Hana Grill

The first restaurant venture by L.A. club heavyweight Reza Roohi (Villa) has livened up Beverly Hills' dining scene with high-end Japanese food that is surprisingly affordable--especially for this swanky neighborhood. Former Nobu operators are on board as partners and the small-yet-sleek dining area shines with slatted woodwork on the walls, glass doors and outdoor seating just off the sidewalk. The focused menu--courtesy of Chef Jonathan Maza who honed his culinary chops at Nobu and other restaurants around the world--is Japanese-inspired but not strictly sushi. Signature hot dishes include enormous Nigerian prawns served with marinated burdock root as well as short ribs beautifully presented with cigar leaf. Cold favorites range from hirame ceviche ($16) to the unusually refreshing tiradito with habenero lime sorbet ($14). There are also standards like crispy rice spicy tuna rolls and a full robata menu with very reasonable prices--two skewers of octopus with Peruvian glaze go for $10. Those looking for an alternative to the surplus of Italian restaurants in the 90210 have steadily discovered this place. And with late-night hours, there's even more reason to hit this spot.