Asuka

A serious restaurant for serious restaurant lovers. Michelin-star chef. A welcoming maître D' (wearing a suit and tie, nice!). Yet a casual and friendly environment. Innovative (have you ever had edamame tofu? You should.). Professional service (too rare in LA). Exceptional fish (isn't that why we're here?). The balsamic-caper reduction on the perfectly-cooked salmon was other-worldly. The Japanese eggplant with sweet red miso is perfectly balanced. Not possible to have only one spicy tuna handroll. You're worried that the sashimi is too thin? Get over yourself...if you want giant portions, go to McDonald's. If you want quality Japanese food and an exceptional dining experience, come here. Thank you, Vincent.

I came here last year for a business dinner and we had 5 course omakase. I was pleasantly surprised how fresh the fish was. It's a traditional Japanese approach, the food is really delicious. I'll definitely return when I'm in the area.

This restaurant got the unusual conviction of sticking to the best in terms of food quality. Every piece of sashimi, every single appetizer, even the kind of rice they use, the quality is top notch. It is a rarity in America these days. The chef is Michelin rated. Asuka displays a passion to serve the highest quality of Japanese cuisine that you could hardly find elsewhere.

**4.7/5 🌟🌟🌟🌟✨ Asuka Japanese Restaurant Westwood (Since 1974): O.G. Sushi Royalty Still Reigns** Hidden on **Westwood Blvd since 1974**, **Asuka** is the quiet legend where **Nobu Matsuhisa** *and* **Kazunori Nozawa** (the “Sushi Nazi” behind Sugarfish) cut their teeth before global fame 🍣👑. Walk past the unassuming storefront and enter a time capsule: dark wood, paper lanterns, and the rhythmic *thwack* of knives on cedar blocks since Nixon was president 🕰️. The **omakase ($120)** is a masterclass—12 pieces of pure poetry. Toro melts like butter, uni bursts with briny sunrise, and the **live kuruma ebi** (sweet shrimp) arrives still twitching before becoming nigiri heaven 🦐🤯. Chef Toshi-san (30+ years here) torches binchotan-seared sawara with a whisper of yuzu salt 🔥. Even the **tamago

Yummy sushi, friendly service, fantastic experience! This sushi restaurant was recommended to me by a coworker friend. I'm a novice sushi fan and I tend to stick to the more Americanized rolls like shrimp tempura and spicy tuna rolls but this time I wanted a more authentic and adventurous Japanese experience. A group of four of us made it to the restaurant on a Friday night. The restaurant was clean with perfect lighting, the staff welcoming. For the first time ever I sat at the sushi counter. I've always been intimated by the sushi counter in Japanese restaurants thinking it was only for "real" sushi lovers, not a novice like me. The sushi chef, Taishi, was so welcoming and put me at ease right away! Instead of choosing my own sushi menu items, I went with the Asuka Sushi Omakase (Chef