Matsuhisa

Omakase lunch was amazing!
We loved it every course of meal but I was getting too full to enjoy last of it.
We were the only customer at private sushi bar on the day and loved privacy. Felt like celebrity little

One of my top 3 sushi places in LA and there are many great ones, so that is saying something. Nothing like the original Nobu — perfect for a sushi purist! Fresh & delicate artist pieces of sushi and sashimi. Worth the price point!

Had to oppor-​tuna-​ty to eat at Matsuhisa with my family and was super stoked to be mind-​blown. There were definitely highlights of my dining experiences, but overall, my first time at Matsuhisa fell a little flat (perhaps because my expectations were too high).
Price: Expect to spend a ton. There are barely any options below $ 25.
Ambience: Expected more. Meh.
Parking: They have valet service, but you do have to pay $ 6.50. There’s also really no way around it because the area surrounding this restaurant is SOOO crowded.
Service: I think the waitress who served us needs some tips on how to be more hospitable or accommodating. She didn’t seem pleased to be serving our table (even though we were a party of 11, and the restaurant would make $$$$$$ off of us) and was quite impatient when we were ordering. Since many of my party’s members had never been here before, we were relying on her to explain the menu (especially the Omakase menu), and she didn’t seem to happy about it. She was pretty irritable and curt with us. The other staff were pretty nice and were on top of clearing the table and filling our glasses!
Food: There were some excellent dishes and other not-​so-​amazing dishes. 9 out of the 11 members ordered the Omakase menu (five ordered the $ 150 dollar one, and the others ordered the $ 100 one).
Omakase: The meal started off with a vegetable roll. There were a ton of other courses (including plum noodles, oysters, sushi, sashimi salad, black cod, tuna, soft shell crab, more sashimi, etc.). I tried some of my grandpa’s food and was super impressed with the cooked tuna w/​shiitake mushrooms as well as the black cod (SO GOOD). Yum! The plum noodles were also good but felt kind of random.
Other Orders: My sister and I ordered off menu and tried the soft shell crab with cactus salsa, the House Special, tuna tataki, salmon salad, eel handroll, King Crab cut roll, the soft shell crab roll, and the noodles w/​Wagyu beef. The soft shell crab was very good, and the cactus salsa added a great note of acidity and flavor. The tuna tataki was also good; it had thin slices of garlic that added a sharp note to the tuna. However, the sauce that the tuna was sitting in was very pepper-​y. The salmon salad was a let down… SOOOO salty and so overdressed. I sipped through 2 cups of water while eating that salad… I think they used soy sauce as dressing!!! The soft shell crab roll was good, the House Special roll was good, and the King Crab roll (although extremely small) was very good. The noodles with Wagyu beef were super tasty!
Dessert: AMAAAZINGGGG. We had: rice pudding, crème brûlée (three different types, including black sesame), black sesame panna cotta, chocolate cake, passion fruit shaved ice, chocolate mousse, water melon cake, and apple cake. Everything was delectable.
Overall, this restaurant turned out to be a whole bunch of hype. I was super excited, but the experience fell flat. I won’t be coming back but am glad I tried; there were some really good dishes that I enjoyed.

