Standard dining environment but I love the food, and service. Especially love the picks on the nigiri’s (very tender and the cut of the tofu is spectacular). Hopefully chef Daniel will make the crab rice again in future.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Brian Won
Fabulous sushi with just enough flair to let you know that Chef Daniel-son has above average skills in areas other than sushi - he does a Saba sandwich on homemade milk bread, plus a shrimp stone pot fried rice in addition to sushi (at least as of this visit). Two seatings, the later one is more relaxed if you don't mind eating late. And the sake selection is excellent.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Michele Shi
Best omakase experience I’ve ever had! Chef Daniel and his team were so so kind and amazing and the food was equally as amazing.
Pictured are just a handful of dishes but every dinner menu may look different so these are mostly for my own documentation and memories!
Very intimate 7 person counter seating. Everything in the experience is super thoughtful - they noticed I was left handed and adjusted presentation accordingly 🥹.
Would highly recommend to anyone😄
Jonathan Kim
Not sure how I haven’t reviewed this place sooner! This is my / our (including my wife) favorite restaurant in LA, and favorite omakase experience ever!
There is too much to praise here… Daniel and his wife create an incredible ambiance & environment for enjoying the depth & mastery of sushi tradition, somehow blended with his own person take in every course.
Chef Daniel curates every dish thoughtfully, and each bite feels somehow familiar and novel at the same time. You taste the LA, Korean-American roots; fine dining pedigree; and traditional Japanese technique throughout the meal.
Beyond the food & service, each ingredient is also carefully sourced with sustainability & seasonality in mind. I truly cannot recommend Sushi Sonagi enough, and also understand what a privilege it is to be able to pay for a meal like this. For those who can, it is well worth the price.
(Photos kept to the social media famous ones to try and keep some element of surprise in the dishes!)
Chris R
You can feel the Chef's passion in every, single, dish. Worth absolutely every penny. This restaurant would be lauded anywhere in the world.
John Wie
What a delightful SoCal omakase that I think stands out really well both for being fun and delicious.
Sushi Sonagi is located in a strip mall on Artesia Blvd. before you hit the 91 freeway and by the early evening when you arrive, parking seems to be plentiful.
Coming in, I was immediately greeted and given a reserved spot at the intimate sushi bar. The sushi bar itself is really fun and full of small LA-focused delights like a bobblehead of sports stars. And the music played old school 90's and early 00's jams.
Behind the counter is Chef Daniel Son who does a wonderful job guiding the whole journey with a super friendly and laidback attitude. I loved how the ingredients are not only from his travels in Japan but also locally from the Torrance Farmers Market where I go often myself. Also love the presentation from the plates to all of the techniques he uses that you get a first hand look at.
Drink-wise, they have carafes/bottles of sake as well as some beer options. I opted for one of the sake carafes which lasted me throughout the meal. The waitress that was serving the entire seating that night was also super funny and laid back as well along with being super attentive.
As most omakase menus, this one changes every season. Here were some of my personal favorites of our 18 courses: *Flounder fin: One of the best sushi items we had that night. So buttery and delightful. Loved the explanation and conversations as well around some of the facts and challenges around serving this. *Hanasaki dolsot bap: Such a clever and delicious take on the dolsot bap. It's presented beautifully with the crab shell and then portioned out to all the patrons. If you wanted extras, the Chef is more than willing to accommodate. *Miso butter atsuyaki tamago: Loved this extra little oomph to the tamago with the miso butter. Again, just buttery smooth with a hint of sweetness. So good. *Chawanmushi: His chawanmushi was a great use of local ingredients like the summer corn and ikura. Refreshing and playful. *Scarlet shrimp: Absolutely delicious and delectable. A bright flavor.
At the end, not only do you get the full menu but a really cute handwritten card that was a really nice touch.
Cheers to Chef Son and his crew for a wonderful and delightful experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
R W
Chef Daniel’s sushi has a strong sense of identity that deviates from traditional sushi. As the number of sushi ya grows in LA, Sonagi feels refreshing and genuine. Not only did I enjoy the food but also conversation with the chef. Great price point as well.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lori I
Wow! Soooo good! I have been fortunate to explore many omakase and Chef Daniel’s intimate 8 seater is my new favorite. To my surprise this gem is in my hometown, the chef is local too and he uses some local ingredients as well as the freshest Japanese fish. So many dishes and types of fish I had not tried before, many firsts!
The two hour session was amazing, the service (his lovely wife) attentive they are a cute team, and the vibe was really chill, friendly and conversation filled!
I’ll be back, if I can secure another reservation (on tock) to take my husband so he can experience my new favorite.
Thanks Sonagi!! I’ll be thinking about the tasty bites!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
G Y
The food was delicious. The service was excellent. Atmosphere was good. Small intimate dining experience. Chef is personable and friendly. It is worth the experience. Wife and husband are awesome hosts. Food and drink worth the price of admission for sushi and seasonal food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Matthew Carrier
Absolutely incredible dining experience and as good as it gets, in our opinion. Nineteen (19) courses, amazing banter and interaction with the chef, and the staff couldn’t have been nicer or more attentive. My fiancée and I were celebrating our recent engagement and Janet handed us a beautiful, handwritten ‘congratulations’ card as we were leaving. If you’re fortunate enough to secure a reservation to this treasure of a restaurant, know you are blessed and are in for an incredible evening!
