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Categories: Japanese, Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Beverly HillsTue-Sat. 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
"This is my secret sushi spot. I clock so much time @ the sushi bar here, that I now have an extensive collection of tinfoil engagement rings…" read more »
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With 2 Michelin stars under his belt, Chef Urasawa serves up an intimate and personable dining experience in his cozy venue that bears his name. Located across from Tiffany's, the venue is reservation only, on the second floor.
Unvarnished wood surfaces serve as their serving counter. Though reminiscent of the surfaces at Masa, the food is served on plates. Kaiseki only, the current price is 350 a head, prior to beverages. The sake, wine and beer list contain many well reputed labels. Though why anyone would pair Kaiseki dishes with anything other than fine Junmai Daiginjo Nihonshu is absolutely beyond me.
While there's no reason to expect that a patron would ever lose interest in the carefully selected (personally, in most cases) foods, including true Wagyu (not AMERICAN raised pseudo-KOBE), amazingly fresh uni, and many more delights that vary depending on what Urasawa-san can find... one will always find comfort in chatting with the man himself.
Trained in Kyoto and with a love for surfing, Urasawa dispenses with the stoic composure that some Japanese culinary virtuosi display. Instead, with a good deal of verve and amiable composure, he serves up good humour alongside his gustatory delights.
If you've a hankering for high-quality sushi and aren't shy about paying a pretty penny, Urasawa is a strong contender for best sushi-ya in Los Angeles.
Urasawa-san certainly has my vote~!
I usually don't like to write a long review for yelp.. but I can't help it for this one!
My mom and I were surfing through Yelp one day when we found this 5 star, over 100 something ratings for a Japanese restaurant named Urasawa. We decided to try it one day, little do we know (because I only read the first couple reviews and was already in love and decided to try it), we were supposed to have a reservation. We drove 40 miles back to where we lived only to have more of a curiosity for this place than ever. We KNEW we had to try it. I went back home and yelped it and found out it was $350 per person without tax/tip, :-/ I knew I wasn't going to spend that much money on myself for just dinner so my brothers and I decided to treat my uncle and my mom for dinner as their birthday present. My mom really wanted to me to go with her and share this experience so she paid for my part. and... OMGOODNESS was this worth every penny!!!! no joke!!!!
1. every plate of uniquely combinated, patiently decorated food was like an explosion of goodness to your tastebuds. Food combinations that you would not expect to be good let alone tasty was absolutely DELICIOUS!
2. we were a private party that night because the whole restaurant only has about 10 seatings, and that night it was just the three of us eating, but there were 5 people helping us. The chef, his assistant, and 1 to 2 people in the kitchen, and 2 people that stood behind us waiting to be at our assitance. My cup of hot tea was never cold, nor halfway empty. The table was absolutely clean the whole time, not a drip of soysauce that wasn't wiped up within a few seconds.THE SERVICE WAS OUTSTANDING! one star for that
3. EVERY single thing that we ate, from the fish to the freshly grounded wasabi, to the soup, to the green tea, to the soysauce was made with FRESH material. shipped fresh around the world. The chef's creation depends on what's in season, and when the fish market's closed in Japan, the restaurant in Beverly Hills closes as well because he opens/closes to the time where he can get fresh ingrediants. Chef Urasawa told us that less than a pound of this wasabi was over $100 from the northern part of Japan because he only gets the best.
4. You can tell that Chef Urasawa really loves what he does because he spends a lot of patience and love for every dish that he makes in front of you. You can really tell that he loves what he's doing and truly has a passion for food and also adds a spark of creativeness to his dishes. You can come back at different times, and he would create a different delicious dish.If you tell him you're allergic or you don't like a certain kind of food, he would create something more to what your tastebud prefers.
5. After every meal,it's like a surprise as to what he would make next and how he would present it. I don't even think he knows exactly which is the best part because he goes by his creative-food senses and at the end ALWAYS creates a masterpiece!
The bill ended up to be about 1450 for 3 people and my brothers' and I's wallets are definitely a lot lighter now but wow... was it worth it! I would definitely come back again... once I save up for a few years :-/ definitely once in a lifetime experience if you like authentic, creative, FRESH, Japanese food. P.S. be prepared to spend at least 3 hours there. (note: if you don't like the taste of raw fish, this would probably not be your cup of tea)
Hands down the best sushi experience I've ever had in my whole life! My boyfriend took me here for my birthday and I will forever remember it. This place has sushi to die for. I thought I knew sushi until I went to urasawa.
1. This place is reservation only!!! Call in a week in advance as there are only about 10 seats in the place. They have early and late reservations though. I think the latest reservation is at 8:30pm
2. See if you can find parking on the street otherwise, go ahead and valet, you can get a validation and pay $5 for the ehole night.
