Sushi Roku
Category: Sushi Bars [Edit]
Neighborhood: Santa Monica1401 Ocean Ave
Santa Monica, CA 90401 (310) 458-4771
- Price Range: $$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street, Valet
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
59 reviews
Los Angeles, CA
"I have had a lot of really, really good sushi. And this was no exception. My boyfriend and I decided not to make a big thing about NYE and…" read more »
71 Reviews for Sushi Roku
Always packed full but a great place to people watch and if you are an "out of towner", this is hip place to eat on the Westside. If you are looking for basic sushi, I can recommend better places, but if you are looking for something a liitle out of the ordinary (both atnosphere and menu), then Sushi Roku is the place to go. Try some of the hot or cold appetizers instead of the usual Nigiri sushi (2 pieces per order). There are many choices, so ask the waiter what is recommended and you won't be disappointed. NOTE: MAKE A RESERVATION or else forget about going, other then that -- enjoy!
yes, this place is a bit americanized but i dig it. it's expensive but i think it's worth it. if you're looking for a fancy sushi joint, definitely give this place a shot. if you're looking for a more down-home, no frills sushi place, check out noma on wilshire.
it's a fun spot for a dinner party or special event with friends or significant other. i always recommend sitting at the bar since you get the best service and entertainment.
i recommend:
-seaweed salad
-tuna sashi carpaccio
-toro tartar
-popcorn rock shrimp with spicy miso glaze
-katana roll
enjoy!
Overpriced and below par sushi.
I'm going to echo what so many people have said here already. You can find so much better sushi for a lower price. I took a big group there for lunch and the waitress recommended a "group sushi" per person deal. I still do not know which item we ordered (maybe omakase) but the bill ended up being three times higher than I expected. Granted, I take full responsibility for not asking her how much it was per person but a little heads up from the waitress would've been nice. To add injury to insult, the sushi trays that cost us an arm and a leg and a head weren't even that great!! And we had to wait 30 min for the next thing to come out!
The only thing Sushi Roku has going for it is location and maybe atmosphere. Since it is a chain, it does have relatively nice décor.
There is no way I would ever go back to Sushi Roku unless 1) someone paid me or 2) someone else was paying and I couldn't convince them to go anywhere else.
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I had a wonderful experience at this place. From the other reviews, I see that a lot of people thought the quality of the sushi wasn't up to par. I like sushi, but I'm not as much of a connoisseur as I'm guessing these people are. If you like sushi, but you are relatively new to it, I would recommend. If you've been around the expensive block with sushi, perhaps this is not for you.
On to my experience.
I walked in with 3 other people on a Saturday night around 8:45pm. The hostess was very nice. There were no tables available at that time, but we could wait in the bar. The bar area served drinks as well as anything off the menu. We got some drinks ($$$) and waited for about 25 minutes. Not bad for a Saturday night with no reservations.
Our server was very cute and personable. When we asked for suggestions, he gave them. All his suggestions were very good.
There were no issues with service here.
The sushi, itself, was delicious. Fresh and nicely prepared.
Prices are a little high, but as others have said, you are paying for eating in a very touristy area near the beach.
It's a good place to bring out of town visitors who are newish to sushi. Especially since mediocre sushi in LA is equivalent to superb sushi in other parts of the country. It definitely impressed our guests.
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Sat at the Sushi Bar, with the Chef's Omakase tasting plates for the night ---if you can afford it (esp if someone else is paying), this is, hands down, the way to go and I highly recommend it if you're there to taste amazing sashimi/sushi.
Keep in mind, bar is good for 2 or 3 people --any more & you can't talk much.
We were lucky to have the head chef serving us--one of the best sushi/sashimi chefs in LA..
But also we had a Veg person w/ us, and the stuff he made her was just as awesome as the fish.
Many of the tasting plates he made us were variants of menu dishes or weren't on the menu at all--so I'll just list what the main fish was (all the plates were outstanding):
1. Toro (fabulous)
2. Salmon (with cherry tomato, chiil cilantro and the sauce) (soo good)
3 Kobe beef with asparagus and garlic chips (almost died eating this)
4. Hamachi (Yellowtail) (fantastic)
5. Uni mixed with rice (never thought I'd like uni--but this rocked)
then came desert.