I’ve been to Japan four times in the last five years. I have friends who live in Kyoto and they take me to their favorite sushi spots. They also tell me where to go in Tokyo, where they spend a lot of their time.I never had sushi as good in Japan as I did last night in Gardena. I’m not kidding.The chef is very dedicated. He considers the entire experience from start to finish. So do a lot of other chefs at great Omakase spots in LA.What is different about Sonagi is that the chef is very into choosing his seafood based on the season. I’m not going to spend time going across each dish but you’re not going to get the typical fish here. I’m pretty sure that if the chef thinks some seafood item is seasonally better than Otoro, that’s what’s gonna get served.I’ve never had rice like the rice served in that small bowl. Crispy and perfect. The soup and the desserts were also incredible.They have two seatings, which I’ve seen in a few other places. Everyone at the sushi bar is served each dish at pretty much exactly the same time. This lends itself to meeting people at the bar. It’s almost like a get together at the chef’s home.One other nice touch: Before leaving, guests are presented with a fine stationary printout of each dish and its sourcing.Special place!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
anthony
I can’t wait to go back. All super different dishes, and the most warm and engaging experience. My number 1 in Los Angeles.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Claudine Kashiwabara
The most amazing omakase experience! Every ingredient and every dish was so exquisite, high-quality, creative, and tasteful. Chef was fun to talk to as well :) Many thanks for this special meal??
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
한때는뉴요커
Healing and learning at the same time!!!Food was great, chef was a talk pleasing young master.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jae Ahn
The crescendo of flavors starting with the white fish/white rice combination, stepping through the amberjack and baby shrimp, converting to the red vinegar infused rice for the blue backed fish and the finale of eel, uni and Toro handroll were all wonderful. Seasonally sourced and changing by the week, Sonagi's omokase delivers the seasonal delicacies. There is no salmon or yellowtail and the Toro only makes an appearance at the end of the course.
If you can get a reservation (check the Instagram or the tock page for details), run to the Gardena strip mall as soon as you can.
If there is a complaint, from my point of view, the full flavor of the two blue backed fish on the menu was muted a bit TOO much, but I understand I am in a fairly small minority that likes the salty ocean taste in the horse mackerel type fish.
I look forward to seeing the restaurant progress and evolve over time and hopefully will be back soon.
Standard dining environment but I love the food, and service. Especially love the picks on the nigiri’s (very tender and the cut of the tofu is spectacular). Hopefully chef Daniel will make the crab rice again in future.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Fabulous sushi with just enough flair to let you know that Chef Daniel-son has above average skills in areas other than sushi - he does a Saba sandwich on homemade milk bread, plus a shrimp stone pot fried rice in addition to sushi (at least as of this visit). Two seatings, the later one is more relaxed if you don't mind eating late. And the sake selection is excellent.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Best omakase experience I’ve ever had! Chef Daniel and his team were so so kind and amazing and the food was equally as amazing.
Pictured are just a handful of dishes but every dinner menu may look different so these are mostly for my own documentation and memories!
Very intimate 7 person counter seating. Everything in the experience is super thoughtful - they noticed I was left handed and adjusted presentation accordingly 🥹.
Would highly recommend to anyone😄
Not sure how I haven’t reviewed this place sooner! This is my / our (including my wife) favorite restaurant in LA, and favorite omakase experience ever!
There is too much to praise here… Daniel and his wife create an incredible ambiance & environment for enjoying the depth & mastery of sushi tradition, somehow blended with his own person take in every course.
Chef Daniel curates every dish thoughtfully, and each bite feels somehow familiar and novel at the same time. You taste the LA, Korean-American roots; fine dining pedigree; and traditional Japanese technique throughout the meal.
Beyond the food & service, each ingredient is also carefully sourced with sustainability & seasonality in mind. I truly cannot recommend Sushi Sonagi enough, and also understand what a privilege it is to be able to pay for a meal like this. For those who can, it is well worth the price.
(Photos kept to the social media famous ones to try and keep some element of surprise in the dishes!)
You can feel the Chef's passion in every, single, dish. Worth absolutely every penny. This restaurant would be lauded anywhere in the world.
What a delightful SoCal omakase that I think stands out really well both for being fun and delicious.
Sushi Sonagi is located in a strip mall on Artesia Blvd. before you hit the 91 freeway and by the early evening when you arrive, parking seems to be plentiful.
Coming in, I was immediately greeted and given a reserved spot at the intimate sushi bar. The sushi bar itself is really fun and full of small LA-focused delights like a bobblehead of sports stars. And the music played old school 90's and early 00's jams.
