Great food and the owner Ester is the sweetest! She has made sure this place is COVID safe! I went on a busy Saturday night and with spaced seating it's hard to get a table quickly (I recommend reserving online). We ordered our food to go and Ester invited us to Hama Garden (next door with more seating) to sit and enjoy our food! Will definitely be back! read more

I love this place! Tony, Blair, Margaret, Steph and Tatski are just some of the amazing staff here. Food has always been great and so have the drinks during happy hour at the bar! I love the service and always feel like I am at home here. Make sure to try their garlic edamame, kama happy hour special, sashimi salad and house sake. Ester (aka Mamasan) is #1 read more

I've been coming to Hama Sushi for 13 years, almost every time I visit LA. Last night was the worst service experience I've had there, and in any restaurant recently.. The sushi was acceptable (used to be great), but the service was terrible. Aside from obvious order mistakes, like bringing us two orders (i.e. 4 pieces) instead of two pieces; 2 of our 5 guests were not served their main course with the rest. In fact, their mains were brought out 15 and 25 mins after the other guests'... it was not crowded and in fact 2 of the 3 sushi chefs were simply waiting around. The waitress eventually comped one main, but the damage was done and for no reason, except that she appeared to be more interested in chatting with friends than getting our orders in and timely served... her "excuse" was it was "serve as you go".... ha! I will be GOing elsewhere for SERVICE... read more

Got all the essentials of a sushi place. Excellent service plus social distance measures are taken seriously which is huge. The place is pretty classy and you can smell the freshness of the sushi delivered to tables. Not to mention it's really close to the beach. Highly recommend if you're swinging by Venice or craving sushi by the beach. read more

Strawberry roll & the Bamboo saki! Aside from that the sushi is ok & way over priced nothing espectacular.

I've been getting takeout here a lot since the pandemic started. Sushi is always fresh and delicious. I ORDER TOO MUCH FOOD! I have dreams about crispy rice. I'm thinking about a garlic butter edamame app and sake right now. Yum. read more

We enjoyed our evening eating sushi....Hannah was AMAZING!! It was my boyfriends first time here......and Hannah made our night!!

This place is all about expectation. If you expect an authentic nigiri style Japanese sushi house - this is not it. What this place does well is unique American style Japanese inspired rolls. Several delicious flavorful rolls on this menu that you really can't go wrongm great apps as well such as the shishito peppers and garlic/butter edamame. Great place to go with a group and share a few rolls! read more

Hama Sushi - Shishito peppers, delicious oiliness with cheese flakes. Yummmm - Sushi Bars Near Me - Venice, California

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Found Restaurant Hama after striking out at another sushi bar which does not take reservations. The first thing you notice when you enter is how loud the place is. While the food was well presented, everything tasted just mediocre. That is except for the Lemon Yellowtail roll, which was inedible. Honestly, give this place a pass. read more

Horrible service. Extremely rude. Untimely AF. Total disregard for customer satisfaction. read more

Ordered through doordash. Sushi arrived with no wasabi, ginger or soy sauce. Disappointed and will not order from Hama again.

I've had better sushi at a better value. The ambiance is on the borderline of beachy casual and kind of shabby. The space feels very Venice, with covered patio seating and surf videos projected onto the walls. All flaws aside though, I really enjoyed my experience here. First of all, it's very convenient for when you want to go out on Abbot Kinney, which I was after the meal. Second, they were happy to take a reservation for 10 on a Saturday night when no one else would (take that, Gjelina!). Finally, and most importantly, the service was very impressive. The waitress was happy to split the tab between two halves of the table to make splitting it easier at the end. My half got a couple of basic rolls and the green devil spicy roll, which is the tamer version of their VERY spicy red devil roll. It still had a kick to it and it's perfect for spicy tuna lovers (of which I'm not usually one). At the end of the night, we told the waitress that we had a birthday in our group and what we could do. She said that we needed to buy a dessert but that they would make it special. We ordered the banana fritters a la mode (amazing!), and before we knew it, the house lights had gone down and they made the whole restaurant sing to my friend. It was so nice! I mean, I'm glad it wasn't my birthday, but it was a fun way to embarrass her. Even the sushi chefs were in on it! I thought it was a nice touch, and everyone in the place was happy to oblige us. Although there's lots of good sushi out there, I really liked the overall feel of this place and I'd come back. read more

