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Categories: Sushi Bars, Japanese [Edit]
Neighborhood: DowntownMon-Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Mon-Thu. 5:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri. 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Fri. 5:30 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sat. 5:30 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 5:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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To see a complete with with video, please visit http://www.SushiLush.com.
The fish was nothing short of excellent. I had read mixed reviews previous to our lunch and was certainly more judgmental than usual. The tuna melted off my tongue and the albacore (a growing favorite of mine for it sustainability) was very good. The low note was only the mackerel, which was a bit too pungent for my taste. With the exception of the mackerel, the quality of the fish was better than Toshi and the meal was less expensive.
LA's Little Secret
A sushi restaurant hidden between a couple buildings, in the most unlikely place, = GOOD SUSHI
The fish is extrodinarily fresh, the dishes: traditional sushi preparation w/a twist.
the amaebi just melted in my mouth.... they have a special menu, but i would stick to the sushi/sashimi. the beef was a little over-cooked, although full flavored, and it took forever for the kitchen to bring it out.
the service was exceptional, whenever our tea cups were even 1/4 empty, there was someone to come and refill it right away.
we sat at the sushi bar, and got great tips from the chefs... =)
Obscure area, but the place is nice for a date or gals catching up for dinner. Good for groups too but the price range is high for that.
Get the crab salad, its their special dish, and we got the seared scallops on the shell, which was very tasty. Everything else sort of was ok.
Excellent, again. As usual. Santa Barbaran friends were impressed that there were places as high quality and high voltage as this in downtown LA.
I took my wife here for her birthday dinner earlier this week, and it was wonderful. It's a combination restaurant, lounge, and gallery, so the art on the wall is excellent. We ordered an assortment of sushi -- a couple of rolls, and a bunch of items -- as well as miso soup. It was absolutely delicious. Presented well on a large serving slab -- and extremely fresh.
Prices were reasonable for the quality of food and service, but it could run $30/person. We didn't drink, and we skipped dessert.
Word is it's called R23 because it's along the railroad tracks between 2nd and 3rd streets. It's in an old railroad loading dock.
The sinks in the bathroom have these neat pump-like water faucets. And even though the Web site doesn't offer reservations for fewer than four, they still took mine -- I chose four and then indicated it'd be two in the notes...
I'd go back in a minute.
R23 what a unique name for a sushi place....
Hmm! Must have a story behind it. Don't you think?
Well, it means; Rail Road between 2nd and 3rd St. Bet you didn't know that one.....
As you can see from the address, it's in Japanese town and for those of you who don't know. Japanese town pretty much starts from the bridge towards downtown. When most people that think Japanese town, they think Japanese plaza, but NOOOO! It's the opposite of alameda right by those new condos.
So now that you know where it is, let's get back to the good stuff....
Ok this place has valet parking and is in a small alley where a train would pass through some time ago. The place is small; it's in an old brick building that was probably a warehouse at one point. As you walk in, you quickly get the impression of a nice and probably expensive place. When we walked in the floor squeaked as only laminate wood floor can. We were quickly greeted and led to the sushi bar. As we approached the bar I noticed art paintings on the wall and the cardboard chairs. That's right, CARDBOARD CHAIRS!!!! WTF! (Can they hold me up?)
So by now, im sure you get the "artsy fartsy" point I'm trying to make.
After tripping about the chairs we sat and I noticed that the sushi chefs were Japanese... yaaaaay! Again, I can practice my Nihongo!
I quickly started with my Japanese and the guys were tripping and treated us a little bit better than at first. I was told that happy hour was till 7pm. That's $6dollar pitchers and 99cent mugs of Sapporo and a few eat specials like the Ceviche. The ceviche was pretty damn good.
I quickly ordered all the happy hour specials including a few mugs of Sapporo.
I was told that they had live scallops but this day, they did not. We ate a variety of Toro's and sushi. All were good and fresh. The portions were quite small and the prices were quite high for what you're getting.
There were a few things there that many sushi places don't have because of the cost and rarity. Like shimaji, Spanish mackerel, Halibut Fin and other Japanese tasty fish.
We ordered a few items and I noticed some art behind the sushi chefs, on the wall. I thought they were artistic rectangles on the wall.... They were actually sushi plates! Yea, long ceramic sushi plates... How cool!
We enjoyed the quality of what we ordered.
But don't be fooled by the Baby Lobster roll, its not that good and its 15$. Naaaa!
Its small crawfish over a California roll.
NOT WORTH IT!!! AT ALL!!!
Crazy Tokyo sushi has a better hand roll of the same for 5.99 and you get lots more.
Over all we enjoyed the experience. I will return, especially for happy hour.
This place might be a little too much for some...
"too much" for a sushi place, im told...
I think its cool, and if its too expensive then, Dont go!!
Service was good and the bathrooms were clean and nicely decorated.....
Right On!!!
George LaBorde III
gl3
Finally got to try this place! The crab salad was good! Light refreshing dressing and lumps of juicy sweet crab meat. Yes, it is expensive for a salad. But you're paying for the quality of the ingredients and it comes in a generous portion for sharing.
We also got pieces of sushi: uni, albacore, yellowtail, salmon, mackerel, eel and some rolls. The fish was all pretty fresh, except for the mackerel which tasted like canned sardines (I've never had such salty mackerel). The sushi came on a beautiful giant ceramic serving plate that spanned the length of our table. R23 definitely stands out among sushi restaurants for its beautiful presentation and art gallery like decor.
