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Yen Sushi & Sake Bar
Categories: Restaurants Sushi Bars Restaurants Japanese Sushi Bars, Japanese [Edit]
9618 W Pico BlvdSte 509
Los Angeles, CA 90035
Neighborhood: West Los Angeles
(310) 278-0691
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11:30 am - 10 pm
Fri 11:30 am - 10:30 pm
Sat 12 pm - 10:30 pm
Sun 12 pm - 9:30 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
81 reviews for Yen Sushi & Sake Bar
Review Highlights
"Great spicy tuna on crispy rice."
(in 3 reviews)
"They have a great, affordable happy hour."
(in 12 reviews)
"...albacore roll topped with albacore sashimi and avocado..."
(in 3 reviews)
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81 reviews in English
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Review from Katey B.
Los Angeles, CA
1/5/2012
I've been meaning to write a review of Yen Sushi for a while now. It seems like everyone in LA knows "the best place for sushi" - I am not one of those people, so you can take this or leave it.
The significant other and I recently moved down the street from this place and went to check out their Happy Hour, which goes until 7PM. They pretty much can't keep us away now. We go a couple times a week and love it!
Crazy Boy rolls are amazing. S.O. loves the Baked Mussel Dynamite. Anything on their happy hour menu is good, though - we get about $20-$25 worth every time (and it's a lot of food b/c the prices are so low for the happy hour). I love the Heart Bomb, too. Really good stuff.
Service is always quick and friendly and the place has never been too crowded for us. -
Review from Jennifer Y.
Los Angeles, CA
1/12/2012
I hate writing negative reviews. I really do.
But today's sushi lunch was not good.
Their prices are good but you get what you pay for.
The salmon sushi was fine but the yellowtail sushi had some weird sauce on it and it was stringy. I almost threw up while eating it.
The spicy tuna tempura roll tasted "off" and I only ate 1/2 of it.
I hate that this place isn't good but what can you do?
I spent $20 on lunch and eating the $20 bill might have been more satisfying.
The service was also very slow.
Don't think I'll go back. -
Review from Z A.
Venice, CA
1/4/2012
Ugh. Worst service of ANY restaurant I've ever been to in Los Angeles. Every table within earshot was complaining. Incomplete orders, long waits, confused waiters...just unbelievably unorganized and inept.
The food that did eventually arrive at our table was fine and the "happy hour" menu is relatively inexpensive for what it is. That said, there are far too many places with impeccable service to waste an hour of your life and dining experience here. -
Review from Steven B.
Los Angeles, CA
2/4/2012
The sushi is exceptional and the prices are good. We go there once or twice a week. In our opinion, the quality of the sushi is the best around. However, we must agree with many others who have left bad reviews about the service. The service is consistently bad. Long waits even when there are not many customers. We always have to get the waitress' attention for refills instead of them asking us. We also have to wait to get their attention to request the check. We will continue to go there for the convenience, quality of food, and prices. However, we probably will not recommend the place to others because of the bad service.
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Review from Charles B.
WOODLAND HLS, CA
11/27/2011
If you haven't been to Yen Sushi, you've gotta come check this place out! I saw some mixed reviews on Yelp and had some trepidation, but after coming here for the first time... it certainly exceeded all my expectations. The service was top notch, restaurant clean, sashimi very fresh, and a menu that can satisfy my craziest desires. I once finished a boat full of sushi/sashimi (called the 'Titanic' - enough for four people) single-handed, so trust me, I know my stuff. This is the first place I've given 5-stars, so it's well deserved. Great job Yen!
I had some of the regular nigiri (halibut, yellowtail, and albacore) as well as some splurges: Toro and Uni. The Uni was chilled, creamy, and just simply heavenly; I wish I could be thrown in an Uni tank, just so I can eat myself out. Anyway, getting back... be sure to try their tempura fried green tea ice cream as well. This will put an exclamation point to a great dining experience. -
Review from Tammy L.
9/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
We walked in on a mellow Saturday afternoon due to their Happy Hour advertisement outside. We were quite excited for their deals and looked forward to slinging back some sake shots.
Service was almost non-existent as the girls preferred to chit chat with each other at the front or they just didn't bother to come around. But most of the time, it was just impossible to flag someone down (avoiding eye contact, looking in non-directions). This was unfolding at pre-dinner time, when there were just a handful of tables occupied. So...really??
