Haru Sushi Cafe

I admit it, I?m addicted to sushi. Friends and clients know I ?sushi quest? several times a week in effort to find local restaurants with the highest ROI, as determined by (subjectively) gauging the freshness, taste, variety of the fish, ability to make modifications (with or without additional charge, with or without attitude) for the total price. Clearly pleasant service, convenience and cleanliness of the establishment factor in as well.

Haru Sushi Cafe is one of my winners! The couple who owns the restaurant, Nicky and Haru herself, always greet customers, remember returning customers and are clearly passionate about their cuisine (and relationship marketing)! Nicky will substitute brown rice in place of white rice without charge, or attitude, and make any other emendations you request. Plus, they use all fresh organic vegetables in their sushi and salads, the latter which start with ample portions of mixed greens, not that miserably non-nutritive iceberg lettuce sauced in dressing we?ve all shamefully choked down. In contrast to many places with fish this fresh and a menu this elaborate, their prices are quite reasonable. Clearly, the best value: Lunch Hand Roll Special ? 3 hand rolls: eel, California and spicy tuna, organic salad and miso for $10.50! Nicky has no problem making mine without mayonnaise, brown rice instead of white, switching the California for a second spicy tuna hand roll and putting the salad dressing on the side. My favorite roll is definitely one of the healthiest too: Haru's Cucumber - salmon, yellowtail, spicy tuna, and avocado roll wrapped with cucumber. Customers may dine in or outside under an umbrella?sunscreen it and you?re ready to go?we?re all here for the sunshine, right?!

Pros: Very fresh fish. Great service & vibe. Terrific value.

Posted 07/30/09

We go out for sushi 3-4 times a month on a regular basis....we like good quality food and good service....I cannot say enough about the personal service of Kuni and his fiancee Haru. The yellow tail was the best we have had in a long time....very fresh.......the other dishes were just about the highest quality we have tasted......This is a small and lovely place.........WATCH OUT BOSS, MATSUISHI, NOBO........this is fabulous and not as expensive.....YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED!!!

Pros: Really good food! Xcellent Service!

Cons: NO CONS

Posted 06/29/09

Given that I am not even a fan of sushi, I was quite surprised by how much I LOVED the food at Haru. The lava rocks and san vicente roll are absolutely mind bogglingly delicious. Kuni and his fiance are an absolute delight and everything from the service to the food are spot on! My boyfriend is in love with the albacore roll with onions and just about everything else on their menu. I will try it next time. Yes, there will be a next time... many many of them.

Pros: best unknown sushi restaurant

Posted 04/05/09

Every bite melts in your mouth. Very fresh, no odors of fish. Reasonably priced (KEEP IT THAT WAY). Easy parking.

Haru (the owner) is such a delight! Instead of a Sushi Na zi (at some other places), she is the SUSHI SWEETIE!

Been here now at least a dozen times and it is always consistent.

Huge fan of Haru!

Pros: Caterpillar Rolls, Lava Stone, salmon & yellowtail sushi

Cons: None!

Posted 03/21/09

This place is very small, but extremely cozy and the owners are very friendly and personable. The food was incredible - we had the Philadelphia roll, spicy tuna rolls, and also the steamed pumpkin side - all of which were terrific. They just recently got their liquor license, so you can have drinks there now too! It's a great place to go!!!!

Pros: Wonderfully fresh food

Cons: none

Posted 03/18/09

12/15/08

Perched next to LA Paella on the north side of San Vicente, just east of the funky intersection of La Cienega, San Vicente and Burton Way, this new place is worthy of a visit...or ten.

I feel compelled to support Haru's Sushi Cafe for purely selfish reasons: to be able to continue to take pleasure in something so special, where there's a convergence of truly wonderful and unique taste and service; a welcoming and comfortable setting; and, low cost. The perfect win-win scenario in today's economy. If you were acquainted with me, you'd know that I'm not wont to be so free with such praise, least of all to actually put it in print.

Haru's is unique and the owners add their special touch to all aspects of the dining experience, from the eco-friendly chopsticks and house-blended low sodium soy sauce to their personal attention to every diner. They use superior quality ingredients like authentic crabmeat, fresh seafood that they procure every morning, organic produce and rice bran oil (supposed to be better for your health than other lipids). I've never had anything like their green tea ice cream that is topped with a whisper of soybean powder and dark brown sugar syrup. The San Vicente Roll is one that you want to have time and again. If you're an onion fiend, you'll love the albacore roll topped with crispy onion. I love chirashi and they serve a tasty one.

