Jiro might dream of sushi, but we Angelenos seem to spend our waking hours obsessing over it. From the too-numerous-to-count sushi bars dotting the San Fernando Valley to the strip-mall gems embedded in the South Bay, sushi is ingrained in the Southland’s DNA.
Beyond the world of crispy rice and dynamite rolls, however, there exists an upper-echelon of sushi in Los Angeles that competes with the best in the world — outside of Japan, of course. The term omakase has slowly worked its way into our common vernacular over the past few years, and the idea of asking whether your uni hails from Hokkaido or Santa Barbara no longer seems obnoxious. There has never been a better time to turn over your tastebuds (and your wallet) to the whims of a skilled itamea.
As you already might have guessed, eating L.A.'s best sushi is a pricey endeavor, but for those looking for the most exciting sushi available without a passport, here are 10 of our top contenders.