Hokusai

I've seen the majority of reviews hype this restaurant, so I finally went for Valentine's Day. What a joke. First, valet was full so I had to park on side street and get a pkg ticket. Second, we didn't sit down until forty minutes after our reservation which was done by giving my credit card number. They were completely overwhelmed for the holiday. The bar was closed and the bartender showed us to the table. We ordered the chef's tasting menu which was average at very best. Courses came out very slow, drinks weren't refilled hardly at all. Nothing was very well explained in terms of the food. If you want average, then I don't mind that as long as I pay average prices. The price here far exceeded the quality, so why would I ever go back. The decor is not too bad, but nothing extraordinary. If you are into food as I am, especially sushi, don't eat here. Go to sasabune if you want real sushi. Go someplace else if you want a nice decor and better service. Why go to an average place in an average location where there is absolutely nothing else going on. This place was clearly not worth the money. Pros: no compelling reason to visit this place Cons: high prices, average food, terrible bartenders more

I've seen the majority of reviews hype this restaurant, so I finally went for Valentine's Day. What a joke. First, valet was full so I had to park on side street and get a pkg ticket. Second, we didn't sit down until forty minutes after our reservation which was done by giving my credit card number. They were completely overwhelmed for the holiday. The bar was closed and the bartender showed us to the table. We ordered the chef's tasting menu which was average at very best. Courses came out very slow, drinks weren't refilled hardly at all. Nothing was very well explained in terms of the food. If you want average, then I don't mind that as long as I pay average prices. The price here far exceeded the quality, so why would I ever go back. The decor is not too bad, but nothing extraordinary. If you are into food as I am, especially sushi, don't eat here. Go to sasabune if you want real sushi. Go someplace else if you want a nice decor and better service. Why go to an average place in an average location where there is absolutely nothing else going on. This place was clearly not worth the money. Pros: no compelling reason to visit this place Cons: high prices, average food, terrible bartenders more

My wife and I wanted a special place to celebrate Valentine's Day (early). I heard good things about Hokusai so I decided to try it. It was raining hard, but we drove in from Oxnard anyway to give it a try. It was well worth it. We ordered the Omakase and thoroughly enjoyed it. It consisted of everything from sashimi to sushi to kobi beef. Everything was melt in your mouth delicious. The fish was definately the star of most of the courses. The sushi was perfectly fomed without a lot of rice as filler. Everything was very tender and fresh. The cooked dishes were excellent an just as tender as the sushi. The sauces were a perfect counterpoint to each course. more

My wife and I wanted a special place to celebrate Valentine's Day (early). I heard good things about Hokusai so I decided to try it. It was raining hard, but we drove in from Oxnard anyway to give it a try. It was well worth it. We ordered the Omakase and thoroughly enjoyed it. It consisted of everything from sashimi to sushi to kobi beef. Everything was melt in your mouth delicious. The fish was definately the star of most of the courses. The sushi was perfectly fomed without a lot of rice as filler. Everything was very tender and fresh. The cooked dishes were excellent an just as tender as the sushi. The sauces were a perfect counterpoint to each course. We received personnal attention from the owner and the wait staff was very attentive and friendly. My wife has some allergies that had to be accommodated and they prepared special dishes for her that were outstanding. We will definately be back. more

I have been going to Hokusai since it opened. It is truly my favorite sushi bar in LA. more

I have been going to Hokusai since it opened. It is truly my favorite sushi bar in LA. All the chefs and staff are extremely professional and fun. Between them and the excellent food I will continue to support Hokusai year after year. I would also highly suggest this for a romantic dates night. The lighting is fabulous. Thank you all at Hokusia for continuing to create the most amazing flavors and freshness around! more

I came here for dinner on a Saturday night. I made reservations but the place wasn't the packed. The servers were nice initially, chatty and friendly. I had the tuna spring roll to start, and it was actually quite good. Next, I had the scallop entree dish. Not so good. It was very saucy and overly creamy, and the scallop was over cooked. In fact, my shirt still smells like the dish, and not in a good way. Next was a Rock Shrimp Shishito roll, which was fine but nothing special. I also had a baby yellow tail sashimi. It was good, but didn't strike me as being any better than other sushi places, and was expensive ($16 for 4 or 5 pieces). The desert was a let down: tempura ice cream. The crust wasnt hot or warm as it needs to be, and I wouldn't recommend it. Cons: High Prices more