Don't be deceived by the Italianly-lit and scripted signage on the building, this place doesn't do noodles. It's a sushi joint, and a pricey one at that! I love the character that they rock as their logo. It's very Venice - one part artsy, one part surfer, with a little crazy thrown in for good measure. The sushi wasn't anything that particularly struck my palate, however I really like the casual bar atmosphere (they have a "dining" area and sushi bar as well). I don't recall anyone being over the top friendly but no one really blew us off either, so the service is standard west coast. They only have one beer on draft (Sapporo) but they have a good selection of bottles to quench your thirst. Bonus: they have those delicious mints (not the generic circle ones but the cylinder looking ones that melt in your mouth)! read more

My 200th review!!! Our waitress gave recommendations for a dry and a sweeter sake, and we opted for a junmai-shu and nigori. We started off with some edamame and miso. The soup was hot, delicious, and full of all the goody tofu, seaweed and scallions it should have. Venice roll: Spicy tuna and cucumber topped with seared tuna, avocado, jalapeños, and red onions, sprinkled with black sesame seeds and ponzu sauce. My favorite!! Barely spicy, it was almost refreshing. Sort of lighter in taste to the heavier sauced items on the menu, but just as delicioso. Surf & Turf roll: Shrimp tempura, avocado, cucumber, and spicy mayo, topped with filet mignon and green onions and seared with a garlic tamaji sauce. Good - but a little heavy on the meat for me. Filet mignon is my favorite portion of steak, and it was seared well, but the mayo and tempura overpowered it more to my liking. Temptation roll: Crab, avocado, and asparagus roll with baked scallops, dynamite sauce, eel sauce, and sriracha topped with green onions. Kinda like a regular dynamite dish, except in a roll form and poured on top. The sauce really did everything for the dish though; otherwise, the roll itself is pretty tame. We sat in the outdoor portion with heat lamps and walls adorned tiki-style. They always had two big screens of surfing videos showing, which sort of gave way to unappetizing flashes of body parts through dinner. But service was great. No one rushed us even after we finished our meal and the check came. We also always had a table between us and another couple, so conversations were never overheard. read more

I really enjoyed my sushi here. It's a little sushi joint in Venice area, non pretentious. We sat by the bar, the chick at the bar is cute and fun to talk to. The dude sitting next to us was totally hitting on her the whole night, he kept asking her to drink with him... made our night all the more entertaining. The quality of sushi was good. Fresh and Tasty. On the scale 1-10, where 1 is American style and 10 is very traditional japanese style, I would say it's around a 7. More traditional than not. I had my first monk fish liver. That was really outstanding. However, I do have to say I still love my Uni a little better. Lovely little chill out spot. Cool! really inexpensive for happy hour.... they also have late night happy hour! read more

I went surfing with my buddy and stopped in afterwards for the happy hour. It's really tasty stuff! The garlic butter edamame for those who want flavor and don't care about "healthy eating" is so good you may end up licking the plate. The service was great. The counter service was quick, friendly and NEVER obtrusive. The spicy tuna roll and scallops were really good and after eating at this place, you feel happy to be with your friends sharing a great meal. When we were there...there were celebratory sake bombs by the table next to us. It was all great fun. The locals seem to love coming here, so you know it's the place to eat. I'm glad I made the trip. read more

Lots of local peeps around here swear by this place and at one point it was a trendy "hip" place to hang out. Sushi? Well, its so-so depending on your taste buds and how they are acting...... Hit or miss but nonetheless, its a sushi joint geared towards the trend rather than the quality of food. As most sushi eaters move on/try newer places, they will then judge the quality. Let this place be a stepping stone for others to follow. Good crowd, loud and the sake do flow like a river here. Cruise on down to Hal's afterwards and enjoy a more peaceful drink atmosphere or waddle your way down ocean blvd and enjoy the local pubs. read more