Yes, I was happy with my experience at R23 and would probably go back sometime. But I can't give it the elusive 5 stars because it wasn't mind blowing like Sushi Zo. The search will just have to go on...
Used to be a lot better, but I don't know what happened to the place.
It's in a great location hidden away in the artists' district by Little Tokyo right next to a gallery. The building's interior is starting to look old and it feels like a sushi restaurant in Koreatown (not the best, but has some pretty good fish). I don't know how to exactly explain it, but something is off... I'll figure it out and let you know.
But the fish is superpar. You won't be disappointed in the meal you eat (although the prices aren't worth it in my opinion). It used to be one of three best places in LA, but now, it'd be lucky to make the top 10 list.
Pros: Hidden place. The hanging art is fantastic. Easy parking. Sushi trays are beautiful.
Cons: Pretty expensive. Not the best sushi I've ever had in my life, but it's pretty good! Can be difficult to find if you're in a taxi
After reading a few reviews and looking at the pictures of this place, I decided to try it. We were a table of 14? It was for my friend's 21st birthday and she is one of the biggest sushi fans I know.
I made a reservation and the person who handled our party kept pushing me to give her a definite number for how many people will be in our party because I told her it would be roughly around 12. She told me the place get's VERY busy so she needs to know, but when I went there... there were only about 4 other tables of 2.
The place has nice artwork all throughout the restaurant, and it is nice to look at while waiting for our food, which surprisingly came out quick despite the size of our orders.
I am giving this place only 2 stars because:
1. The person who answered the phone was pushy for no reason
2. It is located very far from where I live
3. The sushi sucked. Not fresh, nothing special. I could've gotten something A LOT better for about 1/4 the price.
I was there the other night and i was pretty impressed, the place is nicely decorated but my favorite thing were the chairs hahaha very ecofriendly :), the service was decent and the sushi was really really good, specially the salmon and lobster roll out of this world!, definetely going back, i liked that it's located in a sorta hidden area and it was like urban vibe at the same time.
Yeah, yeah, so the chairs are made out of cardboard but who gives a flying uni's arse? I came for the sushi, and you can call it a self-fulfilling prophecy (or maybe I am psychic), but the experience paralleled my unfavorable premonition.
Thanks to a couple of the awesomest "dining companions" for providing the booty list below. My commentary is provided at no extra charge.
BOOZE:
------------
Kirin Light $4.50 - Light, refreshing, but I should've stuck with the regular.
Echigo $8.50 - Available only in one size (500 cc); tasted clean and ricey.
Asahi Select $5.50 - Never saw this one before. Think of a red label Asahi with an amber color and extra bite. Good, but I wouldn't get this on my own.
Harushika (Junmai), Large $35 - What the heck...I thought we were going to get a bottle of this stuff. Instead, the sake was served in a small glass decanter with a hollowed, concave center which accommodated a glass sphere of ice. Whatever. The sake was good, but not worth $35 for the pitiful quantity.
Grüner Veltliner, Leth, Steinagrund, Austria 2007 $38 - A dry and crisp white - thought this added a nice and classy touch to the mediocre dinner.
FISH:
----------
Spicy Tuna Roll $6 - YAWN. Booooring. I've had better for less at crunchy-maki-yaki-type places. A sloppy presentation with too much rice (which was on the soggy side) and wimpy nori.
Tuna/Maguro $6 - Hands down, the ruby reddest flesh I'd ever seen. There was no correlation between its gorgeous gem-like hue and unmemorable, almost absent, flavor.
Halibut/Hirame $6 - Good effort, had a pleasant snap.
Salmon/Sake $6 - THIS was unusual, in a good and unexpected way. Salmon typically melts in my mouth, but this baby required some heavy mastication. The texture was closer to a hearty snapper rather than an oily pat of butter. I enjoyed this.
Red Snapper/Tai $8 - No soy. Dressed up with a dash of yuzu and sea salt. Tasty.
Spanish Mackerel/Aji $8 - Unusually buttery - the aji literally fused into the pores of my tongue. Chewing would've been optional had it not been for the rice accompaniment.
Jumbo Clam (Geoduck)/Mirugai $10 - dry and plasticy. I enjoy a good mirugai, but this one was too leathery with the consistency of tarp (yeah, that's what I said).
Needlefish/Sayori $8 - This was the least fresh of the bunch. No distinctive flavor other than its slight hint of fishiness which I attribute to lack of freshness.
Scallop/Hotate $4 - Flabby little globs of scallop served in the style of a typical "spicy scallop nigiri" but without the spicy. Serving size was stingy - my scallops didn't runneth over the nori border.
Salmon Egg/Ikura $8 - SIGH. This wasn't good. The egg balls were misshapen and didn't burst into an ocean of salty briny love upon mastication. These eggs came out of a white plastic jar...looked pretty cheap and old.
Sea Urchin/Uni $10 - Had almost a radioactive orange hue. Flavor was good; not offensive by any means. I've certainly had better, but this was passing.
Fresh Kumamoto Oysters $12 - Good but not great. Served with a wedge of lemon and a side of bland cocktail sauce.