I came here expecting to have my mind blown but unfortunately the restaurant fell flat. WAY too expensive for the food and the poor service. Would potentially come back but it would take a lot of convincing.
PARKING: valet parking available for $ 6
AMBIENCE: I liked the outdoor patio but the inside seemed very cramped. We had a pretty big party (11) for Father’s Day so I liked the outdoor ambience especially with how warm the weather’s been lately
SERVICE: this is where I’m taking a star off. The waitress who served us was rude and impatient; she was very abrupt and kurt and kept making me and my sister feel like we were taking too long. There was also a very long lull in between dishes (for some of the party that chose to do the omakase set menu). I was really disappointed by the service because it was cold and made me feel uncomfortable and if Matsuhisha is going to charge as much as they do (over $ 150 per person) the service should be much better. The busboys were great though and made sure our waters were constantly filled.
FOOD: so the Omakase set menu had some items that were delicious including a cod that was almost caramelized and melted in your mouth, and I loved the soft shelled crab with cactus salsa ($ 25). The noodles with waygu beef was also a hit ($ 28).
However, I was very disappointed in the sushi rolls which were very small portions (only 6 pieces per cut roll and costing $ 16-​$ 18). If you are going to charge that much money for a sushi roll your portions should be more generous. The soft shelled crab roll was nothing special and the house special was ok. Even the hand rolls were small and sad looking ($ 8 – 9).
The dessert was the best part of the meal which is good but sad for a restaurant renowned for sushi. The only thing that didn’t really make sense was that they gave us 11 desserts for 11 people and wanted us to share. Some of the desserts weren’t big enough to share.
My dad left the restaurant hungry and went to go eat some steak because he was still hungry after omakase. That tells you that even though there are more than 8 courses, the plates are very small and they leave much to be desired.
PRICING: expensive and overrated
Overall I think this restaurant is good but too expensive and is all hype.

The Beeeeeest!!! We got a last minute seat for 4 in the private room (7 Max) this past Saturday… while the GSW won game 6. We celebrated with two bottles non-​filtered sake.
Food: we ordered two sashimi/​sushi Omakase, one sushi Omakase. For our non-​sushi friend: Steam clam, cactus salad, soft shell crab and ca roll. The Omakase menu were fresh, most tastiest Toro and Toro tartare I’ve ever tasted. Mirugai was crunchy, Uni shooters OMG!!! Fresh scallops and hamachi melts. Fresh oysters were milky. Hamachi salad served shooter style. Aji was scrumptious. Almost a whole lobster served on bed of greens. Seared Wagyu smelled and tasted super good and soft. So many more of different fish were presented. ALL ridiculously fresh. No need for soy sauce.
Basically, we died and gone to heaven. 3 hours of the best and well-​worthy time spent.

The goose is a nice surprise since we loves Esparza’s so much. We gave it a try because we missed our old family fav and happy we did. The stacked brisket enchilada and the corn appetizer is the best! It’s great for sharing.

I am a fan of all of their innovative designs, their presentation, frequent changes in menu, fresh grade A fish and pleasant staff

Ordered $ 150 Omakase. Not worth it. Chinese style sauted spicy lobster with vegetables. Atmosphere was crowded and loud. Service slow and unorganized. They replaced Kobe beef to grilled Toro steak without asking and it was very lousy cooked toro. Unpleasant experience this time.

Honestly don’t even know what to say… Matsuhisa is incredible! I always forget to take pictures of my food because I get so excited to eat! Their sushi is to die for and the sea bass will literally melt in your mouth! Leave room for dessert! Best sushi in LA!

It was late and we had a deal offer from Postmates. I won’t get into the Postmates experience here too much. I will say this place is probably really good if you eat in. But if you do delivery, do yourself a favor — take your paycheck, light it on fire and then order a back-​up pizza.
If I’m paying $ 14 for a shrimp tempura roll that looks like it belongs in a doll house, it should be the best shrimp tempura roll I ever had. It was not. And $ 10 for a vegetable roll that was tiny tiny tiny… Also, there appeared to be okra in the veggie roll. I don’t think my non southern SO was aware of this. I like my okra deep fried. She doesn’t like her okra at all. I’ve never seen that in a veggie roll.
Our order was delayed multiple times and I don’t blame Postmates. our delivery person kept texting that she was there but the food wasn’t ready. This went on for some time. Like an hour late. I’ve come to learn this is a very popular place. Apparently a lot of people like mini food at premium prices.
Our appetizer of fried avocado was two small slices of under-​ripe avocado. Welcome to the Doll House! Our order of edamame didn’t arrive. Postmates credited us for this.
We were so hungry after this tiny display of food we ate leftover pizza for dinner.
Probably, this is a scene. Maybe it’s fun for dining at the restaurant. I cannot recommend anyone order delivery from this place unless you like tiny tiny portions. They do include some rather nice and thick paper napkins and cute chopsticks. You’ll be so hungry you’ll grab your mini sushi and eat it with your hands by the time you get it. And you’ll pay at least $ 40 for that.

