Micheline Guide was right about them. Asanebo is a great restaurant. In my mind, they are one of the few restaurants in LA that have class. They are traditional but not pretentious in the way Nozawa is (I'm talking about their attitude, not the decor.) Asanebo chefs use fresh sozai (materials) and yet the prices are not so high as, let's say, old Ginza Sushiko. In terms of innovativeness, they try just about enough to surprise us but won't go into the degree of banality. I like Matsuhisa too, but I think you need to think of their food as totally different category from Japanese cuisine. And nothing wrong with that. But when you are really craving for Japanese food like I do sometimes (because I'm Japanese,) I'd go to Asanebo.
Pros: Food
Cons: Some dishes are better than the other, but isn't that the case with any restaurant?
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