Ankimo - Steamed Monk Fish Liver with Spicy Ponzu Sauce $10.50 - I enjoyed this. The ankimo had a nice, smooth pate texture. The liver is not available as nigiri, but you can order as an appetizer from the kitchen.
Fresh Water Eel/Unagi $6 - Decent, a bit firmer than what I'm used to. The sauce had a thick consistency akin to tar and a rich maple syrup color. Anything beyond its small strip of application would've been sugar overload.
Beef Sashimi $15 - BLAH! This was definitely the worst of the worst. My "dining companions" thought this was a decent dish, but I was almost compelled to fling the meat back to the kitchen and demand more tender cuts. These strips tasted like well-done sirloin pieces served beneath a deceptive cloak of rare preparation.
Japanese-Style Ceviche $14 - Very good, but I imagine this dish is hard to screw up. I regret that the liberal application of cilantro and lime juice ousted any semblance of Japanese-ness, but life goes on. Served on a crispy rice bowl (reminded me of a Taco Bell taco salad tortilla).
Egg Cake/Tamago $4 - No thank you. No natural eggy flavor and a bit on the firm side. Overpowering sweetness that seems to originate from a man-made source (e.g., high fructose corn syrup, aspartame, etc.).
SUMMARY:
---------------
I wouldn't return and I definitely would not recommend R23 to my friends. For its hype (and a solid 26 Zagat food rating), I expected much more. Don't get me wrong - the ambiance is quite lovely and a hip/elegant spot for a date, but don't come here expecting great sushi.
One sunny Monday after work, my boss suggested we hop over to the Biscuit Lofts to look at the Penthouse unit we staged. Dinner was to follow at Church and State. So off we went to DTLA with hungry tummies and all ready for a drink. Church and State however, wasn't ready for us. They are apparently closed on Mondays!
So upon someone's suggestion, we went to R23.
I put R23's address into my Navigation, and off I went. After circling the area so many times, I still couldn't find the darned thing! How hard to find could E 3rd be? VERY HARD!
So after 15 minutes of driving around, I was ready to give up. And then a call from my co-worker came through. He left a VM: "Where are you? I am here. You are not leaving me with these people! Get over here!"
I decided to take another route, and with luck, found the place!
I was so scared to park. This place was in the middle of ghetto-ass DTLA. Seriously. Graffiti everywhere, abandoned warehouses. But mysteriously, no homeless people!
The ambiance of R23 is great. Exposed brick, and great art. I was actually quite delighted to find an amazing hip restaurant in the middle of nowhere!
Group of 6 and we ordered:
- Crab Salad (OMG, amazing!!!)
- Miso Black Cod (I could eat this EVERYDAY.)
- Grilled Mushroom + Asparagus
- Uni Sushi
- Salmon Sushi
- Yellowtail
- Toro
- Octopus
- Spider Roll
- Monkfish Liver
- Endless Abundance of Hot Sake
Our bill came up to $876!!!
But we were sooo full and so satisfied The flavors were truly orgasmic.
Let's put it this way: If R23 was a man, I had multiple O's that night.
Came here recently with my bf- dinner for two.
In terms of service, I think the owner really owned it. He was very polite from the beginning til the end. The waiters were ok, pretty attentive and our iced tea was constantly filled, but the waitress I had was a little strange.
I personally was not super hungry and we ordered maybe 4 sushi (toro, salmon, yellowtail, sweet shrimp), 1 spider roll, 1 wasabi leaf, and 4 oysters (With uni) for starters. She gave me a weird look as if I did not order enough. I'm sorry I don't eat a lot, I'm just selective with what I want to eat. Her facial expression made me ask her what was wrong, and then she explained that it was last call and suggested to order more. I'd appreciate it if she could just tell me about the last call at the beginning and not give me all these weird looks which made me felt really uncomfortable. I added the crab salad, which she recommended, and was decent. The ingredients were definitely fresh but nothing special to me. The wasabi leaf was interesting only if you like wasabi, but not for me. The sweet shrimp was by far my favorite, but unfortunately, they do not deep-fried the head. I came here before and tried the lobster tempura. Again, nice but nothing too spectacular. I have had better sushi overall down the street and this place is a bit overpriced. You are paying for the ambiance and environment so I guess it's fun for a date. I don't think I will return but I do recommend everyone to try it at least once for yourself.
There are free parking outside, and the place is hidden.
I am a bit conflicted on giving four stars, considering how I have been rating other places. However, R23 is a restaurant I would return to. It's four star worthy, but perhaps one of my "lower" 4 star places.
I had wanted to try this place after hearing good things from friends. A group of four of us decided to check it out this past Saturday night. I suppose it is technically in Jtown, but it's actually down the street from most things. There is a sign on the side of a building that says 'R23', but the actual restaurant is set back from the street. If you pull into the driveway, there is a valet but we parked on the street since we found a spot immediately. At night, the surrounding area does seem a bit sketch since there are few to no street lights. Oh and FYI, there's some nice "street art" on the adjacent blocks, perhaps good for a car photo shoot.
I honestly did not know what to expect and figured there might be a wait since it was Saturday night. However, when we arrived (I'm guessing it was around 8pm), we were seated right away and the restaurant was relatively empty. Maybe everyone was saving up for Sunday to take their mothers out for Mother's Day. But because it wasn't busy, the service was pretty good. Our waitress was very friendly and prompt.
