The best sushi in Southern California. Makes sushi row on Ventura Blvd in the valley look like a fools errand. After a few years of eating in the store, yesterday I went against all common knowledge and decided to have their sushi delivered.... ....WAS AMAZING!!! Delivery seaweed on the hand rolls and cut rolls were still crispy!! I thought that was impossible -- but even more impressive was the fact that my Toro was just as "melt in your mouth" as it is when I go there. Go here or order from here, it won't disappoint. (And no I don't work for the company) read more

First time eating here and happy we did. I had the Albacore crispy onion sushi and my son had the salmon avocado roll. He enjoyed his and I was surprised on how delicious mine was. Clean open space with good friendly service. Thank you to the staff read more

Sushi Ai - Sushi Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

My wife and I have very different palates. I usually prefer burgers or Mexican food, but she loves Asian cuisine. This time, she was craving sushi. The staff were attentive, even though we only ordered one dish. The sushi chef prepared our spicy tuna roll quickly, and it tasted pretty good. My wife liked it so much, she even asked me to try a piece. I was only able to eat one, as I was already too full. We would be happy to return if we're ever in the area again. read more

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If you've been following me here on Yelp, (wink wink) what are you doing standing there not sending me a friend request by now? You already know how much I love reviewing new places or adding to reviews of spots I may have forgotten I've been to. Just like that one-time date whose name, face, and entire existence you mentally deleted. Oops. I love these unassuming places that end up being total gems. This restaurant is tucked behind a gazillion other amazing spots on Hillhurst Ave. in Los Angeles. The street is quaint, charming, and gives off "meet-cute in a rom-com" energy vibe. Let's dive in: PARKING Ladies, be prepared to walk, unless you get lucky and snag a spot right in front. I thought there was private parking, and I think there is... somewhere. But I didn't see it, and street parking on Hillhurst is like trying to find a guy who doesn't say "I'm not ready for a relationship" after three amazing dates. Red flag: Parking is elusive and mysterious. Like a man with no social media presence. Green flag: We found a spot, so the universe was clearly rooting for us. SERVICE The first thing I noticed? Service was sloooow. There was only one chef and one server, and the place was packed, on a Sunday afternoon, no less. I felt sorry for the server who had to juggle all his customers by himself. The sushi chef was friendly and greeted us when we walked in. I liked that. Red flag: Understaffed and overwhelmed. Like a guy who's emotionally unavailable but still insists on dating. Green flag: The staff was doing their best, and I respect the hustle. But whoever owns this place needs to hire reinforcements ASAP. Sushi deserves better. FOOD We ordered the Microtech sashimi with tuna, salmon, yellowtail, crab meat, and soy paper. It was unbelievably delicious, I fell in love instantly. If I wasn't trying to lose weight, I'd have ordered three more plates just for me. We also got another sashimi plate, and it was solid. Green flag: Flavor that makes you forget your calorie count and your ex. Red flag: None here...this dish was a total catch. AMBIENCE Very casual vibes. Lots of kids, big tables, and even a dog in the back room. It's giving "family-friendly" with a side of chaos. Now, one of my little pet peeves: flies. I don't like places that ignore the presence of annoying flies. If I were the manager, I'd be checking those windows and setting boundaries. Why? Because flies and raw fish are a toxic combo. Red flag: Flies buzzing around sushi? That's a hard no. Like showing up to a date and realizing they brought their emotional baggage and their actual ex. Green flag: The casual vibe is great for low-pressure hangs. Just maybe not your first date unless you're both chill and fly-tolerant. WOULD I TAKE A DATE HERE? Absolutely. I'd give it another chance. The food was yummy, and the laid-back atmosphere makes it perfect for a second or third date...when you're past the "impress me" phase and into the "let's just vibe" stage. read more

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Stopped here yesterday, Mother's Day, with my daughter, who lives in the neighborhood. Every single aspect of our food and service was far more than a 5 star! And my big long hair German Shepherd was immediately given a large bowl of ice water (we chose to sit outside) without our even having to requesti! The waiter was beyond pleasant and very patient and diligent when we inquired about certain menu items. He gave his suggestions and offered changes if needed. When the food began to arrive, it was served spaced nicely and we didn't become overwhelmed with too much at once (we ordered 6 different items because I love doing that on my first trip to a new restaurant). The food was perfection!! Every single bite. Beautifully presented, fresh tasting, and original in many ways...just so impressive. I wish I could recommend a stand out dish, but each dish qualified! We took a bit home, each to our own homes, and still talked about the food today! This Wednesday is my dog's 6th birthday and we plan to go back there, sit indoors in the AC, and have his celebration right there! We can't wait! Thank you to Sushi-Ai and the entire staff, from Angie, to the servers , and to the kitchen! read more