3. Get ready for at least 2 hours of melts in your mouth sushi.
4. You must taste the uni. They put the uni on everything. The Santa Barbara uni was good, but the uni from hokkaido is the best I've ever tasted. Melts in your mouth!
5. There is no menu, eat what chef Hiro makes, you won't regret it.
6. A few dishes I loved when we went:
a. A cold appetizer dish served on dry ice with toro, hokkaido uni, radish and a sweet japanese ginger
b. sweet shrimp like you've nver had it before. They will get live shrimp and in front of you take the head off and peel the shrimp, did I mention they get the brains out and chop it and make it into shrimp topping? I know this sounds really gross but it is delicious!
c. there is an egg souffle w/ mushrooms, shrimps and veggies and topped w/ salmon roe
d. albacore was really good, but you can't have more than one piece
e. toro seared right in front of you and served w/ ponzu sauce
7. Give the chef some love and some beer - you'll get more sushi :)
8. Ken is great fun too. He only does the appetizers, Hiro does all the sushi.
Don't eat all day so you can be ready to eat your heart out.
Yes, very expensive. But worth it? Very much so, at least once!
It's a small intimate space- your seat is yours for the night, so feel free to have a long, leisurely dinner where the chef only stops when your stomach is bursting at the seams.
The highlights that make my mouth water just recalling them:
Black sesame tofu stuffed with fresh uni, topped with caviar and in a light sweet soy sauce. Very unusual and oh so rich tasting. I've never had anything like it and it's simply amazing.
Toro that you grill yourself on a small round slab of piping out black granite. I've had some pretty great toro but this... this is the toro of the gods, marbled with fat like I've never seen and melt in your mouth delicious with a lovely, light smokey flavor.
Shabu shabu with lobster and fois gras. The broth is unbelievably rich, I wanted to take a spoon to it after I had eaten the bits.
I was a bit squeamish about eating the lobster (there's a good deal of... very fresh lobster throughout the meal) while the front half of it was still crawling towards me, but the chef noticed and politely draped a napkin over it with a small smile.
Eating here is a wonderful experience that I recommend highly. I actually can't wait to go back once my bank account has recovered somewhat.
One of the best meals period I've ever had in my life. Definitely worth the $500+ per person (including sake) price tag we paid . We were served 35 courses in total: 8 cooked, 2 sashimi, 23 nigiri and 2 desserts. After the desserts came mocha and tea. I can honestly say that I loved all the cooked, sashimi and nigiri dishes. The cuts of fish were unbelievable fresh, almost on a par with what we had at the Sapporo Nijo Market. The desserts were kiwi jello and black sesame ice-cream, neither of which I was particular fond but somehow had zero effect on my overall dinning experience.
I would definitely come back again. Will someone take me, please?
This is it!
I was so glad to make arrangements to come here. I was super happy with the food, service, and ambiance. I loved the coziness and quiet environment - it was so nice and relaxing experience.
From the moment you walked in, you are taken to Hiro-san's exclusive world. He is very humble, yet paying close attention to all the service details. I have no idea how many hours he spends everyday to prepare all the food, but I could tell it's a lot of work! His style is to emphasize the ingredients' natural flavor instead of coating up with strong sauce. If you like to put teriyaki sauce on everything, then this is not your place.
After every single plate was taken away, these employees wipe the white wood bar counter to make sure it's super clean.
I took some photos, but I did not have a chance to take sushi photos as Hiro-san insisted that I had to eat each sushi within 10 seconds after being served. I was so busy eating. I don't usually eat a lot, but I was told I had 30+ items on that day! :o
I shared nice dry sake with Hiro-san, and he seemed to be happy. I know it's not cheap, but it was not a bad deal considering me going to my favorite sushi place in NY (and paying airfare and hotel)... ;p
first let me start off by saying that I probably had the MOST unique experience (for a common person) at urasawa. It was just two of us and HIRO :D we were the only party for our reservation of 8 on a saturday night so it was personal treatment by the man himself (no homo)... anyways....
best meal of my life. i'm glad that it's expensive... in fact, i sort of think it's TOO affordable. Urasawa is much much much MUCH more than just a "dining" experience. It's an experience in and of itself. Hiro is so nice and humble, i really wanted the meal to go on longer just so i could watch him work. He truly is a master of his art.
Please plan on eating a lot because there is A LOT of food. Seriously... i was a bit skeptic when people were mentioning it here but really.. it is A LOT of food. I've already written more than i wanted.
simply put, Urasawa is amazing. Hurry and make your reservation.
oh yeah and after tax and tip.. expect to be spending 500/pp. more if you are really drinking.
Our reservations was Saturday at 7pm. We came with a bunch of foodies, so it was fun. All 10 seats at the oak bar was filled.
The whole experience and food was truly mind-blowing, and simply amazing. Once you have eaten here, it's hard to eat sushi elsewhere.