When we were first seated, we waited patiently for a few minutes since we were there just to kill time. However, as the minutes ticked on, we finally flagged a girl down as she was speeding past us. We asked her to take our order and she began to tell us that she wasn't our server but probably cut herself off when she saw the "we mean business" look on our faces.
Once ordered, our food came at a reasonable pace. Everything was nicely made and tasted fine (nothing to phone home about). And yes, the Happy Hour prices were pretty affordable. Among the stuff we ordered were the jalapeno stuffed with spicy tuna dish (heart bomb?) and a spicy tuna rolll. Both were pretty good.
Getting the check and finally signing the slip was another unfortunate wait for us. I felt like I wasted a year of my life in this restaurant! -
Review from Jennifer M.
Beverly Hills, CA
10/16/2011
The short review ... If you value your time at all, do not ever set foot in this place.
The long review ... With all due respect to other Yelpers who left positive reviews for this place, I personally do not understand how any rational person can give this place a positive review. The service was god awful and for the quality of the food, way overpriced. I actually type this as I sit next to a couple who has been waiting over 15 minutes for their bill. And, as I watch a group of three people wait patiently to sit at a sushi bar that is empty but full of dirty dishes. And I sat for 20 minutes waiting for someone to acknowledge my existence.
Really? Given that people are eating out less due to the economy and given the high number of sushi restaurants in the area, this place needs to get a clue.Comment from Yeon Min C. of Yen Sushi & Sake Bar 10/16/2011
Hello ma'am, I would like to apologize on behalf of my… More » -
Review from Linda Z.
Culver City, CA
8/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
Awful place. Don't go here! (check the stars, folks) Whatever you do, don't go here for Happy Hour. It's sooooooooo not a good deal. I mean, come on, who calls gut-packing sushi for two and a large Asahi for a grand total of $31.00 a deal? Puh-leeeease.
Banzai rolls, Crazy Girl rolls, Albacore, Salmon, Spicy Tuna hand roll, Gyoza, Edamame, Asahi for under $40.00 w/tip? That's no deal. Not at all.
Whatever you do .. stay away .. leave me in peace .. I mean, uh, totally don't go here. Nope. Don't do it.Comment from Yeon Min C. of Yen Sushi & Sake Bar 8/22/2011
Haha you almost got me there. Thank you for coming Linda.… More » -
Review from Eileen L.
8/30/2011
We came into a nearly empty restaurant for Happy Hour on a wednesday. when we left, other parties were waiting to take our table.
In order to partake in Happy Hour, we had to fulfill a $7.95/person minimum.. sounds easy enough right? not when each of the rolls cost ~ $3, and the beer pints cost less than the rolls.
Amongst the 3 of us, we ordered 5 rolls, a tempura appetizer and a beer. Had to skip out on the sake bombing to be the responsible DD. The rolls were tall and wide... you simply couldn't fit a piece into your mouth in one bite. We ordered the typical rolls... spicy tuna, salmon & cucumber, salmon skin. We also tried the banzai roll.. it was flipping amazing... california roll topped with spicy tuna and drizzled with tempura flakes... super crunchy and a hint of spice.
And a plus for the cute Japanese old lady who says some Japanese phrase each time she brings us our orders.
Worth the drive out to LA for the happy hour? I'd say so :)Listed in: Cute Date Spots, Best Happy Hours (West LA)
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Review from Naz N.
Los Angeles, CA
12/2/2011
This place is close to home and I had not been here in a while and wanted to test their new Happy Hour Menu, which is a small version of their large menu. Our order was placed pretty fast and the food was received very quick. All Items were fresh and very tasty. Their happy hour menu is worth it if you like Spicy Tuna. I enjoyed the food and service. I like their regular menu as well. I would go again very soon.
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Review from joel N.
Los Angeles, CA
10/27/2011 2 Check-ins Here
This is the closest sushi place to where I live and fortunately, I like it. There is an all day happy hour that is very good. We usually get a few appetizers, some sushi and a few roles and we're full.
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Review from dayna c.
Los Angeles, CA
6/12/2011
This is my "go to" sushi spot. It's a bit on the "pop" sushi side but perfect for taking your "not so keen on sushi" peeps and enjoying good sashimi and other raw goods yourself. They have a variety of deep fried rolls for the squeamish. My favorite..tuna/avocado roll and spider rolls have never let me down.
