Service excellent. Ambiance very geared toward focusing on the food. Overall a great experience with a high level of quality. Our highlight unexpectedly was the Hokkaido sardines. My SO and I literally stopped and stared at each other mid-chew, astonished at how good it was. Initially they thought something was wrong after seeing us freeze, but they then realized we were just stunned from how good the dishes were.
Kelly N.
The quintessential hidden Little Tokyo omakase experience in the heart of DTLA. No one would've guessed that such a charming little restaurant would exist in the basement of an office building. With very limited seating, I reserved this place a month in advance when the reservation window opens up at the 1st of the month. Well-worth the month wait! Once seated before the chef, an alcohol menu is presented to you. My SO and I opted for the smaller bottle of sake (only one option) that was not listed on the menu. I went into this with no prior research of the omakase menu, so everything was a delightful surprise. From start to finish, each dish was carefully crafted before our eyes from the green ice tempura to the toro (cooked two different ways) to the sea water eel. Honestly, I was too busy having mouth orgasms to count how many courses I had or remember specifically what each course was. I can only live in this memory forever by the few snapshots I took of the food that night. My SO and I left adequately full and happy. It is quite the price tag, so I would save this for a special occasion. Highly recommend to all my omakase foodies!
Summer Hasama
Fantastic service and atmosphere! The seafood was so fresh and tasty. This omakase was crafted with a unique depth of flavors and texture!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Melissa T.
What a treat. We had such an intimate and delicious meal. The food and service is 100%. Just one deducted star because we sat us all the way to the side, a bit tucked in the corner and couldn't see what the chefs were doing.
Victoria W.
This hidden gem is tucked in the basement level of the Kajita Office Building in Little Tokyo. From the parking garage to the restaurant, we had to take an elevator down to street level, walk outside to another adjacent stairwell, walk up the stairs to the 2nd floor, enter a secure door into a lobby, then take the MIDDLE elevator down to the basement. Note that the other elevators do NOT go down to the restaurant. As soon as the elevator doors open, we felt like we teleported to a whole new world. No more piss-smelling LA, but instead a dimly lit, moody entrance with a giant portrait of Tokyo on the wall. We were immediately welcomed by the hostesses, both greeting us with 90 degree bows. Soon, they began taking each group into the main part of the restaurant, which was a short walk away. We were then greeted by another host who opened a wood sliding door to the private room where all 12 guests would be dining that night. We all sat down, patiently waiting for our chef to come out. It felt like we were seated for a theatrical show...All 12 guests with front row seats. When the chef entered the room, he greeted everyone. This omakase experience is only available 3 nights a week, 12 seats per night. It's a bit on the pricey side...$300 per person, requiring a $150 deposit/person that is credited toward your bill. For most people, this would be a special occasion spot. However, that wasn't the case for some of the guests who dined with us that night. Some were regulars, bringing $3,000 bottle sakes to be shared with the chef and wait staff...but hey...more power to them. The chef was very interactive, often presenting the different fish, uni, or other ingredients to us before preparing them. This is the rundown of what we had in our 20-course omakase meal: - Shrimp cake with uni topped with dashi sauce and wasabi - Oyster with soba noodles - Chiwamashi with brain - Smoked bonito with Sakura chips and sweet onion - Japanese Black Sea snail - Spanish mackerel - Monkfish liver - Seaweed with bay shrimp and kiwi - Japanese pike mackerel with liver sauce - Toro - Chopped spearhead squid with chiso - Yellowtail - Hokkaido sweet shrimp - Bluefin Tuna - Green ice tempura (sprinkled nori with white fish tempura) - Hokada - pickled mackerel - Uni - Smoked eel - Smoked/raw tuna roll - Clam soup The food was beyond my expectation. Delicately prepared, refined with unique flavors. This omakase dinner took approximately 3 hrs. I loved the intimacy of the experience, as all the guests are together from start to finish. If you're looking for amazing Japanese omakase and want to feel like a VIP guest, then this is the place to be!
Yuliana Becerra
Least favorite omakase we’ve had. The textures were not doing it for me, esp one dish made me feel sick (crunchy raw seafood anyone?). Very limited raw seafood options. Getting to this place through a parking lot wasn’t great as well. The amount that was paid for it (almost 1k for 2ppl) left us feeling literally robbed.