As others have mentioned, this place rocks in that dept (the lava cake is a staple). however, we went with two seasonal things:
1. Tempura Strawberries with Dark Chocolate Gelato & mint
2. Roasted Plum with this cinnamon/apple/cardamom spongecake thing and vanilla cardamom gelato with mint & carmel something on it.
uh, mah. gud. we were stunned by the desserts. stunned.
what helps bring you out of the stunned state is a bottle of what I think was Hakkaisan Junmai Ginjo Sake (with a round given to the chefs). If i could afford buckets of that sake I would. so smooth and dangerous--so easy to get plowed off of.
We went with someone who hits this place up quite often so he knew all the ins & outs--and really kept it to a pure sushi experience versus all the more restaurant oriented entrees.
He also said they get their fresh fish in on Tuesday---so it's always good to go right after that.
We were there late on Thursday night--had reservations at the bar--but had to wait about 10 minutes for the people before us to clear out (had the excellent Lychee Mohijto while waiting).
We parked in the garage out back $7 flat rate.
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While I agree that this place doesn't have authentic Japanese food or sushi, their rolls and sashimi-based appetizers are spectacular. They have picture-perfect plating and taste as good as they look. The rolls are one of a kind. The ingredients don't differ much from your standard specialty roll, but somehow they're prepared well here. Very modern.
The price isn't so bad considering it's on Ocean. Well worth a visit, especially on a date, since the lighting, smaller tables and chic interior make for a romantic mood. Avoid the martinis if you're the type that always regrets it when you absent-mindedly get an apple-tini when out clubbing. Super potent and sweeeet.
Well, my friend heard from other people that this place is fantastic and he hasn't eaten here but had a drink at the bar and there were a lot of girls here. :) So we go and eat here. We get seated pretty quickly and the service was pretty quick and friendly. Well, I'm not one of those people who can tell if the tuna is fresh; especially, after it's been
dipped into my mixture of soy sauce and wasabi. I ordered several different sushi rolls and they looked great but it wasn't fantastic. It was okay. Okay, I'm Asian and I'm not a sushi fanatic or a sushi critic so why listen to me? I do know when I have sushi at Chaya Venice or Hama I say damn, that's good and I had several different types here and
my reaction was "it's okay."
Sushi Roku is over all just ok, very over pricy but i guess u pay for the scene.. server was alright nothing to remember about. The fish quality wasnt the best look sorta like 2-3 days old fish but taste ok.
There are much better place in santa monica to eat sushi but if your going here better have atleast 60$ a pop!
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My friend and I were struck with a simultaneous sushi craving while shopping in Santa Monica and descended upon Sushi Roku with high hopes. Alas, it was not to be.
The food was mediocre (we ordered 4 rolls: crab dynamite, eel/avocado, rock shrimp/asparagus, and something else that obviously wasn't that memorable) and much more moola than most other sushi restaurants (yes, it's right by the ocean, but you really can't see it from most of the tables inside).
A couple of our rolls were $19/each and nothing special. Total came to $70 without drinks, definitely not worth it unless you're trying to impress out-of-town guests. Sorry Sushi Roku, the next time I begin fiending fish I'll stick with Irori or my local hole-in-the-wall spots.
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The food here is why I gave this place a 3. If I were to base it on atmosphere it would be a 5. However, it is over-priced for what you get to eat and you are really paying for the ambiance. Plus, the fact that you can never get reservations on a friday or saturday at the times that you want means that you'll be dishing out another 20-40 bucks to the hostess to get you a seat when you lazily stumble in with three friends at 8pm on Friday.
Thankfully, they have a great drink menu. Yes, another great place to get wasted (i give it a 5 for pre-partying).
I had my birthday dinner here a few years back and I haven't been back since....
The food and drinks are great....the atmosphere is not so great. The tables are so crunched together that it gets to be uncomfortable.
The one great thing about it? The eggplant. I hate eggplant except for at Sushi Roku. It's to die for. I know, very strange....but trust me. It is very tasty.
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This is one of those semi-fancy looking overpriced restaurants that only get customers due to it's location. After spending a day at Venice Beach and craving for sushi we came here since we planned on going to 3rd street Promenade afterwards. We came here at peak dinner time, and amazingly we were seated pretty fast. Thinking it will be some crazy-good sushi due to the decorations, I was disappointed in the menu. It's more of fusion sushi which doesn't float my boat. What made it worse was the prices for the rolls it was ridiculously priced for the size of the rolls, the sizes were like the ones you find at 7-11. Being a poor college student, and with the prices of their rolls I opted for the filet mignon which seemed better bang for the buck. The filet mignon came with garlic mashed pototoes and tempura onions and teriyaki sauce. I also ordered rice and miso soup with it for another $3-6? With a rainbow roll. Overall it's a nice looking restaurant and with good service but I would definitely not come here for sushi. The bill came out to be nearly $70 for each person for a party of 3, with that money I could have eaten so much better sushi and have enough left to go get wasted at a bar.
