Came in the other night for a quick dinner with my girlfriend. We live a few minutes away but this was our first time in. We had a reservation and still had to wait for our table. I didn't really like the customer service about that. Not sure if because we were in sweats they weren't in a rush to sit us but I didn't like the vibe I got when we first arrived. Once sat, we had a friendly server. We ordered both their Rice Cake options, Spicy Tuna and Blue Crab. Both were delicious. Usually we try Spicy Tuna rice cakes every sushi spot we go but this place had it just like I liked. The rice wasn't too fried which made it more soft and enjoyable while eating. The taste of the blue crab was great. We also ordered a half a bottle of red wine. We were asked for our ID's which I also frowned upon. My girlfriend and I are both parents in our mid 30's, I don't think asking for identification is really necessary. We also ordered their OMG roll and their Dragon roll. Both were very good ad well. With every bite you taste both the flavor and freshness of their fish. We loved that. We've gone to Sushi restaurants where we don't necessarily taste all that and we never return. But this place was good. They need to improve on customer service just a little because they were not terrible to us and I observed how they were with other guests and they were good. Just improve a little. Overall we will be back soon to try more menu items. If you're in the neighborhood stop in, their on the better end of sushi places in the neighborhood. read more

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The waitress took the order in a rush and did not get it right. We ordered appetizers and the appetizers were served after we were done eating some our rolls and after we asked for it couple of times. The waitress never stopped by to ask if we needed anything, to remove the finished plates and was simply bad. Some of the order never got delivered. The waitresses vibes were negative. The manager lady came by and tried to fix the situation, but the whole dinner experience was ruined. We left still hungry. read more

Very clean sushi bar and restaurant! Fast service and very nice workers! 10/10 miso soup and salad are very good starters to your sushi meal! They also have udon on their menu. read more

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Yummy and quick spot for your sushi fix and not too crazily priced. Park on the street. Gfs and I made a quick resy (reservation) for 9:15 PM dinner. Not too busy and seated immediately. Food: A We ordered 3 types of Chirashi bowls each comes with a side of dressed salad. Never have I ever had a Chirashi bowl till now. It closely resembles a Poké Bowl but with less toppings and wild sauces. More simple and authentic. We wolfed down our food. -Chirashi bowl with uni, scallop, avocado and salmon. They thought I wanted toro instead of uni but they were super nice and added uni on top. Loved the furikake (seasoned seaweed toppings) on the sushi rice. Don't remember others orders but they had different fishes and all enjoyed their bowls. See you very soon for my fix. Total damage: With tip splitting bill in 3 with 3 hot green teas - $40~ not bad at all. read more

Murakami - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Still awesome! The last time I was here was just before Covid shut down (literally 1 day before the 2020 shut-down). I have to say, they have not skipped a beat and are awesome as ever. Thank you! read more

I Murakami! The owner and staff are all so wonderful. We sat at the bar and let the sushi chef prepare whatever he wanted for us, which is the way to go if you are comfortable with all types of sashimi. I will come here every time I visit LA. read more

I haven't been there for a while since the owner chef retired. I was so surprised that they perfectly kept the quality and the taste!! I wasn't expected that good. That was good surprise, I'll definitely go back to there more often. Good quality of food, customer service was excellent, and very reasonable. read more

Hi it's me again. My fiancé and I recently ordered from murakami this Wednesday 8/16 from Uber eat. Like I mentioned before I would try it again since last time experience wasn't great. We are always loyal customers at murakami. This time the sushi and sashimi were fresh and the size weren't too thick. Thank you for the delicious food and will come back again!! read more

