KURA SUSHI BISTRO
Phone: 310-282-8870
10351 Santa Monica Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90025
Kura Sushi Bistro opened last December. Looking up at the skyscrapers of Century City on the left side while driving along Santa Monica Boulevard; when I get to the intersection of Beverly Glen Boulevard, I can see the sign for Kura on the northeast corner. I entrust the car to the attendant at the adjacent valet parking lot, and my companion and I push on the door and enter the restaurant.
There is a bar at the back of the comfortably spacious lounge. The big square enclosure around the full bar is coming to life with 15 or 16 people enjoying happy hour after work.
We proceeded to the dining area on the right hand side of the lounge. Completely different from the atmosphere of the bar, the dining area has a calm and relaxed character. The lighting is four pillars shining with light, and large and stylish, lantern-type electric hanging lamp. The walls are white, wood grained, and stone. There are large brown boards arranged simply up to the ceiling, and there is torch-style lighting on the rock walls. There are also large gold-leafed Japanese-style pictures that are often seen on folding screens. These elements are modern as well as chicly harmonized, and being here makes me think I’m in a Japanese castle.
Executive Managing Director Shinichi Tokimoto came over to our table. With an easy way of speaking in a Kansai accent, he politely told us of the history of the company. Kura has built 200 “additive-free sushi” restaurants all over Japan, and this was its first overseas restaurant. The company is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, and is earning acclaim as an additive-free, low-priced kaiten, or “rotation sushi,” restaurant. Kura is based on its exclusion of four big additives: chemical seasonings, artificial coloring, artificial preservatives, and artificial sweeteners – none of which are used. The use of natural, organic ingredients is touted in the company motto.
Well, at long last, we chose the course for the sake tasting. The $65 set course, or tasting menu, was also attractive, but the dishes of that menu could also be ordered as individual dishes, so we listened to Tokimoto’s suggestions and proceeded to order. The items available were priced reasonably and seemed delicious. Our decision this time was to select from among individual dishes and to finish up with sushi at the end.
Dish 1: Sunomono with King Crab $9.50
Two large pieces of king crab are placed atop the sunomono, which consists of Japanese cucumber and wakame seaweed. It is gorgeous to behold. The vinegar seasoning of this refreshing and healthy item is rice vinegar, which is of course from Japan.
Best pairing: Tokubetsu Honjozo, “Tsukiyo”
2nd pairing: Junmai Daiginjo, “Kimura”
Dish 2: Crispy Shrimp Lettuce Wrap $7.80
Fried shrimp, fresh lettuce, fried glass noodles, and orange-colored spicy sauce are all arranged colorfully on the large, black triangular plate. The fried shrimp is chewy and its fine flavor spreads throughout the mouth. If you wrap the crispy glass noodles and fried shrimp in the crispy lettuce and dip it into the spicy sauce, you can enjoy the freshness in a new way. The sauce is quite spicy, so only a small quantity is recommended.
Best pairing: Daiginjo, “Fukukomachi”
2nd pairing: Tokubetsu Honjozo, “Tsukiyo”
Dish 3: Poke Salad (Spicy Bluefin Tuna, Avocado, Organic Mixed Green Vegetables with Organic Dressing) $9.80
It is delightful that there is a plentitude of thinly sliced rectangle slabs of crispy daikon radish in the green vegetables. A good portion of generously cut tuna covers the leaves. The sauce is a mixture of fresh, spicy citrus flavor and gives the salad a unique accent.
Best pairing: Junmai Daiginjo “Kimura”
2nd pairing: Tokubetsu Junmai “Munenouchi”
Dish 4: Crispy Lotus Chips $3.00
This dish is lotus chips fried until crispy, which are then seasoned with a little salt. This is a delightful appetizer that allows one to enjoy the crispiness of the lotus chip fibers.
Best pairing: Daiginjo “Fukukomachi”
2nd pairing: Tokubetsu Honjozo “Tsukiyo”
Dish 5: Soy Braised Berkshire Pork $7.80
This dish was served in fashionable bowl with a lid. Opening the lid with a feeling of excitement, there is a big portion of gleaming braised Berkshire pork. The natural sweetness seems to dissolve my stress from work. Although I had decided not to eat meat this evening, I couldn’t stop eating it.