Anthony K.
Hidden behind stairs there's an obscure entrance. Once you are in it transforms into an edomae-style restaurant. We were lucky that a friend passed on a reservation. Given the length of the meal, you will be the only group of customers they serve for the night. We had a 22 course omakase. It was a first time experience for me and it didn't disappoint. Definitely a place for special occasions.
L B.
A 2+ hour demonstration of Japanese culinary excellence. *Best sushi rice!*Ingredients available only from Japan*Fresh mind bending melt in your mouth sushi*Excellent individualized service*Michelin Star Chef (from Japan)!*Artful presentations*Leave with a very full belly*Only 12 diners, in a private, peaceful, dining area*Highly recommended for sushi lovers
Sunscreen Al
Got back from Japan a month before this meal. This is as authentic as it comes. Nine total people get a reservation each night. All reservations are for 7 pm and clients are expected to announce their arrival at 645.The restaurant looks and feels like similar places in Tokyo. The chef and his five assistants and co-chefs create a dinner made for their nine new “friends”. About 50% of the 20 very small dishes were either sushi or sashimi. Each dish was impeccable. Service was also perfect.This is an experience. Not cheap but an experience. Even in Japan, there aren’t many places like this.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mika M.
Great quality sushi and nice atmosphere to talk with friends. Good pairings of sauce with the dishes :)
A hidden gem in DTLA.... A must try for all FOODIES!!! The tast of the different dishes were just AMAZING to the taste buds.... The service was on point!
Tyler S.
Sushi Kaneyoshi, located in the basement of an office building in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, offers a secluded edomae-style sushi dining experience. As someone who frequently visits high-end sushi establishments in New York and Tokyo, I approached Kaneyoshi with high expectations based on local recommendations. While the value performance is undeniable, there are areas where consistency and the overall customer experience can be improved.Chef Yoshiyuki Inoue, originally from Yokohama, boasts an impressive resume with stints at Michelin-starred sushi restaurants in Los Angeles, including Sushi Ginza Onodera and Mori Sushi. At Kaneyoshi, he showcases traditional dishes, serving otsumami such as chawanmushi, seasonal sashimi, bozushi, and ankimo. The meal then transitions to a progression of nigiri, featuring hikarimono, shellfish, uni, maguro, futomaki, and negitoro. Standout dishes for me included the oyster somen noodles, nodoguro pressed sushi, aji and swordtip squid with elite scoring that enhanced both flavor and texture, and exceptional akamizuke. A highlight was the side-by-side sampling of shinko(!)/kohada and bafun/aka uni courses, which showcased the subtle differences in similar ingredients. Considering the breadth of the meal (19 courses with a total of 22 items), the price point of $300 per person offers remarkable value.However, certain operational decisions at the restaurant seemed to dilute the intimate connection often found between a sushi chef and his patrons. With 12 seats, it's a challenge for a single chef to cater to every diner. As a result, Sushi Kaneyoshi employs four chefs behind the counter: a head chef, a sous chef, and two assistants. While the dishes prepared by Yoshi-san were excellent, there was noticeable variation in the quality of courses prepared by other team members. For instance, the ama ebi and uni, which were placed atop sticky, loosely packed rice mounds by the sous chef, would have been better served as nigiri crafted by Yoshi-san himself. Additionally, the size of the counter led to a bustling atmosphere at times, with noise levels occasionally detracting from the ambiance.Overall, Sushi Kaneyoshi offers a robust lineup of traditional appetizers and nigiri, particularly when crafted by the skilled hands of Yoshi-san. While the value is strong at $300 for 19-22 courses, there remains room for refinement in the overall experience.
Fanny S.
All 22 omakase courses names are as followsFried tunaOyster purée somenScallop Chawanmushi Smoked albacoreOcean perch Monkfish liverUni w marinated kelpBaby snapperNegitoro Spanish mackerel Steamed beltfishIshigakikei clamChopped squidBluefin ToroBaby gizzard Shad & adult gizzard shad santa barbara Uni & Hokkaido Uni EelClear fish soupTamago Amazing food / excellent service/ worthy food and service.
Ron W.