Ok...Hama is my favorite sushi restaurant. I have been a Hama faithful for 8 years!! I was saving this review to be my 100th. Hama has great atmosphere, excellent food and service and hot servers. I can't say enough about this place - it is a well rounded spot. I do my best to go in once a week - typically on a Thursday or Friday night. Hama has two different atmospheres to choose from. Let me choose for you - Outside. The bar in the patio is where I always sit. The inside dining room has more of a restaurant feel. In all the years I have been going to Hama, I have sat inside twice. Hama has 3 TVs and 2 Projectors - a great place to watch a game. It also helps if your on a boring date or just bored with your company. They have recently started a Happy Hour, as well as making some new additions to the menu. If you are there at Last Call you will be sent home to the tune of Hotel California - A nightly Hama tradition. A great place for a birthday as well - I've spent 5 there. My Recommendations: Spicy tuna - ez rice Spider roll w/ ponzu Yellowtail sushi Spanish Mackerel sushi Albacore sushi (my favorite) Green Devil Venice Roll Nato roll Beef Sashimi Toro Sashimi a couple of bamboos to drink and tempura green tea iced for desert. My Favorite Sushi Joint!!!! 5 stars Fo Sho! read more

You can depend on the quality of the fish here. It is very fresh and well selected. I was with a group of 11 people, and given our various requests, both the waitress and the manager took very good care of us. Venice is a difficult area to park in so having valet available for $4.50 is a big plus. Delivery of the car was prompt and courteous. Another big place is that you are in Venice. This is a fun area. Driving down Main Street to get to and from this restaurant is in itself an amusement. We sat on the patio which is a bit "divey" but casual fun with good music. They have a happy hour on the patio which I haven't tried yet (note happy hour is ONLY available if you sit at the bar, not a table). If you are taking a date here, I would opt for the inside room with the white tablecloths. Note that the patio was covered when we were there - I am not sure if it is ever actually open air. But they do have heat lamps. If you are ordering off the menu or the specials on the board, you should be fine. You should be able to order a reasonably priced meal without fear. If you order anything without a pre-determined price, be sure to ask. I was surprised that I ran up a $90 tab here (with one glass of wine, tax and tip) just for myself. I have a lot of experience ordering at Japanese restaurants (I lived in Japan 20 years) and I can usually get a satisfying meal with a glass of wine for $60. The dangerous thing to do when ordering sushi anywhere that you may go, is to order things that you don't know the price of. The waitress said that they could make any hand roll with the soy paper displayed on the board in their $8 special. I was relaxed and enjoying my friends so I didn't want to make an ordeal our of ordering. I kept it simple and ordered what is usually a nominally priced roll - "negi toro". Normally the toro in a negi toro is left over bits of relatively inexpensive chu toro chopped up - but if it's fresh, it tastes good. The waitress did not warn me that this negi toro was made from "o-toro" which is a very expensive cut of toro and not something I would expect to find in a negi-toro without being warned. The cost - $15.50 + $1 for the soy paper - $16.50 for a hand roll. It tasted great so I ordered a second one (I didn't know the price till the bill came). Then I had shishito (which can run from mild to spicy - this was spicy), Hawaiian Poke served California style in a martini glass was a special that evening. Fortunately it was not really Hawaiian poke because Hawaiian poke is salty. But the structure of their dish followed the classic red tuna cubing of poke and then avocado added. The tuna was of excellent quality and the price performance on that $12 dish was good. Several of us ordered the poke and were pleased with it. Seafood gyoza for $9.00 was fine, not amazing but fine. Overall, I would recommend Hama Sushi without hesitation for the location and the quality of the fish. read more

Bomb sushi. Chill atmosphere. The best part, if you're into surfing...the surf videos they show. Great conversation starters especially, of course if you're into it. I like this spot because it has a relaxed atmostphere, it wasn't too loud where you couldn't hear each other. And of course, the sushi was just so nice. Fresh I would say. I had an all around great experience here. read more

I went here for my boss's birthday dinner. We are all Japanese so we thought their food would be authentic. Nah, this place is now non-Japanese owned even though there are some Japanese sushi chefs. Customer service was so awful. The waitress we had served us with such a nonprofessional attitude. We cleaned our table by ourselves because we wanted them to learn how to treat customers with better manner. The foods were okay. Fishes are not fresh at all. I could tell fried foods like popcorn shrimps were fried in not fresh oil. read more

