Bringing about a new kind of fame to the Tsujita brand – which is renowned for its ramen in Los Angeles – is the recent debut of Sushi Tsujita in West Los Angeles.
Appropriately nestled in a more tranquil stretch of Sawtelle Boulevard along the line of Japanese-centric eateries and stores otherwise known as Little Osaka, Sushi Tsujita compliments its neighboring ramen restaurant counterparts Tsujita L.A. and Tsujita Annex, which have both been cited in numerous food blogs and local news outlets for its top-tier Japanese ramen noodle dishes.
Perhaps it is partially due to the widespread success of the Tsujita ramen: Sushi Tsujita is now venturing into the realm of raw fish and is strictly sticking to the roots of its motherland.
“There are thousands of sushi restaurants in America,” Yui Kumamoto, manager of Sushi Tsujita, said. “But many of them are fusion restaurants. Sushi Tsujita only serves traditional sushi. We are straight-up Japanese.” Kumamoto explained that the Tsujita owner had a yearning to show the City of Angels what exactly authentic Japanese-style sushi dishes looked and tasted like.
“Our president, Mr. Tsujita, wanted to help people in L.A. learn about the special traditional Japanese style,” Kumamoto said. Sushi Tsujita specializes in its omakase, which has the literal translation of: “I’ll leave it up to you.”
Through an emphasis in placing a sense of trust in the sushi chef, omakase at Tsujita offers a preselected and prepared variety of sushi by executive chef Shigeru Kato without specific directions by the customer. During both lunch and dinner hours, the omakase selections are spotlighted, with three options priced at $120, $150, and $180.
The high quality and the wide variety of fish is apparent what with the restaurant’s constant Japanese imports based on the types of sea life that is in season. There are also decently priced lunch options, with a lunch special set at $15.
The lunch sets spotlight chirashi, which is comprised of an arrangement of sushi atop a bowl of vinegared rice. The prices of the lunch sets, which customarily come alongside miso soup, pickles, and egg custard, range from $18 to $35. “Depending on what time of year it is, we import fish from both the coast of Japan and domestically from Boston as well,” Kumamoto said. The omakase dishes offer a myriad of sushi options, incorporating blue fin tuna, live abalone, mackerel, salmon roe, sea eel, live pawn, king crab, and spear squid. Non-fish components include Matsutake mushrooms, homemade egg omelets, and Wagyu tataki, which is Japanese-style rare marinated roast beef.
One of Sushi Tsujita’s chefs, Kazuo Ozawa, elaborated on the sushi creation process as he expertly handmade colorful culinary creations using a myriad of raw fish and delicately paired each piece with vinegared sushi rice. “We prepare the fish every morning and […] cut the filets,” Ozawa said.
Ozawa also said that the restaurant imports wasabi root from Japan, which is a costly but effective practice, as the authenticity of the taste of wasabi is preserved.
However, Ozawa’s simple philosophy to quality sushi-making highlights the attitude of the chef. “My goal is to make my customers happy. Sushi is a delicate food [and] is made with the fingers, so if the chef is happy, the sushi will be made even better,” Ozawa said. “A happy chef makes happy sushi.”
With customers as its focal point, Sushi Tsujita seems to be off to a successful start within the first few weeks of its grand opening. To further accommodate its guests, an enclosed patio with flowery, classy decor is available for those who want to relax, socialize with drinks, or wait for the rest of their parties before beginning their meals.
The restaurant itself fuses both modern and traditional Japanese elements: the walls are entirely composed of bamboo sticks, but in a contemporary, sleek architectural style that is sure to catch the eye as soon as a customer walks in. Sushi Tsujita may be the new kid on the block, but with its pleasant aesthetics, friendly staff, and quality fish, the restaurant certainly keeps the high caliber of the Tsujita brand.
Sushi Tsujita is located at 2006 Sawtelle Blvd. in West Los Angeles. The restaurant’s lunch hours run from 12 pm to 2:30 pm, whereas its dinner hours are from 6 pm to 10:30 pm. For more information, call 310.231.1177 or visit tsujita-la.com.
