So I saw this spot on Yelp and wanted to try because of the high ratings from reviews. Unfortunately, it was not what I thought it would be. The food was not tasty and prepared. I ordered the miso soup which was not a good flavor to me, lobster baked rolls that tasted burnt with lil flavor, and salmon collar that was over cooked and not seasoned right. Also, they have no spices to add to your meals, I wanted jalapeños but they didn't have any of any other sauces. The service was decent nothing so great. They didn't have any plastic forks we wanted or really was attentive. The other lady that took over after her was actually better and came back to check on us, and clear the table. The place is quaint but very nice and clean inside. Cute little spot in a busy location that's lowkey. Its parking in front of the restaurant and in the back. It's not much opulence in the neighborhood but it's decent. Overall, I tried, but I will not come back probably. Nothing too crazy when it's so many original sushi/Japanese spots that have a variety and good simple dishes. Happy I had the chance to try though :)
Jasmine M.
The BEST spicy tuna crispy rice I've had to date. Definitely coming back again for more. Service was also really good and the interior is really nice.
Simone Sello
A little neighborhood gem: Sazanami offers good quality and authentic sushi at a reasonable price. All the dishes were tasty and the servers were very friendly. At the counter, omakase only.
Dan Halpert
What a fantastic sushi bar. This is my third or fourth time here in the last year or so.We normally have omakase which is "chef's choice" . The chef will orchestrate the meal with attention paid to the order of which fish is served and how it is prepared. This way a stronger flavor will not overpower a more mild one. Reservations for this are highly suggested.I highly look forward to my next visitWheelchair accessibility: Ground floor location and no steps to get up.
Edwin K.
The sushi here was excellent. My wife and I ordered Omakase and everything chef Mineo made was absolutely amazing. It was very authentic sushi, exactly what you would expect from a high quality restaurant. And it was actually quite inexpensive for Omakase so my wife and were amazed at the price, as it's typically much higher in other places. To be able to get the quality of sushi at this price is unbeatable. Can't wait to go back!
Liz B.
Great fresh and high quality sushi. The food was amazing and such a great dining experience. Loved our waitress who was full of personality and the vibe of the restaurant was relaxing and well done. No need to stick to Ventura Blvd sushi. This place is a hidden gem.
Alexandra Hamilton
Amazing dine in experience! The staff is welcoming. The atmosphere is cozy, clean and classy. The food was high quality and super delicious! 10/10 would recommend!!!
Greg S.
The sushi is fresh and delicious, the draft beer is ice cold. What more can you ask for?
Peter L.
Being very busy work wise, it has been difficult to get back here. I feel very fortunate, that I made the trip to sushi sazanami Friday night. The ambience is second to none. The fish quality is an absolute 10. More importantly, the master chef, Mineo greets you when you come in and handles your meal personally in this day and age, where every one is more concerned with volume and speed, it's refreshing to have an authentic sushi meal in a very mellow atmosphere, it is located in Studio City right off the Ventura Freeway on Riverside Drive. If you at all care about what it is, you're eating you must check this Omakase restaurant out. I highly recommend you will not be sorry.
Tina M.
This place is wonderful and one for the books! 6 months ago I met my boyfriend right outside sushi Sazanami. We had a quick chat and he asked me to join him for dinner at this spot. We picked a quiet corner and ate some wonderful sushi and memorable sake. The staff was unlike any other. They paid such careful attention and love to all their customers. The night truly was magical and special. We loved the service so much we went back to celebrate our 6 month-iversary. We got all the same feels. We are happy to recommend this place if you would like excellent customer service, great sake, yummy foods, awesome vibes, cool NYC feels music and lots of fun!!!!! Thank you Sushi Sazanami. We'll be back for sure! Be sure to order the premium sake flight ;) S&T
Small but cozy sushi joint, perfect for a casual dinner! Met a friend here as it was a good location for both of us - parking wasn't terrible in the surrounding neighborhood a short walk away. We had the nicest waitress who was very patient as we decided on what to order and she was attentive but not intrusive (we were the only guests in the restaurant at the time, so it would have been easy to totally ignore us once we ordered and/or hover but she did neither.)We both got the sushi combo which comes with miso soup, a spicy tuna roll, and 8 pieces of nigiri. The roll was barely spicy (which I'm happy with as I cannot handle spicy - if you're a spicy food lover you'll probably be disappointed.) The nigiri was delicious and fresh and as other reviewers have said, super buttery. Often in a combo-type meal, you don't always get super high quality fish but that wasn't the case here.I'd definitely come back!