Tonight was my 3rd night to visit this establishment and I have to say the service, food, and atmosphere improved each time, tremendously! My first visit, was great with no complaints and my 2nd visit even better. However, tonight, I experienced different rolls, and sake, than I had ever tasted before. The strawberry roll was such a great combination of traditional sushi roll and a spike of sweetness to top it off! I couldn't believe I was eating a roll. I thought it was dessert! Then came the salmon tariyaki! Cooked medium...to perfection! The tenderness and flavor of the salmon not overly glazed with tariyaki perfectly complimented my taste in rolls, trying a Shiso lemon roll and a Spicy Crunchy Crab. What an amazing time, dinner with great friends and amazing flavor! Highly regarded as one of the best sushi restaurants I've been to in LA!! read more

My editorial in BIN Magazine for Hama Sushi in Venice: Close your eyes and imagine yourself sitting comfortably in an outdoor covered patio, just blocks from the azure spray of the beautiful Pacific Ocean. A classic Neil Young song dances dreamily in the background while awesome surf videos splash on the wall behind the bar. In front of you, your table blossoms with a bounty of the most delectable sushi and premium sake. This was my memorable experience visiting Hama Sushi in Venice. Upon walking in, I was immediately greeted by manager Tony Kim. He graciously guided me through a wonderful culinary wave-ride of new tastes, textures, and flavors. I had the pleasure of sampling Blue Crab Handrolls, Rice Cakes, Jalapeno Yellowtail, Combo Tempura, and the beautifully presented Bamboo sake. All of these were utterly fantastic. However, the Ika and the Strawberry Roll were my favorites. I never had the opportunity to try Ika, which is one of Hama Sushi's customer favorites. For me, consuming grilled marinated squid took a bit of courage, so I was unsure what to expect. I cautiously tried a slice of the squid, dipping it in the accompanying spicy mayonnaise sauce. It had a firm texture, and was delightfully flavorful. I can see why customers keep coming back for more of this delectable dish. Additionally, the Kikusui sake that Tony recommended to accompany this dish was spot on. One of the highlights of my meal was definitely the Strawberry Roll, which is an innovative combination of shrimp tempura, avocado, cucumber, and spicy mayonnaise, crowned with snow crab and strawberries. This roll is absolutely beautiful and each bite was an explosion of varied flavors and textures. I was blown away with how the flavors of the Strawberry Roll were brought out even more paired with the Kubota Manju sake. Hints of pear and apple from the sake married perfectly with the sweet strawberries. Absolutely amazing! I had an incredibly time dining at Hama Sushi. The outside patio is fun and festive, and there is also a sushi bar and tables inside, if you prefer a quieter atmosphere. They offer happy hours from 5:00-7:00 daily, regardless of high tide. Additionally, they participate in the Venice Art Crawl every 3rd Thursday of the month, which showcases local artists. read more

Very fresh sushi in a relaxed setting. I wouldn't recommend the Red Devil Roll. I love spicy food, but the spice in this dish overwhelmed the taste of the fish. Regardless, I look forward to going back to Hama Sushi! read more

I used to love this place, until the prices started inching up and up and up. The whole vibe of the place is that it's a casual surf-style spot...until you see the prices for the rolls--many of which are $19. Almost twenty bucks for one roll at a plastic table on a kind of chilly patio with surf videos playing on the walls. My tactic: I get either the Red Devil or Green Devil roll (12 bucks and both amazing if you like spicy things) and then a basic tuna or yellowtail roll (7 bucks). There's your 19 dollars and it's much more satisfying for someone like me who wants to taste a few things. And I usually get the shisito peppers, too (7 bucks). Yum. If you're going to splurge on one $19 roll, however, let it be the strawberry roll. It is delicious. Happy hour is only "eh." (The happy hour at Chaya Venice on Main Street Santa Monica is faaaar better). All in all, I like the food. I just always feel gipped that I'm paying so much for it. Which is why my visits here have waned to about once every six months, and always at someone else's suggestion. Too bad. read more

This place isn't very cheap. But that's not to say it's overpriced. The quality is excellent, so it's acceptable. I love spicy food, but wasn't impressed with the Red Devil Roll--it wasn't pleasantly spicy; it felt gratuitous. The Temptation Roll is a must, if you like tempura rolls. Jalapeno Yellow Tail sashimi was also very nice. Interesting location. I think I have Venice envy. read more