They also have a fried onion app served with seared tuna or albacore that is really tasty. Sometimes we order this app back to back.
The free small sake with an order of large beer is a nice touch.
It's never crowded, but also never empty.
I discovered this spot several years ago when I first moved to Los Angeles. I was staying at a hotel nearby and though the name has changed since I found this place, the deliciousness has not.
I have my fancy, less "pop" sushi spots, but I patronize this one the most.
It's on the second floor of a shopping area with a Ralphs and CVS, yes it's a bit strange but don't judge a book by it's cover.
Good stuff. -
Review from Bliss T.
Los Angeles, CA
11/1/2011
Bad food.
Crazy RUDE.
Well I decided to give this place a third chance. Turned out pretty foul.
I work nearby, half hour for lunch. There is only one other place in walking distance. Still I've avoided this place because the food doesn't taste fresh and no one looks happy to be there.
I called in an order for pick-up. When I got back to my office, turned out they screwed up the order. I'd said I was a vegetarian, they said they could make a veggie tempura bowl without meat for me. They didn't do that. It was all shrimp with two potato tempura, which reeked of greasy shrimp. Plus it took my entire lunchbreak just to get the food which wasn't ready at the time it was supposed to be ready (20 MINUTES LATE,) so I went hungry that day.
I called, they said they'd refund my money. One week later, no refund. I called again. They transferred me to the manager who was rude and surly and blamed me for the order mix-up.
If they couldn't even get an order right, I should have known they'd screw up the refund too.
He didn't believe me, so he said he'd get back to me later. It's been two weeks.
I will never eat there again, which is no loss. And I did receive a refund of good energy in a way, I get to choose nice places with nice people with good food from now on, and I don't have to ever be around those creepy jerks at Yen Sushi! -
Review from Glenn S.
Beverly Hills, CA
10/5/2011
Love this place. It is a neighborhood stand by. Fresh food that is delicious and reasonably priced. The happy hour menu is good, even if limited. Can't beat large hot saki for $3.50!
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Review from Susie K.
3/13/2011
One of my favorite sushi restaurants on the west side. The fish quality has definitely gotten better in the past few months...ever since they started their happy hour menu that goes til 9pm! The last time I was here, my group couldn't help but overhear a table next to us complain that the rolls "weren't all that great" and they've had better "sushi" elsewhere. Wow really? You don't even know the names of ANY sushi or rolls and had to order by saying "yeah the stuff with the little balls, not the big ones." And BTW, those elaborate rolls are entirely American creations. If you want to judge a sushi restaurant, base it on the nigiri and/or sashimi itself.
Anyhooters, getting back to Yen. I tend to go during the week around 7pm. Lately I've had to wait a few minutes before I'm seated b/c the happy hour has made Yen more popular. Some of my favorites are the curry udon, albakani roll, any of the nigiri (favs are halibut, albacore, white fish), and the roll that sprinkles the crispy sweet taters on top. Beers and sake are also cheap during the week. Service is great, I love them, but at times I think they need another hand to help out when it gets packed. To finish off my meal, I like to get the tempura fried green tea ice cream. -
Review from Robert C.
5/11/2011
Overall solid joint.
Good lunch specials that come out to $14 if you get water.
Got the salmon teryaki lunch special. Yum. Came with miso soup which was great. The seasweed salad was solid as well.
Not the cheapest, but not the cheapest area of LA, lol.
will be back once my paycheck comes. -
Review from Julia K.
3/15/2011
Next to Hara Sushi, this is one of my favorite spots for affordable sushi. Pricier than Hara but better quality. Again, I almost always stick to basics here -- sashimi. I don't order the fried tempura red dragon house of the rising sun rolls.
I have had their spicy tuna bowl which I really like -- simple again...spicy tuna, salad, rice. There are no crouching tiger hidden dragon rolls in there. Their curries are also decent and I am not a fan of curries. I like their albakani roll, too. A lot.
The portions here are pretty generous. For those that have complained, try going to sushi joints in J-town and see how hungry you are when you leave...and how nice and light your wallet feels. Then maybe you'll appreciate places like Yen.
