Q Reviews
Submitted by Go4K ChiPro (Visbimmer0120) on 09/12/2021
Go4K ChiPro (Visbimmer0120) 4 stars rating.
It was my great pleasure to enjoy the authentic Japanese sushi from the highly experienced & praised Japanese chef in downtown LA. Surprisingly, all the food items were directly from Japan. Particularly, I was really happy & thrilled to enjoy his Uni from Hokkaido in Los Angeles amid this period. Wow!! So savory, real Japanese green laver as expected!!! A dish with the two pieces of melt-in-mouth toro was surely sweet! Salmon roe was extremely juicy & fresh and so on!!! Additionally, the appetizer dishes were top-notch. I was really impressed by the miso-based sauce that came with Akami (Tuna sashimi). Ponzu sauce, miso based sauce and more for those a few appetizers!! So novel and tasty!! Plus, their ginger looked peculiar (not sliced as usual but provided in a chunk in the unfamiliar color : brownish) and actually it tasted so great & different, if not the best! Everything could justify the high cost!!
As far as I know, he has been also praised & known for his red vinegar Shari (sushi rice). Hence his sushi rice tasted dry & hard. Based on my first-hand taste experience at this place, I think he also used the several aging methods for his Neta (raw fish part). Btw, I may be wrong in this regard! All his Neta was dry & chewy almost completely without fishy or unpleasant taste or smell due to his own selected aging processes, I guess. Nevertheless, it suppressed too much of some natural & unique strong tastes of some raw fish such as Japanese Shima Aji!! No big deal as it’s just one of many ways to deliver the tastes of traditional sushi based on my sushi experience. On the other hand, it seems the chef doesn't use many toppings such as Yuzu, salt, Shiso or Japanese apricot to control the fishy taste and enhance the various flavors of sushi. Always, wasabi & soybean sauce only! Very original, neat & simple but sadly not entertaining much! That’s ok for me as I love this and that style as long as the sushi ingredients are original & fresh. And his sushi pieces were for sure extremely fresh! (My summaries: controlling the fishy or any possible bad tastes and smells using red vinegar Shari & aging methods but not many entertaining toppings that have been also widespread at many other Sushi Ya)
However, I’m regretfully saying that I was a little truly disappointed at the portion of the meal as a whole provided as a sushi omakase course (It was like a sushi tasting course, not a true sushi omakase). No miso soup, no Japanese noodle or rice bowl, no Japanese fish broth, no Japanese steamed egg and not even with a dessert! Consequently, I still felt very hungry after the meal. At first, I thought it’s because what I had was lunch omakase. However, it was said that the dinner omakase doesn’t include any of those dishes either. From the dinner omakase, you can only get more sushi pieces. For me, it seems there’s a huge problem with this to consider revisitation. I believe many sushi lovers certainly want to be satiated not to speak of enjoying sushi chef’s own character, passion, & skill thru his or her sushi pieces. Other than that, this place is still very worth visiting if you want to experience the true Japanese sushi made by Japanese sushi master chef all with the extremely fresh sushi ingredients directly imported from Japan. His hand skills & moves to make nigiri were also truly impressive based on my observation^^ Personally, I needed miso soup and either Japanese Chirashi sushi or udong (regardless of their amounts). I would readily come to this restaurant again if they can provide at least some small-sized meals in the course.
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전채요리는 매우 맛있었고 아까미와 함께 나온 된장배이스의 소스는 역시 너무 맛있다. 개인적으로는 일본 아오리 오징어와 쥬도로에서 소금 맛도 느껴보고 싶었지만 주구장창 간장과 와사비로만 니기리를 만들다. 간은 전반적으로 매우 마일드한편.
1. 네타 숙성을 해서인지 비린내가 잘 통제된 은은한 맛. 각 생선특유의 맛이 꽤 컨트롤되서 맛이 단순하거나 밋밋하다고 느낄 수도 있다.
2. 네타는 매우 신선함. 적초가 들어간 샤리도 맛있음.
3. 양과 구성은 매우 불만족. 오로지 스시만 나오는 입가심 코스를 원한다면 강력추천. 그러나 한끼의 오마카제 완전체를 생각한다면 엄청나게 큰 오산.
4. 모든 식재료는 일본에서 직수입. 우니, 연어알, 일본김 그리고 특이한 생강까지 모두 맛있음. 오늘의 스시는 역시 일본 쥬도로, 일본 아오리오징어 그리고 일본 도미!
5. 술과 음료가능. 일본 녹차하고 우롱차를 한잔씩 마셨는데 풍미가 매우 괜찮음.
Israel Montes 5 stars rating.