One of the best sushi/Japanese restaurant experiences ive had in recent memory! We didn't have a reservation but we're happy to sit at the sushi bar. I always enjoy watching chefs at work. We ordered yellow tail sashimi with truffle oil - wow! It made me think, "is yellowtail my new fav sashimi?!" . We also had uni, super fresh from santa Barbara. We had a few other rolls, notably one roll called for spicy salmon topping. It's made fresh on order! The chef chopped salmon up and added his own spices before topping off the roll. The unexpected highlight of our meal though was one of the most affordable menu items. The salmon collar was just absolutely amazing! Yummmmm! Unlike other collar I've had, this piece of fish not only had the delicious piece of collar but also nearly a full size fillet attached to it. It was cooked perfectly with delicious smokey flavor and all of that was just $9! I'd go back just for this dish. Staff was very nice and attentive and kudos to the chef we sat in front of. A great dining experience. read more

Hands down my favorite high quality/affordable sushi spot in the area. I come here for the chirashi bowls. It's reasonably priced and you get to customize to your liking. Thick, buttery, and fresh pieces of fish on top of umami packed sushi rice, what's not to like? If you're feeling healthy and going low carb, they offer the option of subbing the rice with mixed greens so you can basically have a sashimi salad. Some of my fave cuts are the salmon and the jumbo sea salt scallop. Whenever I'm sitting at the sushi bar, I see the sushi masters at work! Yeah I see you! They're busy cutting the fish so you KNOW it's fresh. The service is always good and the ambiance is lowkey. Parking is street parking but I sometimes park at the Milk parking lot, which is convenient for take out. I've ordered take out plenty of times here and Murakami has never let me down. read more

Murakami - #6 chirashi bowl! Sub eel and shrimp w scallop and tamago :) - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

My boyfriend and I have been coming here for date night for a little while now, and it just keeps getting better every time! The spicy salmon roll is simple and reliably delicious, the fish quality is great, and their creamy popcorn shrimp in special is AHHHMAZING. They take reservations which on a Friday or Saturday might be a good idea if you have a tight schedule, but we have also had no problem getting a table just walking in with 2 of us. Weeknights there's plenty of room to stop in for a quick hand roll. COME HERE!! read more

Murakami - Chefs making the best crab hand rolls in town, people!!! - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Came in last Friday looking for a quick bite and a drink. A few people in front of us, no big deal. I come back from the restroom and my friend said no one even acknowledged her yet. Eventually after standing around for a bit we ask someone if we could possibly be seated and she just says "No." No explanation, no wait time, just a straight up "no." Keep in mind there's at least three tables open and a few seats at the bar free. I get if you're too busy to seat but at least tell us so we don't stand around waiting for nothing. read more

Murakami has amazing sushi at an affordable price. This is a great option for a low key meal out. I love the build your own chirashi bowls and the Murakami Sushi Roll (cucumber outside, fish inside). Service has always been good and parking is easy in the neighborhood. read more

i love the cozy vibe and amazing quality here! always fresh and delicious. the service is very nice and i love coming to this local spot!

I wanted to take a longer lunch and came across this restaurant. I walked in and it was not very busy but everything looked very nice and clean and menu looked appetizing. I ended up going back to this restaurant the next day and trying different things. The specials are worth paying attention to as they change almost daily, green lipped mussels were amazing and so was black cod which were special on the first day I went and the second day I went. The service was efficient and very nice, they were very polite. This place is around the corner from my office and next time I'm in town on business I will definitely come to have lunch here again. The fish was very fresh and the food tasted delicious. read more

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Murakami Sushi is the king of sushi bowls. It is pricey, but the quality of the fish is good ($18 'out of door', for four item). I think what stands out for Murakami is the dried nori that they mix into the sushi rice. I have been here twice, and I have fallen in love. It's really neat that you get to pick the type of fish in your bowl. I usually get the tuna, salmon, unagi and yellow tail. About 3 slices of fish for each, and unagi is ONE (UGGGGHHHH). If I was made of money, I want to be able to eat at Murakami until I puke. Until then, It'll have to be those TREAT YO SELF items. Parking is difficult. Generally Street parking. read more

Murakami - Four item combo: salmon, tuna, eel, and yellow tail - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Good food. Good vibe. Maybe could be fresher. But overall great place for Low key sushi dinner. read more