I came here with my boyfriend on a tuesday night and I loved it but I can’t say that it is the best sushi in the Los Angeles area. I would definitely go back but it wouldn’t be my first option. The restaurant is a bit pricey but to some it is definitely worth it.
My favorites/​must try:
–Yellowtail sashimi with jalepeno
–Miso black cod
–Rock Shrimp (must!)
One thing for sure is that this may be the freshest fish of all other places.
Loved their service. Our waiter was sweet and helpful. We like to ask the waiters what they love and what are some of the restaurants most popular dishes and he definitely helped us out with that.
Not much to say about the ambiance and atmosphere. Overall, I would definitely come back but I wouldn’t run back.

I believe this place to be one of the finest Omakase experiences I have ever had. I am sushi connoisseur and have been all over and tried many different places and styles, and when I tell you its one of the best, if not the best, then you know I aint playin. This is what made Nobu famous as this was Chef Nobu’s first location and the OG of his empire. The service was super on point and it was not only a sushi omakase, but cooked dishes as well. When the chefs are Japanese, you know they are going to take pride when they serve you, especially at the omakase bar. This is some legendary type shit here and you gotta try this restaurant’s omakase out if you are a true foodie like i am. LA has some sick ass restaurants. Houston needs to catch up smh

Great food and service. However the interior needs an upgrade — the flooring in insanely old.
7 course menu was too big to my appetite, but worth trying.
Restrooms are terribly dirty. After all restaurant looks untidy and not clean. Therefore I give 2 stars only.

Fantastic sushi, but what did you expect when it’s owned by Nobu himself? You really can’t go wrong with any of the items on the menu. All the dishes are impeccably prepared and presented and the fish is beyond fresh and melts in your mouth. Our favorites include:
–yellowtail jalapeño
–miso black cod
–spicy tuna on crispy rice
They also have a fantastic sake selection. We ended up going with their sake mixed with fresh fruit purée. The passion fruit was amazing! So light, refreshing, and just a tad bit sweet.
The ambiance is non existent. The place is dated and needs some freshening up. The tables are crammed uncomfortably close together. Every time someone walked by our table they bumped into us. If our waiter was talking to us, no one else could go by. Felt a bit claustrophobic.
At these prices I’d much rather go to Nobu Malibu. Same fresh and amazing fish but more creative dishes and ambiance to match the prices.

«Rob/​Ron» the manager is a RACIST!
I cannot comment on the food, but that is because the service that I received from the restaurant manager was like nothing that I have EVER experienced in my life.
My night started by calling the restaurant to place a to-​go order. Spoke to Hiroko, went over my order and was very specific on what ingredients to be consumed, as this was for an elderly person with a very sensitive stomach. We came to an agreement of what would be included, 3 simple ingredients: shrimp, white fish and calamari with no spice. Upon picking up my order Hiroko doesn’t know if my order included spice or not and then shared that 3 other ingredients were included. When explaining that it was incorrect she would remake in 3 MINUTES. How does seafood cook in 3 minutes, probably some time-​machine. That should have been my sign to walk away, but we all make mistakes.
She goes to the back to correct the order when Rob/​Ron approaches me and asked if something was wrong, I share my experience and he turn his head and looks away as if I did not exist. Thrown off by his reaction, I ask if he worked there and he replies that he does and proceeded to as «Are you a delivery man for Postmates?». Now, being of Latin decent this is not my first encounter with a RACIST, but I keep my cool and reply «No, but I don’t see how that would make a difference“he then looks at the hostess and looks away as if I was not standing in front of him. I then ask for the manager, only to learn that Ron/​Rob was in fact the manager. Again he asked «Are you sure you are not with Postmates?».
Come on, now! This is ridiculous. AgainI reply, no. «So you don’t work for Postmates?» Clearly, this is now a racial profiling, where you think because I’m latin and picking up an order that makes me a delivery guy? Nothing wrong with that, but treat everyone with respect. I was appalled to learn that a restaurant in the heart of L.A. would treat anyone this way.
I walked away canceling my order and completely disappointed that such a reputable place would have such poor management. Not once did I receive an apology for the mistake they made, but what I did get was treated like a second class citizen that because of the assumption that I was a delivery person, I could be treated less than any other paying customer. Taking ownership of a mistake and apologizing is what makes a customer feel appreciated and happy. Clearly, this place can use a course on customer service.