Ryan C
We came here on a Saturday night at 7:00 pm for our first time. There were a total of two people in the entire place. I walked in excited to try. The place is very nice and clean inside, good design and ambiance.I went to the bathroom to wash my hands, NO hand soap but the bathroom was clean.Went back to my seat and we ordered.The sushi chef was a very nice guy, very friendly and talkative to us. We had a good conversation going until the rude waitress came over and said only talk to her. Both us the sushi chef looked at her like she was nuts. The waitress was horrible.The sushi was good however completely OVERPRICED!! $7/$8/$9 for two pieces of sushi.If the prices were fair I probably would have overlooked the rude waitress, or maybe not but the prices for sushi here is outrageously expensive. I can see why the place was completely empty during prime time on a Saturday night.The sushi quality was good but I've had the same good and better at many sushi places in LA for $4/$5/$6 for two pieces of sushi with much friendlier waitresses.Sushi: 1 salmon, 1 yellowtail, 1 albacore,1 mackerel. Hot Food: 1 shrimp tempura appetizer, 2 pork belly appetizers.Drinks: Tap water. Bill amount: $75 w/tip.We would have eaten five times the amount of food we ordered here if it wasn't for their insane prices. We didn't want to spend $300 to be full so we left HUNGRY, then went next door and ate pizza at Gino's.I will probably never come back here again based on how overpriced everything is.Note to Sushi Sanzanami: Bring your prices down significantly without sacrificing sushi and food quality. People will not walk out the door feeling ripped off and they will come back. Fire the rude waitress.Vegetarian options: You can order a salad hereKid-friendliness: Casual enough to bring children. I saw two small children there while having dinner.Parking: Very small parking lot in the back alley. It's very dark and dirty. The alley has huge potholes so be careful.Wheelchair accessibility: They have wheelchair friendly tablesDietary restrictions: You can do keto, paleo, or vegetarian here no problem.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 1
ALLAN C
Well the fish was very fresh there was very little to choose from. The chef was extremely friendly but the prices on their website do not reflect the prices that you're going to see when you go in to the restaurant. There is no 5 and $6 sushi it's more like 7 8 and $9 sushi. They were out of a lot and didn't have that much to choose from. Stay away from the pork belly because it's horrible. The waitress was rude and did not want us to speak with the sushi chef. I should have turned around and walked out when I only saw two other people sitting in the restaurant on a Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. extremely expensive and I can't understand why...
Minard H.
The fish melted on your mouth. It was fantastic. Our waitress was elegant and cool. We loved it.
Sharon R.
Horrible terrible no good rude and not fresh sushi.The waitress was so rude and difficult out to even get her attention. It's Saturday night and the place was almost empty (should've been a sign), and yet we still couldn't get water for 15 minutes or a drink or food order taken.The sushi was not fresh, and they never brought wasabi or ginger. The menu is tiny and anything we asked for, we were told they don't have it right now. Nothing was good, even the chicken karaage was not hot and ho early this was just a terrible experience. The waitress told us we ordered too much food and that we were done. WTAF?I've been to Japan and they would be ashamed of this place. Go elsewhere. It's really not worth your time and to add insult to injury, it is expensive.
So I saw this spot on Yelp and wanted to try because of the high ratings from reviews. Unfortunately, it was not what I thought it would be. The food was not tasty and prepared. I ordered the miso soup which was not a good flavor to me, lobster baked rolls that tasted burnt with lil flavor, and salmon collar that was over cooked and not seasoned right. Also, they have no spices to add to your meals, I wanted jalapeños but they didn't have any of any other sauces. The service was decent nothing so great. They didn't have any plastic forks we wanted or really was attentive. The other lady that took over after her was actually better and came back to check on us, and clear the table. The place is quaint but very nice and clean inside. Cute little spot in a busy location that's lowkey. Its parking in front of the restaurant and in the back. It's not much opulence in the neighborhood but it's decent. Overall, I tried, but I will not come back probably. Nothing too crazy when it's so many original sushi/Japanese spots that have a variety and good simple dishes. Happy I had the chance to try though :)
The BEST spicy tuna crispy rice I've had to date. Definitely coming back again for more. Service was also really good and the interior is really nice.
A little neighborhood gem: Sazanami offers good quality and authentic sushi at a reasonable price. All the dishes were tasty and the servers were very friendly. At the counter, omakase only.
What a fantastic sushi bar. This is my third or fourth time here in the last year or so.We normally have omakase which is "chef's choice" . The chef will orchestrate the meal with attention paid to the order of which fish is served and how it is prepared. This way a stronger flavor will not overpower a more mild one. Reservations for this are highly suggested.I highly look forward to my next visitWheelchair accessibility: Ground floor location and no steps to get up.
The sushi here was excellent. My wife and I ordered Omakase and everything chef Mineo made was absolutely amazing. It was very authentic sushi, exactly what you would expect from a high quality restaurant. And it was actually quite inexpensive for Omakase so my wife and were amazed at the price, as it's typically much higher in other places. To be able to get the quality of sushi at this price is unbeatable. Can't wait to go back!
Great fresh and high quality sushi. The food was amazing and such a great dining experience. Loved our waitress who was full of personality and the vibe of the restaurant was relaxing and well done. No need to stick to Ventura Blvd sushi. This place is a hidden gem.
Amazing dine in experience! The staff is welcoming. The atmosphere is cozy, clean and classy. The food was high quality and super delicious! 10/10 would recommend!!!
The sushi is fresh and delicious, the draft beer is ice cold. What more can you ask for?
