Nozomi UPDATE- Torrance

Their fish is sourced straight from Japan, and every day at Nozomi is a new day. 

Beautiful cuts of fresh fish, no detail unattended. Their omakase stands up against any Los Angeles institution, and the price point is barely a splurge. You won't leave hungry by any means, but if you're looking to split-your-pants gorge, their menu features an impressive range of sets and a la carte for a similar cost. 

Try the Chirashi Set if you want the variety. The salmon is creamy, the hamachi a pearlescent meat. Halibut is translucent and light, tako is tender, and tuna is dense. A  gorgeous prawn adds a ruby glow. Even the bed of sushi rice with crisp nori and pickles could stand alone. 

If the rice bowl doesn't leave you satisfied, the accompanying Miso Soup, Salad with a sweet and tangy ginger dressing and perfectly boiled Edamame will help. Just save room for a golden side of Karaage. 

We may have ordered too much, but the rolls are impossible to regret. The Spicy Scallop Roll is full of fresh, tender, sea-sweet chunks with a smear of spicy mayo and roe. The Caterpillar Roll has gorgeous layers of scalloped avocado, stacked like waves of the sea. It's so exactly ripe that it tastes like cream and oozes between grains of rice to envelop the sweet, fleshy eel beneath. 

I don't know why I don't think of Nozomi more often. Their beauty is not subtle, their mastery not easily missed. I have yet to see a single item on their menu that isn't a stand-out, and I'm willing to bet I never will. And believe me, I am willing to try everything they have to offer. 

Nozomi - Torrance

There are too many choices for sushi in the South Bay. 

Nozomi is yet another hole-in-the-wall, just one more joint buried in a strip mall...or so it seemed. 

Nozomi is not "yet another" or "just another" anything. The quality is crazy-high, the flavors and skill are manifest, and this "just another joint" is treasure-trove of truly great sushi, each piece is its own hidden gem.

The Sushi Dinner cuts to the chase, a full plate that is, simply, everything. Start with the cold fat droplets of toro that unfold in glistening gristle inside a scallion roll. Move on to the fat strips that glow ruby-red on the nigiri Toro.  The Amberjack is a delicate, buttery pearl, and a bit of garnet Bluefin is a meaty chaser. A Goldeneye Snapper shimmers with a rosy glow, and a freshly-shucked Snow Crab finished wispy and sweet.

The Orange Clam is a pleasing brine, the citrine Salmon satisfies, and the Spanish Mackerel shoots rays of fishy, silver sheen. The Ikura bursts into liquid goo, and the Uni is a perfect cream.

So satiated but still wanting more, we revel in a Uni & Unagi bowl. The eel peels off in soft slices of sweet flesh, and the velvety uni rests, sinking its encircling embrace around each grain of smooth sushi rice. This is a bowl you can delve into and get lost in for days.

Nozomi is a small space, but their dishes feel bigger than that. A deal at that price, a steal for skipping the LA traffic and parking. Four years and hundreds of restaurants later, I still feel like I haven't unearthed all that the South Bay has to offer, but if there are more places like Nozomi, I sure will enjoy the digging.