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Nami Sushi
Rating Details »
Category: Sushi Bars [Edit]
Neighborhood: Sherman Oaks4454 Van Nuys Blvd
#0
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
(818) 986-7060
- Hours:
Mon-Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Mon-Thu. 4:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Fri. 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Fri. 4:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sat. 12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Sat. 4:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Sun. 4:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good for:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
21 reviews for Nami Sushi
Always fresh sushi. For great service and a true experience sit at the sushi bar. This place uses real crab meat for their rolls, only place that I know that does this.
Great happy hour, friendly service, a definite must go for slightly more expensive budget sushi but not so expenisve sushi.
i didn't love this place.
there's amazing sushi all around, so i won't ever choose nami over katsu-ya, midori or maki yaki 2, for example.
the fish was unimpressive, the selection limited and unoriginal, the service was not bad but not great.
i really prefer sushi that tastes incredible without adding soy sauce. didn't get that here.
Go for happy hour.
If you don't, you are a fool.
My words are gold. Heed.
Sushi is good, not GREAT; however, it is always FRESH and that's a 4-stars in my book. Come here for the happy hour (Sun - Thurs from 5-7pm) and certain items are 50% off.
Two words - Happy Hour. Nami has incredible Happy Hour deals!
The sushi at Nami is very fresh. The sushi chefs are very personable (Hi John!) and they always have great recommendations. It's not Katsuya, but it's a great Valley spot. We're moving away from the area next week and we'll miss our random stop in's to Nami.
I just went here for lunch and they have a great Lunch special deal too!
This place keeps getting better and better! Better than a bento box their specials are oh sooooo good. larger portions make Kevin a happy boy!
And to top it off I had my oyster shot which is the best oyster shot anywhere!
40 bucks for 3 people and 3 special orders is a steal. The servers of course remembered us and gave us the same excellent service as always. Thanks you Nami! One day I'll go to your Sake tastings, one day!
I always enjoy this place!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
1/19/2009
Ok, for being a fan of sushi this is my first review of a sushi restaurant, but for my first I am… Read more »
Is Nami the absolute bestest sushi in LA? No, but it's pretty darn good, the staff is fantastic, the restaurant is spacious, well-kept and soothing, it's easy to park, and their happy hour (I believe it's currently Sun.-Thurs. from 5-7 pm)--in which many items are 2 for 1--is truly amazing.
My boyfriend and I have gone multiple times and have had to take sushi home afterward each time because our eyes were bigger than our stomachs. We stuffed ourselves silly each time, had leftovers, and paid about $45 for the entire meal (no alcohol, just tea & soda).
Love the spicy crab rolls, not a big fan of the salmon. Overall though, it's a great place with some great dishes and a super-great deal!
Average for Off-sushi row. Rolls are big and it's usually not crowded. Draft saporro is cheap but the sushi didn't really impress me.
LOVE HAPPY HOUR!!!
The sushi is always so fresh and the waitresses are always super friendly. It's a great deal too because the meal comes with soup, salad, and fruit at the end. Sometimes the sushi chef surprises us with an extra side as well. I definately love this place :)
Not many sushi places I know have a happy hour so that part is amazing. I haven't been able to make the 5 to 7pm time slot but when I did it was well worth it. The rolls are really simple for happy hour so 2 or 3 of them will fill you up. The give you miso soup and at end of your meal you get this cute cut up orange!
I never mind sitting at the bar because the staff is friendly and TV is always on sports.
The easy parking is great as well.
Ok, Yelp has lead me down a few good paths, but some...well...some lead to Nami. This place is ok. It's not great. I guess I should have known when I realized that it's next to the worst Mongolian BBQ in the city, but I try to reserve judgment on strip mall establishments - you never know when you might find a gem!
This wasn't one. It's not 4 stars, that's for damn sure. And I guess it could be 3 stars if you like sushi, but you've never really had AWESOME sushi. I've had said spectacular sushi, and it wasn't here. Here wasn't even close. I don't like when I try to bite into my sushi (I take them in two bites, I have a little mouth) and I end up having a wrestling match with a piece of toro that just WILL NOT bifurcate. The cucumber salad needed more rice vinegar. The Nami roll was good, but not fantastic. The wait staff was nice - but I think someone must have called in sick, or they need to hire more people, because she seemed really busy and flustered...and there weren't that many tables seated at 6:00 pm on a Friday. Our salads, miso soup and tempura all came at the same time, which was fine. Then all our sushi and rolls were brought to the table, all at the same time, only 5 minutes after the tempura. It was overwhelming, and I hate for my fish to have to sit and wait for me. If anything, I should be waiting for it to be carefully handcrafted.