Best pairing: Ginjou “Akita Touji”
2nd pairing: Junmai Daiginjo, “Kimura”
Dish 6: Chawanmushi $3.00
This chawanmushi, “steamed egg custard,” is small and cute, but the ingredients are unique and quiet varied - including salmon, sea eel, and edamame. It is blended well with the flavor of soup stock, or dashi.
Best pairing: Junmai Daiginjo “Kimura”
2nd pairing: Tokubetsu Honjozo “Tsukiyo”
Dish 7: Saikyo Miso Grilled Black Cod $9.20
The black cod is firm and quivers like jelly; marinated well with miso sauce, it turns out to be a dish one never tires of.
Best pairing: Junmai Daiginjo, “Kimura”
2nd pairing: Tokubetsu Junmai, “Munenouchi”
Dish 8: Miso Soup $3.00
I was surprised by the variety of ingredients such as tofu, sweet potato, pumpkin, daikon radish, and green onions that are served in a big lacquer bowl with a lid. The tofu consists of a large, soft piece simply scooped up and dropped into the soup. It is delicious. I fully understood when I heard this tofu is available on the menu as an individual dish: Premium Tofu ($3.40). As it is highly satisfying, one can enjoy this miso soup to the fullest.
Dish 9: Six Kinds of Sushi
All of the items are large and fresh. The low prices were rather astonishing.
Best pairing
Tsubukai shellfish $4.80
Junmai Daiginjo “Kimura”
Spanish Mackerel $5.80
Tokubetsu Junmai “Munenouch
Squid $3.20
Tokubetsu Junmai “Munenouchi
Seared Scallop $5.60
Junmai Daiginjo “Kimura”
Bluefin Tuna Belly $9.40
Daiginjou Genshu “Bisuikan”
Blue Mackerel $6.40
Junmai Daiginjo, “Kimura”
In the flow of the music with a Middle Eastern-like melody, I am able to enjoy the classy, atmosphere that makes me feel at ease. Orders were brought out in a timely manner, moreover, by our server, Michael, whose courtesy earned him 100 points - a perfect score. The time passed by in an instant, and soon it was after 9:30 pm. Suddenly the lounge became noisy with a crowd of people. They were guests who have just left a banquet. I am told there is a banquet room in the back, which can accommodate 120 people, and I am again surprised by the vastness of the restaurant. This week, the banquet room is fully booked.
Dessert was served just as I was amazed by the banquet guests, who suddenly came into the bar like rocks from an avalanche. The large-sized Soy Milk Pudding ($4.80) has a diameter of more than four inches, and its light cream color highlights the healthiness of the dish. When I eat a spoonful, I am able to enjoy the custard pudding’s smooth texture and understated sweetness. When it is mixed with the caramel sauce - tinged with the taste of lemon - that is placed alongside, the level of satisfaction reaches its peak. The Organic Chocolate Mousse ($6.80) is chocolate mouse arranged on top of coffee cake and is enveloped in a thin layer of white chocolate. The top is gorgeously decorated with chocolate flakes and almond slices. Here again, the sweetness of the suitably understated mellowness of the chocolate is expressed well. And I am grateful I can order some aromatic coffee to go along with this refined, delicate dessert.
The gorgeous atmosphere is enjoyable, and the prices are bargain-like, which feels strange since Beverly Hills is nearby. Here is a large company representing a Japanese rotation sushi chain that is able to offer a high level of service. The soy sauce, the vinegar that matches the sushi rice, the highly pungent, genuine wasabi – the basis for all these homemade Kura Sushi tastes is the thorough manner in which they are procured and then brought from Japan. The restaurant is conscious of the general public’s health, places a premium on quality, and holds prices down. It implements these improbable ideas as part of its overall business concept. Starting from this Kura in Los Angeles; and with an unyielding spirit that has grasped success in Japan, I would truly like to see Kura Sushi restaurants appear all over the world.
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