#hamasaku

Fukiyosenabe 

         (okayama, Hamasaku)

                                   90s- TASTY- FRESH - INVENTIVE- JAPANESE 

OUT OF 10 

FOOD-8.5  SERVICE-6  DECOR-5     PRICE- EXPENSIVE    VIBE- 90s JAPANESE

Los Angeles is a vain city where many people obsess over their appearance, from the latest trends of tanning, surgery, workouts and weightloss- so where better to try out health conscious sushi! Yippee!

Hamasaku, like many other restaurants in LA (yes, even the good ones), sits in a corner of a strip mall and serves up delicious, modern varieties of new age sushi in slightly scary 90s, glass, wood and metal decor. The Japanese waitstaff is attentive if not a little aggressive; but i do take a while to order which gets most asian servers feisty. The owner, Toshi Kihara, once a J-popstar, then trained under Wolfgang Puck and Patrick Terrail, opened Hamasaku in 2000 after lengthy experience in the LA restaurant scene. 

The rolls are the highlight of the menu, playfully named after regular customers, possibly celebrities and are vastly inventive punctuated by Soy Paper (where have you been all my life?), cucumber, warm crab meat and delectable sauces. 

September Flower (Helene's Roll) tuna, salmon yellowtail albacore avocado & smelt eggs wrapped in cucumber with spicy sauce ($18)

The September Flower (Helene's Roll) tuna, salmon yellowtail albacore avocado & smelt eggs wrapped in cucumber with spicy sauce was light, fresh and inventive; slightly sweet and acidic. 

  Beacon Hand Roll (Army & Charlie Sushi) fresh baked lobster, dynamite sauce & crunchy rice wrapped in soy paper topped with chopped jalapeno ($15)

The most amazing new experience for me was the Soy paper wrapped Rolls which I have never seen in New York or anywhere else! Why Not? It is genious. You can also ask the sushi chefs to make it with less rice if you are so inclined. 

The Beacon Hand Roll (Army & Charlie Sushi) fresh baked lobster, dynamite sauce & crunchy rice wrapped in soy paper topped with chopped jalapeno ($15) is warm and soft with the perfect balance of sweet, meaty, warm and creamy. It blew my mind and this dish would be top of the list to move to New York.  There is also the warm, mildly creamy, soft WS Handroll which is a Baked Crab Handroll wrapped in Soy Paper ($13) that was of a similar vein and possibly the best dish of the house.  

Laura Roll (Laura Wasserman) Special Seared Salmon on top of Crab and Avocado, rolled in rice with spicy cream sauce. ($18)

The Laura Roll- Special Seared Salmon on top of Crab and Avocado, rolled in rice with spicy cream sauce was an wonderfully interesting rich roll where the flavours married beautifully and the temperatures were intrigueing. 

Triplet Roll (Cara, Christine, Sandra) spicy crab, salmon & tuna inside out topped with yellowtail & tri-color sauce ($18)

Other rolls like the Triplet Roll, spicy crab, salmon & tuna inside out topped with yellowtail & tri-color sauce are multilayered, flavourful and saucy. The butteriness of avocado, crab and sashimi grade salmon and tuna combine to a moist, rich mouthful. Gorgeous! 

There are also cooked specialities such as Chicken Teriyaki and Sauteed Salmon and the gigantic and spicily dressed Mixed Baby Greens Salad ($16). 

Definitely a must try for any foodie in Los Angeles and inspiring to try such different dishes from a very talented sushi chef. Hamasaku seems to specialize in mixing cold and warmth together with delicate textures and delicate to bold flavours. It is extremely thoughtful and memorable.

Hamasaku

11043 Santa Monica Blvd. (Sepulveda Blvd.)

 Los Angeles, CA 90025

www.hamasakula.com