You successfully navigated the clogged one way streets of DTLA with the unhoused pushing carts against traffic in the middle of the road. "Pull in next to the restaurant's sign", the instructions said. Bring your jeweler's loop as the sign is microscopic. The parking garage is Ville du Hamsters. A labyrinth of ramps with no markings. It's a vertical maze. The structure was designed by the same fellow who created spaghetti. Next, try to find the building lobby on the second floor. Once located take only the Middle Elevator as the other two will take you to a parallel Universe where all they serve is two day old boiled wieners. The door opens and you step into a stark dark gray windowless room. The intake at Parker Center Central Jail is cheerier. A masked Hostee nods and tips her head toward a small bench. You sit there like a Service Dog. You admire the gray grass cloth wall covering. It is all so Japanese where less is expected. At 7:00 on the dot you will be ushered down a hall to the surgical suite dining room. Smooth jazz soothes. You sit where you're directed at a bleached wood counter. You are the rotating art. Preparistas slice and dice pickled Ginger so thin you can read the Times through it. Spreading food on the Times is the best way to enjoy reading it. One Sous dispatched Toro into slivers thinner than the pages of the Times and then Otoro slices morbidly obese and squishy with fat. Oh Toro I would have sorrow without you.The Ambience: Student Housing Chic. Perfectly arranged Ceramic plates (made by the Master Chef himself) await each morsel listed on tonight's set. The Staff: As efficient as any Trauma Center and twice as friendly. There is minimal interaction with the Chefs working in front of you. So, the glass of Beer you spiffed all three would be better served served to the homeless dude outside walking in a circle and muttering.But you came for the food. All 22 courses. Many of the dishes are created out of sight in the kitchen and finished in front of you. No matter it adds up to a grand dinner and worth all the effort required to reserve one the 12 seats. Savor each dish as you should. The fish and the presentation are magnificent and worthy of all the praise bestowed on Kaneyoshi by other high end Sushi Masters. A bottle of Yamagata Sake (40% sweet) from Northern Japan was a perfect way to wake the taste buds for the tsunami of wonderful food to come. 1. Tempura Eel with Seaweed Grape Sauce. 2. Koki Somein was Somein Noods wrapped around a poached Oyster with Sesame Sauce and a dot of emulsified Plum. My favorite dish all night. A bucket of it to go, please? 3. A few Sancho Pepper's popped in a bowl of Hokkaido Scallops that were flaked and stirred into Egg Custard. Fit for an Emperor. 4. Smoked Bonito with Shiso Sauce. Diced pickled Sweet Onions and Lilac Buds. 5. Ocean Perch on Sticky Sushi Rice. 6. Monkfish Liver thick and dense as Foie Gras.7. Spanish Mackerel with Dashi and mini-Orange Imperials. 8. Flounder with Pickled Ginger on warm Sushi Rice. Very nice. 9. Spanish Mackerel scalded on top with glowing Binchotan. A brush of Soy and voila, amazing. 10. Striped Amber Jack, Sushi Rice and a knob of real Wasabi. Perfect. 11. Poached Oyster with Oyster Sauce on a ball of Sushi Rice. 12. Mini Goeduck Clam with it's mini Clam pee pee on full display until you ate it. 13. Green Belt Fish needs to be mashed with Rice until it's baby food. 14. Iwati Uni v. Hokkaido Uni was an Uni smack down ending in a tie. 15. Shredded Squid Shoulder with Ginger and Wasabi. 16. Spearhead with Snowflake Salt and Shiso Leaf. Cold, crunchy, salty. Delicious.17. Toro after Toro seemingly endless with a distant sting of fresh grated Wasabi on each bite. 18. Shad was had next. Meaty and a treat, eh? 19. Sea Eel warm and soft as a wedding night. 20. Fish Broth with Seaweed served screaming hot as a wedding night. 21. Tamago (Omelet). 22. House made Cheese Cake Cubes. 23. The Bill as costly as a wedding night.
Yong L.