Generally, it has been quiet and mellow whenever I have dined here. Once there was a group of young 'uns who pounded the table for sake bombs and broke some glasses. Memo: keg party behavior is better reserved for...keg parties. Another example of classless and tasteless, the people we were unfortunately seated very close to complained loudly about the sushi. My favorite was when the "experienced sushi connoisseur" bitched about his order and then had to be educated on the difference between rolls and sashimi. Oh and when his lady friend couldn't use chopsticks she ate with her hands -- which would have been totally acceptable if she wasn't shoveling food in with one hand while holding her cell (talking loudly) with the other. -
Review from Lily D.
Los Angeles, CA
12/12/2011
I live right down the street from Yen on Pico and LOVE IT!! The all day happy hour is absolutely amazing, I bring all my friends here for a casual lunch and with a beer and two rolls it averages out to around 12 bucks! The staff is attentive, the decor is beautiful, and I am especially in love with their dishes. I've been here at least 10 times, I'm not kidding. I know there are several locations so I can't speak for them all, but the one on Pico above Ralphs is fantastic.
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Review from John C.
Beverly Hills, CA
Yen Sushi is extremely good at being what it is. This is gourmet fusion Japanese at it's finest. From ambiance, presentation, freshness, and taste, Yen brings 5 star quality to all its dishes.
I had such a great dinner. Ordering a lot of different kinds of dishes helps. Yen Sushi has great taste in VARIETY. Every dish was so pleasing to my taste buds because of the variety of flavors that still complemented each other so well. Really wish they had some fusion omakase thing going on here. Would be so awesome.
Guys, this is a GREAT place to bring a lady out on a date. They have unique asian cocktails in these really cool glass design bottles you will not be able to find anywhere else. The interior is romantic with Japanese flower murals and warm lighting. The food comes out looking like art pieces.
Guaranteed to bring a happy, fun, interesting experience to what could otherwise be a boring evening at another boring "authentic Japanese" restaurant. -
Review from Eric B.
Santa Monica, CA
4/22/2011
In a word, "serviceable." I don't feel like it was bad in any way - I had a totally decent lunch and all - but I don't feel the need to ever go back again.
I mean, if I ended up randomly eating there with a friend, I wouldn't be *unhappy* about it, but I'd never seek out an opportunity to go back, either. -
Review from Tracy N.
Los Angeles, CA
9/21/2011
Hmm...maybe it was an off night. The rice was extremely mushy. The california rolls and blue crab hand roll tasted the same and had too much mayonnaise. The blue crab was also not fresh and fishy. The prices are dirt cheap, but in my opinion, not even worth eating there. The service was great...too bad terrible music playing.
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Review from Michael l.
San Marino, CA
7/8/2011
A restaurant is more than the food they serve. Parking, ambiance, wait time, quality of service - these are all factors that affect one's dining experience.
This restaurant has it all! I've never had to wait more than 10 minutes to get seated (I try to avoid coming here on Friday nigh t/ weekends).
Parking is easy and free. They have a 2/3 floor parking lot. No need circle around nonstop looking for meter parking or paying $10+ for valet parking.
Their sushi is great! It's a very good fusion sushi restaurant in the LA area. Their garlic edamame and sushi rolls are delicious! For the meat lovers they even have galbi!
You should definitely give this restaurant a try. They even have happy hour 4-7 -
Review from Tiffany Z.
Los Angeles, CA
2/15/2011 2 photos
Really FRESH sushi. Excellent.
Service is a bit slow when its busy but its alright because the sushi is worth the wait.
I don't know how the rolls taste but the tuna and salmon sushi were SUPER fresh and delicious when I came in.
Yummmy...
They have a happy hour on sushi and rolls but its kinda tricky... -
Review from mike j.
Los Angeles, CA
11/16/2010
I tried Yen sushi for my first time. I was interested in that place, even though I could guess here wasn't a sushi place owned by Japanese because of the name, YEN sushi.
I thought "Yen? What, means Japanese money?" all the time when I was driving. it's a weird name for a Japanese sushi restaurant. Yen doesn't mean anything in Japanese.
Anyway the place was neat. Very clean and I think good for dating too. I got Boston Roll, Sushi Taco, green salad, mussel and so on. Fish tasted awesome, really fresh. But some of appetizers were the way too spicy like Sushi Taco. I liked other food a lot except it. I couldn't taste anything after I got Tacos.