Check out the play-by-play at: http://bit.ly/2kkez
This is one of the best sushi place ever in Los Angeles area. I know this place is very expensive by comparing to random sushi restaurants. This place is basically most expensive sushi house in LA. Atmosphere is really nice, and service is really good as well. Sashimi is melting in my mouth. ummmmm. I came here for my birthday. If I am craving for their sushi again, I will definitely come here in my next year birthday. Eating in this restaurant is wonderful experience. Only bad thing is that I have to make reservation.
Amazing. Unreal. Indescribable. The best sushi, EVER.
Yes, I felt bad dropping $500+ for dinner. I could have spent it to pay off my student loan, or sent the money to a charity, but this was such an experience that I had to do it. I'm just glad it's so expensive or else Urasawa would become my next bad habit. :) You must also give in and make a reservation at Urasawa. You won't regret it!
You roll into Beverly Hills in whatever fancy car you have... and when you're done eating... you're going to be literally physically rolling out the door of Urasawa.
Hiro is a very humble Japanese man, but he is very strict with his staff. (When one the waitresses retrieved the dish from him, he stopped and sternly told her that she was using the wrong hand. She had to correct herself on front of the customers. Whoa...)
So expect the best service. And don't forget the UNI! Seriously-- I never liked the taste of uni, but this meal wouldn't even be an Urasawa meal without it.
The entire experience was excellent! No other sushi will ever taste the same way again after last night's meal. $350 per person. Pricey, I know! But seriously, you have to do it at least ONCE in your lifetime! However, I know it's not going to be my last time...
Personal chef, edible gold flake, Derek Fisher at arm's length, these sum up my experience at Urasawa--the food mecca for sushi lovers. An experience not soon forgotten, after 25 odd dishes you are stuffed beyond belief as your wallet is drained of close to $1,000 (for two).
Not every dish is amazing but the attention to detail and passion for cooking is evident everywhere. From the hand carved ice blocks which hold your sashimi to the hand-whisked (to perfection) matcha tea, service is the utmost priority. Dishes worth going back for: salmon (?) roe with Japanese custard , seared toro, uni, wagyu beef, 2-day marinated saga beef, the list goes on...
Once in a lifetime, more if you're lucky!
urasawa is probably the most pricey, yet down to earth restaurant i've been to. the service was exceptional just by the default of being their customer--i didn't have to have to look, act, or know certain people to be treated well. of course, the food was simply amazing.
dining here would be in my list of "top how ever many things one should do before dying." it'd be great if one can be a regular here, but how many people can really afford to do that?
To die for. I go whenever I have the chance. Just go...you will not be disappointed with anything at Urasawa.
Michelin Stars #12 and 13
To say Urasawa was the best sushi experience of my life would be a gross understatement. To say chef Hiro was the most cordial, funny, and professional sushi chef I've ever witnessed would be putting it lightly. Urasawa has now tied the Dining Room at the Ritz, for "The Best Meal of My Life" title. (http://www.yelp.com/us...)
I surprised my old lady on her 30th birthday with arguably the best sushi west of the Mississippi. Lucky for me this was a present I could enjoy as well. From the moment we entered, service was impeccable. To me, it was never overbearing, and always very relaxed. Despite what many reviews have said, there was a short list of sake by the glass, which we ordered one of along with some beer to start. We also indulged in two bottles of $10 water. What's an extra $20 at a place like that? Also, some reviewers said valet was $15, but it was only $5 after validation. Now to the food.
1. The first dish we had was one of my favorites of the night. It was a slice of the best Japanese beef I've ever had, wrapped around uni, shrimp, veggies, and topped with caviar. I tried to chew as slow as possible since it was so good. The beef just melted into all the other components while maintaining a sublime textural experience.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
2. Sesame tofu, filled with uni, and topped with 23ct gold. The tofu like dumpling was delicious and the fact that it was filled with uni made it ever better. This was as good as the amazing tofu I had in Japan.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
4. The best kanpachi sashimi I've ever had. Served on a block of ice that Hiro carved himself, it was divine.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
5. Chawanmushi with fish sperm. This was one of the best shirako dishes I've ever had. (You'll notice I'm saying, "Best I ever had" a lot. There is a good reason for that, it's true!)
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
6. Tempura of a black truffle and squid. How can you go wrong with a HUGE piece of tempura fried black truffle? You can't, you simply cannot.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
8. Not the best picture, but the thin slice of foie gras prepared shabu shabu style was unreal. I was first surprised it didn't melt or break when lifted with my chopsticks, and I was surprised again when the entire piece melted in my mouth. This was just excellent on every possible level.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
9-29. Sushi. The best sushi I've ever had by far! Each piece was the best of its kind. All the beef was better than the Kobe beef I had in Kobe Japan. The toro was the fattiest, the shellfish had the best texture of any I've ever had, and watching the knife skills of Hiro Urasawa was hypnotic. His attention to every microscopic detail was bordering on OCD, delicious fishy OCD.
