Nobu Matsuhisa's original Beverly Hills, Los Angeles room from 1987 invented black cod miso and yellowtail jalapeno. Matsuhisa is the source.
Signature dishes: Black cod miso, Yellowtail jalapeno
Must order: Black cod miso and a round of yellowtail jalapeno.
Tip: Sit at the omakase counter for the strongest meal; the dining room serves the same a la carte but with no chef interaction.
Address: 129 N La Cienega Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90211, Los Angeles
Justin Pichetrungsi's Anajak Thai in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, runs his family's 1981 strip-mall Thai room as a James Beard 2023 Best Chef West winner.
Signature: Thai Taco Tuesday, Coconut curry
Order: On Tuesday, the Thai-taco menu. On other nights, the kao soi.
Tip: Justin Pichetrungsi's Thai Taco Tuesday menu sells out by 19:00; arrive at 17:00 sharp to get on the list.
Ori Menashe and Genevieve Gergis's Saffy's in East Hollywood, Los Angeles, is a wood-fire shawarma room from the Bestia team. Open since 2023.
Signature: Lamb shawarma, Hummus
Order: Lamb shawarma off the rotating spit, with hot pita and hummus.
Tip: The bar serves the full menu walk-in; reservations are for the dining patio out back and book three weeks ahead.
Avish Naran's Pijja Palace in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, fuses Italian-American pizza and pasta with Indian sauces in a sports-bar room. Walk-in only.
Signature: Tikka masala rigatoni, Chicken tikka pizza
Order: Tikka masala rigatoni and a chicken tikka pizza for the table.
Tip: Walk-in only, three TVs always on sports; the wait at 19:30 is 90 minutes, at 17:00 it is zero.
Sugarfish on 7th Street, downtown Los Angeles, applies the late Kazunori Nozawa Trust-Me set menu format to a casual sit-down room since 2012.
Signature: Trust Me set, Toro hand roll
Order: The Trust Me set: tuna sashimi, salmon and yellowtail nigiri, toro hand roll.
Tip: The Trust Me Lite is the better-value set for one; rice is warm, vinegar pronounced, fish room temperature.
KazuNori on Main Street in downtown Los Angeles is the original temaki handroll bar, with the five-roll set delivered within 30 seconds of rolling.
Signature: Blue crab handroll, Toro handroll
Order: The five-roll set: blue crab, scallop, lobster, yellowtail and toro in sequence.
Tip: Walk-in only, the line moves once a seat opens; eat each handroll within 30 seconds, the nori loses snap fast.
Sushi Note on Ventura Boulevard, Sherman Oaks, pairs traditional edomae sushi with a 90-deep natural-wine list, a Valley counter that books two weeks ahead.
Signature: Edomae nigiri omakase, Natural-wine pairing
Order: Chef-selection omakase with a pour of grower Champagne from the deep wine list.
Tip: The 90-bottle natural-wine list is the real reason to choose Sushi Note over its peers; ask the server for guidance.