I don't remember exactly what we ordered but we opened things with one of the Chef's Special dishes - Lobster Tempura. IIRC, there are two good sized pieces and a couple vegetable tempura pieces. It comes with two dipping options - regular tempura sauce and salt. Both were good. I would definitely order this again.
Everyone on yelp talks about the Crab Salad, but no one in the party was very interested so I didn't get to try. It'll be on my list for next time. Instead, we ordered eight (I think) rolls (6 pieces / roll): some combination of tuna, yellowtail, spicy salmon, spicy tuna, and spider. I might have left a few out, oh well. Overall, the fish seemed pretty fresh.
I'd say that if you are coming here, you are looking not only for good sushi but also ambiance. It's more on the trendy side as opposed to most sushi restaurants so it could make for a good date spot - it wasn't very loud inside. The bill for four came out to about $37 per person (including tax and tip). Given the volume of food consumed and price paid, it was expensive. You will likely find better sushi at places like Hama or Sushi Gen, but R23 is worth a try and I'll come back with a plan next time!
Horrible service, very average sushi (very average means really really average - which is worse than pretty average which would mean mostly average but sometimes a little better ;)), boring (in my opinion of course) menu - though yay for Kumamoto oysters - and theirs were some of the better ones I've had. Not particularly cheap either, though I went months and months ago and don't remember the exact cost.
Of course the location rocks, and the outside building looks great - though the inside depressed me and felt like such a let down.
I don't know, a lot of people love this place (my mom included), but I really didn't like it at all and can't see myself ever going back there.
The first thing I think whenever someone suggests R23 is R2-D2 and I am not even a Star Wars fanatic. Other than the mystery factor, I cannot figure out what is behind the name. No matter, heading over here is always a cool little trek. At night, it feels seedy, abandoned, and like the best noir, I hope to run into Marlowe. You find the signage, R23, and stepping in, a fascinating room welcomes. Exposed brick walls, evidence of the industrial building beforehand, and Frank Gehry designed cardboard chairs. Unique with flair, you cannot help but get extra excited about the fish.
Well, after my first two visits, I don't get excited anymore. For some inexcusable reason, their fish is a big resounding "meh." Don't get me wrong, it is not bad, but for the prices, you can do so much better in Downtown, not to mention Los Angeles in general. Nearby Sushi-Gen and Komasa are much better if you want to stay in the neighborhood. I don't come here unless I am with co-workers or clients. I will add that it would be an interesting place for a date, so if you want to impress, give it a go.
What a wonderful surprise!
I had the great fortune to be taken to R23 yesterday by my great Friend/Running-Partner-in-Crime/PT client Ron, as a thanks for getting his leg back on the mend.
It was super-rainy, the streets were flooded and we had to dodge pot holes and tons of dirty water to get there but the meal made it all very much worth it!!!
THE FOOD:
Started with RAW KUMOMOTO OYSTERS on the half (4 per serving)
They were AMAZINGLY fresh and plump and a perfect way to start the meal.
The BLUE FIN TUNA was exceptional!!! The cut was a little heftier than I prefer for my nigiri but I was not about to complain since it was so fresh, flavorful, with the most exquisite texture.
HALIBUT was f***ing spectacular. A perfect cut, warm rice for this one, and it just danced on our mouths.
MENTAIKO (cured roe) CUT ROLL w/SHISO
Not my favorite way to have it served but my friend wanted to try it since he had never had it before. I would just prefer to have the mentaiko on some warm rice with nato but I'm kind gross. The quality and flavor was great.
LIVE SCALLOP
My favorite thing FOREVER and ALWAYS. Ron had no desire to have scallops of any kind after his last scallop experience in Miami but he couldn't get enough...he even wrote a note to me today saying how much he wants scallops again!!! It was plump, moist, clean, and bouncy on rice that was so perfectly formed...dusted with the just a hint of salt and a touch of wasabi...no soy sauce...mmmm, what I would do for that now.
SWEET SHRIMP
Perfect!!!
GRILLED SHITAKE MUSHROOMS AND ASPARAGUS
Wow!!! I could have just that for lunch and be super happy.
SPANISH MACKEREL
F**kin'-A!!! So damned good, I don't even know what to say.
ALBACORE
Nice cut, great quality, but after the mackerel, and the sardine, I just didn't really care.
SARDINE
I love you. Such a cute little fish...so tastey...so underrated.
Again, I LOVE YOU Sardine!
DECOR:
nice, clean, classy, the cool cardboard chairs have seen plenty of action so it may be time to recycle and refresh, em but at least they were sturdy and comfy.
SERVICE:
A bit cold.
A bit rushed (we had arrived at 1:05pm and they really let it be known that they wanted to get the F outta there...not really cool with that, especially for the price).
CLIENTELE:
There were only 2 other people at the sushi bar when we arrived. In the main dining area there was a 2 top and a 4 top. At about 1:30pm a wonderful gent that I sit next to at Izayoi quite often arrived for his lunch at the sushi bar. An overal nice, relaxed, un-stuffy bunch.
OVERALL:
A wonderful place where the quality and selection of the fish out weighs almost all of the other flaws that I found in service.
I don't think I would chose this as a solo destination. I f I were a dude, I would definitely like to take a date to R23 for some high quality fish.