The meal ended with some awe inspiring teas and desserts. I was pretty full by this point but I managed to suck it all down.
Chef Hiro was honestly the friendliest and funniest sushi chef I've ever had the pleasure of eating from. He would talk at length to the girl in Japanese and then a few minutes later would start talking to me in English. Never did I feel this to be a stuffy, snooty, or pretentious place.
Was it worth it? YES! Without hesitation or a second thought, YES. Would I go again? In a heartbeat. I turn 30 in less than 18 months and I'm counting the days until this 30th b-day present is returned.
On my 30th birthday, my fiancé told me that he was going to take me to "all you can eat McDonald" for dinner and instructed strongly that I only have light lunch during the day to prepare for the feast. Ummm ok? On that night, he blindfolded me in the car and headed somewhere. After many stops and turns, he pulled into the under-ground parking structure. Very nice looking valet people escorted me out of the car, and I still had no idea to where he was taking me. ...Until I saw the business names listed by the elevator.
1F McCormick & Schmick's
2F Urasawa
"2F Urasawa"!!!?!???!?!?!?!?!?
I freaked out. I FREEEEEEEEAKED OUT! Of course he wasn't gonna take me to McCormick & Schmick's, and sure enough, he pushed 2F in the elevator and said "happy birthday, baby." I'm the happiest girl on earth!!!!!!!
"Bright" was the first thought as I stepped into Urasawa. It was clean, minimal, and bright. I saw a gigantic ice wall placed right next to the various fresh fish, and a gigantic block of marbled beef. I mean, gigantic like bigger-than-my-chihuahua gigantic. Fresh hot towel came with a drink menu. On the contrary to what I heard, they actually offered small sake. We opted for that as I was on anti-biotic (bummer!) and couldn't drink much.
Then the ecstasy came. I'm not kidding. Every single course, every little thing that the chef put in front of us was beyond imagination. "Melts in my mouth" doesn't do it justice. Actually no words can do it justice. I just simply don't know how to translate that entrancing experience into writing, so I'm just gonna have to simply describe what we had and leave few notes here.
1. Uni and Botan Shrimp wrapped in raw marbled beef and Senmai-zuke (pickled turnip) with caviar on top
Who would have thought of these heavenly combination!!?!?!???
2. Goma Tofu (Sesami Tofu) with Uni inside, with fresh wasabi and 23k gold flake on top
Thick, yet super creamy tofu that went perfectly with the texture of Uni.
3. Karasumi wrapped in Sanmai-zuke (salted then dried fish eggs wrapped in pickled turnip)
Upon chef's instruction, having a small bite of it then chasing it with sake worked great. Now I know why Sake lovers favor Karasumi, one of the top three delicacies in Japan.
4. Uni, Kanpachi, Toro Sashimi
This came on top of the beautiful plate made out of ice. Chef claimed that he's a guy of leisure and he carved them all himself...
5. Shirako Chawanmushi (Fish testis egg custard)
This came with thick sauce and grated ginger on top. Chunks of creamy Shirako and crunchy veggies, as well as springy mushrooms all made a textural paradise.
6. Black truffle and baby squid Tempura
To my "Oh my god, I've never seen this huge black truffle before!," the chef said "Oops, that was an accidental cut!" Charming.
7. Shrimp, marbled beef, and scallop grilled in Miso sauce
We thought it was cheese on top. The aroma so rich and the flavor so intense.
8. Marbled beef and foie gras Shabu Shabu
The waitresses did the swishing for us and made us felt like a king and a queen. Both literally melted in my mouth. We were given a spoon to drink the broth afterward.
9. ~ 29. Various Sushi
Uni, Abalone, Botan shrimp, Toro, marbled beef, etc etc. I doubt it can get any fancier than this.
30. Grapefruit jello
So refreshing after all the richness! This came with a cup of Maccha, the REAL green tea. So bitter, almost powdery. I haven't had it for so long... It was definitely soothing.
31. Sesame Ice cream
Very rich, yet not too sweet ice cream. This came with a cup of Hojicha (roasted green tea). It was the wonderful ending of the meal.
Everything was breath taking and beyond my comprehension. Definitely one of the greatest meals I've ever had. The service was top notch. They went above and beyond for everything. Our water glass never reached to half point as it was constantly poured. Every time when we had to excuse ourselves to the outside bathroom, they opened the door to let us out, re-opened the door to let us back in (how did they know we were about to open the door to come back in???), then gave us the fresh hot towel. Once when Eli had to leave in the middle of the course, they took the food back into the kitchen to keep it warm and re-presented it to him when he got back. They provided us the ultimate devotion and customer service.
