Uzumaki - Culver City

Trendy, cozy, intimately city-chic. Minimalist menu, Omakase Uzu, Uzumaki Plus is quite a deal. 

The Ceviche is cool and cold. Freshly refreshing chunks of slick salmon and meaty tuna.

I may have reached a new foodie low. I even photographed the Edamame. It was good edamame, cooked to just the right level of firm, but that doesn't excuse the fact that I just photographed edamame.

Round 1: An ambitious Albacore is airy and hearty at the same time. The Salmon is smooth and dense with a side of citrus, and the Yellowtail is tender with a tinge of pink.

Round 2 is a gorgeous, gooey Sea Bream and a buttery Amberjack, both spiked with a dot of yuzu pepper.

Round 3: A tender Scallop, pure ponzu Halibut, and an effusive extravagance, the Bluefin Tuna.

The Crunchy Shrimp Roll is so much more than I ever could have expected. It's just shrimp tempura, but it's an undeniable hit of fresh seafoam shrimp, and the tempura flakes are the lightest, freshest beige.

The Spicy Tuna Roll is equally exciting, a classy touch of spice to highlight, rather than disguise the tuna.

The omakase is enough, but the baked donuts are a must. Delicate little ringlets, ice cream sandwiched in the middle. The Honey donut is best with a scoop of rich dark chocolate. 

The Green Tea taste is less detectable, but the pistachio ice cream is worth a try.

I see that Uzumaki has been criticized as a wannabe-Sugarfish. I couldn't disagree more. IMHO, Sugarfish tries too hard to be sexy, and their over-seasoned, overpowering rice-bombs overwhelm the fish. Uzumaki isn't Sugarfish at all; it's just Uzumaki. Their seasonings are complementary and subtle, and the nigiri is flavored with intention rather than flash. Far as fish-bars go, I prefer the quieter appropach, and Uzumaki is on my list of "preferred".