PRICE:
Not quite sure since I was a guest, I'm sure it was over $100 since we also ordered two medium sakes.
Enjoy!
Pro: Ambiance, hip-factor, general food quality.
Con: It's not a value. But it's not over priced either.
This is one of my favorite places. I remember the first time I went, many years ago. I was blown away by its location-- which is less unique now that downtown is becoming more and more crowded. Picture desolate, seemingly abandoned buildings, with scary looking shadows everywhere, and pulling into a very narrow driveway with graffiti to your right, and then all of a sudden seeing the valet and lights to your left.
Some people may be scared by this. These are the same people who take the road well traveled. The people who have ridiculous tourist outfits in foreign countries and never venture off the beaten path. To heck with them.
Food quality has been up and down over the years as has been the service, but there are certain staples I always order. The dungeness crab salad is something I will DEFINITELY recommend.
Note: As of late 2008-2009, there has been a definite narrowing of the type of fish they serve, and some of the more esoteric options like halibut fin and giant clams may simply not be available. But I've been going here for years, and I will continue to frequent this place.
This is a great place to take someone who is a close friend or a girlfriend that you still may love.
The ambiance is fantastic-- the chairs are made of cardboard and are designed by Frank Gehry. Amazing right? So is the art.
Check it out.
I wish I remember the cold sake I had here. It had a green apple and asian pear aroma, it probably was the best cold sake I ever had. The location and ambiance is raw and urban, I have been going here since 2003. The art and the presentation is worthwhile!
The place is basically an art gallery- LOVE it- and has great sushi, sashimi and then some.. just go for it!
This is a fun little hidden Japanese treasure near downtown LA. I love the decor, the cardboard chairs are cool. I highly recommend the sea bass. I am still dreaming about it! I have to admit that I have had better salmon skin handrolls, but everything on the menu is pretty decent. I love that you would never know this place exists, I found out about it through friends!
Driving here can be down right scary, right in the middle of the ghetto. I had never seen ghetto like this since I just had moved to LA from Kansas. This area is in the last place you'd expect a high end restaurant to be.
R23 sits in a old rail way station with few high end stores around it. I was so surprised by it and even more when I stepped into it. The decor of this place is phenomenal., with it's exposed brick and large wooden beams. What a treat!
Wait, are those chairs made of cardboard? WTF
Now I will say that I am a little bias to this restaurant. It's because my uncle used be the owner and would order me the freshest thing on the menu. So they could have had bad sushi but I never tasted it. Too bad he didn't take care of the bill though. ha ha.
I have to say this was one of my favorite restaurants in LA and enjoyed their food a lot. Their sushi was always fresh and their Crab Salad was great! They do have couple of things off the wall like lobster tempura but that's a $60 appetizer. I am pretty sure I have tried everything on their menu once and liked all of them.
This place is a very romantic place where you can take you SO on a special occasion. Or maybe if you have a business dinner that you can expense. This place is great but you'll have to pay for the experience.
Also if you wanna do some star gazing, this is a good spot. I used to help out at the restaurant as a host and there were always plenty of stars walking in.
I could care less about the famous cardboard dining chairs, R23 is the shit-- the freshest, most scrumptious sushi in downtown LA. It is simply done, a sushi purist's idea of perfection. The crab salad with the citrus-yuzu dressing is beyond delicious...I could drink the vinaigrette off the plate.
It gets pretty packed so I usually get there for lunch around 11:30..early bird special baby.
One of the best sushi experiences I ever had. I have been wanting to visit this place for the longest time and finally have the chance today. It definitely exceeds my expectation. The hamachi and toro sashimi were great. The beef sashimi tasted like medium rare steak strips. The service was excellent. We did spend $250 for two, (including tip and two drinks) but it is worth it.
Breakdown of my bill (as far as I can remember)
$200:
Toro Sashimi -6pcs- (Great)
Hamachi Sashimi -6pcs- (Great)
Blue Fin Sashimi -6pcs- (Great)
Taco Sashimi -6pcs- (Great)
Tamago Sushi -4pcs- (Great)
Uni Sushi -2pcs- (Great)
Beef Sashimi -one full dish- (Great)
Hamachi Sushi -2pcs- (Great)
Seared Salmon Sushi House Special -2pcs- (Good and unique)
Eel and Avocado Cut Roll -6pcs- (Good)
Amai Shrimp Sushi -4pcs- (Good)
Yellow Jack Sushi -2pcs- (Good and different)
Ikura Sushi -2pcs- (Good)
Kumamoto Oyster -6pcs- (Don't know. My gf is a oyster monster. She never shares her oyster with me)
Chocolate Mousse -1pc- (Great)
Strawberry Mochi -1pc- (Great)
Peach Mochi Ice Cream -1pc- (Good)
Shochu -1 glass- (Okay, they don't have mixer to mix with. Only green tea or on rock with lemon)
Kirin Ichiban -1 large bottle
Ice green tea -free refill- (Good)
Looking at this list, $250 including tip is not bad at all.
Decorated with a modern-zen motif, R23 sits quietly in an alley, so quiet it's almost impossible to find. By the time you find the restaurant, you're so hungry that you're hoping for dear life the food is good.
One taste of its sushi and you're hooked. And before you know it, you start unbuttoning your pants right in the middle of a packed-restaurant without any hesitant.