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OY! Double oy....this place is horrible. I know it's a chain but come on...it's just plain nasty here.
We had a spicy toro handroll, yellowtail sashimi with chiles, chilean seabass with yuzu, and a crab dynamite handroll. They accidentally made us a crab dynamite cut roll instead and the "crab" mousse on top looked like little plops of poop. It didn't taste much better either. Very fishy and mushy.
The chilean sea bass was overcooked and I usually love chilean sea bass. It's the only cooked fish I can stand aside from black cod and salmon. But this was blech. The spicy toro handroll would have been ok but they mixed it with large slices of bell peppers which made the fish feel choppy in my mouth. So wierd. The only thing that was good was the yellowtail sashimi with diced chiles. Batting one for four, big whoop.
The service is nice so I bumped them up to one star. Otherwise, this place would be in the gutter. I'll pass next time, thanks.
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Nice restaurant and good sushi located in Santa Monica. I've been here multiple times and while it's not the best sushi I've ever had, it's always a good experience.
The sushi pieces were standard and nothing really jumped out as it was the best fish I've ever had, but their rolls and some of their specials really made the meal for us.
They had a baked King Crab with Parmesan dish that was just mouthwatering. If you like crab, this dish was perfect in taste and with juicy crab. The only bad thing was the price and possibly the size of the dish. I might be saying that because I'm a crab whore and could just have had that all night long, but I was wanting more because it was so good. The crab meat is still in the shell of the leg, so part of it might be a bit of a chore to fully eat all the crab, but the effort was well worth it. The amount of cheese melted on top wasn't overpowering at all, and it wasn't to a point where you didn't know it was there. They found the right happy medium to where you could taste both the crab meat and cheese...great stuff.
The Shima Roll is definitely going to be added in the rotation the next time I'm here. The roll is a shrmp wrapped spicy tuna rull with Cilantro and Avocado. The roll was wrapped in what seemed like a rice paper and not your typical seaweed. It was delicate enough to where the first thing you tasted was the spiciness of the sirachi and the cilantro. If you're not a cilantro fan, than you might not really enjoy this dish. But if you like it, the cilantro is definitely a unique kick to sushi. It's a great combination of flavors: shrimp, spicy tuna, and cilantro. Definitely try this roll the next time you're here.
Again, the sushi pieces are what they are - good, but not great. Their specials and some of their rolls are the way to go.
In my opinion, this is a place to be seen but go elsewhere for sushi. The restaurant is the kind of place to meet and greet while eating decent quality sushi. However, good cocktails and even better location so overall it evens out.
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Great location but the atmosphere feels like something that should be for power lunches but it is trying too hard to be romantic. Very easy for your neighbors to bump into you while dining.
I'd pass. I hate writing poor reviews but we have eaten here 3 times now and always seem to have bad experiences. First, why make reservations if when you arrive you have to wait an additional 45-60 minutes to get a table. Isn't that the point of making a reservation? I don't mind grabbing a drink at the bar for 10-15 minutes but 45-60 is a little excessive. Service was always slow. I should preface with the fact that I'm not a dine and dash guy. I like to enjoy my meal but if I'm finished or I need another drink and I try in vain to flag down a server for 20m...what the hell? I also find it a little overpriced for the quality.
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I'm not a sushi snob but I do love a good roll. The times I have been to Sushi Roku they have not let me down. The place has a hoity toity atmosphere. Definitely very "LA" - nothing wrong with that though. You don't want to come in wearing your "uh oh, I should have done my laundry" outfit for sure. Although usually crowded, it's not too loud so it's a good date place. Also it's conveniently located right by the pier so you can go for a romantic stroll afterward (or at least walk off all the raw fish you just ate).
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[I'm not being redundant. This place is just very different from its ugly step-sister in Pasadena. ;D]
I will go to the WALL for Sushi Roku. I love it, it loves me, we have history. And my exalted dad introduced me to it. That's like Kennedy endorsing Obama: It's a big fucking deal.