Mediocre — engawa, sake, uni with quail egg, toro, tuna roll
Best part of the meal 5 stars — Chilean sea bass with black truffle sauce — priced at $ 75 (price not on the menu)
Very casual atmosphere. All in all, not so bad.

I took my mom here for her birthday (this is one of her favorite Japanese restaurants in LA). I thought I would splurge on some good sushi. I made reservations in advance for 6 PM and to my surprise the restaurant was already packed. The guy on the phone told me I had to give my table up at 7:30 and I thought I could finish our meal within an hour and a half.
The restaurant isn’t anything spectacular. They have bar seating and plenty of tables in their main dining room area. They also have an omakase room (which I went to when I was much younger, but I have no recollection of it lol). Tables are all really close together, so you will hear other people’s conversation. Anyways, you are coming here for the food and experience not the ambiance of the restaurant.
FOOD:
For food, we went with the omakase option, which is the chef’s choice of a 7 course meal with dessert included. There are three different tiers of what you can get but we opted for the $ 100 one. So much food, but I highly suggest you get this so you can taste several different dishes and eat the freshest fish that they offer.
Our meal started off with a fresh vegetable roll. The veggies were all crisp and fresh accompanied with a light miso paste. There was no fish in here but the roll was presented in a cone plate to hold it up. I really liked the presentation and flavors of the dish. It was a great alternative to your typical sushi roll. Then we got an order of the salmon tartare topped off with caviar. Omgggg one of my favorite dishes of the night. Salmon is one of my favorite things in the world, so you can imagine my excitement when this was presented to our table. The salmon was diced finely and dressed with a light and tangy dressing. It wasn’t overly dressed and you can still taste the salmon. The caviar garnish tied the whole dish all together and added additional saltiness. Yum.
Afterwards, we got a crispy spicy tuna topped with caviar and a few pieces of nigiri sushi. The sushi was all delicious and fresh. The rice was perfection with just the right amount of vinegar and there wasn’t too much of it. I really liked the crispy spicy tuna because the exterior of the rice was just crunchy and when you took a bite into it, it was still soft and warm. The dish came with a side of gari (aka ginger) but it was unlike any ginger I have seen before. I took a bite of it thinking it was a piece of fish but I was sadly mistaken lol. Then we got several other dishes afterwards: a sashimi plate with salmon, a salad with tuna, scallop, and squid, white fish tempura with raw onions and a vinegar dressing, miso baked black cod, and a cold soba. My least favorite dish was the white fish tempura… The raw onions overpowered the white fish and the tempura was SO soggy because it was sitting on top of all that vinegar dressing. There was just too many flavors going on and it was not very good. I have to say this was the least favorite dish of the night for both my mom and I. However, I really enjoyed the salad with tuna which was light and tasty and the miso baked black cod. The cod was delicate and literally fell apart with the touch of my chopsticks. It was presented nicely in a banana leaf where you would take it apart and steam coming from the fresh fish.
Afterwards, we got our two desserts: a trio of crème brulees and a green tea mochi. I loved the crème brulees they were amazing. They had a green tea flavor, vanilla one, and I can’t recall what the last one was. They were all phenomenal with it not being too sweet and still rich and creamy. The green tea mochi was good too with a dusting of matcha. The mochi was extremely soft and tender. It was like biting into a little cloud. You could really taste the matcha in this.
SERVICE:
Quite disappointing. Everything took forever. Our food took a long time for it to come and I constantly had to flag down a server to get a refill on our tea. I even had to get a server’s attention to get our check. What really made me disappointed was the fact that our host had the audacity to ask us to move our table at 7:30 to a secluded one, so another guest can sit at our table. I was shocked because we were barely on our 4^th course by then… It wasn’t our fault that we didn’t get our food, you know what I mean? I would’ve totally understood if we were taking our sweet time talking but that just wasn’t the case.
PARKING:
Valet only.

