Ike Sushi

This restaurant is 'icky' on the outside but nice on the inside. The basic sushi was excellent, and our vegetable tempura was also fine. But, my personal favorite, the 'spicy tuna handroll' was about 1/2 the size of the usual serving and nothing special inside. Because it was so small and the same price as elsewhere, this became even more expensive sushi meal than usual for us. The only reason we went there was that it's close to the Pantages and we were in a hurry. Otherwise, I'd find another sushi place in the neighborhood.

When my mom, who is very Japanese and a restaurant owner herself, told me that Ike Sushi was the best sushi restaurant in L.A., I was very anxious to try it. She told me that we had to get there around 5:30pm since it gets crowded quickly. When I saw that it was in a busy mini-mall in Hollywood, I was more than a little skeptical. The location isn't hip, trendy or anything you'd expect from "the best sushi in L.A.." Once inside, I immediately forgot about my negative impressions of the exterior and I was quickly swept back to the days when I was living in Tokyo. There is no other restaurant that reminds me of the authentic world class sushi I experienced in Japan. Everything from the melt in your mouth toro, exceptionally sweet uni to the fresh hamachi was delicious! But more than the ingredients was the way the sushi was prepared. I think this is what makes the difference. Ike-san not only uses the best quality ingredients but he is a master sushi chef with a gift.
He has created quite a name for himself amongst the Japanese community and those who know really good sushi. Since then, I have been there a number of times and have yet to be disappointed. Get there early if you can since it does get really crowded especially on the weekends.

I have been eating at Ike for over 10 years. I eat sushi all over the world, been to all the best. Sushi Ike is very solid. His fish is fresh and they take care in preparing it and putting the fish away. I highly recommend anyone who wants a low key night out with sushi to try this place. It really is very good.

I'm writing this because I want to warn people about this restaurant. My wife and I went to this restaurant the other night and we were served the worst piece of mackerel I've ever tasted. As soon as I put it in my mouth I gagged. I have sushi all the time and I know that some is just better and fresher than others but this was that rare piece that's just old, chewy and disgusting. It's simply food that no restaurant should serve. We politely asked the waitress to remove the mackerel from our table and our bill (we ordered 4 pieces initially) at which point she said something to the sushi chef who immediately started yelling at us from across the restaurant. We were totally shocked and I actually agreed to pay for the awful sushi just to get him to stop yelling. He stopped for a moment and then started again. It was seriously unbelievable. Any other restaurant in town would be EMBARRASSED to serve food that nasty. The sickness I experienced that night confirmed everything I feared about the fish they served. There are many really good sushi places in LA (Hirozen, Sasabune, Nozawa) but Ike Sushi is definitely not one of them. Avoid it for your own good.

Ike makes your dining experience fun and amusing. You feel welcome and well taken care of. One of the best sushi places in Southern Cal.

PROS: Great service!
CONS: Small location and parking availability.

I have been to many a sushi bar for well over 20 years, even hitting the genuine deal in Little Tokyo where the shinto salt is poised right outside the door, but Ike's is hand'down the best ever. The master himself (Ike) is responsible for his trained underlings showing up at other sushi restauarants with a higher celebrity profile. His influence on L.A. sushi extends to places like Hama all because he had a hand in trainign the folks who ultimately work there.

Back to the sushi, Ike serves up the freshest most delictible sushi morsels you could hope to eat. I happen to like the omakase method, meaning entrusting him to make the selections because he's always on the money. From the yellowtail, toro, eel, sea urchin, to the exotic nato bean, everything he comes up with is delicious. Oh, and the sake is not bad either. The place is a tiny hole in the wall next to a Dominos pizza, but don't be put off. Inside, the lighting is calming as is the decor, very soft light wood.

PROS: consistently great sushi; Ike's fun sense of humor and wonderful hospitality
CONS: parking is a hassle in the mini-mall where the restaurant is located, so you might want to find street parking on Gower as an alternative

Truly the best sushi you will ever eat. Ike selects his own fish & has been a sushi chef for over 35 years. Delicious fresh fish and a lot of fun. Don't waste another sushi dollar anywhere else.