The Chef Hiro was the perfect master at this place. Modest, humble, yet confident. Attentive and funny. He's trained his staff well. Everybody switched between Japanese and English to be fair to both of us, and all the courses were described twice (once in Japanese, once in English). There was no awkwardness of any kind throughout the entire dinner that I often encounter at Japanese restaurants in LA. Not only was the food fantastic, everything else was incredible too. I truly enjoyed my night here.
I'll start saving money now so that I can return the favor and take my fiancé back here on his 30th birthday a year and half from now. ...Well hopefully.
It has taken me a month to finally write this review... Why? I have no idea... The overwhelmingly amazing dinner I had at Urasawa on June 3 at 7:30 pm has been replaying in my mind over and over...
We made it through the entire dinner. Some diners refused additional courses because they were full... I was tempted to eat off their plates. Every piece of sushi was perfectly crafted. Every course was perfectly timed. Perfectly seasoned, perfectly cooked, perfectly served. I have a picture of one of the dishes (Uni, truffles wrapped in kobe beef steamed with sake served in a claypot) as my screensaver...
I am making plans for a return visit in September... maybe another one earlier...
I came to Urasawa to celebrate graduating with my parents. Now I myself had no doubts that I was about to be in sushi heaven, but I was mildly concerned for my parents, who can be a little shy when it comes to, shall we say, ingredients that are not your standard fare. But I brought them with the faith that Hiro was simply too talented a chef not to make something any person would love, and of course I was correct.
I don't think I need to repeat what every reviewer here has said; any dish you are presented with will blow your mind and it will probably be the best preparation of that thing you have ever tasted. Period. But I would also like to emphasize the fact that despite its price, this is not a stuffy place. My mildly intimidated parents were quiet at first but we quickly developed a repore with Hiro, who was extremely amused by my parents facial expressions and encouraged the whole place to be more talkative.
By the end of the meal we were all so stuffed we could barely walk to the car, and Hiro probably had 6 more nigiri in mind for us at least. This is definitely a place where you have not just a meal, but an experience.
Nigiri will NEVER taste the same for me.
As with any really wonderful, unforgettable meal I think about the cuisine constantly and make references to it on a daily basis. Urasawa lived up to all the hype and my expectations. Truly a culinary experience. Extravagant ingredients presented in a simple, clean and delicate manner. I was transported and grinning from ear to ear the entire journey.
Suspects for the evening:
*Doctor and his friend
*CPA and her daughter
*Quiet group of AZNs just soaking it in
*Mr. Hollywood w/his Harajuku girl, he wore SHADES at dinner
Service: So considerate and traditional in Japanese fashion. The servers cook over your shoulder w/chopsticks, fill sake at the drop of a hat & run to the sliding door when your bladder calls.
Eats:
*Uni was a major part of the evening. A beautiful representation, a lovely smooth oceanic flavor.
*Never had shark's fin outside of Chinese soup, the Japanese style really brought out the subtle sweetness & so tender.
*Toro on a hot stone was amazing, literally melted in our mouths.
*Enjoyed the shabu shabu unagi, the broth was so simple, just the remains of the fish & foie gras.
*Live amaebi squirming in front of us & then Ken snapped his head off.
*Nigiri and sushi were AMAZING, the freshest, most aesthetically pleasing fish on perfectly seasoned fall in your mouth rice. No soy sauce or extras needed. The perfect amount of yuzu juice and soy are brushed on the fish. Every nigiri experience from this point on will be compared to this awesomeness.
*Even the tamago was done right, don't like the stuff, but their version was so light & fluffy.
*Sesame ice cream rocked and off course the deepest grassy green tea.
Things I learned:
*Once food touches your mouth, it's rude to pass it, Ken threw away half my nigiri, in front of me!!! Eek!!! He did the same to another party. At least he's consistent. The trick is pass the food directly, don't put it on the surface you're served on, where it's in reaching distance, but again, you might want to stray away from this practice as it's bad manners. I hate wasting food.
*Hiro carves ice sculptures daily as an apparatus to present the sashimi.
*Fish is shipped in from Japan three times a week.
*If you want to get your dollar's worth, don't say you're full, Ken and Hiro will wind down the meal and start serving the desserts.
*2009 will be the last year to savor foie gras in CA.
*Don't order THREE 750ml bottles b/t two people and finish them-big trouble. Hey, we tried to share a few rounds w/the Chefs.
Reservations are relatively easy to score now. They have done away the stringent TWO seating per night limitation. Park in the garage, don't worry about the time limit, the garage closes, but the Staff will make sure to escort you out.
I am forever changed-to date, the best meal of my LIFE.
Urasawa will blow you away with an out-of-this-world omakase at his Japanese standout, where attentive service outweighs nondescript decor;
The mortgage-the-house prices are commensurate with the excellent quality, and sushi service.
Bring along a high-limit card.
after 2 failed attempts to come here, i finally made it on the 3rd try.
best dish was caviar + kobe beef spoonful. 2nd best was stone grilled toro. 3rd was foie gras shabu shabu
service is shockingly meticulous
PS: champagne pairs great with the food here. blanc de blancs recommended.