The Sushi here was good, but not mind-​blowing. In fact, for the top dollar you can expect to pay, you can do better at a lot of the newer digs around town.
Nobu Matsuhisa is a very innovative chef, and he changed the LA sushi scene in a big way years ago. But it seems like this place isn’t as cutting edge as it once was, when Matsuhisa was fusing Japanese and Peruvian flavors in funky and new ways. A lot of menu items can be found at other restaurants, where they are just as good or better.
Dishes: I would check out the yellowtail sashimi and the uni. Both great. We ordered a variety of small dishes, and all were pretty good. None amazed, if you ask me.
Atmosphere: Located on restaurant row in Beverly Hills, it’s a fairly nondescript place that is easy to miss. The interior has light wood, and a typical minimalist Japanese restaurant aesthetic. I sat across from someone sitting under a crooked piece of artwork, and it bothered me the whole night. It was a business dinner, so I couldn’t get up and straighten the piece of artwork out. I really think they could do more to make this place look nice, especially given this is one of the most famous sushi restaurants in town, and Nobu Matsuhisa’s flagship restaurant.

Its Mediocre Monday again!!!
I came here for a lunch business meeting. Matsuhisa is a Nobu restaurant, and is on La Cienega in Beverly Hills. Its across the street from Lawry’s for a frame of reference. In addition to a sushi bar, they also serve some very Americanized J food.
I ordered the chirashi lunch ($ 38 inc miso soup). Not pictured was a sushi lunch (8 nigiri & tekka maki), grilled salmon, beef & tempura, bento box, and the owner of the co ordered a mish mash of items including nigiri unagi & uni ($ 8/​for 2 pieces). The lunch items were all around $ 38/​each.
The chirashi was so-​so. The fish was not the freshest I have had, and the portion was ridiculously small for the price. The bowl was mainly rice. It faired poorly to the chirashi at previously reviewed Ikko in Costa Mesa. Ikko has a chirashi w/​twice as much fresher fish, at ²⁄₃ the cost. Additionally, I saw the sushi lunch and the portion was small. Secondarily, the offerings were very Americanized. Lastly, I looked at my client’s nigiri, and the uni was poorly wrapped. In addition, the unagi was small & looked dry. The unagi faired poorly to recently reviewed Kantaro in Torrance. Kantaro’s unagi is twice as big at ²⁄₃ the cost: 2 Stars on food, mainly due to price vs quantity & quality.
Regarding the ambiance, it is very nice. There is a sushi bar towards the rear, and many tables spread throughout the restaurant. However, the place is very loud: 3 Stars. On the other hand, the service was very good. The hostesses were super nice, the waiter was accommodating, and Yousef, who knows my client was a cool part of the team: 4 Stars.
Honestly, this place is overpriced for average food. I would have a hard time returning, because there are so many better sushi bars, and Japanese restaurants in LA. I am surprised the owners of Shunji in West LA (review coming up), are part owners in Matsuhisa. This place was one step away from making my Two Star Tue list.

