Sari S.

I came to Mutsu with a friend right as they opened at 5pm. Luckily, she lives walking distance so we walked over from her home. The restaurant is a few doors down from the Largo, near the Beverly Connection & Center. Parking can be tough if you're looking on La Cienega, but plenty of paid lots to go into and walk over from. The inside is beautiful. Minimalist with a gorgeous bar. Minimal staff - it was only the one waiter who I believe may have been the owner, and one sushi chef out on the floor. They were extremely nice and gracious, overall great service. They have a smaller menu, mostly handrolls and yakitori options. Seemed promising truthfully. My disappointment with this restaurant came when we took our first bites of the handrolls. We were the first customers of the day and the nori was tough. It was chewy, hard to bite through, tasted a little stale. The actual fish was good, nothing incredible but not bad. It was just really hard to get through anything without unraveling it with your chopsticks and eating the inside. The yakitori was okay - we did not order meatballs but that is what came. For such a beautiful restaurant I really had hoped the food would be up to the same standard. However, with so many other amazing sushi options near by, I'm not sure I'd be running back.

Raya M.

With the hype around Mutsu, I had to make a reservation a full month in advance just to snag a weekend spot (ended up going on a Sunday). It's definitely busy, but overall I'd say it's worth trying. They really specialize in yakitori and hand rolls, so if you're coming in craving specialty rolls, this isn't the place. That said, it's actually refreshing to switch things up, and we did enjoy our meal. The space itself is beautifully designed. It's very small and intimate, but they did a great job with the ambiance. The light up marble counter is stunning visually, though not the most practical for dining. Because of how bright it is, everything placed on top ends up looking darker than it actually is (you can see this in photos). The bar seats about 8 to 10 people and they have one private table for a group. Service wise, Chef Oscar was a highlight. His energy and craftsmanship really stood out, and honestly I'd come back just for that experience alone. As for the food, it was good, especially the sashimi, where the quality of the fish was excellent. But overall, nothing felt particularly memorable or wow. A lot of the dishes felt like they were missing a bit of flavor, salt, ponzu, or something to bring more depth. We found ourselves relying on spicy mayo or soy sauce more than we should have. One standout, surprisingly, was the miso soup. It was genuinely the best I've ever had. Also worth noting, we spent about $300 for two people with no alcohol, just water, which felt pretty steep for what we got in terms of both quality and quantity. Overall, a solid experience with great ambiance and service, but for the price, it's hard to justify as a go to spot. I'd come back, but not regularly.

Nicole B.

What an incredible experience at Mutsu. From the moment you step in, you see how beautiful this space is in person. Small, intimate, but full of warmth and charm. The staff are kind and humble, ensuring you're getting the best experience. On to the food - the seafood is insanely fresh! The scallop and shrimp skewers were absolutely delicious. The spicy tuna, crab, and sweet shrimp hand rolls were fantastic. The scallop hand roll was fresh but had a little too much mayo for me (but I'm just really picky with mayo in general). Each piece in the sashimi platter melts in your mouth although they're all different in texture and flavor - truly a masterpiece. We also tried the Negroni and Moscow mule and both were great compliments to the meal. Parking can be a bit tricky but considering the area, it's to be expected. Mutsu can be a bit pricey, because things obviously add up, but you get what you pay for with the quality and attention to detail. Mutsu is a tucked away gem perfect for when you want an intimate dining experience with high quality food. We'll definitely be back :)

Kathy X.

Finally had the opportunity to check out Mutsu, their reservations are fully booked every weekend for the next month, and I definitely get why. The vibes in here are so unique, that marble under lit counter is the centerpiece, and the music is all a vibe. I like the concept of this restaurant, and all of the food is really good. My only (big) qualm is that they are on the pricier side, especially given the size of the portions. Service is really great, everyone that works there is so friendly. The standout bites for me were the tsukune, and my husband loved the sweet shrimp and caviar handroll.

Elsa W.

Beautifully designed, nice and cozy ambience for date night. We came here on a Sunday night and was wowed by the design. Took many many pictures and enjoyed the handrolls, yakitori, and sake. The chef, general mgr, and server were suuuuuper nice and friendly. Loved that they were French, I love seeing my bf be able to converse with them. The handrolls were good and I really liked having a combo of raw fish and yakitori skewers. We will be coming back to visit the team and try other things!

Margel L.

First time coming here and it was amazing. The ambience was spectacular along with the service! My friend and I both got the 8pc set. If you like spicy, the yuzu sauce is a must try. We also tried their yuzu spicy margarita, which was okay (sorry lol). Their yuzu cheesecake was my favorite! Highly recommend trying this place at least once. Can't wait to come back.