Sweet, I get the 100th review for Urasawa! (WTF, I lost the 100th review thing on this review. Whatever....)
Located in the heart of Rodeo Drive, you'll see many high end stores, and cars in the area, along with its abundance of tourists visiting the sights and sound of the area.
Upon entering Urasawa, you'll step into an immaculate restaurant. With various fresh ingredients in front of your eyes, we were assured of the great meal ahead.
Truth be told, it was a mind blowing experience. The full on 30 course dinner lasted 6+ hours and each course was an experience by itself. There were a few standouts during out meal: 1) Kora-Yaki (Hairy crab meat that's from Hokkaido served grilled in a mixture of crab brain, and uni) 2) Saga Beef (Japanese wagyu beef cooked for 2 days in sake and shoyu) amongst many others.
Yes, the price was steep ($540/pp for us), plus an additional $15 for valet parking. But honestly, there are times that splurging on a great meal like this makes one's year, as it did mine.
For my full review with each course descriptions and pictures, visit my blog located on the left of my profile or just go to:
kungfoodpanda (dot) blogspot (dot) com
(Ya, I'm whoring out my blog, sue me)
Found my wallet, and back to Urasawa. Hey, don't laugh, I actually like washing dishes!
Let's see, should I make my car payment this month, or go to Urasawa for dinner? I think I'll go to… Read more »
Came here for my birthday. My sushi eating standard had been forever raised. They used uni for so many of their dishes, I was simply in heaven! The food was amazing.
When I save up enough for a month's car payment, I'll return, gladly!
Make reservations ahead of time, dress casually and be prepared to be amazed. =)
To most that I tell I've had the privilege of dining at Urasawa for $350/person, I've lost my damn mind. I was a bit skeptical myself when I made the reservations. What meal could possibly be worth $350 per person? I am just going to say, it was worth every single pretty penny.
This really is an experience rather than a meal so I say you must try it at least once in your lifetime. This place does not look like much from the outside..just a small doorway as an entrance to a very small room that only takes 10 diners a night by reservation only. I panicked a little when I walked in. For $350/person I expected a grand decor and maybe even live entertainment. Well, I guess you could consider watching the Chef prepare the food with perfect precision live entertainment. The meal starts off slow, a piece of this, a piece of that, but once it gets going it is a nonstop succession of tantalizing flavors and melt in your mouth textures until you want to stop and applaud the Chef for the best meal you have ever had in your life.
-Price: $350/person
-Menu: Decided by the Chef (who laughed at his own story about Janet Jackson coming into Urasawa and outrageously asking for a spider roll).
-Courses: Around a 9-course meal but who is counting?
-Presentation: Perfect, artistic, beautiful. Think 24-karat gold flakes on your tofu
-Food: Perfect temperature, freshest ingredients (rumored to be flown in fresh that day from all over the world), perfect cut (Chef is one of the few licensed to cut blowfish sashimi), rare dishes (foie gras shabu shabu, seared toro, REAL Kobe beef)
A diner asked the Chef if this was a common meal in Japan. The Chef seemed a bit insulted as he informed the diner that very few are privileged to eat that well, even in the country of origin.
If you are a true sashimi lover, this is an experience you will truly appreciate.
No words or reviews can do this place any justice. We came for my boyfriend's birthday in May and after reading reviews, we knew we were in for something amazing, but didn't know to what extent. So much has been said about this wonderful place already. The following are just a few things I found noteworthy in my experience:
1. The price of $350/person before tax and tip is quite steep yes, but when we left, never did I doubt we got our money's worth. The meal is pure indulgence. We had so many servings of toro, uni, and kobe beef. On top of that, we were served foie gras, abalone, giant clam, and fish sperm. It felt like this is the price you have to pay for the quality and caliber of Hiro-san's food.
2. Hiro-san is humble, funny, and a perfectionist. He is incredibly thoughful and observant. He noticed immediately that my boyfried was left-handed and had his staff adjust his settings accordingly. He even noticed that later in the meal, my boyfriend switched hands and commented on his ambidexterity. Every dish served was meticulously thought out and plated. No piece of seaweed fell astray. He hand carves around 15 blocks of ice personally every morning to serve his sashimi dish. You can just imagine his devotion to his craft.
3. Buy Hiro-san a drink! When we first arrived, the room seemed quite serious. We didn't know how ot act. But really, to enjoy your experience here is to dine as you would at any other sushi restaurant. Hiro-san would love to share sake with you. We had so much fun laughing and cracking jokes with him. He has quite a sense of humor.
4. Service was amazing. We never reached further than a few inches in front of us. Once Hiro-san plates each dish, a staff member immediately places it in front of you. As soon as you are finished, the plate is cleared and the the area in front of you is wiped down. Your sake and beer glasses are always filled.
