is there needed to say about this place? Before Yelp, my uneducated palate thought that Todai was what sushi was all about.
Yes, I have made amends and have educated myself in the fine food that is sushi. Yes, this place isn't a super trendy upscale place, but the food, oh the food.
You only go here for AYCE sushi. Don't come for anything else. You get that, you basically feed yourself and your party for days. Be warned though, your ENTIRE party has to order AYCE, or you will not be eligible for it. You also have to finish EVERYTHING or they will charge you AYCE and the price of each unfinished item.
The couple of times I've been here, we just order our hearts content. I'm lucky I have friends who can eat. So, we just eat like there's no tomorrow. The sushi is really fresh and they make everything as you order. So, nothing is waiting for you to pick it, you choose it, they make it.
I can't wait to go back and try EVERY single roll on the menu. Who's game?
I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed my food here!
Yes, The Italian accompanied me and this time, we brought his brother, The Italian II (who is very much a sushi lover like myself).
Even though it's all you can eat, we knew we wouldn't quite consume enough to take advantage of the $24.99 per person price. So, we opted for the a la carte sushi menu, which was very satisfying and still made us unbuckle our belts a notch.
We ordered our favorites:
Miso Soup (large with just enough chunks of tofu)
Edamame (very large helping & enough for 2-3 people to share; just the right amount of salt)
Rainbow Roll
Baked Salmon Roll
Caterpillar Roll
(Note: All the rolls had 8-10 pieces each and all of them were so large we could not fit the whole piece in our mouths.)
For a Monday night, the place was full and we now know why. The sushi was fresh, the service was warm and friendly, and we walked out of there completely satisfied.
Amazing and delicious place. I highly recommend it!
Went to LA and looked for the closest sushi buffet around. This place turned out to be authentic and tasty.
We got the all you can eat seats at the sushi bar and the atmosphere was welcoming and friendly as we ate. Chef's were entertaining and comedic while they provided us with the best sushi ive tasted for an "all you can eat" deal.
Top picks: Seared tuna, The Ono and the Urchin. Roll-wise - the Burner roll was aight.
Cons: long wait to get seats and the all you can eat only last an hour.
other than that, this place is high quality - great tasting sushi. I say dont even waste time on the Rolls, the nigiri should be enough to satisfy. Plus the rolls with fill you up and youll get swindled IMHO.
Mmmm.. sushi... yum.
The service here was excellent... from the sushi chefs to the bus boys, excellent service. The chef was friendly and was quick with my orders. The bus boy was awesome with refilling my water and my green tea whenever needed.
The fish was good. I only had two things: tuna sashimi ($13) and albacore belly ($5.50). Both were good. The albacore belly was actually served a bit differently than other places. The chef used a little chili oil in the sauce which was amazing! Mmm-mmmm. And their sushi is served in three servings instead of 2. That was nice. I've been eating small meals lately so with these two orders I was stuffed. I was bummed I couldn't order more.
So basically, the sushi was 3 stars but they get an extra star for the service.
This place MUST be good if there's the same F'N restaurant down the damn road only 1 mile down!
All you can eat sushi with a time limit? That's like saying... Kim Kardashian will strip naked for you but will only touch your wiener once and give you a handshake afterwards. SHIIIIIIT!
Nonetheless... it was pretty awesome still and the sushi selection seemed top notch. All the sushi we ordered was good but the ones that stuck out for me were:
Alaskan Roll
Crunch Roll
Laker Roll
405 Roll
Vegas Roll
DAMMIT... all the damn rolls.
Everything else like the service was also decent... they just need to get rid of the time limit... but I guess I could understand cause that place would go out of business quick if it was like that all the time.
Neighborhood: Studio City
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Encino
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Sherman Oaks
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Sherman Oaks
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Pasadena
Category: Japanese
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
Places actually worth checking out in the SFV. No…
tired of the WIDESPREAD chain restaurants? these…
...When I was a young, vibrant Bruin, my friends…
My favorite type of food to eat. I love food but…
i'm poor and i like to eat. it is a conflict of…
My local dry cleaner, watering hole, deli, cafe,…
Because it's Saturday night and you want to wine…