Without a doubt, Sushi Roku dominates LA sushi like Jabba the Hut dominates the desert. And both have the sexiest women on their respective planets slaving away for your pleasure; be it at the hostess station, be it taking your order with a smile and serving you drinks, or be it getting eaten by the rancor for your viewing enjoyment -- these girls go the extra mile.
One of the things I love about Sushi Roku is the constantly changing specials menu, which always has something exciting to offer. I remember having shabu shabu here for the first time and I've been unable to top that offering since, and it isn't for lack of trying. Ishiyaki offerings are always a treat, though an expensive one. As far as the entrees go, you have all the classic selections on hand and they do not disappoint. Sushi is, however, the main attraction here and Sushi Roku doesn't let you down there either. Everyone has their own personal tastes when it comes to sushi so I won't delve into this too deeply, but there's something refreshing about ordering a shrimp tempura and asparagus roll that comes out warm and crunchy -- one of my favorites on the menu and a safe place to start for the unadventurous.
Last but not least, I've said it once but I'll say it again: Lava Cake, Lava Cake, Lava Cake!! If your girlfriend wants to have some, get the bitch her own because mark my words: you WON'T wanna share this! It comes with ice cream and a hint of pistachio/mint on top, but make no mistake, this dessert means business -- as soon as you get to the hot, gooey inside, it will be made abundantly clear that your extended forecast says CHOCOLATE, baby! CHOCOLAAATE!
... I like Sushi Roku. Thank you.
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I came here with my girlfriend for her birthday a few months ago.
Let me explain my two star rating. First the host was a little rude and unattentive when we got there. We sat in a nice room right next to Ocean Blvd. The waiter on the other hand was great. He really took care of us.
Now the food. Ehhh. That's all I can say. I wasn't all that amazed by the food here. I ordered a few rolls and some sashimi and it wasn't that amazing. All I can say is this is a chain, so expect chain food with good ambiance.
I was referred here by a long-time friend and sushi-fiend. My first impression was: "swanky upscale LA sushi-bar". Usually swanky means a sushi bar has something to hide. That doesn't necessarily mean that a great sushi bar can also be hip, cool, and swanky. But in my experience, the best sushi bars have been spartan, with minimal decor, and a complete focus on quality ingredients and preparation.
I wasn't too far off with my first impression. Lots of couples here. Charismatic would-be actors and other entertainment types carried out their double lives as servers and hosts while the folks who've made it shelled out big bucks for the food. I arrived in a group of four on the eve of New Year's Day. We were all very hungry. The place was packed. At 9:00. The hostess, whose personality was about the same temperature as the cold winter night outside, informed us that the only available seating was outside. No problem. We'll brave it. There are heat lamps, right?
Anyway, I'm a bit of a sushi snob and I admit that it takes more than some fish and rice slapped on nori to earn my respect and approval.
Once upon a time I loved the decadent rolls, bursting with 3 kinds of fish in it, and every topping under the sun. I'm a bit of a sushi purist these days. So naturally I ordered some Nigiri (sushi) and Maki (nori on the outside) rolls.
The nigiri was pretty good. I had an order of seared yellowtail belly, fresh hamachi, and albacore negi - maki rolls. The yellowtail belly was interesting, although for some reason they promptly brought out the sashimi dish (much pricier) and before I could request that I get nigiri (what I had actually ordered) our server disappeared, so I just ate what was in front of me. The belly sashimi tasted a bit fishy, but the nigiri was fine. Maybe a cut issue.
The rest of the food was only so-so. Certainly not worth the high prices paid. In fact, the maki rolls (the fish is served as a tartar) were really off, and both my fiance and I couldn't eat them. Our server was kind enough to take them off our tab, but it spoiled our taste for fish.
All in all the sushi here was average. It felt like my money was going toward maintaining the fancy atmosphere and frontage on Ocean Blvd. rather than going toward fresh, high quality fish. With so many great sushi places in LA, I don't think this is the kind of place I'd return to if I was craving seriously good fish.
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We were here for my companies Christmas Party and they treated us right - I don't think I've ever ate so much sushi before!!
I know there are tons of reviews for this place, so it's hard to say something that hasn't been said before, but I wanted to tell everyone something I had never thought of before - they are are great with groups! They are so willing to work the party and make sure everyone gets what they want (we just did a lot of passed plates, shared rolls, etc.) They were even fun and brought out lots of surprises!
It was a really fun atmosphere to celebrate all of hard work all year long - great service, great food, great atmosphere.