Our server was nice and attentive and they have free parking space for 2 hours. I'll be back there. -
Review from Ariel M.
Los Angeles, CA
4/19/2011
The food was okay, but the service was very SLOW!!!!!
I really liked the Miso Soup! -
Review from Lucy Y.
Los Angeles, CA
My angel and devil sides are at odds over this sushi place:
Angel:
* Easy parking in the 2 hour free lot
* Elegant ambience and decor
* Cute tiny older Japanese lady server
* Large menu with KBBQ meats, sushi and Japanese dishes
* Good looking sushi rolls on the menu
* The food came out fast
* Food presentation was lovely
* The fish was fresh and tasty
Devil:
* It was VERY hard to understand our server's words, her accent was SO heavy
* A diner at a table near us had a little boy, who she let run around the restaurant, laughing and blowing spit raspberries, throughout her dinner. Bad enough, but our server encouraged his unruly behavior.
* When I asked what kind of sashimi came in the sashimi salad, she said "Oh, something like tuna, salmon, maybe whitefish, maybe something else". I had to ask her to please tell me what that something else was, for her to go find out.
* I ordered the sashimi salad with the dressing on the side. When our server brought it to the table, she set it down and said apologetically "Oh, I know you ask for dressing on the side, but it's in the salad". So I said, I really would like it ONLY on the side. She looked at it sadly, and said "Oh, but here - it's on the salad" and pushed it towards me AGAIN. I had to repeat that I wanted the dressing ON THE SIDE before she very sadly looked at me, and then took it back for them to remake. : (
Sigh. There is a reason I order things the way I do: because I WANT IT THAT WAY.
Miso Soup - a single cup was served at the beginning of our meal - and placed in the middle of the table, so I think it came with the Galbi, but I cannot be sure about that.
Lemon Tako Sashimi ($12) - served raw, sliced thinly with lemon slices in between, this tako was chewy yet fresh tasting. A smoky, salty sesame oil dipping sauce was served on the side and was a nice accent to the lemon-enhanced fish.
Green Train Roll ($15.50) - a shrimp tempura and real crab roll, topped with avocado and a little bit of spicy sauce. Served elegantly, but a little small IMO.
Mixed Sashimi Salad ($14.50) - chunks of tuna, albacore, whitefish and salmon were tossed in a light dressing and sesame seeds, and then served on top of a mix of baby field greens, iceberg, tomatoes, gobo root, avocado, fried kabocha squash slices, and cucumber julienne. Yes, with the light dressing on the side after they re-made it for me.
Galbi ($18.50) - a platter of Korean marinated short ribs, served on top of a pile of sauteed onions, a few sauteed shishito peppers, with a bowl of steamed rice on the side. This dish was very yummy - the onions and skinny peppers were oily and saucy and delicious in the meat juices, and the meat was seasoned well.
After we finished our meal, our server came over and asked if we wanted dessert, but brought no menu over. So we asked if they had a dessert menu, and she said yes - and went away to get one and bring it over. Thereby confusing us a bit more.
We ended up passing on the dessert choices - even the tempura ice cream, which is hard to pass up.
This could have been a 3.5-ish star experience, if I was rating the food alone. But I was pretty irritated that our server tried more than once to get me to accept a salad that she knew was made wrong.
Next time I want to feel guilted over dinner, I'll go to my parents' house, where I will expect it because the food will be served by MY MOTHER.
Sorry Yen Sushi, I think the mommy-guilt server was a deal breaker for me. I don't think we'll be seeing each other again. -
Review from John C.
Beverly Hills, CA
10/14/2010 1 Check-in Here
Nothing special.
Solid sushi at OK prices within the Beverly Hills area.
Check it out for a reliable mid-range sushi experience. Indeed, as someone said below, this IS a fusion type of sushi restaurant.... nothing too traditional to appease the purists... I wouldn't say it is as bad as market sushi but it definitely isn't on the level of some of the upper tier sushi establishments in the greater Los Angeles area... (but hey, that goes without saying)
That being out of the way, let me just say that I love the old lady waitress. She has been working at this location through the change of three different managements. I've seen her at this place for years. Be that as it may, she isn't the sharpest tool in the shed all the time (language barrier?) but she is sweet and means well... so yeah, it is always nice to deal with her... No annoying conversation just smiles and good service. That's how I like it!
