Sushi Sasabune, well worth my hard earned $$$
Thursday, April 12, 2007 20:13
Sasabune Omakase at the sushi bar: blue fin tuna, toro, salmon with sea kelp, amaebi sweet shrimp, scallop, and so much more!
In response to “Not a Penny Pincher,” I’d like to share another experience with my LA foodblogging friends.
Anyone who knows me, knows that I like a good deal. Whether it’s at a bargain price or at premium top dollar. And I am happy to dole out my hard earned dollars for something good, and even happier to do so when it’s outright out of this world.
And if you know me well, you know that’s how I feel about Sushi Sasabune.
I love how the owner of Sasabune, Nobi, lights up the room with just his smile. He’s the type of sushi chef who makes you feel at home when you sit at his bar.
And I love my favorite sushi chef alongside Nobi, the personable and professional Hiroki. It’s too bad that he always refuses to drink with me. I guess at 6pm (when I’m usually there), it’s a bit too early for him to drink while he’s working and as he says, “After one drink, I can’t stop.”
Abalone with a bite, spicy yuzu pepper sauce.
The dishes from Sasabune’s omakase set menu come out one by one - as if a symphony of deliciously fresh seafood dance in front of your very own eyes. Yellowtail, tuna, fatty tuna toro, salmon with sea kelp, butterfish, uni, amaebi, halibut, and so much more! All of which are incredibly fresh and melt-in-the-mouth so good!
I’m in sushi heaven as I eat my fish from dark to light, savoring each bite with some Kurosawa sake. I anxiously await each new plate until… I see the indicative blue crab hand roll which tells me that it’s the end of my omakase experience and time for me to play.
My all-time favorites: toro ice, blue crab roll, and lychee sorbet.
That’s when I place an extra order of Toro Ice Sushi - something introduced to me here and that I haven’t been able to find anywhere else. My eyes roll back (in true Sasabune fashion) as the ice cold, tender negitoro melt in my mouth along with its warm, sweet teriyaki sauce and slivers of green onions atop each toro ice sushi.
I also order another round of the deliciously succulent and orgasmic blue crab hand roll (or two), depending on my mood. And no dinner is ever complete without dessert. So I always ask for Sasabune’s house special lychee sorbet that’s light, fresh, and full of fruit goodness.
The damage usually comes out to about two bills, but completely worth it.
For the freshest and most incredible sushi experience in LA, the only place for me is Nobi’s Sushi Sasabune.
You’ll find me here at least once every month or two.
Tips:
* Not open during the weekends. Open M-Friday only.
* Sushi chefs cannot drink until after 9pm. Order them a round after the 9 o’clock hour.
* Call for reservations well in advance.
* Eat early.
* Sit at the sushi bar.
* Park in the building off of McClellan. They validate for free.
Sushi Sasabune
street: 12400 Wilshire Blvd | Los Angeles, CA 90025
tel: 1.310.268.8380 = or = 1.310.820.3596
By Kristy (see more of her posts). A native of the city, kristy loves to discover new sites, new eateries, new things to do in her online journal of finding the best of la.
Taste-Buzz says:
April 13th, 2007 at 9:52 am
Mmm… chilled toro…
MaxMillion says:
April 13th, 2007 at 10:08 am
Wow, Kristy — what delectable-looking, drool-worthy and luscious photos. I really enjoyed your report. I’ve heard some people complain that the Sasabune experience is sometimes almost at factory-line level, but that doesn’t appear to be the case for you. Of course, you also do your part as a friendly, appreciative and repeat customer.
Thanks for the great write-up!
For now, I’ll have to make do with Sasabune’s little country (Valley) sister — Sushi Don. Minimal presentation and limited options at this tiny take-away cafe, but the fish quality is sublime and affordable and *open all day long* I always seem to want a sushi fix around 3pm for a late lunch and nearly every sushi place (besides the Whole Foods prepackaged counter) is closed!
Sushi Don Sasabune
4816 Laurel Canyon Blvd
Studio City, CA 91604View Map
(818) 762-8720
MaxMillion says:
April 13th, 2007 at 10:09 am
btw — “not a penny pincher’s” handle says a lot more about that commenter than their pointless comment…
KHL says:
April 13th, 2007 at 2:11 pm
Love your food blogs. We will definitely go try Sasabune one day soon. Just being curious… why don’t you expand the area.. let’s say Long beach down to Orange County restaurants?? We would like to find out good place to eat around all the area. Sometimes LA traffic seems to give me 2nd thought… Just a lil’ something, hope ya don’t mind.
Great job!
KHL
Jonah says:
April 13th, 2007 at 3:58 pm
We had a great dinner at Sasabune, sadly we never made it to their original location. We’ll add the Ice Toro next time. Lately, we have been sticking with Echigo for Edo style sushi, I think that it’s a slightly better value. Sasabune is definitely worth the cash though.
Jonah says:
April 13th, 2007 at 4:01 pm
&KHL - The area covered here is completely dictated by where our contributors eat. Long Beach would be ok, but this site is focused on LA, so Orange County is a little out of the territory.
If there were ample contributors, I’d gladly host oc.foodblogging.
Kristy says:
April 13th, 2007 at 4:29 pm
Hey Taste-Buzz! You know how I like toro ice, ice baby! ;)
Hey MaxMillion! I think that’s why I love to eat early - you can beat the crowds a bit and it’s a lot less factory-esque. But it’s amazing to watch the sushi chefs go when the place is packed! And it’s important to get to know your sushi chefs, for sure! Makes the experience that much better! And thanks for the kind words… much appreciated! I’ll definitely have to head out to the valley one of these days for Sushi Don… and maybe some cupcake desserts from Ledas. YUM!
Hey KHL! If I’m ever down in the LBC, I’ll post my trip on la.foodblogging! :D Any suggestions?
Hey Jonah! Guess who’s going to get her Sasabune fix tonight? ;)
KHL says:
April 15th, 2007 at 5:05 pm
Thanks! I can recommend quite a few places down in OC. I’ll see what I can do since I have a website: http://huongle.net There are quite a few movies hosted on the Movie section if you are interested: 300, Are we done yet, Happy Feet, TMNT, and a couple TV shows: 24, Supernatural, and Gilmore Girls. Let me know what you think :-)
Have a good weekend. We’re heading out to Korean BBQ now, just got back from Long beach near the Grand Prix area.
foodette says:
July 25th, 2008 at 8:22 pm
I just heard about this place from a couple sitting next to us at a different sushi restaurant. After reading this, I know they must be in the know - and my husband and I are definitely planning on going next time we are ready to drop some cash. Thanks for this excellent write-up!