Being very busy work wise, it has been difficult to get back here. I feel very fortunate, that I made the trip to sushi sazanami Friday night. The ambience is second to none. The fish quality is an absolute 10. More importantly, the master chef, Mineo greets you when you come in and handles your meal personally in this day and age, where every one is more concerned with volume and speed, it's refreshing to have an authentic sushi meal in a very mellow atmosphere, it is located in Studio City right off the Ventura Freeway on Riverside Drive. If you at all care about what it is, you're eating you must check this Omakase restaurant out. I highly recommend you will not be sorry.
This place is wonderful and one for the books! 6 months ago I met my boyfriend right outside sushi Sazanami. We had a quick chat and he asked me to join him for dinner at this spot. We picked a quiet corner and ate some wonderful sushi and memorable sake. The staff was unlike any other. They paid such careful attention and love to all their customers. The night truly was magical and special. We loved the service so much we went back to celebrate our 6 month-iversary. We got all the same feels. We are happy to recommend this place if you would like excellent customer service, great sake, yummy foods, awesome vibes, cool NYC feels music and lots of fun!!!!! Thank you Sushi Sazanami. We'll be back for sure! Be sure to order the premium sake flight ;) S&T
Restaurantji Recommends
Small but cozy sushi joint, perfect for a casual dinner! Met a friend here as it was a good location for both of us - parking wasn't terrible in the surrounding neighborhood a short walk away. We had the nicest waitress who was very patient as we decided on what to order and she was attentive but not intrusive (we were the only guests in the restaurant at the time, so it would have been easy to totally ignore us once we ordered and/or hover but she did neither.)We both got the sushi combo which comes with miso soup, a spicy tuna roll, and 8 pieces of nigiri. The roll was barely spicy (which I'm happy with as I cannot handle spicy - if you're a spicy food lover you'll probably be disappointed.) The nigiri was delicious and fresh and as other reviewers have said, super buttery. Often in a combo-type meal, you don't always get super high quality fish but that wasn't the case here.I'd definitely come back!
We came here on a Saturday night at 7:00 pm for our first time. There were a total of two people in the entire place. I walked in excited to try. The place is very nice and clean inside, good design and ambiance.I went to the bathroom to wash my hands, NO hand soap but the bathroom was clean.Went back to my seat and we ordered.The sushi chef was a very nice guy, very friendly and talkative to us. We had a good conversation going until the rude waitress came over and said only talk to her. Both us the sushi chef looked at her like she was nuts. The waitress was horrible.The sushi was good however completely OVERPRICED!! $7/$8/$9 for two pieces of sushi.If the prices were fair I probably would have overlooked the rude waitress, or maybe not but the prices for sushi here is outrageously expensive. I can see why the place was completely empty during prime time on a Saturday night.The sushi quality was good but I've had the same good and better at many sushi places in LA for $4/$5/$6 for two pieces of sushi with much friendlier waitresses.Sushi: 1 salmon, 1 yellowtail, 1 albacore,1 mackerel. Hot Food: 1 shrimp tempura appetizer, 2 pork belly appetizers.Drinks: Tap water. Bill amount: $75 w/tip.We would have eaten five times the amount of food we ordered here if it wasn't for their insane prices. We didn't want to spend $300 to be full so we left HUNGRY, then went next door and ate pizza at Gino's.I will probably never come back here again based on how overpriced everything is.Note to Sushi Sanzanami: Bring your prices down significantly without sacrificing sushi and food quality. People will not walk out the door feeling ripped off and they will come back. Fire the rude waitress.Vegetarian options: You can order a salad hereKid-friendliness: Casual enough to bring children. I saw two small children there while having dinner.Parking: Very small parking lot in the back alley. It's very dark and dirty. The alley has huge potholes so be careful.Wheelchair accessibility: They have wheelchair friendly tablesDietary restrictions: You can do keto, paleo, or vegetarian here no problem.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 1
Well the fish was very fresh there was very little to choose from. The chef was extremely friendly but the prices on their website do not reflect the prices that you're going to see when you go in to the restaurant. There is no 5 and $6 sushi it's more like 7 8 and $9 sushi. They were out of a lot and didn't have that much to choose from. Stay away from the pork belly because it's horrible. The waitress was rude and did not want us to speak with the sushi chef. I should have turned around and walked out when I only saw two other people sitting in the restaurant on a Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. extremely expensive and I can't understand why...
The fish melted on your mouth. It was fantastic. Our waitress was elegant and cool. We loved it.
Horrible terrible no good rude and not fresh sushi.The waitress was so rude and difficult out to even get her attention. It's Saturday night and the place was almost empty (should've been a sign), and yet we still couldn't get water for 15 minutes or a drink or food order taken.The sushi was not fresh, and they never brought wasabi or ginger. The menu is tiny and anything we asked for, we were told they don't have it right now. Nothing was good, even the chicken karaage was not hot and ho early this was just a terrible experience. The waitress told us we ordered too much food and that we were done. WTAF?I've been to Japan and they would be ashamed of this place. Go elsewhere. It's really not worth your time and to add insult to injury, it is expensive.