Kinda of a dead, weird atmosphere at night being that the location is right there on Pico and Beverwil (entering into an orthodox Jewish neighborhood) but that means that you're always sure to get good service and good table because the place never gets too busy... just don't expect to go too wild here or have a late night dinner or anything; unfortunately, for that kind of an experience, you're going to have to look elsewhere...
It is nestled beside an abandoned Blockbuster video and a kosher fish, sort of pseudo fast-food restaurant... not exactly the most happening atmosphere for a sushi restaurant, but hey, that's quite alright...
I don't know. Not much else to say about it.
Nothing to write home about. -
Review from Kathy C.
Los Angeles, CA
11/5/2010
I could eat sushi every day. Every single day of my life. Luckily, I'm fortunate to be able to eat at Yen Sushi at least once every other week. Located on the 2nd Floor - right above the Ralph's on Pico at Beverly. I'm consistently here on a Thursday or Friday evening. With luck as well - Yen has a Saki bomb special on those nights.
Every time my boyfriend and I walk the one block up to Yen - we always make sure to try three different rolls. You name it -we've probably indulge it. Here's our recommendations:
Solid recommendation- Tataki Roll! Delicious, flavorful and the right amount of spicy.
Good showing - Balcony Roll....I'm a huge fan of crispy onions with anything. This was yummy.
Good showing - Crazy Boy Roll....I think it's simple, yet flavorful and fun.
High recommendation - the Green Dragon roll! It's to die for. This has become our staple roll. All of the other rolls have been consistently good, but we make sure to get Green Dragon and then we'll pick two other rolls just based on whatever fish we're in the mood for.
The prices are very reasonable for a nice sushi dinner with really nice and friendly staff. -
Review from Rob G.
Los Angeles, CA
12/27/2010
This is a solid, consistent sushi place with very nice waiters and quick service. They have a great, affordable happy hour.
I've gotten take-out sushi here almost every week for many years. The order is ready in 15-20 minutes.
Portions are generous, the sushi is good, fresh. Prices are pretty good, although not a bargain.
They have all of the trendy rolls and fish, "not invented here" is not a problem
Try the tuna over crispy rice, green train roll, shrimp soybean paper roll, and if you are really hungry, the "hungry roll".
Its great for lunch, great for take out, and great at happy hour. A nice casual, everyday sushi spot. Parking is easy and service is quick.
They also have lots of non-sushi items, ranging from miso cod to teriyaki bowls served in a hot stone bowl.
The place gets a nice mix of college students, families, couples on dates, etc. Its small, intimate. One plasma TV showing the critical sports game.
Good place. -
Review from Jan Jan K.
Los Angeles, CA
8/11/2011 5 photos
mmm... mmm... mmm... everytime i think yen sushi, i think yummmm. i'm seriously drooling right now. i can eat here everyday. i've been to the cal mart/downtown location and the west la location takes the cake.
who doesn't love awesome ambience, fast service, free parking, great food, happy hour, and interactive/comedic sushi chefs?!
all the servers are so upbeat and cute. i especially love the japanese server. everytime she speaks in her japanese accent i start giggling like a little girl. haha, so cute!
i've turned all my friends to yen sushi and they've said it exceeded their expectations. if you haven't been to yen sushi, you're missing out! give it a try!! i promise you won't be sorry ;) -
Review from Tiffany N.
Los Angeles, CA
8/8/2011
everything about this place is just WONDERFUL!! :)
everything in the menu is delicious (fresh fish & great selection of specialty rolls) and always hit the spot!
service was excellent, staff is very friendly and attentive.
when you crave sushi... this is the place to go! can't wait to go back! -
Review from Richard L.
TOLUCA TER, CA
8/7/2011
This place was great!!! This is my first yelp review and I had to join because of this place. My friend recommended that I come here because of my love of sushi. I was not disappointed. The wait staff was extremely friendly, the atmosphere was very romantic/chill (I say this because its a great date place but at the same time would be a nice place to go with friends and just have a good dinner together), the chefs were very social and pretty funny. From what I ordered, the food was fresh and tasted great. The sushi was the perfect balance of rice and fish, not overstuffed with rice to the point where you have like 6 pieces and your done. My palette really savored the flavor and I even had the sushi chef just prepare something of his choice, a roll of some sort with different types of fish and a sauce to go over the whole thing! Yummy and excellent. Beverage of choice for me when out for sushi is sake, and yes I like both hot and cold, but on this particular outing I went with cold. The sake was status quo, can't get to special with that, but I must say with the flavor of the sushi it was delightful.