Great sushi. So much flavor. love this place!
Submitted by Israel Montes on 09/09/2022
Kimberly Park 2 stars rating.
I've traveled all over the world trying hundreds of Michelin Starred restaurants. This is far the worst Michelin One Star restaurant experience. Some of the their sushi was good such as uni, toro, seared Japanese fish (anything seared is good to me). The sushi and sashimi were too cold. No water or tea was offered by the server. I ordered hot green tea ($4.50). The tea was too hot and undrinkable. I asked for ice cubes to bring the temperature down. I expected a fancy Japanese tea, but for the quality, that tea should have been served for free. Overall, the sushi was too plain. I felt like I needed a soy sauce throughout the course from beginning. No hot food was served. The sushi chef was working alone in the kichen without any assistant. He looked exhusted. He did not say a word except name of sushi. The server didn't even say a word, either besides "Can I get you a drink?". There was no positive energy or soul in the food and their service. The omakase was finished with Tamago. I needed a palette cleanser to get rid of the fish odor in my mouth. I asked for dessert, but the chef said "Tamago was dessert. We don't have anything else to serve." I do not understand how they earned one star. The most shocking fact is that we were charged 20% mandatory gratitude without consent prior to the meal. Their $300 omakase seemed overpriced for the experience I received. Their service charge should have been included in that price. I feel like I got robbed.
Submitted by Kimberly Park on 06/07/2022
Zara Saldanha 5 stars rating.
AMAZING Omakase experience in DTLA. Very high-end; every piece of fish from Japan. One of my favorites so far in LA. The restaurant is designed beautifully, love the ceiling lighting and brick walls. As for the food, everything was fresh and super tasty. My favorites: Kingfish, Uni, Bluefin Tuna.
Submitted by Zara Saldanha on 05/08/2022
Alexis Hyde 5 stars rating.
I have had the pleasure of going to this restaurant a few times and every occasion I think it can't be as good as the last and every time it is. The food, the atmosphere, having Chef Hiro make the sushi in front of you, it's a tremendous experience and the food is beyond delicious.
Submitted by Alexis Hyde on 04/21/2022
구태우 2 stars rating.
The sushi was great, the quality of neta was good and the shari was also tasty, but the price does not match the taste. I've had better sushi at about $100~$200 in Korea.
The 20% service fee made a party of two people pay $800 so it's technically $400 per person. This is not a cheap price for a meal and expectations get extremely high in this price range. The results didn't meet my expectations and even though I liked this place, I have to say that it was too overpriced.
Also, my friend and I were both still pretty hungry even after we were done with the meal.
To be honest, I am not even sure how they got a star.
Submitted by 구태우 on 03/31/2022
Carol Song 5 stars rating.
Never had such a peaceful dinner outing because our party of three slowly savored every bite with our eyes closed in state of sushi trance. Whenever our eyes opened, we were mesmerized by the elegant décor, impressive artwork and beautiful antiques. Gorgeous black walnut ceiling shaped like an ocean wave set on top of the sand blasted brick wall lined with a glass pane modernizing the vintage DTLA space. Service was very attentive and courteous. Chef Hiro is a true master!
Submitted by Carol Song on 12/16/2021
Winnie Huang 2 stars rating.
I will not come back here again, the service at this place is the dealbreaker ???? The waitress didn’t even offer water or tea, and she only said three sentences throughout the whole dining experience- “hi” “no video please” and “goodbye”. The chef was like a sushi robot too… He just made sushi, give it to us, and then he just started to play on the phone. Zero explanation of the ingredient except for the name. Not sure how they got the 1 star Michelin?
The food itself was decent (maybe 4 stars), but we didn’t get emotionally engaged. The whole place was just so cold hearted lol
With this kind of service, they still added 20% service charge to the check? Definitely not recommending this place.
Submitted by Winnie Huang on 08/25/2021
Joe Stone 5 stars rating.
Samurai-level mastery. Watching the chef slice the fish, mold the rice and ultimately present and serve each piece is a part of the experience. Melt in your mouth bites with flavor combinations that are simple and yet bursting with flavor that sang on my palette. I felt the honor and tradition of the service and in the decor as we sat down. Q is a must for a true lover of food who understands the overall experience.
Submitted by Joe Stone on 08/26/2018
J. BISBAL 4 stars rating.
For fish and sushi lovers, nothing fancy or amazing. Omakase menu about 15 different pieces of sashimi and sushi, hand made before your eyes by Chef Hiroyuki with local and fish flown from Japan, pretty linear flavors with no surprises; good selection of sake, fast & friendly service, good parking structure about one block away.
Submitted by J. Bisbal on 10/02/2016