To top off a mediocre experience, my bf put a piece of our little dessert orange in his mouth and made this face - it was all seedy and pithy. Juicy and sweet, yes, but not easy to eat. It's the little things, you know?
I went on a Friday night around 8pm. and the parking lot was pretty full because the place is in a strip mall setting. The outside of the place blended in with the rest of the strip mall, so nothing extraordinary.
The greeter was very attentive, and we were seated as soon as we walked in. It was about 75% to 80% full of customers. The inside of Nami was pleasant, clean, and indicative of a sushi place. There were a couple of large tv screens, and a Lakers basketball game was being shown. The sushi bar seated about ten to twelve people.
I forgot the name of the sushi roll that I ordered, but it had spicy tuna and salmon. Tasted great. Miso soup was part of every dinner order, and it did not disappoint me. The teriyaki beef was very tender, flavorful, almost on the sweet side. The tempura was average.
Our waitress was average in attentiveness, but friendly.
The spacing of the dinner tables was ideal for me. There was enough space from other tables to hear conversations with those at your table, and have enough room to spread out.
I would definitely return to this restaurant.
We love this new find, including my 8 year old! The atmosphere, service and food are addicting. With the numerous choices of sushi places in our Sherman Oaks neighborhood, Nami is #1. Our daughter has renamed it Yumi Sushi!
Every dish is brilliant in color, super fresh and delicious. The service is very attentive and always available. Presentation of dishes is beautiful and portion size is large.
We highly recommend Nami (Yumi) Sushi..........
Nice sushi place in a nice street. When I first saw the shopping center, I didn't expect much. The buildings looked like they needed a new paint job to keep up with the times. Nami is nestled in the back of the shopping center, behind the In-N-Out. The title is pretty easily legible in big bright red letters.
I guess with most japanese restaurants the environment is pretty clean and nice looking. Nami did not disappoint. LCD TVs for the basketball game and nice 3-D looking tables. We used some gift certificates and got complimentary salad and miso soup. Pretty normal tasting. The sushi was not bad, sake was good, and it was a pretty typical delicious japanese eating. We went on a weekday. There was no wait and the price was not too bad. If you are looking for good sushi, don't want to pay high prices, and eat well, here you go!
Every time I make the grueling 45 minute drive through L.A. traffic to see my beau and we're in the mood for sushi, we come here: to the amazing Nami Sushi! My boyfriend brought me here for my birthday a year ago, and we've been faithful patrons since. DISCLAIMER: By no means do I consider myself a sushi connoisseur or anything of the sort. I'm just a gal who appreciates good food and fresh flavor.
And Nami has yet to disappoint me in terms of quality or freshness of their ingredients so much, sometimes it's hard to stop eating when the tantalizing delicacies are mere inches away from my salivating face. I blame the chefs dammit. They'll whip up your every desire with the greatest of ease. We're talking smooth cuts of choice seafood. I'll even excuse that minor episode with the uni a while back cause uni just isn't my forte.
Prices can seem steep at first glance, but remember: you're paying for quality. Happy hour is a true bargain though. We came away stuffed for less than $35 with tip and tax for two people.
Each cut roll is approximately 6-8 thick slices, though not so big you resemble a squirrel packing nuts in your cheeks; just enough to fill your mouth with absolute goodness. Nigiri is equally satisfying with a ratio of 70% meat, 30% rice. All dishes are mini works of art and come with just the right amount of accompanying sauces. A complimentary bowl of hot miso soup at the start of the meal adds a nice welcoming touch too.
Word of advice: when going to a sushi bar, stick to the sushi. The yakitori sticks we tried last time were strange... edible, but strange.
Did I mention the service here is flawless?
On a typical night 2-3 chefs man the bar while a handful of waiters/waitresses attend to everything else. Even at it's busiest, Nami manages to provide a relaxing, 'down-to-earth' atmosphere that's hard to beat. No strict rules to follow. No dirty glances if you eat in non-traditional fashion. And best of all- no sushi Nazis. Empty plates are quickly whisked away while the next entree is presented. A refill for your drink? No problem. If the staff doesn't spot it the first time around, the chef will take care of you on the double. The chefs themselves are just awesome and uber friendly. Lately we've been graced by a fellow with glasses who grew up in Japan. A sample of our amusing conversation:
Gene: (the surfing addict) "How's the surf in Japan?"
Chef: "It's pretty good. Comparable to the surf in Malibu at times."
Me: "You couldn't get me in the water if you paid me. Aren't you
afraid of sharks?"
Gene: "Pft. You have a better chance of being struck by lightning than
being attacked by a shark."
Chef: "And besides, I'll just surf while holding my knife like this"
*poses with a blade* "and make sashimi out of them."
