Jonathan Gold on Sushi Tsujita, Besha Rodell on Cliff's Edge

This week, Jonathan Gold hits Sushi Tsujita, a brand new high end omakase sushi bar in Sawtelle from the famed ramen shop chainlet.The LA Times critic doesn't seem to say much about how positive or negative the experience is, with a mostly neutral stance on the expensive ordeal (which starts at $120 per person):

And then the sushi comes, perhaps kue, a kind of Japanese grouper seasoned with yuzu and a little salt; the pike mackerel sanma wrapped with a slab of matsutake; or baby yellowtail belly, crosshatched with deep cuts, with a dot of the pepper paste yuzukosho, or kohada, pickled to the exact point of succulence, with a little soy. This is followed by a cube of fish jelly, garnished with crunchy skin, and a small sashimi platter with Santa Barbara sea urchin and a few cubes of threatened bluefin tuna. (I forgot to specify no bluefin at the beginning of the meal. Don't make my mistake.) [LAT]

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Meanwhile Besha Rodell doles out three stars to consistently innovative Cliff's Edge in Silver Lake, helmed by the tireless Vartan Abgaryan, who might be plating some of the most attractive dishes in town at the moment:

In some ways, Abgaryan is working against the vibe of this restaurant, which is relentlessly casual. The tables can be wobbly, and the service, while friendly and knowledgable, is often harried. Abgaryan's food is composed above all else - the chef focuses as much on visual beauty as on taste, and it can come as a surprise in this setting to find yourself presented with a plate of feta gnudi with charred and braised leeks, not in a jumbled bowl but as a modernist canvas, components sprawled across the plate, flavors intense. [LAW]

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At LA Magazine, Patric Kuh looks at Zach Pollack's Alimento, awarding the young chef three stars for fine work in Silver Lake:

The Italian American salad is described as being "improved," and rather than having chickpeas rolling around "aimlessly," as Pollack puts it, he makes them earn their place: Pureed and spread beneath chopped radicchio, Little Gem leaves, and salami, they act as a dressing. He adds matchsticks of fried chickpea flour as well to counter the kick of house-pickled pepperoncini. His most off-the-wall creation, Pig in a Blanket, is a spelt flour puff pastry erected with a slab of mortadella, turnip kraut, mustard seed, and oozing stracchino cheese. If this were Langer's, the thing would merit its own iconic number. Perhaps the XIX. [LAMag]

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The Elsewhere: Deep End Dining dives deep into Meat District Co., EstarLA checks out POT's lunch, which has spilled out into The Line's lobby, GastronomyBlog goes to the new 800 Degrees in Pasadena, FoodGPS tries the special Sopra dinner series at Sotto, and Oh Hei There! lauds Curtis Stone's Maude.