Hama is a diamond in the rough that is Venice. The vibe is buzzy(read: make a reservation), most of the clientele looks like a borderline homeless version of a celebrity and the staff is super friendly. Most importantly, the food is great. The menu has a wide variety of items from rolls to entrees for those who prefer their food on the cooked side. The spicy tuna/crispy rice is a great treat to start with, and I recommend following with the Kenny's Lobster Roll and the yellowtail or salmon sashimi (6 cuts of fish!). Cocktail-wise, I'm not sold on the Shochu martinis (except the green tea - that one rocks), but you can't go wrong with a Sapporo and some sake. Yes, it's a bit on the pricey side, but let's get real - who trusts cheap sushi?? Bonus: $4.50 valet parking, which, on and around windward circle, is worth millions. read more

I'm a big fan of authentic sushi and sashimi and not fancy rolls. That said, really liked the Green Devil- i love spicy rolls w. jalapenos. The Strawberry roll was great but I'd get the petite size next time (at half the price). The salmon nigiri and yellowtail nigiri were really fresh. Ordered a salmon and avocado roll as the end roll and the fish was like sashimi quality. Amazing! Also they used very little rice which I like :) Sat outside in the patio. Great space. Chill, relaxed Venice style. Prices were about twice as much as I'd expect for the same quality in Little Tokyo so can't afford to become a regular. Better quality than Chaya I felt. Want to try the happy hour sometime. read more

Our first night in Venice, we were in the mood for some sushi. It was a chilly, rainy night, and Hama was only a couple of blocks from the Hotel Erwin. It was late evening on a Saturday, and luckily we didn't have to wait. We sat at a small two-top which was very cozy with the other tables. They pack them in here, but that is part of the fun. Our server gets five stars. She was so cute and friendly, but not in an annoying way. I ordered a side seaweed salad to start, and it was delicious. I'm glad she asked me if I wanted the small seaweed or the larger one on the salad section of the menu. I didn't really want the larger one with the greens, and was grateful she alerted me to the other option. We ordered a mixture of sushi and rolls. The Green Devil and Ono, a nightly special, really stood out. The Green Devil had yellowtail, green onion, jalapeno masago, and chili oil. It had a nice bite and a unique flavor. The Ono, a very white sushi, felt like eating silk. I'd never had it before, but will try to look for it next time I have sushi. We very much enjoyed Hama Sushi. Granted, my sushi palette is not the most sophisticated, but we left with smiles and full bellies. Everything tasted very fresh to me, the atmosphere was funky/casual, and the people watching was fun. What a great start to our trip! read more

NOTE: IF YOU DON'T READ LONG YELP REVIEWS, LET ME SUM THE BELOW UP SIMPLY SAYING: SIGNIFICANTLY OVERPRICED, MEH QUALITY, SHITTY MANAGER. Dear Hama, First off, thank you for inciting just enough amount of spite to encourage my first yelp review in months (years?). I'm an LA native (west sider) so I grew up coming to your place, before I knew what quality sushi really was and could probably sneak in a sake bomb with a fake ID. Fast forward 10 years and you've withstood the test of time. Location, Location, Location, in the restaurant world, easily trumps food quality and service. Long story short... The specials board was misleading, advertising a "petite roll" at $9.50. The waitress pointed me to choose 4 different types. I honestly understood that to mean one piece of 4 different types. I ordered one, thinking I'd get 4 pieces, but instead ended up with 4x4. Way too much. Mid-way through conversation with my people I realized they hadn't ordered all that food, but it was too late. The bill came, charging us 4x$9.50. I explained to our waitress how misleading the specials board was. A truly honest mistake. She brought out the manager who agreed, yes it was misleading and that he'd be changing the board tomorrow. But ultimately, fuck me, he wasn't going to take a penny off the bill. He then asked if we would like another beer. A pretty clear implication, if you've ever been offered a standard concession from a manager, that he'd be treating. Alas, no, he added the beer to the bill. The whole experience was really disappointing, and clearly they don't really give a shit about customer service here since the built in clientele doesn't mind paying for the over priced truly mediocre quality fish at this local establishment. I promised myself I wouldn't be one of those angry yelpers, down voting a place based on a poor experience with the staff... but I can't help it. The manager basically told me to go fuck myself. The guy could have said, "hey, you're right, let me take $20 off the bill" and I would have been satisfied. Instead of remaining a regular customer, who would put up with the adequate sushi for nostalgia sake if nothing else, spending on average $60/week (let's reduce that estimate to $1500/year), now, I'll never be back. So long Hama... read more