5. Say hi to Dan! He'll probably be the one to take your reservation. I must have spoken to him 4 or 5 times before we got there. Each time he was super friendly and courteous. I had to cancel my original reservation, but he told me that if plans should change, just call back and he'll try to squeeze me in. Sure enough, plans changed and Dan found a way to get me seats again.
6. Oh! We saw people eating in the dining room for half of their meal, but it is so much better to eat at the sushi bar and watch the master himself prepare everything.
We left on an Urasawa high. The whole experience was magical and I cannot wait until I can go back. My boyfriend and I are making this an annual trip. And maybe when our bankroll is bigger, semiannual.
Anyone who knows me or stalks me on Yelp knows that I love burgers and bbq, second only to good sushi. And the only thing better than good sushi is great sushi. That said...
Urasawa is hands-down the best food experience I have ever had.
Food:
Everything is amazing, creative, and perfectly displayed. The best toro I've ever had. Some dishes are accented with gold. Gold. The meal is roughly 30 courses and is fun because of the presentation and the interactivity of some of the dishes. Anything I can say has been said before and anything positive that has been said is true. Oh, and it'll run about $900 for dinner for two. 5 stars.
Service:
The wait staff is friendly and extremely attentive. I think there is a waiter for every party. They don't seem to be at Urasawa to interact, but to serve, and they accomplish that goal mightily. 5 stars.
Decor:
Simple, clean, and light. Urasawa is off a quiet hall in a building at Rodeo and Wilshire. There are a small number of chairs at a sushi bar (by which I mean a massive piece of maple) and a private table. 4 stars.
Summary:
Food (60% weight for Overall): 5 stars.
Service (20% weight for Overall): 5 stars.
Decor (20% weight for Overall): 4 stars.
Overall: 4.8 stars.
The gold standard against which all others are measured.
I don't have to say much for this review.
THIS IS THE BEST SUSHI IN CALIFORNIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
first i have to say, this place is amazing, of course if you dont look at the bill at the very end, this place might be paradise. thank you Hero san for such a wonderful meal.
as long as you got enough money this place can make your dreams come true, they got super fresh ingredients, wonderful service, and most important, awesome food.
if you ever feel like dropping 500 per person to experience one of the best japanese joint in the states, make sure you call way ahead to make a reservation!! or else you might end up have to wait a couple of weeks till your turn.
If Urasawa is not what a perfect dining experience should be, then I doubt anything else in LA would be a perfect score. Granted, the cost is prohibitively expensive, and if I were to come back more than once, it would probably weigh more heavily on my review. But for a one-time visit, I felt good dropping $540 for the six-hour dinner. I suppose the cost just didn't bother me because I knew exactly what I was getting into and was fully anticipating handing over my paycheck.
Even if it's not his intention, Chef Hiro Urasawa is an entertainer. The fact that this is dinner and a show helps to soften the wallet show. With your seat in front of the master himself, you are privy to watching the exquisite knifework and attention to detail. Had I not been seating in my prime spot, I wouldn't have enjoyed the experience at quite the same level. He answered our questions cheerfully, and I could tell when he took out his prime sake that his passion is really in his craft.
While there were several dishes I've never encountered before, most of the menu was pretty familiar for a regular Japanese food consumer. Of course, it was the highest quality examples of said items. I didn't mind that there was nothing so rare I would find no where else. The saga beef was unique enough by itself. I'm certain that the menu would be quite different coming here at another time during the year. For our early Spring dinner, the variety was not quite as extensive.
Decor was oddly calming and smoothing. I found myself rubbing the daily sanded Cypress bar constantly. It gave quite a tactile experience of elegance that I haven't found anywhere else. We got to walk behind the bar after dinner and witness a huge kitchen for such a small front. I was somewhat dumbstruck by the massive mechanism behind the scenes, pushing forward 26 dishes or so to ten anxious diners.
Come to Urasawa with an open mind and ready body. The experience is for all your senses--taste, sight, sound, feel, smell, and wallet.
The best sushi in socal. It is in a class of it's own and no other sushi resturant has come close.
With a price tag of 350pp excluding drinks, this is not a place for the average consumer. To die hard sushi fans this place is a must.
For the price, expect uni that is sweet, toro that melts in your mouth, and sushi that is flown in from japan every other day, along with various dishes with it's own special character. Gold flakes were topped on some dishes, a little bit over the top and could be excluded.
The decor is simple yet elegant, consisting of a sushi table and a tableI for four, the resturant accomodates 11-13 people at most, so make your reservations early. If you are bringing a date, do not expect a romantic evening for two.
Service was robotic, and impersonable, however everything was well taken care of.
Just made reservations to sushi heaven.
The price for sushi heaven went up to $350 per person.
I predict 5 stars, a full belly and over 900 points on the credit card.