I am Japanese and Murakami is my favorite and only "go to" sushi restaurant for past 20 years. Sushi is super fresh, very friendly and professional services. If you wanna eat best sushi in L.A, this is the place for you! read more

Simply the best sushi at the best price. They do not give up on quality of fish and everything is absolutely delicious. I've ordered from Murakami every week during the pandemic and it's been a real moment to look forward to. They are wonderful as well - excellent customer service We moved from Los Feliz to Pasadena and I'll do the drive just to get their food. It's that good. read more

Amazing chirashi selection and great menu! Love this place for a healthy dinner to go. I've also tried the rib eye plate which is really good but ask them to make it medium rare as it came a little over done to my taste. Can't wait to build my next chirashi here! read more

The service here felt so quaint and the sushi was really good! The menu had your run of the mill sushi and rolls but for some reason their ingredients tasted super fresh. I regret not ordering a sushi bowl but you can't go wrong with anything you order here. Everything was delicious! I'm from Seattle where we are spoiled with some pretty good sushi here and was happy to chance upon this place that met the bar as a tourist in LA. read more

amazing quality! cute locals only spot. no frills. love coming here. good selection of rolls and nigiri

Much like that time I found my long lost cousins on Facebook, I am delighted that I found Murakami again. It used to be by a friend's house. Totally hole in the wall with KILLER sushi bowls. I was in love. A few weeks later, I drove out to dig into some fishy goodness and *SLAP* a closed for good sign. I may have cried. Don't judge me. Anyway, I was on Melrose the other day doing some errands and lo and behold, Murakami. I may have cried. Don't judge me. Later, I ordered my favorite bowl, the Zuke-don, and a few pieces of sushi while my friend got a couple of rolls and am happy to report that even though the space is bigger and more beautiful, the food is exactly as it used to be...killer. read more

Murakami - Tuna bowl with green onions. - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Come here for the Chirashi bowls!! They have a long list of specialty ones as well as customizable ones. I went for the mixed one (tuna, albacore, yellowtail, salmon, shrimp) and switched out shrimp for avocado. This set bowl of five options was cheaper at $15 than the "make your own" option of five at $17. Kind of doesn't make sense but worked for me! While the fish here isn't the most incredible melt-in-your-mouth variety it is still of great quality and there weren't any fishy or stringy pieces. The albacore and yellowtail were winners. Comes on top of a generous portion of sushi rice (can sub for steamed rice). Added the small green salad for $3 extra, which came with a really savory delicious dressing. Located on Melrose, this restaurant has an intimate ambiance and the mini outdoor area is a great spot to enjoy some fresh sashimi. Will be back and probably opt for a larger bowl next time. read more

