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4 on 6 - A Hidden Sushi Gem
The San Fernando Valley is a hot spot for top notch sushi restaurants - you don’t have to drive more than a mile down Ventura Blvd.to find one.
But I sort of feel it my mission to find places that are amazing YET relatively undiscovered.
One of the first things you’ll notice is that it doesn’t look like your average sushi joint. The space has a modern meets Zen vibe with a beautiful, rough hewn, wooden sushi bar. There is also jazz streaming out of the speakers. Music in a sushi bar? Jazz in a sushi bar?
If you do go you’ll get a really warm welcome. If you go more then twice they’ll greet you by name - how often does that happen in L.A? .
After placing our drink orders – Japanese beer and a surprisingly yummy unfiltered sake in a very girly pink bottle – we checked out the specials. We then asked our sushi chef Saito what he would recommend. Without a word he pointed to the specials board he said anything on that list would be terrific. Who are we do disagree?
FYI there are no prices on the specials menu so if budget is an issue, make sure to ask. But then again, if budget is an issue - you might not be eating sushi very often.
We started off with Spanish Mackerel sushi. Amazing. A touch of garlic was the only garnish and it was so good with a velvety texture.
Next? Sea Bass sushi.
This came with a spot of chili and lemon along with a sprinkling of sea salt. As he set the plate down Saito said, rather gruffly , “no soy sauce!” Okay. Again, who am I to argue? I love a man who takes charge. Besides, he was totally right, the flavor was light, the texture delicate and soy sauce would have just taken away from the blend of flavors. At that point we went for Hamachi – or Yellow tail - sashimi.
The portion was generous and this time, since Saito didn’t say anything, we tried a little soy sauce. The Hamachi’s buttery flavor was to die for.
The vibe is really laid back and we never felt rushed. We sipped our beer, the creamy sake, and just people watched.
Surprise, surprise with in minutes we were hungry for more so we got a Spicy Scallop Hand Roll, not on the specials menu. Unfortunately, this was the low point in an otherwise stellar experience.
The spicy roll was not spicy and there was way too much rice and seaweed paper that overpowered the fish. In his defense I will say thatSaito himself does not make the rolls – he leaves that task to one of the other chefs working the sushi bar.
Hoping to get back on a roll (ha, ha, no pun intended) we went back to the specials menu …this time taking a chance on the Toro – or Fatty Tuna. It was seared with a kitchen torch and served with a ponzu sauce. Score one for Saito! This was so mouth-watering we ordered another round.
We finished up with some fresh water eel flown in from Japan. It had a melt in your mouth quality that again need no assistance from soy sauce or wasabi. In fact, I touched my soy sauce only once the entire meal, that pretty much says it all.
The bill came to about 125.00 for two, with drinks. A bit pricey? It depends on your point of view. For us it’s a no brainer. Incredibly fresh fish, good variety, and Saito. He’s not exactly a Sushi Nazi but it’s clear he is really passionate about what he does. Good enough for me.
4 on 6: 16573 Ventura Blvd. Encino, 91436 818.501.7191
By Erinn (see more of her posts). You can find more of Erinn's writing at her own website Sunday Dish.
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I am loving your reviews, Erinn. I have been wanting to try 4 on 6 for a really long time.
Your excellent review has given me an accurate impression of what to expect. Thanks!
Hey MaxMillion,
Thanks for the compliment and please let me know what you think of 4 on 6. If you go on a Sunday eve they have live Jazz music. Cheers!
There are two dishes Saito often serves, but which he keeps off the specials menu–a special couple of specials that are frequently unavailable (seasonality and customers in the know play a factor): (1) a melt in your mouth delicate juvenile high fat toro-like salmon called keiji, and (2) albacore belly, which is even more gentle and satisfying than it’s blue fin cousin. They are both must tries, and the high point of my meals when I eat at 4 on 6.
^ gosh — thanks so much for the insider info.