Chef Tetsuya Nakao has been in the Los Angeles sushi game since 1982. As one of the original chefs that helped start the original Matsuhisa, chef Nakao creates sophisticated omakase with mindful service.

The minimalist style of Katsu-Ya Studio City is a stark difference between the pomp and celebrity of mega-brand, Katsuya By S+ark. This understated location allows chef Katsuya Uechi to focus on the food. As one of four master sushi chefs in Los Angeles, Uechi is a star on either side of the Hollywood Hills. Katsu-Ya has three other Valley locations: Encino, Northridge, and Woodland Hills.

Known for Sushi Iki colorful, beautiful sushi in town. Chef Eddie Okamoto provides colorful flowers to complement the fish. Ingredients are not always traditional, with the current addition of Italian black truffles to the Sushi Iki menu.

Considered a local favorite, Daiwa Sushi is a small spot on a budy stretch of Ventura Blvd in Studio City. As the lines form out of places like Asanebo, simply walk into the quiet, intimate atmosphere of Daiwa, for very straightforward and fresh sushi.

Full of places to shop and dine, Okumura is nestled in the Encino Commons. Be mindful of their limited hours, and chef Ryoto Ukumura can create a beautiful, yet pricey gold-encrusted omakase. Making a classic selection from the very reasonably priced a la carte is welcomed too.

The residential and sleepy Toluca Lake is part of the SFV’s sushi scene. Sushi Yuzu’s quality goes beyond the carefully sliced fish, by offering a made-to-order shrimp & scallop dumplings with sweet rice, or the free-range fried chicken appetizer. But the toro tartare includes a heavenly single bite combination: seaweed salad, toro, flying fish egg, pickled wasabi, micro green, and quail egg.

Go’s Mart is a twenty minute drive from the cluster of Japanese restaurants on Ventura Boulevard. And while the storefront “sushi” sign, and decor is unremarkable, the food is anything but. For almost 20 years, the husband and wife team behind Go’s Mart generates some of the freshest, highly decorated, and perfectly sliced sushi in all of Los Angeles.

This popular chainlet takes over the former Sushi Nozawa, the original Sushi Nazi who commanded the counter here for decades before creating this “fine” casual restaurant. The reasonably priced set menus feature pristine fish and the signature warm, vinegary rice that has plenty of fans (with perhaps a few detractors).