Murakami - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I remember Murakami back in late 2010 when it was located on 1714 N. Wilcox Ave., a small dark side street north of Hollywood. It was a small space w/ a subdued atmosphere which served mostly Maki/rolls & Kaisen Donburi/seafood bowls at decent prices, but had no alcohol license. I mean, what is Sushi without Sake (sah keh)??? Like French cuisine & wine, the two have an affinity for each other since they both evolved together over a long period of time, and have similar origins since Sushi & Sake both arise from the use of rice. I had to console myself by pairing the Sushi with Ocha/Japanese tea in a paper cup. Also, the chefs were hidden behind in the kitchen so there was no way of watching them assemble the Sushi to see how masterful they were at their craft. So I went once & never returned. Now almost 5 years later, Murakami has resurfaced into a full fledged Sushi restaurant w/ a limited list of good premium Sake. There is a small outdoor dining area in front, long spacious bar seating in an L-shaped configuration w/ 3 Sushi chefs, Chef Murakami front & center, & table seating for those who just want to have the food. I chose the Chirashi (chee rah shee) bowl which gives you the option to choose various Neta (neh tah)/ingredients to put on top of the Shari (shah ree) or Sushi rice which is infused w/ Japanese rice vinegar, bit of Mirin (mee reen)/sweet Sake & maybe Dashi/broth of Kombu/kelp, The 8 Neta version runs $22, and chose: Aguacate, Kani (crab), Unagi/eel, Shake (shah keh)/salmon, Ikura n(ee koo rah)/salmon roe, Hotate Gai (hoh tah teh gah ee)/scallops, Hamachi/yellowtail, whitefish - I forgot to ask. The quality, fresh sea minerality & scent of this Chirashi made for a good deal. If you got the same order of Neta on Nigiri (nee ghee ree) Sushi, it would almost cost twice as much. I lucked out in sitting at the center of the Sushi bar so that Chef Murakami took my order. He is not impatient & takes his time creating each bowl. There is a tranquility about him that gives a reassuring feel that good things do not come out rushed which is similar to the old English aphorism, "Good things come to those who wait." I paired the above with Hakutsuru Sake (sah keh) that came in a 300ml blue bottle. The bouquet is subdued faintly smelling of rice Ko-ji & a bit of white florals. The flavour was of a faint echo of strawberry & kiwi with a enlivening light bitterness that cleansed the palate for more. I believe Kaz was my waiter who is helpful, thoughtful, but at the same time he gives off a Shinjuku-like hipness & insouciance. I get the feeling that on Friday & Saturday nights after work, he would go clubbing around West Hollywood til 4am just because it would be a cool thing to do. For some strange reason, he remembered me from when I went one time to the old Murakami on Wilcox. He later told me why since he had also seen me hanging out at the Masters of Latin Art gallery at the Brewery for their semiannual Art Walk. Even in a big city like LA, there may be less than 6 degrees of separation. Murakami is a pleasant place, brightly lit w/ a happy feel. When I got there on a late Friday night, there was a friendly buzz, but not the dreaded harpy, shrill, cacophonous bellowing like at Bestia, Animal, Son of a Gun, Bottega Louie, etc. that seems to be becoming the norm in LA. Good Sushi, good Sake, nice atmosphere, reasonable price that doesn't break the bank.......4+ Yelp stars for a great nosh without having to wear earplugs. read more

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I love, love, love chirashi bowls!!! Had Murakami bookmarked and saw that I was nearby so I met a friend for dinner. Got the number seven but subbed scallops for the shrimp. The bowl came and it was so pretty I almost felt bad eating it. Get the garlic soy sauce on the side, it's free and adds another dimension to the bowl. All of the fish was super fresh and delicious. Price was super reasonable too. It's pretty close to me so I think I have a new go-to sushi place! read more

Murakami - Number five. Sub shrimp for scallop - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

In my never-ending quest to find the best sushi in LA, I've slowly been eating my way from Sawtelle Japantown to Little Tokyo. Halfway between those two neighborhoods, I stumbled across Murakami Sushi, which specializes in chirashi - sashimi served over sushi rice. While Murakami doesn't top my list of sushi spots, it's still a solid restaurant that exudes authenticity. Although the menu features a number of typical Japanese dishes, your best bet is to stick with the chirashi. Should you decide to order chirashi, you have the option to order a signature sushi bowl ($15-22) or create your own bowl ($15-25). (In that sense, the restaurant reminds me of the countless build-your-own-bowl poke restaurants sprouting up across LA, even if chirashi and poke are fundamentally different.) Generally, I would characterize the options as reasonably priced, especially given the price of chirashi at higher-end Japanese restaurants. I ordered Number 6 ($19.50), which included tuna, salmon, yellowtail, albacore, crab, shrimp, eel, and avocado. There was a decent amount of fish (see picture), but the bowls weren't particularly large. Overall, the dish was fine - fresh fish with decent accoutrements - but I wasn't as wowed as yelpers led me to believe. Whatever you do, be sure to get the garlic soy sauce! The best part of the meal was actually an appetizer: the broiled salmon kama ($7.50). For that appetizer, I received a nice-sized piece of salmon collar still warm from the broiler. That warmth elevated the dish and made it one of the best pieces of broiled fish that I've had in some time. However, it was a bit strange that it came out after the chirashi. We probably could have avoided that problem had we specified an order when the waitress asked whether we preferred any dishes first. We didn't have to wait for a table on a weekday evening, but there were a number of reserved tables throughout the restaurant. You might want to make a reservation to ensure you're seated in a timely fashion, as the restaurant is on the small side. Despite the small size, you can still expect good service. You may need to spend some time circling for street parking, as the general area is fairly busy. If you're looking for chirashi, then you should add Murakami to your list of places to check out. It's definitely a hidden gem. read more

