Hollywood features some of the best—and expensive—sushi restaurants in the country, but there are also quality sushi bargains that are easy to find.
While it is a nice occasional treat, it isn’t always practical to drop a few hundred dollars on a dinner at Nobu or Koi. The following restaurants offer delicious sushi in a clean and comfortable environment and reasonable price.
Echi Sushi
Echi offers everything you’d want from a sushi restaurant. There is free parking during the day, and at night it escalates to a whopping $1 dollar per hour. Echi features a Happy Hour that lasts all day, every day. This may be the cheapest place to get a beer or sake buzz in all of L.A. Aside from the cheap drinks, Echi offers an extensive sushi menu complete with the basics and more daring selections. The spicy tuna rice-cakes and albacore sashimi are both fantastic options.
Yoshi’s Sushi
Yoshi’s is located directly across the street from Echi on Santa Monica Blvd. Locals have developed a bit of a rivalry between the two restaurants, and they’re very evenly matched. Yoshi’s doesn’t have a parking lot, but there should be spots available on nearby streets. The restaurant is owned by an actual guy named Yoshi who works behind the sushi bar most nights. The sushi is incredible—maybe a bit better than Echi and slightly more expensive. Yoshi’s features drink specials most nights. The Spicy Spicy Roll and Yuki Roll, which features crab, shrimp, scallops, shiso leafs, plum, and ponzu sauce, are both outstanding.
Robata Jinya
Robata is a bit more expensive than the previously listed places, but it offers a more complete dining experience that is perfect for a date or special evening on the town. The atmosphere is dark and opulent and the menu is cheaper than one would expect given the ambiance and location. Robata offers sushi and an extensive tapas menu, complete with chicken and pork skewers, which cost less than $3. The Shrimp Toast and Albacore Truffle roll are amazing. Reservations may be a good idea here, but for a small party they probably aren’t necessary.
Sake House Miro
Sake House is a kitschy little place with a lot of character. Tables are set low and guests sit on pillows amidst modern Japanese pop-art. Sake House is open until midnight Sunday through Thursday and 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, so its perfect for a late night when everything else is closed. The Sake House also features some peculiarities with scheduling – they close from 2 to 6 p.m. every day and aren’t open for lunch on Saturday or Sunday. Sake House offers a wide range of sushi and tapas. Some of their items are very authentically Japanese and maybe not what the average sushi-goer expects, so it may be beneficial to order conservatively at first. The Godzilla Roll and Fire Tornado Roll are both fantastic selections. Giant cans of Asahi beer are available at an extremely reasonable price. Overall, the quality of food at Sake House is outstanding.
Asakuma Rice
Asakuma doesn’t offer much of an experience outside of eating. The atmosphere is clean but rather uninteresting, and the food is extremely adequate but rarely blows people away. Its a great spot to go if you’re in a hurry, or maybe a little short on cash – the lunch specials are arguably the cheapest in town. Besides sushi, Rice offers a full Japanese and Chinese menu, complete with teriyaki and the like. A great place to stop on your lunch break.