Oh - forgot to add - this is my favorite of the Sushi Roku locations!
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This is by far my favorite sushi place in LA.
Love the sushi and sashimi! Always fresh and tasty. The TORO here to to die for. I have never had such soft, tender fish ever. Yellowtail rocks and so does the spicy tuna roll.
Also, the beef wrapped asparagus, Yum! Must try.
Lychee martinis are da bomb here!
************EDITED- 2/18/08***********
So, I called on VDAY on behalf of my boss since he needed a reservation.
ME: Do you guys have any reservations left for tonight?
HER: HAHAHAHAHAAHAH! YEAH RIGHT! *HANGS UP ON ME*
ME: WTF???? Thanks bitch!
ohhh.. there goes 1 star. ooops!
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We went for restaurant week and had the set menu with miso, salad, a bento box and gelato or sorbet for dessert. Our first mistake was thinking that the special menu was just that, special. The miso and salad were generic, the chicken skewers in the bento box were made from chicken knuckles and the sashimi was probably the worst cut of fish I've ever been served. I feel like we were being punished for ordering the special and served the shittiest pieces of meat as a result. I know that the sashimi they normally serve must be better than what I got because there's no way in hell they would've become such a hyped up joint based on the food we were served. I imagine that most people participating in restaurant week are trying restaurants for the first time, so they are missing out on an opportunity to woo new customers with this mediocre fare.
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Take Metro #720, 920 or practically any Big Blue Bus to downtown SM.
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After much hemming & hawing over whether to give this place 3 or 4 stars - I gave it quatre.
Mainly for the attentive service & good quality food.
But the attentive service gold stars goes to the bus boys. Good job, boys.
Waitstaff is very informative and wanting to educate you any chance they have, but are usually MIA after the order is taken.
There was a long gap after our dinner was cleared & ordering the dessert.
I will keep this review to the point .
The food ordered
Sake Martini - not my shot of sake but I think all things considering - people will like this.
Ginger Lychee Mojito - loved the fact that it was just mildly sweet. I'm not one for mojitos, but I'd order this again.
4 Oysters $19 - Raw & Refreshing & Citrusy - Gone before you know it =(
Prime Rib $36 - I've had far better - it wasn't a thick cut - instead they give you a thinner bigger piece
Miso Soup - too much miso but good with the amount of tofu (most places don't give enough tofu pieces)
Tuna Roll - boring
Sashimi - 3 thin slathers & I forgot I even had any. Talk about portion control.
Green Tea Tempura Ice cream - light, mild, not at all oily, ever so slightly cakey & bready - This should be called the dy-no-mite dessert.
Cheesecake Crme Brulee - so mild & delicate for a cheesecake - very unassuming - which allowed me to enjoy the whole slice -. This is by far the best cheesecake I've had in my 20s...Maybe not rich and dense as some cheesecake lovers would like but this is what I prefer - to date. Yum-O in my Tum-O.
Coffee - smooth & velvet-y
Crowd
Always seems to be a mixed crowd.
You have your youngsters - I'm talking teenagers - how do they afford this place?
You have your older crowd - who really just go to enjoy a good meal and enjoy each other.
You have a few couples scattered throughout.
The majority of the people I noticed every time I come seem to be a group of friends in a party of 5-6 people.
Parking structure next door = $6 self park
Peep the posted pix
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Average sushi but good vibe/decor. Maybe I came here with high expectations? In any case, it wasn't bad, but wasn't great.
The sushi was pretty fresh, but was very dissapointed that they did not have Toro or Blue Fin that night. Rolls were moderate.
Our waitress forgot a few things and took a really long time to bring them out after we asked about them. Seaweed sushi is something I would never order there again (if I were to go back).
Drinks were nothing exceptional either.
Overall...just ok. eh.
Must have: spicy tuna on crispy rice
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The atmosphere is very zen and much more xie-xie than the average sushi restaurant- if there is such a thing. The sushi was good and interesting for sure, but my SoCal standards are very high. I still highly recommend it though, it's a great place for a date.
I came here to take my sweet mother out when she came to town. She had never tried sushi before. I couldn't believe it! This place came highly recommended from a friend of ours. It is dark and crowded and loud. It is also fun and festive and some of the best sushi I have ever tried. An awesome place to take a first timer. When you have fish that fresh with those amazing sauces and combinations how could you not love it?
This place is not light on the pocket book so clear some room on that credit card and get to Sushi Roku.