It's a lovely place. Nothing fancy but great. Service was attentive and the food quality was superb! Even the biggest sushi snob in the group was happy with everything we got. read more

Murakami is a great sashimi rice bowl place! I have been to Murakami a few years ago. Now it looks different. I love how you can have their recommended bowls or pick your own sashimi combination. Some of my favorites such as uni and salt scallop are premiums, so they charge extra for that. They have special $15 lunch bento boxes that they limit to 15 orders per day. I had the lotus root, shrimp tempura, and yellowtail roll for my bento. It was delicious. It also comes with a side salad. The bento box has a really nice presentation, but I still get hungry after eating it. I feel like I need a bowl of rice with that. Their service is pretty quick. Parking at paid meter on the street. I will definitely come back again! read more

Murakami - 4 Kinds of Sashimi Bowl - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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I found this place by browsing random Instagram photos. All the photos people took looked very appetizing and encouraged me to go. Being a first timer, I wanted to try their chirashi bowls. Murakami has several options depending how many different types of fish you choose. They also have an option to create your own chirashi bowl for those that know exactly what they like! The presentation was just as nice as the ones I've seen on Instagram but the quality of the fish was mind blowing. I had a great experience with all of the choices especially their wasabi!! A side order of yellowtail nigiri was ordered and was fantastic. I was so pleased with my dinner that I started speaking Japanese to the waitress. (rare occurrence) After a short conversation I headed out and was greeted in Japanese to come back again, tomorrow. =) The location is very close to La Brea and Melrose cross streets and parking can be a pain. VERDICT: Rinse and repeat read more

Murakami - 5 item chirashi - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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This is a fantastic, affordable sushi place in Melrose! Good, friendly service and an expansive menu for pretty much anything you're looking to order at a sushi restaurant. I ordered the mixed chirashi bowl because it seemed like a good deal to try a few different types of fish there. My friend and I also also split their chicken kaarage appetizer which was delicious. Number one tip is if you enjoy garlic, make sure to get their special garlic soy sauce! It's unbelievably good and really takes the chirashi bowl to the next level. We ended up eating everything with it even the kaarage which came with a standard mayo dipping sauce. read more

Murakami - Mixed bowl - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Are you looking for high quality sushi places that don't break your bank? In the SGV (San Gabriel Valley), there's Yama Seafood (sashimi). In the downtown LA, there's Sugarfish (nigiri). In the west LA, there's Murakami Sushi (chirashi bowl). Parking situation is pretty bad around the Melrose area. Since the restaurant doesn't offer valet parking, you'll just have to drive around and look for an available parking spot. Our group came in without any reservation. Staff was courteous and efficient. Hot green tea is $1 with free refills and you can request garlic-soy sauce for your chirashi bowl. --- Edamame ($3): Not a bad starter - edamame were partially peeled and lightly salted. Not a must order, but definitely a reasonable price. Make Your Own Chirashi Bowl (tuna, salmon, mackerel, uni with garlic-soy sauce - $13 + extra $5 for uni): Oooooooooo such a fresh sashimi + uni! Uni was totally worth additional $5 and garlic-soy sauce simply enhanced the overall flavor of the bowl. Number Seven (tuna, salmon, yellowtail, albacore, crab, shrimp, eel, avocado, scallop - $19): Colorful, beautiful, and flavorful. And most importantly, FRESH FRESH FRESH! Toro (nigiri, market price - $12): Excellent melt-in-your-mouth toro, but I would just spend those $12 (with one more dollar) on another chirashi bowl. --- Ability to customize, fresh fishes, affordable, and great service - pretty simple formula and Murakami Sushi hit all these four points. Two BIG thumbs up. P.S. - Murakami also opens on the New Year's eve! read more