The silhouettes on the wall remind me of my imprint here. Meaning, that since Matsuhisa has several of my favorite dishes, a part of my food memories will have an eternal place here.
I have a regular table here. Or at least that’s how I feel when they always seat me at the table for two across from the sushi bar, where even though I only come here once every two years or so, the waitress and manager always seems to remember me.
My quest for one of the best things I’ve ever ate brings me here for their «Crispy Rice with Spicy Tuna.»
What makes this dish so deliciously unique is that the rice is flash fried in small cubes with a slightly caramelized coating, which you then can top off with their spicy tuna to bring out the spiciness and the crunch of this dish. Or you can eat their spicy tuna seperately.
On average we order about 2 orders per person. Each order has about 6 cubes and costs $ 22 per order.
Another one of the best things I’ve ever eaten brings me to their fresh «Chilean Seabass with Foie Gras.» Think of a silky piece of perfectly cooked sea bass, topped with a huge helping of foie gras at $ 60 each. the mushroom on top has to be one of the best shitake mushrooms I’ve ever had with that rich truffle sauce.
Thirdly on the best things I’ve ever eaten list is their «Uni Tempura.» At $ 18 each, these can really add up. Especially when I can eat 4 of them in one sitting. It’s fresh uni wrapped in a shiso leaf and flash fried in a light tempura batter. The uni is so fresh that it tastes like the tofu of the sea. A little briny from the sea, but a subtle flavor.
Fourth on the best things I’ve ever eaten, and this was a new one, is their «Chicken Truffle Dumplings.» Now, I’m not a huge fan of chicken and when the waitress said we would be fighting over each potsticker, she was absolutely right. Each order comes with 3 pieces for $ 20, which makes it and odd number, so we ordered more in advance, because you can’t just eat one. Glad we did because the outside skin was coated in a rich truffle oil that infused with the chicken dumpling inside created a mouthwatering sensation.
After that, it’s just good eats.
Such as their Toro Tartar with a bit of caviar on top for $ 38. Think smooth and fatty toro with a sweet freshness to it, and you have this mouth watering dish.
Their «New Style Sashimi» was our least favorite. You can choose your fish. We chose hamachi and sake. It’s basically your standard sashimi in olive oil and chives.
California Handroll: Lump crab meat, avocado, cucumber, standard roll. About $ 6 a hand roll.
Unagi, Amberjack, Toro, Anago, etc: All their sushi was good but nothing you couldn’t get at any other good Japanese restaurant.
Tempura: This is a choose your own. Minimum two pieces per order and it ranges from $ 4-​$ 10 per two pieces. Great, lightly fried. But be warned that it can add up quickly at about $ 22 for a tempura basket!
Uni Shooter ($ 13): Fresh uni with sake. Fresh and refreshing in one sip.
Seafood Ceviche ($ 18): The most bang for your buck. Mixed sashimi pieces in a light lime and cilantro juice.
Wagyu Tataki: Melt in your mouth goodness. Like a rare steak that’s thinly sliced. But the minimum order is 2oz, at about $ 44 each ounce.
And of course let’s not forget dessert!
Trio Crème Brûlée: Flavors were Black Sesame, Coconut, and Pistachio that day. All were excellent and creamy.
Kamameshi: This rice pudding and vanilla ice cream dessert is refreshing and tastes like good rice pudding should, milky and sweet.
Coffee Jelly: A must for any coffee lover. Coffee jelly cubes with condensed milk layered with vanilla flan and topped with caramel sauce. Most of my favorite things in one dessert!
Bento Box: This is for the chocolate lovers at our table. Think hot chocolate soufflé with vanilla ice cream, but if you talk to your server she can switch it out for the ice cream of the day.
Bottom Line: Several of the best foods I’ve ever eaten can be found at this restaurant. The «Uni and Shiso Leaf Tempura,» «Crispy Rice with Spicy Tuna,» «Chicken Truffle Dumplings,» and their «Chilean Seabass with Foie Gras.»
So pull up a chair at my table, I’ve added a picture to show you which one, and tell me what you think of my favorite dishes!

Unbeschreibliche Genialität des Meisters Nobu Matsuhisa. Wer schon mal bei einem der zahlreichen Nobus war weiß, dass jeder Besuch etwas besonderes ist. Matsuhisa geht eine Stufe weiter. So einfach die Gerichte schienen, desto mehr wurde man von der Geschmacksexplosion überrascht. Mein Begleiter hatte Grilled Cabbage bestellt. Dieser kam gespickt mit Trüffel und ganz besonders gewürzt. Ich habe noch nie so leckeren Kohl gegessen. Man bekommt immer schnell neuen Matcha-​Tee gereicht, der sehr schön nach gepoppten Reis schmeckt. Viele asiatische Menschen, ich gehe mal davon aus, dass es Japaner sind, wobei ich bei solchen Aussagen immer sehr vorsichtig bin.
Wen es interessiert: Der Promi-​Faktor ist relativ hoch. Das erste mal war Hayden Panettiere da und das zweite mal die Playboy-​Zwillinge.