The interior was the only beautiful thing about this place. For how expensive it is the quality of food was ridiculous. The nori was chewy and hard to eat, the sushi rice was way too saturated and the fish was mediocre. The yakitori was satisfactory but tiny. For the cheapest set course, you get two hand rolls and two yakitori skewers for $28. For $28 you would expect that the hand rolls to be exceptional. Also one glass of beer was $13. We ended up paying $90+ for 4 tiny, chewy, individual food stuffs, and one glass of beer. This was not it. The staff on Wednesday around 5:15 were also oddly stand-off-ish. My friend and I arrived and were treated with random oddly long stares and crappy service. There was particles of dust or dirt in the water cups, and the handling of the check was awful. Wish I could've not tipped at all.

Will X.

Mutsu is a neat concept that brings together Handrolls and yakitori in a fine dining setting but at an approachable price. Vibes are definitely nice and sleek where you have a happening bar and a pretty private table at the end where you are walled off from the bar - no view of the chefs but you def have your own space. Handrolls are tasty. Good quality fish. A bit more seaweed heavy than Kazunori given the sheet and layered wrapping but I like it and doesn't take away from the fish. Yakitori was tasty and the egg dip was a nice tough. Good chew and flavor on the meatball and chicken. Shrimp had a good cook and chew but would've liked a bit more glaze. Good sake list. On the pricier end but fitting the setting. Street parking (metered) right outside -- Note: for food and dining experience 4 stars. But knocking 2 off for billing experience. I had to put a deposit down on OpenTable for a reservation. When I saw it wasn't credited on my bill at the end, I was assured by staff I'd get a refund. 1 week later nothing. I called multiple times but got a voicemail box is full msg every thing. No response to email or direct yelp message despite them being active responding to reviews. So warning is to only use the no-deposit reservation for a good experience, and never the paid one because they will pilfer that

Xochilt S.

Came here to have dinner with a friend. Got very lucky that we didn't have to wait a long time for a reservation. Came here hungry and left full! Food is delicious, place is so gorgeous! Tomas took care of us and was very kind and attentive. Definitely recommend this place. If you get a chance to swing by! You won't regret!

Bella S.

My bestie and I were excited all week after making a reservation in advance for a dinner experience at this picturesque restaurant. Unfortunately, we were extremely disappointed by the food and overall experience. First, the restaurant is kind of a hole-in-the-wall with a small storefront, so it is easy to miss. Upon arriving, the restaurant was completely empty. We were promptly seated, but we were seated right by the entrance, so it was kind of cold every time the door opened/closed. Next, we were brought a paper menu to mark the quantity of the items we wanted to order, and 1/3rd of the menu were all crossed out as "out of stock." 1. Sashimi Platter (3/5) I am not a huge sashimi person as I am very picky about that "iodine seafood taste." As such, after taking 1 bite, I can immediately tell the sashimi was NOT FRESH. My friend who ate the majority of this platter initially said it was "pretty good" until she got sick from it. 2. Snow Crab Handroll (3/5) Again, not the freshest. As soon as they handed the plate over to us, we smelled the pungent crabbiness. In terms of flavor, it was crabby, but creamy. 3. Wagyu & Uni Signature Temaki (1/5) Not sure how this is their "signature" as the wagyu was super chewy, NOT tender at all. You literally had to put the whole thing in your mouth in 1 bite in order to eat it as there's no ripping that piece of meat with your teeth. The uni was not buttery/melty, which indicates it is not fresh. The seaweed was soggy and also difficult to bite/rip apart 4. Toro & Takuan Temaki (3/5) OK tuna, but nothing special. Seaweed again was soggy. 5. Salmon Skin Handroll (4/5): Of everything we ordered, this was the best. The salmon skin was perfectly crispy and was not fishy. It maintained its fatty oils. The seaweed for this roll was far fresher and crispier than the other rolls we've gotten 6. A5 Miyazaki Wagyu Yakitori OK meat, but I really wouldn't call this "wagyu." It was not tender and didn't have that rich wagyu flavor that you'd expect to get. This seemed like a cheap, knock-off version that's priced 3xs more than the quality ones you'd get in Japan. 7. Tsukune with Egg Yolk Yakitori (3/5) Sounded cool, but it was just a chicken meatball skewer served with a side of raw egg yolk to dip it in. The egg yolk gave it a bit of creaminess and extra protein, but that's about it. Interesting concept, but nothing special about the flavor. 8. Jumbo Scallops Yakitori (3/5) OK scallops. Again, not the "melt-in-your mouth" type, but likely cause it is cooked 9. Matcha Pistachio Cake (3/5) If you like frozen cake, then this is for you. It was served to us still completely frozen. We had to wait at least 15 minutes for it defrost a bit to be edible. It had a pleasant Yuzu citrus flavor with a subtle matcha flavor. It was not too sweat slight. I liked the crispy bits of pistachio in it. The aesthetics of the place is nice, modern and minimalist, but we did not get the vibe of the place. The music that was playing in the background did not match the visual aesthetics and it was playing too loud. We were struggling to hear each other's conversation and eventually had to ask them to turn down the volume. Lastly, we found the waiter to be dressed in an off-putting way. He had this tattoo on his chest and wore a very low-cut shirt to show off his tattoo. We honestly did not find it to be quite appropriate for a restaurant setting of this sort. Maybe I am just not getting the vibe or point here. Final note, we left feeling hungry still after dropping almost $300, feeling dissatisfied with our experience overall, and ended up having to go somewhere else for a 2nd dinner to make up for it. This place is so NOT WORTH IT. You are just paying for the aesthetics, not quality food. Most importantly, we both ended up with food-poisoning after eating here. Severe diarrhea and nausea that began within 1-2 hours of eating here and lasted for days. We noticed the chief who prepares the sushi didn't wear gloves while preparing our meal - yuck! On top of that, there were no paper towels in the restroom to dry your hands, so I can only imagine him touching the restroom doorknob with his bare hands then going to go make sushi/sashimi that you are going to consume = never again will we be coming back!