How have I not written a review yet for one of my favorite sushi places in LA? How? Look, fair warning, this place is expensive. Especially if you are going to get their best rolls. You're looking at $19 a plate. However if you're looking to have an amazing fresh and contemporary style sushi. This is the place to go. You have to order: -Strawberry role: the perfect amount of sweet to make this dish something you care as soon as you finish your last bite. -Surf & Turf: LOVE! Filet mignon and sushi, need I say more? -Shiso Lemon Role: Sushi has never tasted fresher. Really you can't go wrong here. From the outside this place reads "Stay Away" read more

Friday night... Me: So where do you want to meet for dinner? B: Hama Sushi in Venice, reservations at 8:15pm Saturday night... Me: So where is Tracy having her bday dinner? L: Hama Sushi in Venice, have you been there? We have to be there by 8:30pm. Fate brought me to Hama Sushi TWICE in a row this past weekend and both times it gave a memorable and impressive performance. Act I - the Atmosphere Barry W. was right about the iconic factor and Hama just has that chill eclectic vibe character of Venice. Its a bit pricey so it also has the gentrified sector of Venice as most of its clientele. As you walk in, the right half of the restaurant is a quaint patio with strings of lights overhead and the bar, which is open seating and gives you a big flat wall projection of an addicting surf video. The left side of the restaurant is indoors and has more of a legitimate upper echelon atmosphere including the sushi bar. On Friday night, I sat at the bar and actually prefer this service better than table seating, which was what we got on Saturday night. BUT the bar would only be good for a 1-3 person party...any more people than that, you really should get a table. Act II - the Food & Drinks =D An impressive selection of sake, minimal wine list, all three popular Japanese beers: Asahi, Kirin, Sapporo; the best thing is their array of Sochu martinis, in tropical flavors like Guava and Mango...the tropics and pacific came alive in my mouth! In my two visits there, I had the... Hamachi kama - grilled yellowtail collar, buttery, flaky, and oh soooo tender Scallop dynamite - being baked with cream, mayo, and mushrooms helped disguise the lack of freshness in the scallops Sashimi combo - 5 different fish, tuna that near melted in the mouth, all in a beautiful arrangemnt. my whole face lit up when it arrived, need I say more? Tempura combo - meh, I've had better...a little on the soggy side Venice volcano - a variety of sashimi arranged a top a bed of greens with a little mini dish of oil that is set on fire when brought to the table! I know its gimmicky, but it worked on me =D Concluding remarks - I've heard that parking and finding a seat at the bar can be difficult, but I was lucky both nights in a row. I guess Hama and me were just meant to be. But if you aren't as lucky as I was, valet is only $4.50 =) read more

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Always a great place to enjoy some unique sushi, sashimi and rolls! I'm a fan of sitting at the sushi bar as they take care of you! They are always coming up with new flavors I've never tasted anywhere else such as their shiso lemon rolls, surf 'n turf w/yellow tail instead of shrimp tempura and my favorite concoction I have them make me... uni and giant clam wrapped in a sliver of seaweed paper with a drizzle of lemon dipped in their specialty habanero sauce!! Hands down one of my favorite sushi places overall!! read more

What ever happened to this place has to be put on the owner. Little by little between cheap product and sketchy chefs it has fallen away from it's glory days. The scene was always cool and relatively still a place where you feel like it's happening. But The sushi has slipped a lot and the service has followed. Risking sickness and attitude problems if you go, I recommend avoiding. Sad to see this place take advantage of it's popularity and belt out bad product. read more