Overall the atmosphere, the wait staff, the chefs, and of course my date made this place one of my new favorite sushi spots on the west side. Thanks to my friend Jason for the great recommendation. -
Review from Bernadet G.
Irvine, CA
7/1/2010
The salmon teriyaki bento box lunch special was very tasty but I rate Yen Sushi with 3 stars because of the price! It's pricey. It hurt my wallet. It was yummy but not spectacular enough to warrant $15 for a lunch special.
*The salmon sushi was amazing, I'll admit. AMAZING.
*The service was very friendly so no complaints there. -
Review from Roger M.
San Diego, CA
10/29/2008
On my way to Seoul, I had to transit from SD to the LAX since the SD airport doesn't do any international flights. So I had to wait here for a good 4 hours before the flight takes off to Seoul.
So I called up a friend to come pick me up so we can chill for a bit and grab dinner and what not. We decided that we wanted to munch out on some sushi so he drove and tried to go to a different spot in the same center but it was closed so we seen this place and ended up coming in.
We got seated right away and they passed us the menu's but it seemed as they were rushing everything. They were gonna be closing soon so they were doing everything quick and you can tell by their actions that they wanted us out of their asap. Anyhow, I had to catch a flight in about an hour and a half also and didn't mind they rush, but only this time.
We ordered a couple rolls and a large mixed sashimi plate. The rainbow and philly rolls were decent in taste but just seemed to be wrapped not so well and didn't hold up good while dipping into the wasabi/soy sauce. Sashimi was quite ok too, wasn't super firm but it was acceptable to the palate and was fresh enough to be consumed :P
They were gonna be closing in about 10 minutes and insisted that we paid our tab right away, even though we didn't even finish eating our food completely. Whatever, I had to be on the go anyway.
I'd give this place a 4 star for their nice ambiance and overall food quality but the service was not so great and too rushed so one star had to be subtracted. -
Review from lindsay b.
Los Angeles, CA
Updated - 5/15/2009
They last time I was in LA I didnt get a chance to go here. But I forgot to wright a review on the time before that.
Almost all the rolls are really reaaly good. Even the shrimp in the sushi isnt over cooked. Which is a rarity .
For you germaphobes like me they even serve the soda fom a sealed glass coke bttle....awesome.
A huge variety of rolls !!!
best sushi ive had in la so far. check my other sushi reviews and youll see what I mean1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/11/2008
I love this place!! I live in AZ and go to Cali once every 2 months.
I always make sure to go to… Read more »
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Review from Marni L.
Los Angeles, CA
6/19/2007
This is one of my favorite sushi places and it's in a really unassuming Ralph's Shopping Center at the corner of Pico and Beverwil.
Reasons to go:
1. SO easy to park, it's a joke! Though it's really not that funny. There's a three level basement parking garage below the shopping center that is NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER full.
2. Quality of fish is great, and the rolls are fantastic. They're quite large and really well made. They don't fall apart, and you can tell that the sushi chef paid attention to YOUR roll. As opposed to that very machine-like quality of some (i won't say their name) sushi restaurants.
3. Ambience is just right. Dimly lit and tables aren't placed too close to each other. The staff are all so friendly and I swear that's not just because they now recognize I'm a regular. They were friendly on my first day. One time, I placed a to-go order in person and had to wait for the food to be prepared, so I sat in the waiting area and they brought me a mug of green tea.
4. Location-wise, what a winner. You can stop by Blockbuster, Ralph's, Carvel's Ice Cream, Long's Drugs, or Fish Grill on your way out. And the way-too-popular CrazyFish sushi restaurant is just a couple of blocks away and not even as good. Opt for Yen instead.Listed in: Top Restaurants
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Review from kristin e.