Some people may be put off by their lack of a liquor license but, in the end, it can be be a plus -- you can bring your own favorite libation and save yourself the markup restaurants tack on or corkage fees (they don't charge any). They do, however, offer a whole host of teas not commonly found at sushi places.

Posted 12/14/08

We went here for a healthy dinner on a Tuesday night. The menu had great combination plates, and the food was tasty, made to order (they make sushi rolls with brown rice upon request), and reasonably priced. The atmosphere is calm, because the staff are friendly and professional. The restaurant is small and cozy, nice for a casual date or a relaxing dinner with friends.

Posted 12/11/08

If you are looking for a cozy restaurant with great sushi and a pleasant atmosphere - this is the place for you. there are not too many places in LA where the quality of food is equally as good as the prices. my husband and I love to go there when we want good food, fast service and a relaxing atmosphere after a busy week. we love their San Vicente roll, Spider rool and their Avocado salad is our favorite. they have opened very recently, so not so many people know about them. we suggest you check it out, you won't be dissapointed.

Posted 11/21/08

I stumbled upon Haru by accident and was just blown away at how good the food is. The sushi is as fresh as anything in LA with nice presentation and better pricing than the big "name" sushi joints like Masa--, Sushi Rok---, and others.

The organic focus of Haru is a nice alternative to most Japanese restaurants.

Haru is a wonderful host. She is always upbeat and go to great lengths to make sure her customers are happy.

I have been happy to find that parking is always easy with many spaces directly in front of the restaurant.

I hope this restaurant develops a strong following and maintains the quality I have experienced in the 4 times I've visited. It's simply a dynamite sushi restaurant.

Pros: Amazingly fresh sushi, organic menu focus, great service

Cons: None

Posted 11/19/08

I was at the new SLS hotel for drinks the other night and stumbled upon HARUS. The place is great and the service is second to none. Fresh, great tasting sushi and Haru and Yukari could not have been more hospitable, We never waited for anything and the sushi chef, I think his name was Kuni kept surprising us with delicious sushi that we had never had before, also after our dinner, we sat outside on their patio on a warm fall night, it was delightful, try it out.

Pros: service, freshness of sushi, outdoor seating, prompt service.

Cons: none that we could find.

Posted 11/14/08

My Wife and I love this little place. Don't be alarmed... there is no alcohol. It shocked me at first. Maybe they will be serving it down the road. The Teas are very good and are more refreshing then a beer. Never thought I would say that. the staff is very friendly and the Sushi is delicious. Try the San Vicente Roll it is to die for. The avocado salad is our Favorite. FOR THE PRICE... you won't find a more affordable place with amazing food. We had Tea, 2 Sushi rolls, vegetable tempura a shake for desert and ice cream and it was $50 dollars. More then enough food, don?t you think? It is so affordable, I can't help but give them a generous tip. Give them a try they need more customers and deserve the business. Can't really say that for a lot of restaurants in LA. See you there.

Pros: Quiet, Delicious food, Affordable Price and friendly staff. Ask them what they recommend.

Cons: No alcohol (soon got over it)

Posted 11/07/08

great food, great service and really good price!!! real japanese food and really fresh sushi! they had internet access and organic tea & coffee......i loved it!

Posted 10/22/08

First off, to say there are many choices for sushi in LA is a ridiculous understatement. LA is fairly choked with restaurants offering sushi. Having traveled several times to Japan, I'd almost venture to guess that sushi features as prominently (or more) on the LA menu than it does on the Japanese one. That said, many sushi joints here are fantastically bad, offering a kind of fast-food experience that is often only slightly better than going to Ralph's for the refrigerated rolls that are imprisoned in those flimsy plastic containers. Most of these mini-mall operations I'd recommend only for lunch, and only in a pinch.
On the other end, there are the well-known and exorbitantly priced restaurants like Sushi Roku, or the one-price all-you-can-eat marathons offered at places like Midori in the Valley. If you don't want to refinance your house for good sushi, and don't believe that quantity makes quality, you probably want a place like Haru.
Their quite moderately priced dishes are getting universal, and well-deserved, acclaim for freshness and flavor. As mentioned already, the owners shop for fresh fish daily - a claim that I doubt a place like Kabuki could make ( a place where sushi goes to die it seems).
As someone who co-habitates with a Japanese national, my outings to Japanese restaurants pre-suppose a certain standard of authenticity. With such standards in place, Haru is a regular spot where me and my signifcant other's discerning taste buds can go to get our sushi fix.