Still the best japanese meal I've had in this country. The progression of the dishes is perfect. Hiro takes you outside of your comfort zone, then brings you right back in. The crab brain with uni is my favorite dish.
The downside here is obviously the price. The price went from 275 per to 350....that hurts. With water and our corkage fees (krug and moose:) ) it was a bit north of 500pp. I can't say that it isn't worth it, but in the economy, 75 bucks make a difference.
Impeccable service.
Great chef who takes pride in his work.
Top notch ingredients.
Artful preparation and delivery.
Taste of food reflects top grade ingredients.
Good experience, but left something more to be desired.
This place is amazing. Quality of the food and service is impeccable.
But unfortunately, it will cost you an arm and a leg.
They only accept reservations and you have to book months in advance. The restaurant is kind of hard to find. It's on the second floor inside the Rodeo Plaza.
As soon as you walk in, the staff makes you feel right at home. The place is very small and sits about 10-12 people a night.
The dining experience starts in small portions that are intricately designed and cooked; some dishes have gold flakes on 'em! I think you can pick from a 12 to 24 meal course. Every dish is mouth watering! Yummmm.
Probably the best meal I've had in Los Angeles. This place is really a treat to go to. Rarely do you find someone as dedicated to his craft as Hiro, as he is conscious of every part of the diner's experience here from the moment you walk in. The pristine sushi bar is sanded every day. Fantastic-looking pieces of fish and kobe beef are on display.
A ton of great things have been said about this restaurant on yelp, and it's pretty much all true. The sushi is wonderful, and probably some of the freshest you'll find on the west coast. The photos of the food here are some of the best food porn you'll see.
Hiro is a gracious host, and is always there. How often do you really get to see the famous chef of a restaurant prepare meals and get a chance to speak with them? Ask him anything, and enjoy the time you can spend with him to observe him doing what he does best.
Really recommended that anyone who loves Japanese food - or food, in general - make a trip to this temple.
Oral pleasures are often a preliminary to genital satisfaction. Tonight was an all-orifice satisfaction at the highest level. My desires were devoured.... it was oral sadism.
Oh dear, as I stare down at my stomach aka food baby pouch, I can say for sure I'm pretty guilty as can be of self-indulgence. I have stuffed my face for nearly three hours, losing count long ago of how many dishes I have eaten. All sorts of meat were in my receptive mouth this evening. Yes...it was fun. In the end I had to ask the chef to stop serving us. We were rolled out of the place and thankful there was an elevator to my car... and omigosh sweet baby Jesus that was good.
quite simply the most exquisite dining experience of my life (and by far the most expensive, just over $1,000 for two, including sake, tax and tip). everything that can possibly be said about this place has surely been said already, but it was such a privilege to eat here, i must throw in my 2 cents!
the food is excellent, the best i have ever tasted. caviar-uni spoon was phenomenol, the live shrimp drizzled with innard goodness was pure heaven, loved the foie gras shabu shabu, the uni-filled seseame tofu was incredible and the yellowtail is the yummiest, creamiest yellowtail i have ever put in my mouth. lots of toro and uni dishes...a couple beef items too (the beef cooked in sake for 2 days melted on my tongue like butter and the kobe was...well, it's kobe!)...the squid here is the best i've had. and i'd say about a third of the dishes were topped with flakes of 24 ct gold. wow. even down to the rice, everything about my meal at urasawa was outstanding. and oh my, there was a lot to eat! i had to skip a few courses towards the end. i seriously thought i was going to fall over on my way out, i was so full.
chef hiro-san is a brilliant, brilliant man. an absolute perfectionist. i love that this place only seats about 10 people because then we all get to experience his genius up close and personal. i may just have a little crush on him. his staff is amazing too, and the precision they all use to create these culinary masterpieces is top notch. they're also obviously using the finest knives known to man. very impressive.
the wait staff was great as well and not the least bit pretentious. i felt like i had my own personal assistant all night long...they were standing by to clear each dish as soon as i was finished, wiped down the bar after every single course, gave me a hot towel several times throughout the night, and somehow knew from the other side of the wall and around the corner when i was returning from the ladies room to make sure the door was opening for me before i even approached it.
i'm still in awe over what an amazing experience this was. food is my greatest pleasure and urasawa is as good as it gets. this is a meal i will remember for the rest of my life.
Absolutely the most amazing sushi experience you can have! I eat here at least a few times a year. Even though its pricey, the service is fantastic and the food superb! If you are looking for top tier sushi, this is it!
One of the best sushi restaurants I have been to.
All Drinks Half Price Thu. &…
Neighborhood: West Hollywood
Happy Hour and Tapas Menu
Neighborhood: West Hollywood
Neighborhood: West Los Angeles
Category: Japanese
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Category: Sushi Bars
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Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Beverly Hills
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: West Hollywood
Category: Japanese
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