Portland, OR
2/3/2009
I am sick right now (I hope it's not the flu!) but I had to get up and write this review because I'm craving sushi at the moment. I forgot how much I love sushi and everything about it. I'd love to eat it right now but I'm in no position to get up and leave the house nor taste anything (when I get sick, I lose my sense of taste), so it wouldn't be worth it.
Anyway, had this ordered to go last week and loved everything we ordered. What is up with crispy rice sushi? Is it an LA thing? I've never seen crispy rice sushi anywhere in SF or the bay area. The rice is crispy and chewy--the texture just feels so good in your mouth...it's kinda like the burnt/cripsy rice at the bottom of the stoneware pot when you eat dol sot bi bim bap...SO GOOD.
The albacore tataki with the super thin crispy onion rings and ponzu sauce = drool
spicy tuna over crispy rice = more drool
grilled shishito peppers = this is why i'm hot
palm springs roll = kinda like a CA roll but they pile huge amounts of cubed tuna on top (anyone who's eaten at I Love Sushi in Santa Cruz--this roll is similar to the Jenny Love)
I hate being sick! I want sushi! I want to taste the good life!Listed in: LA LA LAND
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Review from Alice L.
6/7/2009
We were staying at the Crowne Plaza hotel nearby and was in the mood for sushi so we decided to try this place.
The company I had was definitely a lot better than the food.
We ordered the Sushi Deluxe Set w/CA Roll (18 pcs sushi $32), an order of Salmon Roll ($6) and an order of Tuna Roll ($6) for 2 people.
The Salmon and Tuna rolls came first, and although the cuts of fish was generous, the rolls themselves could've been a little bigger. I just kept thinking after each roll bite, a $1 went byebye since there were 6 pieces to a roll.
The Sushi deluxe set took a little while to get to us, even after the rest of the table's food arrived. There really weren't too many other tables, so it's not like they were packed and busy. When we got it, the presentation was nice, pieces laid out in a round white plate. The quality of the fish was OK, and really I've had better.
I didn't have high expectations when walking in, since it was an impromptu decision, and hey, business expense makes the check sweeter. -
Review from Christyna S.
Albany, CA
Updated - 4/18/2009
Seriously, this place is so awesome! Went here last night for dinner with my Fiance, and we had the Baked Lobster Roll, Shrimp and Calamari Tempura Rolls, and the best: The Balcony Roll. This was actually a new roll on their menu. It was spicy tuna roll with asparagus, topped with albacore sashimi, and topped again with tempura shoe string onions. It also had a wonderful sauce that I cannot begin to describe. Sooooo GOOD. People!! You have got to try this place if you haven't already. The prices are so reasonable for sushi, yet the quality is excellent, and I love their creativity and ability to make some very tasty sushi rolls. Go! Go now!!
Oh, and I want to add that the ambiance is really nice, parking is so easy, and the service is excellent.
** Update 5/11 **
My family and I came here last night for mother's day. I ordered the Pico Roll, which has baked garlic on top of albacore, which is then on top of a shrimp tempura roll with cucumber. I have to say, even though I really like baked garlic, this role was really mediocre at best. I wish I would have just stuck to the Balcony roll :(
Anyway, we also tried the popcorn roll, which was kind of blah. it was basically a California roll topped with tempura battered crab in popcorn sized pieces. And, while the "popcorn crab" was cool, it seemed separate from the role; there was just not a lot of fusion going on there, which was disappointing.
Finally, we ordered an appetizer of all sweet potato veggie tempura, and the potato was not cooked all the way through, which really sucked since I ended up eating it anyway because I was so hungry and didn't want to bother with sending it back.
I would give this particular visit 3 stars, but am keeping Yen Sushi with an overall rating of 5 stars since my other visits here have always been excellent. I guess I can't expect that every visit is going to be a 5 star one, since we all have off days.2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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4/3/2009
Came here for dinner tonight again with one of my girlfriends. We ordered the Tataki roll, the… Read more »
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Review from Ollie D.
Beverly Hills, CA
7/25/2010 30 Check-ins Here
Yen serves consistently good sushi at a fair price. The sushi is menu features the usual Americanized standards, plus a few high-end items. For example, last night they had aji from Japan that was excellent -- and priced accordingly.
Yen also serves a variety of cooked food, which will please your non-sushi loving friends.
Service is consistently excellent.
Overall, Yen delivers what you pay for, a solid choice.