Behind the counter is Chef Daniel Son who does a wonderful job guiding the whole journey with a super friendly and laidback attitude. I loved how the ingredients are not only from his travels in Japan but also locally from the Torrance Farmers Market where I go often myself. Also love the presentation from the plates to all of the techniques he uses that you get a first hand look at.
Drink-wise, they have carafes/bottles of sake as well as some beer options. I opted for one of the sake carafes which lasted me throughout the meal. The waitress that was serving the entire seating that night was also super funny and laid back as well along with being super attentive.
As most omakase menus, this one changes every season. Here were some of my personal favorites of our 18 courses:
*Flounder fin: One of the best sushi items we had that night. So buttery and delightful. Loved the explanation and conversations as well around some of the facts and challenges around serving this.
*Hanasaki dolsot bap: Such a clever and delicious take on the dolsot bap. It's presented beautifully with the crab shell and then portioned out to all the patrons. If you wanted extras, the Chef is more than willing to accommodate.
*Miso butter atsuyaki tamago: Loved this extra little oomph to the tamago with the miso butter. Again, just buttery smooth with a hint of sweetness. So good.
*Chawanmushi: His chawanmushi was a great use of local ingredients like the summer corn and ikura. Refreshing and playful.
*Scarlet shrimp: Absolutely delicious and delectable. A bright flavor.
At the end, not only do you get the full menu but a really cute handwritten card that was a really nice touch.
Cheers to Chef Son and his crew for a wonderful and delightful experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Chef Daniel’s sushi has a strong sense of identity that deviates from traditional sushi. As the number of sushi ya grows in LA, Sonagi feels refreshing and genuine. Not only did I enjoy the food but also conversation with the chef. Great price point as well.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Wow! Soooo good! I have been fortunate to explore many omakase and Chef Daniel’s intimate 8 seater is my new favorite. To my surprise this gem is in my hometown, the chef is local too and he uses some local ingredients as well as the freshest Japanese fish. So many dishes and types of fish I had not tried before, many firsts!
The two hour session was amazing, the service (his lovely wife) attentive they are a cute team, and the vibe was really chill, friendly and conversation filled!
I’ll be back, if I can secure another reservation (on tock) to take my husband so he can experience my new favorite.
Thanks Sonagi!! I’ll be thinking about the tasty bites!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food was delicious. The service was excellent. Atmosphere was good. Small intimate dining experience. Chef is personable and friendly. It is worth the experience. Wife and husband are awesome hosts. Food and drink worth the price of admission for sushi and seasonal food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Absolutely incredible dining experience and as good as it gets, in our opinion. Nineteen (19) courses, amazing banter and interaction with the chef, and the staff couldn’t have been nicer or more attentive. My fiancée and I were celebrating our recent engagement and Janet handed us a beautiful, handwritten ‘congratulations’ card as we were leaving. If you’re fortunate enough to secure a reservation to this treasure of a restaurant, know you are blessed and are in for an incredible evening!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
I’ve been to Japan four times in the last five years. I have friends who live in Kyoto and they take me to their favorite sushi spots. They also tell me where to go in Tokyo, where they spend a lot of their time.I never had sushi as good in Japan as I did last night in Gardena. I’m not kidding.The chef is very dedicated. He considers the entire experience from start to finish. So do a lot of other chefs at great Omakase spots in LA.What is different about Sonagi is that the chef is very into choosing his seafood based on the season. I’m not going to spend time going across each dish but you’re not going to get the typical fish here. I’m pretty sure that if the chef thinks some seafood item is seasonally better than Otoro, that’s what’s gonna get served.I’ve never had rice like the rice served in that small bowl. Crispy and perfect. The soup and the desserts were also incredible.They have two seatings, which I’ve seen in a few other places. Everyone at the sushi bar is served each dish at pretty much exactly the same time. This lends itself to meeting people at the bar. It’s almost like a get together at the chef’s home.One other nice touch: Before leaving, guests are presented with a fine stationary printout of each dish and its sourcing.Special place!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I can’t wait to go back. All super different dishes, and the most warm and engaging experience. My number 1 in Los Angeles.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The most amazing omakase experience! Every ingredient and every dish was so exquisite, high-quality, creative, and tasteful. Chef was fun to talk to as well :) Many thanks for this special meal??
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Healing and learning at the same time!!!Food was great, chef was a talk pleasing young master.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The crescendo of flavors starting with the white fish/white rice combination, stepping through the amberjack and baby shrimp, converting to the red vinegar infused rice for the blue backed fish and the finale of eel, uni and Toro handroll were all wonderful. Seasonally sourced and changing by the week, Sonagi's omokase delivers the seasonal delicacies. There is no salmon or yellowtail and the Toro only makes an appearance at the end of the course.
If you can get a reservation (check the Instagram or the tock page for details), run to the Gardena strip mall as soon as you can.
If there is a complaint, from my point of view, the full flavor of the two blue backed fish on the menu was muted a bit TOO much, but I understand I am in a fairly small minority that likes the salty ocean taste in the horse mackerel type fish.
I look forward to seeing the restaurant progress and evolve over time and hopefully will be back soon.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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