Sushi Tama - Los Angeles

There are some parts of LA I will make any excuse to visit, but the neighborhood that houses Sushi Tama isn't it. Overpriced Kitson's shares street space with the likes of Chanel and Christian Dior, and it's all a pretentious mess of a concrete jungle. 

Enter Sushi Tama and get a slightly different vibe. A sleek sushi counter, with its starkly beautiful minimalism, houses a humbly skillful chef. A veteran of Tsukiji, he knows his fish, and in a carefully curated Omakase, it shows. 

It's $150 for omakase lunch if you're sitting at the counter, but it's a measly $100 at a table. The devil's in the details - it comes down to whose hands will shape your sushi. Whether there's a difference, I'll never know, but there's plenty to be said about the experience. Seeing the meticulous pinches and subtle flourish is something that can't be bought, and for that I can afford the extra 50%. 

A plate of sashimi starts things off. Amberjack is creamy and buttery, and the Scallop is a cold, thready silk. Bluefin Tuna is a meaty melt.

I'm new to Herring Roe, but I like it. A dash of dashi with a flash of fish from fine bonito flakes, they have a firm texture and burst a bit like pop rocks. 

 

Wild Halibut sheds a thick kombu shroud and finishes sticky and gooey with an earthy fragrance that lingers slightly bitter. 

Sushi starts with a gooey-meat Horse Mackerel,

 

and a delicate rose-petal Red Snapper.

Striped Jack is lighter and brighter, and I felt he was heavy-handed with the rice. The more delicate flavors of these first three pieces were overshadowed by the sweetness of the rice. 

Medium Fatty Tuna is the taste of tuna with drops of oily fat to make it rich. 

Hokkaido Uni lingers, briny and sweet.

It's a preview for a skewer of Fatty Tuna blow-torched for a smoky crust. Each bit drips with juice, rivulets of liquid meat. Dip in yuzu pepper for a spicy sizzle.

Sushi resumes with a Halibut Fin, this one with a springy, chewy texture that tastes exciting. 

Marinated Mackerel is a vinegar wake-up after so many pieces of fatty and smooth.

Seared Sea Perch is another blow-torch beauty, a sweet and silky piece. 

A5 Wagyu is the last of the sushi, liquid beef that tastes just as tender as any fish. 

A Toro Hand Roll wraps up the bar bites with finely chopped pieces of fishy fat. 

And Miso Soup makes you feel better about all you've consumed. 

Dessert is a milky matcha Mochi, a refresher for the road. 

It's a roller coaster of an omakase, and I mean that in the best way possible. The chef will take your tastebuds for a ride, alternating between cool and collected, escalating to the truly intense and thrilling you with more creative courses. The sushi here is spectacular, the counter experience worth its weight.