I came here for dinner on a Saturday night. I made reservations but the place wasn't the packed. The servers were nice initially, chatty and friendly. I had the tuna spring roll to start, and it was actually quite good. Next, I had the scallop entree dish. Not so good. It was very saucy and overly creamy, and the scallop was over cooked. In fact, my shirt still smells like the dish, and not in a good way. Next was a Rock Shrimp Shishito roll, which was fine but nothing special. I also had a baby yellow tail sashimi. It was good, but didn't strike me as being any better than other sushi places, and was expensive ($16 for 4 or 5 pieces). The desert was a let down: tempura ice cream. The crust wasnt hot or warm as it needs to be, and I wouldn't recommend it. The service and atmosphere of the restaurant really leave a lot to be desired. As I mentioned, the place was never very busy, but for some reason the servers found it necessary to always be running and rushing all over the place, which created a bit of a stressful environment. Also, I felt that at some point the servers forgot about me: I kept having to flag them down, which got annoying after awhile. All in all, the food is average, the service and atmosphere are below average, and the prices are pretty high. Maybe their omakase tasting course is really amazing, but if its anything like the food I had then its over priced for what you'll get. Cons: High Prices more

My husband and I are both native to L.A. We grew up dining at all the latest ""trendy"" restaurants... (many of them not around today). Our favorite restaurant for around the past 5 years, has been Nobu's...Until yesterday. We've been meaning to try Hokusai for a while now as we've heard nothing but great things about it. We finally made it there yesterday for lunch, and ordered Omakase. (meaning the chef decides what you eat). Pros: Unbelievable food, great ambiance, great service more

My husband and I are both native to L.A. We grew up dining at all the latest "trendy" restaurants... (many of them not around today). Our favorite restaurant for around the past 5 years, has been Nobu's...Until yesterday. We've been meaning to try Hokusai for a while now as we've heard nothing but great things about it. We finally made it there yesterday for lunch, and ordered Omakase. (meaning the chef decides what you eat). The first dish was the Albacore sashimi, with a citris / miso type sauce... honestly, i gasped when I took the first bite. I hadn't even chewed yet, and it melted in my mouth. My husband and I just stared across from eachother in awe. We knew from that moment on, we were in for a lunch of a lifetime. Each dish kept coming, and each dish, just blew our mind away. The combination and thoughtfulness of textures and flavors used to offset eachother, it was ... Wow. We knew we had found a new favorite restaurant. Being parents of 2 small children, we use our "date" nights very carefully... making sure the food/ambiance we choose will be "worth" it, as we don't want to waste the few nights we get to enjoy going out alone (and try to feel like a pre-kids couple again :) ! This is one of those places that is "worth" every free date night ~ to all you fellow "hip"parents! :) But not just for us, this is the perfect place to leave a lasting impression on an in-town business client, or for that "first date".... either way, they will be BLOWN AWAY. Pros: Unbelievable food, great ambiance, great service more

Ok. My girlfriends and I get together and go out to eat every couple of weeks. We went to Hokusai last summer - great food, great atmosphere, great service. Went last fall - great food, great atmosphere, great service. We went there 3 nights ago and it still remains to be the best sushi restaurant! We tried to omakase and it was phenomenal. I think the location does this restaurant a bit of injustice. I think many people don't realize that there's this amazing sushi restaurant hidden in la. I guess I should be grateful, since we can receive more personal attention. We are always seated promptly and our food is amazing! We went to Nobu's on La Cienega in December and the food was o.k., but I don't think we'll go back there. At Hokusai, the sushi man that works there is really friendly and I even had him teach me some Japanese words while he prepared the best tuna for me! We'll be there again in a couple weeks! Pros: valet parking, a nice personal restaurant Cons: can't think of any yet more

Ok. My girlfriends and I get together and go out to eat every couple of weeks. We went to Hokusai last summer - great food, great atmosphere, great service. Went last fall - great food, great atmosphere, great service. We went there 3 nights ago and it still remains to be the best sushi restaurant! We tried to omakase and it was phenomenal. I think the location does this restaurant a bit of injustice. I think many people don't realize that there's this amazing sushi restaurant hidden in la. I guess I should be grateful, since we can receive more personal attention. We are always seated promptly and our food is amazing! We went to Nobu's on La Cienega in December and the food was o.k., but I don't think we'll go back there. At Hokusai, the sushi man that works there is really friendly and I even had him teach me some Japanese words while he prepared the best tuna for me! We'll be there again in a couple weeks! Pros: valet parking, a nice personal restaurant Cons: can't think of any yet more