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I come here sometimes for my sushi fix when I don't feel like having it at home, or not feeling like driving to Sawtelle. It's the closest walking distance sushi place from home, and no, I do not count Yang-tze on the Promenade as "sushi". I became a fan few years ago when I had dinner there with a group of girlfriends and the bar/restaurant was full of hot guys. I may have been hallucinating that night because I never experienced that kind of scene again. I find the crowd to still be on the better looking side.
I could probably blame the drinks: although I keep on telling myself to stay away from the house specialty drinks, I still get their ginger lychee mojito, and yuzu/lime margarita.
They have decent happy hour that they call "red sun" hour. I'm Japanese, but don't ask me what that means. Good priced sushi and rolls. (at night 2 pieces run an average of $6,$7 depending on the fish) One warning is that during this red sun hour, a small sake is $3, a large $5. But it is Ozeki sake which is the cheapest sake anyway and it's a brand that we Japanese usually use unsparingly for cooking. ( or just to get drunk for cheap)
I've been to more expensive places but this is the rare restaurant that you have to exit the restaurant to go to the bathroom with an attendant. (sushi roku is in a office building complex) If you ever find it locked during the day when the attendant isn't there, here is the bathroom combo: #425. You'll save on tips.
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Excellent food and always a great crowd. Although the bar is small it can be a fun stop. I like the West Hollywood location but prefer Santa Monica. It's expensive but I've never had anything that wasn't great.
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If you are friends with the sushi chef he will make some special $50 sushi treats for you. I can't say enough about this place. It expensive but well worth it!
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Had a business lunch with a potential new client. Amazing decor. Great location right along the water. Friendly staff... so I was thinking the food will just be passable. I was happy to find the the food was great! (and the meeting went well too!)
I'm not sure what the fuss over Roku is. I've given it a couple of changes, but am each time reminded why I don't want to come back: rude serve, haughty 20-something hostesses and more attitude than this mediocre sushi is worth.
This place was great. Service was good, food was fantastic, and it was romantic.
Great views and good food, though the drink list (especially sake) was a bit pricey.
The sushi here is "don't ask" expensive and is excellent quality. I visited Sushi Roku with two friends and sat at the bar where we were treated nicely for the first half of our meal. Then, we mentioned the company we worked for. Apparently our CEO was a big patron of Sushi Roku because we suddenly got some extra attention, special treats, and a free desert :)
I can't guarantee you the same experience, but I certainly enjoyed my first visit.
Ahhh Sushi Roku ... It's sushi and from what I can remember it tastes pretty good, oh and it hasn't poisoned me yet. So what else is there to say about that?
Nothing.
What I really want to talk about is the Viva La Lauren visits to Roku. More entertaining than a bag of wet kittens is the bar at Roku. Whether it be a crazy old man who will tell you some really amusing and highly inappropriate stories, the fun bartenders, or just a random weirdo that you somehow believe is your new best friend -- I am guaranteed a good time. I am also guaranteed a hangover, but isn't that what summer is all about?
Viva!
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I've visited Sushi Roku several times since my arrival in Venice. I have been totally impressed with the service - from host to bartender to wait staff - and the food is incredible.
Quality, fresh fish (blue fin tuna belly to die for); imaginative rolls; flexible chefs; highly attentive staff - it's everything a sushi experience should be.
I suppose my only nit would be how tightly they pack people in. But it's a small price to pay for what I feel is the best sushi restaurant on the west side.
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If I had to pick a favorite, favorite sushi place, this would probably be it. Of couse, the prices keep me away most of the time, unfortunately.
Of the two locations (the other in Pasadena), I think this restaurant is better laid out, but the service is not as good. The servers here are all very attractive, but, well, they don't have much else going for them. The food, however, is phenomenal, and you get to listen to hip, trendy, sush-eating-music while you enjoy it. It is an ultimate LA experience.
PS - They have really good desserts. It's definitely one of the reasons this place is a favorite of mine.
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Sushi is on par with the better sushi places of LA.
Good to take out of towners, and dates. More expensive than other sushi places in the area but you are also paying for one with the best atmosphere. Go once if you haven't b/c it really is a wonderful space with great lighting. That is why you're paying more after all.
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I was disappointed.
The night we went, the crowd in the bar was getting the sushi chefs drunk. So drunk, that at one point, he dropped the knife and it almost hit his toe and at another point, he dropped a piece of fish.
Left lots to be desired.
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