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Shima is a must, if for no other reason than to let its Zen aestheic wash over you -- the way saki is is served, the minimalist decor and of-service attitude that's a welcome relief from the self-conscious snobbery of nearby Gjelina.
Nice to be welcomed with ingratiating sincerity, nice to feel that authentic Japanese perfection vibe at work on a pefect little piece of sushi, in the noir overtones of Shima's seared ahi and in deserts that push flavor beyond Tokyo-mild without being overblown.
Healthy, nutritious, good value for money. A yum slice of Shibuya on Abbot Kinney Boulevard. How cool is that?
a lot better than I expected.
I heard that this place serves brown rice sushi and I'm not really fond of brown rice in the first place, but after dining at this place..brown rice sushi is my new favorite. the rice was soft with a good cut of fish that makes your taste buds jump up and high five each other.
The dynamite definitely had more fish than veggies, but because this place is pretty health concience, the mayo and cheese sauce was very minimal which is something i'm not used to. I would have liked it more saucy.
really cool and modern looking restaurant.
service was great but watch out wallet! this place is pretty pricey. They use quality items too so its expected..quality equalvalent to price.
Never again, no thanks! For sushi so close to the water, this place was nothing to write home about. It took so long to get our order that the sushi chefs literally could have gone fishing, cleaned the fish and put them on ice for an hour before they even started to make our food. My friend who ordered COOKED veggies got her meal before the rest of us who ordererd straight from the sushi menu. Seriously? Its raw! How long does it take to cut, put on some rice and put on a plate?
Not to mention the fact that this place only had a total of 5 tables that even fit inside the restaurant, honestly only 5. On top of all that, we got the bill and I paid $75 for 2 glasses of wine, 2 oysters and 4 pieces of sushi. Unbelieveable even for LA. Aside from the oysters which were actually pretty good in a wasabi brown sauce, I would not recommend this place to a friend...or to a stranger for that matter.
Awesome sushi joint on Abbot Kinney.
I know my last review said sushi is not good near the water..well, A.K. isn't that close to the water so no wonder this place is legit.
Easily missable if you're driving, this little sushi joint serves some awesome, fresh fish on a pricey menu. I think three $ is a bit deceiving as my friend and I ate quite a lot and racked up a bill since some of their dishes ranged from $15-35!
We ordered quite a few things, all of which were delicious. Lobster ceviche was definitely interesting...didn't get enough zing, but was still good. Steamed black cod was AMAZING! This is defnitely a must. Their version of non-fried calamari was a little forgetable though.
As for sushi, everything was very good! Toro, salmon, spicey tuna, japanese mackeral...mmmm. No bad fish here, and I believe she mentioned they use brown/combination of brown rice?
The most outstanding thing was the decor. I loved the set up of this place. Like everyone else mentioned, this place was definitely a house before and they turned it into a restaurant. With about 5 tables that seat 2 downstairs, the sushi bar, a few tables outside, and an upstairs that can seat (?) people, it's not a humongous place. But it was very cozy and comfortable. Defintely somewhere you can sit for hours on end to eat, talk, and feel at home. Luckily we came later in the evening and was not rushed in any way.
I'll most definitely come here again.
Must have: Toro, Steamed Black Cod.
The portions are very small. Don't come here if you're not willing to spend $60 per person.
They served delicious homemade tofu like you can only find in Japan or Tokyo table here in LA.
Its fine brown rice sushi, great presentation, fresh sashimi. The rolls are amazing
The service was fantastic, very friendly.
I love the location and the ambience with soft lighting. Perfect for a date.
I highly recommend this place to all yelpers who loves exquisite sushi.