Beside the usual selection offered at all sushi restaurants, R23 has a few distinctive dishes such as beef sashimi (similar to beef tataki but thicker slices), yellow jack sashimi and seared salmon sashimi--all taste awesome!
For the ladies, waiters at R23 are pretty hot and attentive! One guy even opened the restroom door for me ;) You can't top a restaurant that has great food and hot waiters. If you bring your boyfriend, suck it in and don't drool, or you'll be stuck with the bill. Enjoy...the sashimi :)
Great service, nice atmosphere, delicious food.
And yes, the crab salad, albeit just a tad bit greasy, is quite amazing.
R23 has a location almost as cryptic as its name.
That was before the days of GPS "The CIA can snuff you out from outer space" Navigation Technology.
It's a shame really. This sushi restaurant has all the makings of an amazing experience. Unfortunately, it misses the mark. At the end of the day, the most important aspect--the sushi--is the weakest link.
My three stars are for its novel address. R23 has succeeded in garnering the award for "most hidden restaurant." Just days upon my arrival in LA, I was tipped off about some cool Japanese sushi joint secretly tucked away in the seedy industrial wasteland just west of the infamous Los Angeles Canals (where the Grease car chase scene was filmed).
So naturally, I had to check it out. As promised, the journey to R23 involved wandering through desolate streets canvased by what appeared to be sweatshops. I won't romanticize too much. For many people, a nocturnal downtown LA can be downright scary. For a kid that grew up in the Bronx, this was cool.
Unlike most restaurant experiences, R23's dining experience really starts with the trek. This really feeds the anticipation; kinda like a boat ride to a hidden remote island. And on this journey, you get to see some beautiful vintage graffiti undisturbed in its rightful environment. Finally, a discreet sign marked "R23" alerts you that you have found the treasure at the end of the trail.
The restaurant's layout has a hip loft setting with wood floors, exposed brick wall, modern art, and even stylish Frank Gehry designed chairs made out of corrugated cardboard! The restaurant is also strategically lit in ways that accentuate the minimalist Japanese decor.
At this point, I was ready to declare R23 as my fave sushi joint.............that is until the sushi arrived. It's not that it's terrible. It's not. It's just very average (can i say "very average?" By definition, average is in the middle. So that's like saying on a scale of 0-10, it was very 5ish. I digress!) for very expensive prices.
And average sushi in downtown LA is just inexcusable. EVERY restaurant in LA procures its sashimi grade fish from some fish warehouse in downtown LA. Hello??? What gives???
That's like getting government cheese in Paris. That's like getting Folgers Coffee in Italy. That's like getting a Hershey's Bar in Belgium. Oh well, you can't have it all.
So throw away your GPS. Head down to R23 the old fashioned way; allow yourself to get lost and explore the pseudo ghettos of downtown LA. Don't expect great sushi. Just enjoy the experience.
RIP OFF! Maybe it's because we came on a sunday night (they just started opening on sundays and fish market's closed) but the sushi was NOT fresh at all! It was Todai quality, probably worse!
Service was good. Got the crab salad that everyone raved about. There was hardly any crab in it! It was a 4.99 salad at best but nope, it costs about $20. The sushi presentation was nice if you're a midget and you like small portions. Even my wife who has a small appetite was still hungry. We went to a cafe afterwards and had a real meal since we were still so hungry and spent about $100!
As a starving "artiste", after reading all these reviews about how expensive this place was, I decided to come with a designer friend. Of course, everyone knows that artists generally do not "earn a living" as a rule and artistes are even more impoverished--at least until after they're dead...usually in poverty. On the other hand, designers generally can bring home a decent paycheck. Yeah, start buying up my sh*t now, while it's a bargain. I promise you won't have to wait that long to cash in, given my hedonistic lifestyle. I'm talking 2 to 3 years, tops.
Anyway, back to my *temporary* economic predicament (did I mention artistes have an unrealistic sensibility and only live for today?). I figured one of us could bail out the other if we were short on funds. Plus, even if we couldn't foot the tab, I figured I could still outrun him so HE could spend the rest of the evening doing dishes or busing tables.
Well, turned out R23 wasn't as expensive as we (I) thought it would be, and I'll probably pay off our meal by selling off one or two sketches.
Our lovely waitress--who was also a great sport considering we poked fun at her earrings (I did mention that artistes could also be very snobby, right?), recommended that we try the o-zni, which is a soup traditionally eaten around New Year's. Kinda early given we were here the week before Thanksgiving, but we went with it as we've never had it before. Although there are many variations on this traditional dish, R23's version included a delicate broth with generous amounts of meatballs made with fish (Yellowtail), vegetables, but no mochi.
On the nigiri and raw-side, we also ordered uni (not bad, but I still prefer Yoshi's better: http://www.yelp.com/bi...), salmon (was too full to eat it :( ), Spanish mackerel (seasoned well, but a little on the strong side for me), red snapper carpaccio (like delicate lips that caressed your tongue), hamachi (two orders--heh). On top of all that, we also ordered the grilled yellowtail collar (fresh!).
Now, I'm sure many of you may be thinking, after the o-zoni and the hamachi nigiri, that "Hey EJ, isn't that a lot of yellowtail?!?" But HEY, who EVER complains about getting too much tail?