Posted 10/20/08

Lets start with the fresh atmosphere, as soon as you walk into this restaurant, the fresh air and sunlight beaming through the windows give you instant energy and a fresh revived feeling. This is much appreciated by me, as I work in an office most of the day.

Service at Haru is above and beyond Los Angeles standards. The owners personally welcome each client into their restaurant. When dining at Haru your cup is always full, your food is delivered to you in a timely manner and most of all you are always greeted and treated with a smile and Courteous demeanor .

Lastly and most importantly.. the FOOD is out of this world. My husband and I eat here every week and have not once had a bad meal. The crunchy spicy tuna roll is by far our favorite. we HAVE to have it every time we come. This particular roll has a delectable contrast of spicy from the tuna, sweet from the eel sauce, soft from the FRESH tuna and crunchy from the topping. It is AMAZING. They use 100% fresh crab in their California roll....no artificial flavoring at all. 100% organic, natural and HEALTHY. I give the Shrimp Tempura roll a 10 on my charts.

Besides the wonderful flavors, great atmosphere and impeccable service. What keeps me coming is how fresh the food is.. I never feel heavy and over stuffed when i leave. I can treat myself to a wonderful meal without eating fatty, oily, and fried foods. After having a baby, I am so much for aware of what i eat and with Haru i know that I am eating healthy.

I would recommend HARU to everyone.... If you are a hard working middle class mother like myself.. or a wealthy entrepreneur ..try HARU i guarantee you will love it..Its affordable and delicious.

Pros: EVERYTHING

Posted 10/15/08

So I'll admit, we were looking for a "new" restaurant the other night and when this one popped up, with its good reviews, our first reaction was ... where IS that? I live near 3rd & Robertson but couldn't picture this stretch of San Vicente. It's definitely a little out of the way - on the stretch of San Vicente where La Cienega crosses it south of the Beverly Center, but not difficult to find.

Haru (the owner) introduced herself; her boyfriend is one of the sushi chefs and he talked about going to the LA fishmarket early every day to select fish. We've eaten a lot of sush, and while I won't claim to be an expert, Haru's was definitely up there. They are also an organic eatery, so have some interesting choices, including dishes deep fried in soy bran oil for lighter cooking.

You should definitely put this on your list of sushi joints. As a good sushi place should be, it's not large, but does have an outdoor patio and a small sushi bar.

Pros: High-quality food, interesting choices, they offer delivery

Cons: None

Posted 10/13/08

I just found a new, great tasting sushi place that has a wonderful outside patio and friendly staff that serves up fresh, great tasting sushi. They also deliver in the neighborhood, Yakori appeared to my place within 30 minutes with a great meal. Their organic salads are to die for, so tasty, check this new spot out.

Pros: affordable, fresh, delivery service, romantic outdoor seating. friendly service.

Posted 10/10/08

I must start out by saying that I'm not a sushi fan. In fact, I have never really tried it due to my fear of seafood. However, a friend made me try the San Vicente roll and I was shocked. It was divine! I then tried several other pieces and couldn't believe how fresh and amazing the food was. The owners are so sweet as well. They took the time to come see how everything was and made excellent recommendations. The location is very quaint and they have excellent pation seating. I will definitely be back. Best sushi in LA!

Pros: Best sushi in LA

Cons: none

Posted 10/07/08

there is an excellent new sushi spot on San Vicente that just opened recently called Haru Sushi. Its located next to La Paella Spanish restaurant. The sushi is very tasty and fresh. The edamame was the best I have ever tasted, there is also a great selection of sushi rolls and fresh, healthy salads, they are open for lunch and dinner. They are also about a block away from the new SLS Hotel on La Cienega which opens next month, check it out for yourself, its well worth it.

Pros: fresh, tasty, price, service, variety, healthy salads

Cons: none that i could find.

Posted 10/06/08