Come on now fishy fishy, come on now. more

Come on now fishy fishy, come on now. This is the only sushi spot in town where you can leave your drinking & eating pleasures up to the restaurant. Tis right folks, we walk in... and shabam! If this seems a bit hairy and not quite your speed, then roughly tell them what you prefer to play the game safe - They always make sure you leave with a smile, full belly, and probably a bit tipsy. Just the way we like it. Sooooo bring a party, multiple dates, or your aunt patty. You won't be disappointed! We could ramble on and share with you our favorites rolls, sushi, or drinks but the experience is different every time. With that said, be ballsy and leave it to who knows best - Hokusai. Stoke em, don't stroke em, j. Hello Vegas more

I just read the other persons review that had a bad experience and I was very surprised. I recently ate at Hokusai and we had great experience. The food was fresh, delicious and creative. Our waiter treated us like we were regulars with great service and the owner came over to ask us what dishes we liked best, and asked what they could improve on. He also made a few suggestions and they turned out to be perfect choices. Pros: Food and Service were amazing and they have dishes you won't find anywhere else Cons: I live 100 miles away more

I just read the other persons review that had a bad experience and I was very surprised. I recently ate at Hokusai and we had great experience. The food was fresh, delicious and creative. Our waiter treated us like we were regulars with great service and the owner came over to ask us what dishes we liked best, and asked what they could improve on. He also made a few suggestions and they turned out to be perfect choices. The kobe cheek stew was amazing and the hamachi sushi may be the best I have ever had. Everything came off perfectly and even though we live in San Diego, we will be back again and again. To top it off, when our meal was over we went out to our car and found out that our car battery was dead the owner actually came out with another employee and "jump started" the car for us. Talk about taking service to a whole new level :) Great place, Great atmosphere, Great Food! Pros: Food and Service were amazing and they have dishes you won't find anywhere else Cons: I live 100 miles away more

I love OMAKASE and having the chef create something special for me and my guests. I've been to many so called hot spots for Omakase in LA (Tokyo Table, Bar Hayama, and others that people rave about) and have been disappointed each time. Pros: Awesome Omakase, sushi, bar selection Cons: They only had one TV in the bar area, I wanted to see the other game. more

I love OMAKASE and having the chef create something special for me and my guests. I've been to many so called hot spots for Omakase in LA (Tokyo Table, Bar Hayama, and others that people rave about) and have been disappointed each time. I had dinner at Hokusai and was blown away when we ordered the Omakase and they gave me a discount to celebrate their Best Sushi rating on Citysearch for 2008. Not many places will stand behind their Omakase or to give something back to Thank their customers. We had a multi-course dinner that included many things that I didn't see on the menu and was a work of art on the plate. Our server told us that the chef has a background in French cuisine and was an incredible match with the Japanese cuisine, just like the dishes that the Iron Chef would create. Besides the dishes from the kitchen, the sushi bar was just as impressive. They created a California roll that was in a ball, amazing! Our server mentioned that the tuna is a special tuna from Japan and they are the only restaurant in LA that has it. Sorry I don't remember all the details, I was having an incredible time. Not only did the food score high points, but the service was highly rated too. The only bad thing was that I didn't save room for dessert. Thank you Hokusai!!! Pros: Awesome Omakase, sushi, bar selection Cons: They only had one TV in the bar area, I wanted to see the other game. more

Seriously...you won't stop ordering, that's just how good the food is! They serve Japanese Fusion food..yummy! They had beef wag-yu, to die ... more

I must say, I have had the chance to have some amazing Japanese food from South OC to the Valley. Without question, Hokusai is top 3. In terms of Mid-Wilshire/Bevery HIlls, there is NO question Hokusai is the leader of the pack. I thought the Hamachi (Yellowtail) I have had in Little Tokyo could not be topped in LA until I went to Hokusai. Easy parking both on the street and valet, ambiance is great, the drinks are strong and the Owner/Manager Tiger is one of the best in the business at completing your dining experience. I highly suggest having Tiger prepare the Chef's choice (Omakase) so you can have the full experience. Compares to: Freshness surpasses little tokyo (ie Sushi Gen) and gourmet creativity leaves Sushi Roku in her wake. Pros: Food, Service, Parking, Drinks Cons: No location in Pasadena (where I live) more