Kisha L.

Mutsu was very nice very elegant. It only holds 10 people so it's very intimate. I love how they have bar seating for your dining with beautiful lighting. They have two additional sections for seating near the bar one for two people and the other for about six in a private section. You have limited time due to it being small inside. You get about 2 hours, and you gotta get out so that other people with reservations can get in. You can barely find the resturant it's a hidden gym. parking only on the street valet parking around at other restaurant of you can find We tried pretty much everything all the food and drinks were very good and very tasty. I got so full I could not eat anymore. I enjoyed it. Nice place to go on a date or hang out with friends. Our waiter was phenomenal

Matt L.

Opening up across from one of the best in the city (Sushi Fumi) was bold. That courageous spirit carries over into the earthy and cool as hell design philosophy that is evident throughout the space. It's undeniably beautiful with a feeling of originality that brought me back to Kyoto. Hearing hip hop bump throughout the dinner was so uplifting to my spirit and truthfully, I think stomachs digest better to the tunes of 808's and lyricism. Though I think it's sliding by on a bit too much cool factor and not enough culinary and service excellence. The process of entering was a bit odd as the hosts are in the distance, so being seated close to the door makes you the first eyeballs that the people entering see. So I saw many confused people who sort of take a second to realize they have to wait - and because of that - you end up having some people lurking over your shoulder like gargoyles since there's no waiting area. The fish was fantastic though the level of oomph and polish and rice consistency weren't touching Kazunori. The wagyu had a timid marinade that didn't really slap me around, though the quality was solid no matter what we ordered. All in all, cool spot and I look forward to coming back in a few months if they don't withhold that reservation fee as a previous reviewer mentioned.

Gary I.

Mutsu on La Cienega Boulevard is a Japanese bar/restaurant with a fantastic bar made of solid, polished, translucent onyx that glows ethereally from hidden lights resting on a base of rock that looks as though it were mined out of a limestone cave. It is an intimate space that invites noshing small, Japanese bites, sipping Sakè and Japanese wines emphasizing food products from Aomori Prefecture in Northern Japan. There is a Tapas like bar feel to give it a Spanish twist. There is global influence with the collaboration of French, Spanish, Japanese in a unique blend that I hope will blossom into an exotic flower reflecting the multi-cultural scene that is L.A. It was fun relating to Madrid, Catalunya, France, Japan with the worldly, savvy staff. Featured for this pre-opening restaurent event was food products specifically from Shimokita, Aomori which will be shown in the uploaded photos. It was standing room only, and the staff & guests seamlessly interacted and engaged on how to promote this soon to open Mutsu Restaurant as well as promoting Aomori. The Los Angeles consul general of Japan and head of prestigious Japan House were present to add their imprimateur to the occasion. A good time was had by all so that 3 hours went by swiftly. Much thanks to owner of Mutsu & staff, Japan Navi, Aomori Prefectural government to make this pre-opening so festive and welcoming. 5 stars