EXPENSIVE, but WORTH IT
Might I recommend renting a private room here and ordering the early bird special? Also known as just show up right when they open at 6 like a weirdo and no one else will show up for at least an hour but by that time you've ordered like 7 bottles of sake cause they only have one size, which is incredibly insufficient and does NOT fit all. So just when you thought all the kind service, fresh to the point of butteryness fish, and truffle oiled mushrooms were for you, you realize you have to share with other diners who eat at a normal time. But that's ok, your revenge is that you already got really drunk cause you figured, fuck it, the sake bottles are tiny, can't hurt. And now the couple next to you has to deal with you saying penis way more often than they're comfortable with, and would really prefer their lotus root without all your lewd loud talk. Geez.
Disclaimer: I'm vegetarian so I only eat veggie sushi. That being said, I LOVED this place. They have a ton of veggie options, and all of the deserts are vegan! The avacado roll was by far the best I've ever had, the waitress told us we would not need soy sauce and she was right. I guess they add flavor to the rice in the rolls.
The only downsides are this place is EXPENSIVE and we all left hungry, even after desert. I will probably come again, but only after some pre-game dining so I won't starve. The decor here is fantastic, and service was pretty good.
Every dish was very unique and natural. But I didn't like the idea that they use brown rice for sushi. Well,,,, healthy, but it distracts the taste of fish because brown rice has nice taste itself which is stronger than white rice. All the sushi we ordered was just so so. Abalone was bad.
But I liked the salad and the brown rice coffee, so I still give 3 stars.
Recently returned and had a nice evening again. Sake was spot on. The fresh prawn was amazing and was served with head and legs. To prove the freshness the legs were still slowly moving. I approved. Dunno if she was as amused.
My perennial favorite, the spicy tuna was a little subpar. I obviously had exorbitant expectations so take that with a grain of salt. But the rest of the fish was really good.
Great little sushi place with a lot of nice Eames furniture. Loved the architecture and decor. Went… Read more »
The interior of the restaurant is great, I loved the open kitchen and vaulted ceiling. It was modern, chic, yet really cozy.
However, the management and operation of this place is horrible, they are caught in a vicious cycle. The chef is arrogant and does not trust his staff. He cannot delegate work effectively, which puts all the work load on him, and he gets stressed out....yelling and calling his staff "useless" in front of everyone...He may be thinking that it is in Japanese so no one will be able to understand what he is saying, but it was unbearable for me....
We made reservations, but we were not seated until 20 minutes after our reservation time... some people seemed to be waiting longer.
The food was ok, some of the sushi rolls were delicious...but all the bad vibrations seemed to infect the food and ruin it.
The bill was extravagant....we left the restaurant feeling ripped off.
I hope the chef realizes how embarrassing it is to make fun of your own staff and how uncomfortable that makes his customers....
Are you looking for great Sushi in Venice? Are you prepared to pay for it? Shima might just be your place then.
We had some edamame, two of their special plates, five orders of sushi, and a tuna roll (hey, we were still hungry!).
The lobster ceviche was sooooooooo good. That was definitely my favorite. Half a lobster tail chopped up and mixed with tomato, avacado, Japanese cucumber, and tossed in a lovely citrus sauce.
Next came the red snapper carpaccio. That was my girlfriend's favorite. The snapper was drizzled with warm truffle oil.
The sushi was fresh and melted in our mouths. We requested fresh wasabi. Some of the best food I've had recently. But the price is a bit much for how little you're getting. With only a $12 carafe of sake, our total came to $140 (pre tip).
You will definitely be impressed with the food. How your wallet feels about it is another matter.
Great sushi.
This place is interesting. It looks like a house from the outside so its easy to miss. Amazing sushi in an intimate atmosphere. Its pricey, but completely worth it.
The decaf green tea is really good, and only $3.
I really really loved the red snapper carpaccio special served with garlic and truffle oil. That was $21 and worth it. The tuna tartar, however, which came in a tiny cup with no more than two tablespoons of fish, was not worth $21. It was topped with a teaspoon of caviar, but I don't care for caviar so it didn't impress me.
The rolls, of which I shared two, were not that impressive. The spicy tuna roll for $6 was not that spicy, nor that memorable. Eel and avocado for $9 was definitely not worth the price. Yes, the avocado was fresh, but I could make enough guac for the Superbowl for that price.
