If one takes the time to notice, all Japanese fine art is essentially minimalistic. Be it poetry, music, calligraphy or food, the Japanese aesthetic involves a minimal structure, rigidly defined,... More

If one takes the time to notice, all Japanese fine art is essentially minimalistic. Be it poetry, music, calligraphy or food, the Japanese aesthetic involves a minimal structure, rigidly defined, where the subtlest deviation from the norm speaks tomes.The Art of Sushi is to approach impossibly high standards which can never be realized; a meal can be evaluated only by how close it comes to the theoretical perfection. Sushi is pickled rice, just sticky enough to barely hold itself together (if you are one to dip the rice in soy sauce, stop reading and buy at Von's), and sushi (rice) must be served immediately (yes, warm). As for rolls, the only rolls served traditionally at a BAR are tekka and kappa, unless the chef decides to serve you something to sample in a hand roll. That being said, Sushi Nozawa is church for eating raw fish. LA is a huge market for sashimi grade fish, tons of GREAT fish to choose from every day, but Nozawa-san gets to pick first. So if what you want is a roll filled with three kinds of seafood with five different pieces of fish wrapped around the outside, covered in sauce, DON'T EAT HERE. On the other hand, if you want to eat mindblowing fish in an environment designed not to distract your senses, this is the place to go. Jay Patterson Pros: Nozawa-san knows how to pick a fish..... Cons: Occasionally a customer who is looking for something else.
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As to the citysearch review, my girlfriend and I went to Sushi Nozawa last night and were completely surprised when we walked in. First off, the second you walk in you witness a packed house that... More

As to the citysearch review, my girlfriend and I went to Sushi Nozawa last night and were completely surprised when we walked in. First off, the second you walk in you witness a packed house that was DEAD silent. Everyone was whispering and it was extremely uncomfortable. We sat down at a table and ordered (minimum of 4 dishes per person). After about 3-5 minutes the waiter came back with a large dish with all of our sushi looking anything but interesting. So QUIETELY we ate, and the fish was fresh, maybe even the freshest I've had. But, it was nothing special, nothing to enhance the taste of the fish. I ordered the house cold sake and when we got the bill it was $90, I realized their house sake is $25 a bit much and that they forgot to give us something we ordered. We were still very hungry and headed over to iWata for more. Check out iWata if you want a great experience for a great price. Pros: Fresh fish Cons: Atmosphere, Price, Service
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Like many, I had always heard the rumors about Nozawa - the chef is mean and crazy, the place is small and cramped - well all those may be true....although I found the staff quite plesant. But then... More

Like many, I had always heard the rumors about Nozawa - the chef is mean and crazy, the place is small and cramped - well all those may be true....although I found the staff quite plesant. But then again, we sat at a table and didn't have to interact with the chef. The place is kind of non-descript, with chairs you'd find in a church basement or a pizza parlor, but...... this is the BEST sushi I have ever had in my life! I have been fortunate to have dined at some of the best sushi restaurants in the world, but never has sushi been as fresh as this. It literally melts in your mouth. Go do your tastebuds a favor and get to Sushi Nozawa. The only downside is that it any place else will seem inferior. Pros: Amazing , fresh sushi, good variety Cons: Ambience
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For a few years now I've read about Nozawa with fascination. I finally decided to find out if 1) the chef is as scary as everyone says and 2) the fish is worth the intimidation. Well, it isn't the... More