[Pause for standing ovation and whistling from the men; glaring dirty looks from women.]
The highlight of the meal was the Hakkaisan Ginjo. It was quite pricey, but worth every $$$. Smooth, with a slight sweetness and ZERO kick, we went through a medium bottle like it was the nectar of the gods. We would have ordered a large for our second round, except we already had a couple of bottles of beer on top of the first round of sake, and I was concerned my edge in being able to outrun my friend, however slight, was going to be overcome if I was not able to run in a straight line.
I'm saving up the crumpled $1, $5, $10 and $20's for our next meal--and crossing my finger that I'll sell some "art" or at least find a patron to adopt me.
For those of you questioning my credentials, please check here: http://www.yelp.com/bi...
R23 is great, i come here with friends and it becomes one of my favorite sushi res in downtown. If i m tired of Komasa, i will be in R23.
Decided to swing by R23 before the Symphony for a bite. I hadn't been here in many years... We opted to sit at the bar and order Omakase to take the stress out of it all.
When asked, we told the chef that we liked sashimi and sushi. He prepared a beautiful sashimi plate for us to share (tuna, yellowtail, snapper, and I think halibut) it was outstanding in quality, freshness and precision. He then presented us some lovely hokkaido scallop sushi, spanish mackeral and some other nice sushi items.
But, the final item... a California roll? Wtf? I was puzzled... it was okay, real crab and avocado, but really... I've never been offered a Cali roll during an omakase dining when it was clear we were purists. Whatever, at least the two carafes of cold sake made it amusing.
The tab was about $250 with tip, not out of line given the two sakes but it didn't feel like a $250 dinner.
Each time I've given R23 (redux) a chance to show off its legacy of quality and value. Give the new owners a chance to deliver good food. The past owners made it seem like an easy task, which I'm sure isn't.
Yesterday, was among the worst lunch service. Everyone agreed the entrees were gross. The miso soup was sour .. a bit fishy(!). The sushi, must have been leftovers from another table. My grilled salmon in the assorted lunch platter inedible, due to being cold / sour taste. Was it stored improperly over the weekend? Rice which may have been in the fridge before coming out was just as disgusting.
Overall, I was left hungry as most of the entree was thrown out. And sick as the salmon may have been bad. Thank god I didn't eat more than a bite. It was a gross lunch and the party of six that ate the food at R23 agrees. No more. The owner Ellie was unreachable for a comment.
The place with cardboard chairs. Among my favorites for Japanese food. Its a straight up… Read more »
We ordered:
Spicy Tuna Roll, Yellowtail Roll, Japanese Ceviche, Scallops on the shell,
Salmon Carpaccio
The atmosphere of the restaurant was very hip. The restaurant is located down a "deserted" ally that had a very industrial feel. There was also music playing in the background (outside of the restaurant), but it was from an apartment above the restaurant. Because we were in an ally, there was an interesting acoustic affect as we were leaving the restaurant. One interesting piece of the decor was the chairs being made out of cardboard
The sushi was standard. Felt like something you can get from one of those pre-made lunch spots (in NYC). The ceviche was very good and well presented. The scallops were slightly better than average. The smoked salmon carpaccio was interesting and not what I expected, but good and worth ordering.
Overall the food as 3.5 stars at best. However, the setting/ambiance of the restaurant was enjoyable . The service was very good and attentive as well.
A friend suggested this for lunch, so here's my impression: cute back alley location, cardboard seats (I had to pick it up to make sure), hospitable staff, and the greatest crab salad I've ever had. The sushi was okay, not the greatest, but I'm going to second that the Uni was delicious. For the price, though, it had better be: it costs a Hamilton for 2 very small pieces. I was also disappointed they didn't have the lobster tempura that I had heard so ceremoniously about, on the lunch menu. It just gives me a reason to return.
However, this place rocks. I can't wait to see what they can come up with next.
I'm a fan only to the Dungeneous Crab salad. I've ordered on a number of occassion the Chilean Sea Bass but for some reason this time around it wasn't all that fresh and I bit into some bones which was not pleasant. Though the Potato salad that came with it was really smooth and not lumpy. That is always a pleasure to dine on.
For the sushi portion of it I was never blown away. It's only okay mediocre at best.
The decor is kinda cool especially the cardboard chairs you sit on which they need to upgrade a little.
Located on the edge of Little Tokyo in the industrial slums district, R23 is not a hidden gem. It's more like a dirty quarter on the ground. Sure it's nice when you find such high denominations of change laying about, but when you end up with the smell of human excrement lingering in your pocket for days after, you start to regret your find.
Such were my feelings after a nice birthday dinner here. The place seemed okay, complete with hipster LA cardboard chairs and oversized paintings of fat lesbians. Service was very good and all the prices were typical of a high end sushi joint. Only problem was the food wasn't up to par.
We ordered the fried soft shell crab, shiitake mushrooms, fried eggplant and seven pairs of sushi.
The soft shell crab just tasted like fried. Could have been anything fried. Pretty disappointing.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
The shiitake mushrooms were just four thin mushroom caps served with two pieces of asparagus cut in half. It was $10. While it wasn't bad at all, the price was outrageous.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
The fried eggplant was soaked in a sweet broth and had zero flavor. It was pretty much just mush.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
And finally the sushi. None of it was terrible, but none of it wowed me or was special in any way. For the prices ($5-$8 per fish) I was expecting something of much higher quality. This could have been served at almost any cheap sushi place for close to half the price.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Just because a place is "hard to find" or "in a bad neighborhood" doesn't mean it's good.