The one other thing that saves this review from being two stars is the homemade tofu. It kind of reminded me of a savory flan. It was served with a ponzu sauce, minced ginger, a teaspoon or so of soy (maybe, not sure) and a dollop of diced green onions. Tasty and only $5.
Halfway through the meal I jokingly said to my husband, "hey, we could always grab a burger afterward." We did go to TCBY.
I'm sorry, because I really wanted to like this place. The decor is very appealing, modern, simple, fresh. But the food just left me hungry and broke.
First impressions are important. We called at 8:30pm and they said "4 people in 15 minutes, no problem". We got there, and were told to wait. After 4 times of being told "only 5 more minutes" our party of 4 was getting antsy and thinking about jumping ship. Finally seated after 30 min of waiting, we ordered a bunch of stuff. The big miss was the calamari. SOOO salty and tasted like a dish from a cheap chinese restaurant. I guess their specialty is the organic, homemafe tofu. It was OK. Some packaged tofu from Nijiya are comparable. The spanish makarel sushi was good but I've had better for less than the $9 they charge here for 2 pieces. The miso cod was good but for $16. a teeny piece and no rice! I know, I am asian and I need a little rice sometimes when the dishes veer on the asian side. They did bring out some brown rice so that was nice. We also ordered the red snapper sashimi-probably the best thing we ordered, the miso eggplant- good but goopy, kelp shooters (yummy) oshitashi,
and crab. We found out later that market price for 3 pieces of crab leg is $55. Yikes. and no melted butter? We also had other sushi, rolls that were good, but did not stand-out.
The sake list was nice. Small but interesting. and most little carafes were in the $12-$20 range.
I guess the waitress felt bad for us having to wait so long for a table and dessert was on her. The rice tapioca was fantastic. Icy and crunchy. The chocolate was good too. Chocolate mousse with rice ice cream. Small portions. Good for diet.
With all the japanese options on the westside, this wouldn't be my first choice. This does place high in ambience though. But you can't eat that.
Shima. It's got the sushi: Creative and delicious.
Shima. It's got the service: Friendly and prompt.
Shima. It's got the style: Modern and stylish.
Shima. It's got a pricetag, but it's worth it!
The food was good, and the decor is cool (although sitting at the bar isn't like at other places...you can't see the fish and you deal with a waitress not the chefs).
The dishes looked great on paper but weren't all that notable. Portions weren't miniscule but were on the small side. They had a great beer list so thumbs up, and the eggplant was awesome.
Our waitress was kind of a ding-bat. Pleasant and hardworking, but a ding-bat nonetheless.
A superbly unpretentious restaurant with a neighbourhood feel, Shima is the shining star of Abbot Kinney Boulevard. In terms of quality, creativity and service, Shima offers the very best sushi in Venice, if not the entire west side. That said, it is neither inexpensive nor a place to satisfy your demands for traditional sushi rolls.
The menu is not extensive and it is best to place one's trust in the chef's specials. We enjoyed dishes that included a Toro carpaccio sprinkled with caviar, Kamachi, and Monk Fish Pate. Delicate slivers of fish melt on the tongue. Each bite is savoured.
Seating is limited, so reservations are a good idea.
I feel bad for giving this place "only 3 stars". It is combined with the bad company I had. A particular bad date after a string of embarassing dates I had last year. A 35 year old blond version of JFK JR. who was a surfer and a L.A. district attorney. I thought what did I hit? The jack pot? How humble is it that he is a district attorney instead of being in the lucrative private practice?? He later confessed that he had a plan for beig there and on to bigger stuff.
Every place i review on Abbot Kinney was probably with him. That's all I can give him credit for.
Of course it lasted only a month. For every Abbot Kinney restaurant I review, he will be referred to as the "friend".