SHICHIDA. This sake has a lower alcohol content of 14%, single pasteurized, yet was rather refreshing with a good balance of mild sweetness, well controlled tartness and sour taste with awonderful clean dry finish that wine drinkers can relate well with. What's interesting about this brew is the fact the brewery chose not to use local Saga prefecture sake rice, and insteadused Yamagata sake rice varietal Dewasansan instead 山形県產出羽燦 If you pay close attention to the sake menu
Service excellent. Ambiance very geared toward focusing on the food. Overall a great experience with a high level of quality. Our highlight unexpectedly was the Hokkaido sardines. My SO and I literally stopped and stared at each other mid-chew, astonished at how good it was. Initially they thought something was wrong after seeing us freeze, but they then realized we were just stunned from how good the dishes were.
The quintessential hidden Little Tokyo omakase experience in the heart of DTLA. No one would've guessed that such a charming little restaurant would exist in the basement of an office building. With very limited seating, I reserved this place a month in advance when the reservation window opens up at the 1st of the month. Well-worth the month wait! Once seated before the chef, an alcohol menu is presented to you. My SO and I opted for the smaller bottle of sake (only one option) that was not listed on the menu. I went into this with no prior research of the omakase menu, so everything was a delightful surprise. From start to finish, each dish was carefully crafted before our eyes from the green ice tempura to the toro (cooked two different ways) to the sea water eel. Honestly, I was too busy having mouth orgasms to count how many courses I had or remember specifically what each course was. I can only live in this memory forever by the few snapshots I took of the food that night. My SO and I left adequately full and happy. It is quite the price tag, so I would save this for a special occasion. Highly recommend to all my omakase foodies!
Fantastic service and atmosphere! The seafood was so fresh and tasty. This omakase was crafted with a unique depth of flavors and texture!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
What a treat. We had such an intimate and delicious meal. The food and service is 100%. Just one deducted star because we sat us all the way to the side, a bit tucked in the corner and couldn't see what the chefs were doing.
This hidden gem is tucked in the basement level of the Kajita Office Building in Little Tokyo. From the parking garage to the restaurant, we had to take an elevator down to street level, walk outside to another adjacent stairwell, walk up the stairs to the 2nd floor, enter a secure door into a lobby, then take the MIDDLE elevator down to the basement. Note that the other elevators do NOT go down to the restaurant. As soon as the elevator doors open, we felt like we teleported to a whole new world. No more piss-smelling LA, but instead a dimly lit, moody entrance with a giant portrait of Tokyo on the wall. We were immediately welcomed by the hostesses, both greeting us with 90 degree bows. Soon, they began taking each group into the main part of the restaurant, which was a short walk away. We were then greeted by another host who opened a wood sliding door to the private room where all 12 guests would be dining that night. We all sat down, patiently waiting for our chef to come out. It felt like we were seated for a theatrical show...All 12 guests with front row seats. When the chef entered the room, he greeted everyone. This omakase experience is only available 3 nights a week, 12 seats per night. It's a bit on the pricey side...$300 per person, requiring a $150 deposit/person that is credited toward your bill. For most people, this would be a special occasion spot. However, that wasn't the case for some of the guests who dined with us that night. Some were regulars, bringing $3,000 bottle sakes to be shared with the chef and wait staff...but hey...more power to them. The chef was very interactive, often presenting the different fish, uni, or other ingredients to us before preparing them. This is the rundown of what we had in our 20-course omakase meal: - Shrimp cake with uni topped with dashi sauce and wasabi - Oyster with soba noodles - Chiwamashi with brain - Smoked bonito with Sakura chips and sweet onion - Japanese Black Sea snail - Spanish mackerel - Monkfish liver - Seaweed with bay shrimp and kiwi - Japanese pike mackerel with liver sauce - Toro - Chopped spearhead squid with chiso - Yellowtail - Hokkaido sweet shrimp - Bluefin Tuna - Green ice tempura (sprinkled nori with white fish tempura) - Hokada - pickled mackerel - Uni - Smoked eel - Smoked/raw tuna roll - Clam soup The food was beyond my expectation. Delicately prepared, refined with unique flavors. This omakase dinner took approximately 3 hrs. I loved the intimacy of the experience, as all the guests are together from start to finish. If you're looking for amazing Japanese omakase and want to feel like a VIP guest, then this is the place to be!
Least favorite omakase we’ve had. The textures were not doing it for me, esp one dish made me feel sick (crunchy raw seafood anyone?). Very limited raw seafood options. Getting to this place through a parking lot wasn’t great as well. The amount that was paid for it (almost 1k for 2ppl) left us feeling literally robbed.