*Laughter all around*
The people that dine here know their sushi. So while nigiri is the popular choice, the rolls are also noteworthy. My kanpachi fetish was born here. And don't even get me started on that melt-in-your-mouth unagi: plump with just the right amount of fat to impart flavor. Give in to their ankimo (monkfish liver) and be sure to gorge on the daily specials. Spicy tuna and salmon skin rolls are a must.
Nami Sushi... why do you have to be so far away? Writing about you makes me hungry. And that makes me a sad, little Yelper.
Type: restaurant; Asian fusion; sushi
My husband and I decided to check Nami out purely because of their coupon offer in the local Clipper magazine. Yelpers gave it 4-stars, but we were still hesitant. He's a sushi snob and usually only likes the traditional whole-in-the-wall places. Plus just because someone likes sushi, it doesn't mean they can tell the difference between fresh and unfresh sushi.
But since we're sort of new to SFV and needed to test the waters eventually, we gave Nami a chance. It was fairly quiet for a Saturday night and our server and sushi chef were very attentive. We order three rolls - only one of which I remember the name of haha (Alaskan Roll). There was another roll that had shrimp tempera and crab that was totally yummy. All of them came in plates with some kinda of sauce on it. We don't typically like that, as it's a sign they're trying to cover up the lack of freshness in the fish (ever notice every sushi item at Midori's is spicy or saucy?).
In any case, I was pretty surprised, when my sushi-Nazi hubby actually said Nami was "pretty good"! Not fabulous, as he's a harsh critic, but "pretty good" by his standards is probably a 5+ star on most others' scale.
I noticed they offered happy hour specials on yakitori, so we'll definitely need to make a return visit :-)
I've only been once, but was very, very happy. Service was fast and friendly, the special rolls were pricey but large, and the calamari was some of the best I've ever had. I'm pretty sure we'll go back for dinner and I'm positive we'll go in for happy hour some day (1/2 price appetizers and drink specials).
This has become my new favorite sushi spot. I used to come in here for the happy hour which is great. But one day I had the urge to just let the chef create for me without ordering. This is omakase style, a style that lets sushi chefs give you their best and freshest offerings. I am an old style sushi eater. I'm not into fried sushi that has been smothered with mayonaise and then drenched with different sauces. I like good old fashioned nigiri sushi and sashimi. When I told the chef this, he did not disappoint. I proceeded to eat one of the best meals I have ever eaten and never once ordered a thing. Offerings included fresh sea urchin and snow crab in a martini glass with a sweet vinegar, the best kampachi sashimi lightly dusted with a special japanese seasoning, marinated big eye tuna, seared albacore....I could go on and on. The cool thing was that I never needed to use soy sauce. He put special light seasoning or marinade on it that did not change the flavor of the fish but only helped enhance its delicate flavor. The bill is always very very reasonable and the staff is the friendliest I've ever met.
Not bad,, went there about a week ago and the first thing i remember from my experience was the service was good.. friendly staff and very informative..Had their terriyaki chicken dinner and it was good,, notting to complain about here,, Good sake,, not bad if you are looking for somewhere informal but decent setting to enjoy dinner,, Location is in a shopping plaza so the outside atmostphere is nothing to brag about but the inside is pretty much as any other japanese restaurant..
Our evening dinner started well enough with a smiling waitress and a crisp salad, hot miso soup, and a fresh seaweed salad. We ordered mussels, the sashimi dinner, and termpura w/beef teriyaki. The mussels were kind of meh, overloaded with sauce, but okay. The sashimi had decent salmon and yellowtail, but the tuna didn't seem to be particularly fresh. The tempura was average, although the beef teriyaki had a nice char and the sauce was good. I guess the problem began with our having a gift certificate that allowed the restaurant to force a mandatory 18% tip, because after we showed the certificate and we got our food, it was very difficult to get the waitress' attention again. We kept having to flag down the waterlady for more tea, then containers for our food, then finally our bill. It ruins a dinner when instead of enjoying conversation, you have to keep looking for service and your annoyance builds when no one comes around for a while--or when they do, they are servicing another party and ignores you. In the end, I didn't feel they deserved the mandatory 18% tip, which they applied to the tax as well. Needless to say, we will not return here again.
YAY for the local sushi restaurant that's walking distance from my house! Went to this place because I got a 15% off coupon in the mail. I knew it was promising when I saw how little fine print there was (didn't exclude weekends, or alcohol). We sat at the bar and could tell we were in a great place - the quality of the fish in the case was fantastic. We had two stand-out items - the spicy tuna on crispy rice, which is sooo good with the thin slice of jalapeno on top, and then the salmon/cucumber roll. I don't usually order salmon, but it looked so pretty in and fresh in the case. The best part was the green onion sauce that they served with it - it was subtle and fresh and took the dish to a whole 'nother level. We will definitely be back here (hopefully with another coupon)!