I had a coupla sushi and a salad....he had a tofu plate that was stir fried with some veggies. I had a taste of his plate and was sooo not impressed. That is what I have at home when all I have at home is some tofu and spinach (of course I always have soysauce) and just combine them and stir fry. Those are nights that I can't even think of going out for a bite.
Very modern, maybe trying too hard to be Zen with the decor.
Don't see myself ever going there again...especially after looking for parking on Abbott Kinney for 20 minutes.
*UPDATE*2/15/07*
this is now a place i frequent and it has not let me down. i only wish they were open for lunch. they really have THE best fish in town. the salmon sashimi from the specials menu is not to be missed. i also love the spicy scallops roll and the spicy tuna roll. neither is over spiced so you can really taste how fantastic the quality of the fish is. i like that they don't use too much rice and their rolls aren't so massive they can't be eaten in one bite. all of the nigiri sushi i've had is phenomenal....albacore melts in your mouth and served as it should be with a pinch of grated ginger and scallions on top and ponzu on the side.
from the non sushi menu....the miso eggplant, the spinish ohitashi w/miso, the homemade tofu...all have become basics for me when ordering. the tofu is like nothing else you've had at other restaurants. it's silky and fresh and in a really nice light ponzu. the little acrylic serving spoons each person gets w/it is an added bonus...
and for dessert...the crushed ice w/coconut milk and sweet beans. i know, it doesn't yell out to you...it's no molten chocolate cake, but it's really delicious and is the perfect finish to your meal at shima.
and to top it all of, the wait staff is just so so sweet. they now remember me whenever i go in and even know what wine i'm going to order. there's nothing like going to a place where everyone knows your name...err your favorite wine.
****
I just had dinner here for the first time last nite. They opened within the last 5 months and had the service been better, they would have gotten 5 stars. The food was AMAZING, but it took us hours...literally HOURS to eat...and drink. but the staff is all very nice and the sushi was delicious and fresh. They also have a great menu of non-sushi/sashimi items but I would recommend the sushi over the hot dishes. Their claim to fame is that they use brown rice and this is the first brown rice sushi I have had that has been successful. Usually the brown rice is overwhelming and obvioulsy wrong, but this was prepared perfectly and dind't overwhelm the fish. I would highly recommend this place...maybe it's better for smaller groups and don't go on a Thursday night.
ahh, best fish dishes ive had in a while.
sushi = bomb. fresh fish, best fish, fish fish.
carpaccio = bomb. however, its not really sashimi since it gets tossed with hot oil. but i guess thats what a carpaccio dish is.
if i had the money, id come here night after night. the portions arent big, but they taste great. posh decor with a zen feel.
theres a lot of mediocre reviews for this place, but this place has been here for over 2 years. AND its only open for dinner tues-sat. let that speak for itself.
oh, parking is a bitch and theres no SHIMA sign outside.
Maybe they were just off the night I visited, but this place was absolutely terrible. Ordered a sashimi appetizer for the table and the chef's choice sashimi entree for myself. There was a scale on the appetizer, like the fish hadn't been cleaned properly. Was appalled, but didn't say anything. Then, the sashimi moriawase arrived. There was a freaking BONE in my salmon sashimi. Not a hairline bone, either. A thick one. Showed it to waitress. Sent out comp desserts, which were dairy, so half the table couldn't eat them. Too bad. I walk by this place all the time, and the decor is definitely cute. Love the zebrawood upstairs. But a bone in my sashimi is completely unacceptable and litigation waiting to happen.
the food was fantastic and obviously great quality.
why three stars? we're still just stunned by the prices. we spent $100 for a late evening bite and honestly barely ate a thing. For the same money you would at least have a meal even at Nobu...
The servers were sweet, the place is lovely, but we'll never go there again. I'm sorry Shima. I dont mind throwing down for good food. I'm not a cheapskate. I dont think $100 is too much to pay for sushi for two... but for what we ordered... its unbelievable.
need i say more? this is the best westside...
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