Hidden behind stairs there's an obscure entrance. Once you are in it transforms into an edomae-style restaurant. We were lucky that a friend passed on a reservation. Given the length of the meal, you will be the only group of customers they serve for the night. We had a 22 course omakase. It was a first time experience for me and it didn't disappoint. Definitely a place for special occasions.
A 2+ hour demonstration of Japanese culinary excellence. *Best sushi rice!*Ingredients available only from Japan*Fresh mind bending melt in your mouth sushi*Excellent individualized service*Michelin Star Chef (from Japan)!*Artful presentations*Leave with a very full belly*Only 12 diners, in a private, peaceful, dining area*Highly recommended for sushi lovers
Got back from Japan a month before this meal. This is as authentic as it comes. Nine total people get a reservation each night. All reservations are for 7 pm and clients are expected to announce their arrival at 645.The restaurant looks and feels like similar places in Tokyo. The chef and his five assistants and co-chefs create a dinner made for their nine new “friends”. About 50% of the 20 very small dishes were either sushi or sashimi. Each dish was impeccable. Service was also perfect.This is an experience. Not cheap but an experience. Even in Japan, there aren’t many places like this.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great quality sushi and nice atmosphere to talk with friends. Good pairings of sauce with the dishes :)
Restaurantji Recommends
A hidden gem in DTLA.... A must try for all FOODIES!!! The tast of the different dishes were just AMAZING to the taste buds.... The service was on point!
Sushi Kaneyoshi, located in the basement of an office building in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, offers a secluded edomae-style sushi dining experience. As someone who frequently visits high-end sushi establishments in New York and Tokyo, I approached Kaneyoshi with high expectations based on local recommendations. While the value performance is undeniable, there are areas where consistency and the overall customer experience can be improved.Chef Yoshiyuki Inoue, originally from Yokohama, boasts an impressive resume with stints at Michelin-starred sushi restaurants in Los Angeles, including Sushi Ginza Onodera and Mori Sushi. At Kaneyoshi, he showcases traditional dishes, serving otsumami such as chawanmushi, seasonal sashimi, bozushi, and ankimo. The meal then transitions to a progression of nigiri, featuring hikarimono, shellfish, uni, maguro, futomaki, and negitoro. Standout dishes for me included the oyster somen noodles, nodoguro pressed sushi, aji and swordtip squid with elite scoring that enhanced both flavor and texture, and exceptional akamizuke. A highlight was the side-by-side sampling of shinko(!)/kohada and bafun/aka uni courses, which showcased the subtle differences in similar ingredients. Considering the breadth of the meal (19 courses with a total of 22 items), the price point of $300 per person offers remarkable value.However, certain operational decisions at the restaurant seemed to dilute the intimate connection often found between a sushi chef and his patrons. With 12 seats, it's a challenge for a single chef to cater to every diner. As a result, Sushi Kaneyoshi employs four chefs behind the counter: a head chef, a sous chef, and two assistants. While the dishes prepared by Yoshi-san were excellent, there was noticeable variation in the quality of courses prepared by other team members. For instance, the ama ebi and uni, which were placed atop sticky, loosely packed rice mounds by the sous chef, would have been better served as nigiri crafted by Yoshi-san himself. Additionally, the size of the counter led to a bustling atmosphere at times, with noise levels occasionally detracting from the ambiance.Overall, Sushi Kaneyoshi offers a robust lineup of traditional appetizers and nigiri, particularly when crafted by the skilled hands of Yoshi-san. While the value is strong at $300 for 19-22 courses, there remains room for refinement in the overall experience.
All 22 omakase courses names are as followsFried tunaOyster purée somenScallop Chawanmushi Smoked albacoreOcean perch Monkfish liverUni w marinated kelpBaby snapperNegitoro Spanish mackerel Steamed beltfishIshigakikei clamChopped squidBluefin ToroBaby gizzard Shad & adult gizzard shad santa barbara Uni & Hokkaido Uni EelClear fish soupTamago Amazing food / excellent service/ worthy food and service.