I was introduced to Hama by a friend. His family has been coming here for something crazy like 20 years. I found it to be great service and delicious. There are indoor and outdoor areas, and it gets pretty packed up in the evening, so calling ahead for reservations is a good idea. The flavors of the rolls are unique, there's a lobster roll that has some sort of amazing dipping sauce that really just rocked my face. So freaking good. The tempura veggies are also really, really delicious. The staff is very friendly, the atmosphere is great, and they have a very cheap valet right out front (I think it's $4). I've been back multiple times after my friend brought me initially and the experience has always been great. read more

We absolutely love this place! The sushi is on point and delicious! If you enjoy spicy food we highly recommend red devil with yellow tail as well as the spicy edamame. The service was excellent.. thank you to our server Ivanna! We will deff be coming back! read more

Hama Sushi - Delish! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Venice, California

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My last meal (and for most years it always seems to be Japanese food or at least Asian) for 2011 was a couple of bite's of Hama Sushi's chicken karaage and a really fresh salmon philly roll. How fresh do I mean? Seriously fresh. Go buy some supermarket sushi then head over to Hama - you'll taste the difference. My bf and I arrived late to meet up with the NYE crew, so we only got some leftovers and a last minute plate of philly roll. Lemme tell you, it was tasty. Nice bitesize pieces of well marinated karaage tho cold still had some good sear & flavor to it and absolutely fresh salmon in the philly roll. I liked it so much we went back on Monday after spending the afternoon at the beach. We ordered the philly roll again (to make sure it wasn't a fluke). The bf ordered the chicken teriyaki special - very little for the order, three pieces of chicken on a skewer, total three skewers on vegetables. It was tapas-sized snack than a dinner meal, so make sure to ask about the size when you order it). I got the black cod entree and it was tasty. Reminded me of my first taste of butterfish I had at Roy's in Newport Beach - very buttery and cooked well. It rested on a bed of thinly sliced shitake mushrooms and accompanied by a messy bowl of white rice. Loved it. The philly roll was of the same quality as a few days ago and I was dumb not to order more of it. I'll be back Hama Sushi. This time I'll make reservations for the back sushi area and not the covered patio area. read more

After waiting 30 minutes for Mao's, we all decided to walk a block east into Hama Sushi. We waited about 2 minutes for them to prep our table for 8 and they were so nice and accomodating despite our being so beligerent and obnoxious! Apparently, the party I was with was already 5 drinks past drunk, but of course that didn't stop them from ordering tons of beer and sake for the table. 2 words. Chilean Seabass. It was so nicely wrapped in a banana leaf with a bamboo stick through it and served with tiny greens with a sweet balsamic vinegrette and mixed berries. The fish was glazed with a sweet citrus-y sauce that as cooked so perfectly well, it pretty much just melted in your mouth - it was excellent. This was $22.50. I didn't see much more on the menu that was more than this... so prices are very reasonable. I also ordered yellowtail sushi on the side and that was $6.50 for 2 pieces. Amy B ordered their beef teriyake and mixed tempura and both were excellent and very flavorful. The place is so decieving! You're under pretty much a tent with a long bar and cheapy looking tables and then all of a sudden this amazing food gets served to you! Although this wasn't my first time here, it felt like it - last time was about 6 years ago. What's kept me away this long? The owner was outside when we left and asked me if I enjoyed my dinner and to make sure I came to visit her again and more often. That was sweet! read more

Great atmosphere, mediocre sushi, outrageous prices. To be honest, I really like the surf videos, faux-outdoor seating, crowd, and general vibe. However, I hate the prices and really really dislike the unimaginative, uninspired, and bland sushi. MT read more

Ehh, a pricey and quite pretentious sushi joint in venice. but yet, sushi....in venice...that should be expected. pretty cool set up though, one side is the sushi bar..quite traditional in that sense. other half is sorta outdoorsy but wrapped up in a tent. theres a bar with huge screen tv playing sports game. spaces are TIGHT! i kept having to scoot in so that people can slightly pass by. food was pricey for the portion and quality. 6 small pieces of sashimi for $17....i will probably need eat $70 to be ok....udon came in a small rice bowl, which was a joke. they have sashimi, rolls, nigiri, and other entrees. my group of 7 spent over $270 here, going home right after to order and devour 2 large pizzas! service was slow and did not feel the friendliest. read more