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I've been here twice and both times it has been amazing. The highlight here are the Chirashi bowls. There is the option to make your own chirashi bowl (pick your fish and veggie toppings) or select from the pre-set bowls. I've tried it both ways and it was awesome both times. I recommend the hot sake with it. The service is friendly and fast. I will definitively go back. read more

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Make sure you get to Murakami on your visit to the city. We didn't go wrong with anything on the menu! Started off with the miso soup and seaweed salad. Both were the perfect way to start our meal without getting full. The seaweed salad was one of the best i've ever had. Our table all together ordered the Caterpillar roll, California roll, Philly roll, sushi bowl, Hamachi Kama and Spicy Tuna roll. Our table was raving over everything on the table. Each roll was delicious. We loved how the rolls were not wrapped with too much rice. We were able to eat a lot without getting full off of the rice. I also appreciated the speedy service and kind waiter that assisted us during our visit. The prices are fair. Atmosphere is pleasant and the food is delicious. even the water is bomb! 5 stars! read more

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Amazing, fast delivery, real LA quality sushi. My new order from spot. Not all sushi created equal read more

Murakami - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Love this place. BEST bang for your buck for CUSTOMIZED chirashi bowls (Sushi on rice bowl). Ranging $12-18, depending on how many items? Get their garlic soy sauce. Meter parking, friendly staff. Cute small patio area. customize your bowl $12-$18!!! PS every time I've gotten "eel", I've only gotten ONE eel. So don't get it. read more

Murakami - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

We have been looking for a local sushi spot for quite some time. A friend recommended Murakami and we tried it. Wow! How did we not know about this outstanding sushi spot? I think it's Nobu quality but without the super expensive price tag. Everything we tried was top notch. The only downside is the limited street parking, as it can be a bit tricky around Melrose. read more

When coming here, you may have to double around, because it is very easy to miss and parking is hard to find. They do not have a parking lot and street parking is limited. There is a parking lot nearby that is not there's, so your car risks being towed. There is seating inside and outside, but there is not a lot so I don't recommend large groups. We ordered the Weekend Lunch Special, that comes with an Appetizer, Main Dish, and a Sushi Roll as well as Miso Soup and Salad. We didn't know what the appetizers were, so we asked our waiter to explain and clarify what they were. We couldn't really understand her, so we just looked them up on our own! Other than that, the service was great and our waiter was very attentive!! There wasn't that many other people when we went so our food came very quickly. The food portions were great and the food was amazing. The food didn't feel heavy either and the fish tasted very fresh. It was great trying a lot of variety for the price and enjoyed every part of the dish. Overall, just wish there was a better parking situation, because the food is delicious. read more

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Murakami is one of my favorite sushi spots! The garlic edamame is the best there. And I like to get their sushi bowls with their garlic sauce on the side. It's amazing and so much better than soy sauce. I think they're known for their sushi bowls. Staff are friendly. The restaurant isn't that big and it gets really busy so I usually go during non busy times. They have street parking and I think valet. I've been going to Murakami since they had a small spot in Hollywood before. read more

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DO NOT LET THIS PLACE GO OUT OF BUSINESS. This place is still open during the covid pandemic, and you absolutely should give this place your business. The food here is so good. The quality of the nigiri is very much on point, but I like coming here for their sushi bowls, which are FANTASTIC. The price point ($20-30 for a bowl, without premium ingredients like toro) is also great for the quality. You can make your own bowls, and add greens instead of rice if you are a communist, and you get three slices of each fish you choose. Each fish is either presented solo (salmon, tuna, red snapper), or with some garnish (eg, the mackerel, which is amazing, comes with grated ginger and sliced scallions). And the sushi chef and his apprentice are incredibly pleasant and friendly. If you're going to order out, rather than pick a chain that will survive a nuclear holocaust, go to one of these hidden gems that are at risk of closing down due to the pandemic. read more