You successfully navigated the clogged one way streets of DTLA with the unhoused pushing carts against traffic in the middle of the road. "Pull in next to the restaurant's sign", the instructions said. Bring your jeweler's loop as the sign is microscopic. The parking garage is Ville du Hamsters. A labyrinth of ramps with no markings. It's a vertical maze. The structure was designed by the same fellow who created spaghetti. Next, try to find the building lobby on the second floor. Once located take only the Middle Elevator as the other two will take you to a parallel Universe where all they serve is two day old boiled wieners. The door opens and you step into a stark dark gray windowless room. The intake at Parker Center Central Jail is cheerier. A masked Hostee nods and tips her head toward a small bench. You sit there like a Service Dog. You admire the gray grass cloth wall covering. It is all so Japanese where less is expected. At 7:00 on the dot you will be ushered down a hall to the surgical suite dining room. Smooth jazz soothes. You sit where you're directed at a bleached wood counter. You are the rotating art. Preparistas slice and dice pickled Ginger so thin you can read the Times through it. Spreading food on the Times is the best way to enjoy reading it. One Sous dispatched Toro into slivers thinner than the pages of the Times and then Otoro slices morbidly obese and squishy with fat. Oh Toro I would have sorrow without you.The Ambience: Student Housing Chic. Perfectly arranged Ceramic plates (made by the Master Chef himself) await each morsel listed on tonight's set. The Staff: As efficient as any Trauma Center and twice as friendly. There is minimal interaction with the Chefs working in front of you. So, the glass of Beer you spiffed all three would be better served served to the homeless dude outside walking in a circle and muttering.But you came for the food. All 22 courses. Many of the dishes are created out of sight in the kitchen and finished in front of you. No matter it adds up to a grand dinner and worth all the effort required to reserve one the 12 seats. Savor each dish as you should. The fish and the presentation are magnificent and worthy of all the praise bestowed on Kaneyoshi by other high end Sushi Masters. A bottle of Yamagata Sake (40% sweet) from Northern Japan was a perfect way to wake the taste buds for the tsunami of wonderful food to come. 1. Tempura Eel with Seaweed Grape Sauce. 2. Koki Somein was Somein Noods wrapped around a poached Oyster with Sesame Sauce and a dot of emulsified Plum. My favorite dish all night. A bucket of it to go, please? 3. A few Sancho Pepper's popped in a bowl of Hokkaido Scallops that were flaked and stirred into Egg Custard. Fit for an Emperor. 4. Smoked Bonito with Shiso Sauce. Diced pickled Sweet Onions and Lilac Buds. 5. Ocean Perch on Sticky Sushi Rice. 6. Monkfish Liver thick and dense as Foie Gras.7. Spanish Mackerel with Dashi and mini-Orange Imperials. 8. Flounder with Pickled Ginger on warm Sushi Rice. Very nice. 9. Spanish Mackerel scalded on top with glowing Binchotan. A brush of Soy and voila, amazing. 10. Striped Amber Jack, Sushi Rice and a knob of real Wasabi. Perfect. 11. Poached Oyster with Oyster Sauce on a ball of Sushi Rice. 12. Mini Goeduck Clam with it's mini Clam pee pee on full display until you ate it. 13. Green Belt Fish needs to be mashed with Rice until it's baby food. 14. Iwati Uni v. Hokkaido Uni was an Uni smack down ending in a tie. 15. Shredded Squid Shoulder with Ginger and Wasabi. 16. Spearhead with Snowflake Salt and Shiso Leaf. Cold, crunchy, salty. Delicious.17. Toro after Toro seemingly endless with a distant sting of fresh grated Wasabi on each bite. 18. Shad was had next. Meaty and a treat, eh? 19. Sea Eel warm and soft as a wedding night. 20. Fish Broth with Seaweed served screaming hot as a wedding night. 21. Tamago (Omelet). 22. House made Cheese Cake Cubes. 23. The Bill as costly as a wedding night.
SHICHIDA. This sake has a lower alcohol content of 14%, single pasteurized, yet was rather refreshing with a good balance of mild sweetness, well controlled tartness and sour taste with awonderful clean dry finish that wine drinkers can relate well with. What's interesting about this brew is the fact the brewery chose not to use local Saga prefecture sake rice, and insteadused Yamagata sake rice varietal Dewasansan instead 山形県產出羽燦 If you pay close attention to the sake menu