Tips:
At night, plenty of free parking on the street.
As long as you're not a tiny girl riding solo, the area is not scary.
The crab salad is weak, the soft shell crab is not good.
No idea how this place is keeping business in the middle of dark, deserted, sketchy neighborhood. No obvious sign, and the restaurant is tucked way behind the little alley way. Maybe it's supposed to be one of those "hidden gems" that only special people know.
The inside the restaurant sure looked nice from outside. Bright lighting, high ceiling, clean and open space. Once inside, you'll see the chairs made out of card board, the western style big paintings of naked people all over the wall, the Chinese candle holders on the tables, the abstract wall decoration behind the sushi counter... Do we call it eclectic, or random?
We ordered several appetizers along with some sushi. The soft shell crab had no crab taste. All I could taste was salt, corn starch, and frying oil. Not good. The Shiitake Mushrooms with Asparagus was decent, but 4 mushrooms and 2 asparagus pieces for $10 was just outrageous pricing. Agedashi Nasu (deep fried eggplants in soy sauce based broth) was lacking in flavor. It was also interesting that it came with hot mustard rather than the ginger. It could have worked if the broth had a little more flavor to balance out the strong hot mustard flavor. Then the sushi came. Nothing was bad, but nothing was good either. They were definitely lacking and everything was slightly off.
I re-visit my first question of how this place keeps business. Not only that the place is in the middle of nowhere, but the food is also at the meh level at its best with unnecessarily high pricing. I guess this is the place for people who go with the theme of "I'm special to know this hidden gem and I'm gonna impress my date/business partner." It seems to be working out for the restaurant as I saw the place being popular enough to have dressed up people on Monday night. Good for them.
Hidden away in the Art District of downtown LA. Valet parking is $4. Came here around 7:30pm on a Wednesday with my sushi meetup group. Throughout the night, the restaurant is never to capacity, whether that's because of the economy or simply because it's a weeknight, I dunno. Decided to order a la carte as I'm not much of a big spender. Nevertheless I end up spending around $60, and left the restaurant not filled or even satisfied. And while the quality of sushi ranged from mediocre to excellent, it feels terribly overpriced.
[This review is based solely on sushi, though this place is probably better known for their cooked items.]
First note that I'm not much of an expert in distinguishing sushi flavors and freshness. So my focus is more on value and ambiance. But based off what the others were saying, some items weren't fresh. As always, I order tamago... got a large chunk. Some discoloration in the center, which makes me wonder how long they've had it. Really sweet, and I thought was decent and one of the better ones I've had, though others said that it should taste more "eggy". The tuna was bright red and had a good texture to it. The $4 each oysters went down smooth but not really worth the price. Tried the small scallop, jumbo clam, beef sashimi and various fishes, but I think it's better to listen to other reviewers. Nothing bad to report.
The decor is nice. Rather dark inside at night, though some can interpret that to create a more intimate feel. The artwork looks familiar, though I can't place the artist's name. Very raw and primal illustration style of female nudes hang along the walls. Music isn't loud, but as the night goes on, the voice level in the restaurant echos and begins to sound like a crowded bar. I'd probably wouldn't take a group larger than 4, though they can accommodate large groups. Sitting on cardboard chairs designed by Frank Gehry is something to talk about, and quite sturdy. You really can't tell the difference if no one told you.
Overall, the place is decent. The sushi is worth checking to if you're willing to fork over the cash ($100+). The look of the restaurant is pleasant to look at, though a bit loud at times.
This restaurant is located in a very obscure part of LA. I really like that about the ambiance. Upon entering, I noticed that the decor is clean and modern. The cardboard chairs are quite amusing. We got the crab salad that yelpers have already mentioned as one of the best dishes there and indeed it was tasty. Very light and refreshing. Then we also got the toro sashimi ... generous portion. The most well plated dish was our spanish mackeral sashimi and the spicy tuna hand roll and octopus sushi was just basic. Everything there is as fresh as it can be. The service is extremely attentive. I believe it is quite pricey, but the boss treated so don't know how pricey. Overall, a great experience and no complaints.
This place is located literally in an alley, but if you follow the directions on their website, it's actually not hard to find. They were full at around 8:00 p.m. on a Friday night - but there was no line. We didn't get to sit in the main dining room though...and the other room was a little cold - one couple sat down after us, and left because it was too cold.
We ordered the albacore sashimi, scallop sushi, tamago, plum roll, yellowtail roll, spicy tuna roll, and a dungeness crab salad. Everything was pretty good - but I can't say it's the best sushi I've ever had. The crab salad was good, but the portion couldn't really justify the $25 price ....it is afterall just a salad.
For two people, it'll probably run you about $100 (before drinks). It's a nice experience because the restaurant has some unique artsy decor and lighting, but I probably won't be back for at least a while since there are so many other sushi places in L.A. to try.
Parking is valet once you pull into the alley.
$ushi $pecial!
Neighborhood: Hollywood
Free Hot Sake for Yelpers!
Neighborhood: Koreatown
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Sushi Bars
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