For a few years now I've read about Nozawa with fascination. I finally decided to find out if 1) the chef is as scary as everyone says and 2) the fish is worth the intimidation. Well, it isn't the warmest welcome I've ever received in a sushi place. I arrived at 5:30 p.m. on the dot per Citysearch instructions, and I was the only person in the restaurant. Nozawa was behind the bar with an assistant, silent. I asked to be seated at the bar, and the guy who greeted me asked me if I knew the rule about Nozawa choosing everything for me. I said I knew the rules, and sat down. I ordered green tea, and was then given a succulent pile of baby tuna right off the bat. Yum! It was followed by some of the freshest, most delicious fish I've ever had. Say what you will about the N-man being intimidating, but DON'T knock the sushi. It's delicious, and obviously expertly selected every day. The warm rice was a change for me, and it does fall apart quite easily, but after a few tries I kept it together. The hand rolls of fresh crab and toro were nice accompaniments, quickly made and loosely bound. Crunchy and tasty, nonetheless. I wasn't sure when the meal would be over, but lo and behold after 12 pieces of sushi his assistant told me the set was done and asked me if I would like any more. I asked him to give me one more selection. Nozawa looked at me and said "YOU CHOOSE." Yikes! I chose to have one more tuna appetizer, which was given to me before I could blink. Then the meal was over. I unceremoniously paid the bill, got up, walked out the door, and entered back into the lowly world of California rolls. So here's my suggestion: go to Nozawa with a full wallet and make sure you savor every bite, because otherwise it will be over too soon. I would go back as a very special treat, but next time I would FORCE myself to take my time. There's nothing to be scared of. Sit at a table if you're scared, and to save money. And then enjoy! As Nozawa's sign says "Don't think, just EAT." Pros: Divinely fresh fish, amazing baby tuna, expert sushi chef who only cares about the food! And it shows. Cons: Expensive, slightly intimidating attitude from the chef.
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I must write to contradict some reviews and corroborate others... Sushi Nozawa does truly deliver perfectly prepared sushi. Hype? Well, if fusion/Americanized rolls smothered in eel sauce are your... More

I must write to contradict some reviews and corroborate others... Sushi Nozawa does truly deliver perfectly prepared sushi. Hype? Well, if fusion/Americanized rolls smothered in eel sauce are your thing, Nozawa is not. I even like some of those concoctions, but they're not traditional and they lack the subtlety of truly fine sushi. If you want a big meal of cooked dishes along with your sushi, or to be a group of loud, hard-drinking, boisterous folks, this is not the place. What Nozawa offers is the freshest, most delicious, delicate sushi you will find, with beautifully prepared rice which, yes, should be slightly warm and not overly packed. The service we received was very friendly and gracious. We ordered omikase, meaning we let the chef serve what he chose. Every single item was delectable (tuna sashimi, albacore, red snapper, yellowtail, blue crab maki, scallop maki). I could have sat another hour and eaten through it all again, and then some, but such gluttony would have detracted from the experience. Pros: truly perfect, traditional sushi, wheelchair-accessible Cons: a bit pricey, limited menu
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This place is living off of a visit by reviewers from the Food Channel a few years ago. The chef is an obnoxious egomaniac (a legend in his own mind). The sushi is fine, but it's not great & it's... More

This place is living off of a visit by reviewers from the Food Channel a few years ago. The chef is an obnoxious egomaniac (a legend in his own mind). The sushi is fine, but it's not great & it's very over-priced... the chef is not interested in what his customers want, it's his choice, which can be great, if you have a rapport w/ the chef, but this guy doesn't care. For really good sushi where you will be treated well & there are great specials, go to Sushi Katsu-Ya on Ventura @ Colfax... valet parking.
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I totally agree with the comment from ?what?s the hype?. I just went there last Friday night. That was worst sushi I ever had. The quality of fish was awful. It was not fresh, and very oily. I... More

I totally agree with the comment from ?what?s the hype?. I just went there last Friday night. That was worst sushi I ever had. The quality of fish was awful. It was not fresh, and very oily. I got hurt burn afterwards. The sushi rice was not put together right, and it fell apart before I picked it up. With that bad quality, bad service, and no selection of drinks, the charge was too much. With only water, they charged $50 per person for an appetizer, toro, yellowtail, snapper, and albacore. They served sushi with plastic plates, ginger was too dry, and no taste in green tea. No wonder Japanese don?t go there. I gave them a benefit of doubt but it was my mistake that I went there. I will never ever go back there again. I rather buy tuna rolls from local grocery store. Pros: None Cons: All of it. Food, Service, Ambience, and Parking
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