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Located in the bustling Los Feliz area of Los Angeles, this wonderful sushi establishment is worth trying. The atmosphere is welcoming, the service is friendly, and the food is fantastic. We definitely were allowed to take our time and enjoy our meal without feeling rushed, rare for an establishment, especially on a Friday night. We enjoyed spicy edamame and baked mussels from the Happy Hour menu and eased our way into sushi, comprised of tuna, salmon belly, yellowtail belly, albacore and the Yellowtail & Pepper Salmon roll. All were excellent, fresh, and melt-in-your-mouth good! Kikusui Junmai Gingo Sake was the sake of choice, chilled and delicious and maybe a cold draft beer to get the weekend started. There are lots of establishments to explore in the area, but give Sushi Ai a try, you won't regret it, unless you don't like sushi. Reasonably priced, welcoming atmosphere, intimate setting inside or out, and a relaxed vibe all the while. Street parking available, watch signage. Valet parking in the lot south of the establishment on Hillhurst. Cheers. read more

Sushi Ai - Bird's Eye View of deliciousness - Sushi Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

My partner and I ordered two teriyaki bowls--one beef and one grilled chicken--for $19/20 each--only for them to taste truly like cafeteria food or premade from a grocery store. The chicken was rubbery and just had no flavor. Ditto my partner's. Miso soup watered down. Tuna roll didn't taste fresh. Server was nice about it but incredibly overpriced for the quality here! /: read more

We've been searching for a new favorite sushi restaurant since our previous favorite closed. Local places we tried were both overpriced and underwhelming in the quality of food and service. We were delighted when we happened on Shush Ai. Conveniently located with dedicated parking, the restaurant won our vote for delicious, innovative sushi rolls, general sashimi portions, and attentive service. The ambience is casual, with dark wood and a rustic Japanese vibe. We ordered blue fin toro and yellow tail belly sashimi. Both were excellent, but the blue fin toro was especially delectable. We got two different rolls, #1 an #17. Both were unusual and flavorful, lots of fish with minimal rice. We finished with blue crab croquettes. These were packed with blue crab and crab flavor with a delicate, crisp crust and a rich dipping sauce (lemon sour cream?). We left stuffed to the gills and happy to have a new favorite sushi place. read more

Mateo was phenomenal! The sushi cuts were just right and the presentation was on point! Mateo was on top of our sushi, and our drinks They have amazing albacore, halibut, and the jumbo scallop roll was delicious! We will be coming back read more

Sushi Ai - Happy hour - Sushi Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Went their with our son and it wasn't that pleasant. Everything from Food, Service and Friendliness was questionable. I think the restaurant has lot potential and could improve. read more

Loved this place, rolls had lots of fish and were all really good. Service was great too, will definitely be back!

I had the bento box was delicious. My server was very friendly and kind. It was the tall Latino guy with long hair, beard and tattoos i think his name was Boris. He was always checking on us and very a knowledgeable of the menu. Definitely would come back. read more

Sushi Ai - Sushi Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

The food here is always good, the people working here are nice and helpful and the vibes here are very chill and nice.

This Chirashi bowl was so delicious! I wasn't sure what the bowl would end up looking like since the choice of sashimi can vary but it had all of the fish selection that you'd expect/want. The sashimi pieces were thick and tender, my favorite was the salmon and the ono (learned something new, I'll be requesting this fish from now on). The flavors from the tamago, seaweed salad, green onion, and tobiko paired so well with the fish and sushi rice. Highly recommend for the freshness and the portion size. read more

Sushi Ai - Chirashi bowl and combo - Sushi Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Always a good place to come for fresh sushi , Jamie gave us great service too. Overall good place to eat and enjoy a good time .

Really big cuts of fish, I was pleasantly surprised. I like the dinner special my partner loved the chirashi bowls. This place is consistent with fresh cuts. Choice to eat out on the patio too. read more

Sushi Ai is my daughter's favorite restaurant. She loves it so much she wrote about it. This is one of her draft. It's a nice and friendly place, check them out! read more

Sushi Ai - Review - Sushi Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Disappointed and Concerned - A Warning to Fellow Diners The restaurant staff were friendly and professional, which I appreciated. However, the overall experience was deeply disappointing and ultimately, dangerous to my health. When I first sat down, I noticed a fly buzzing around. I let it go, thinking it was no big deal. But by the end of my meal, I was being swarmed and bitten by what I can only describe as large horse flies. This is clearly not a service issue but a serious hygiene and sanitation concern. I spoke with a manager who, unfortunately, dismissed it entirely and offered no resolution. The next day, I came down with a severe case of dysentery. I called the restaurant and not only was I met with denial, but I was accused of lying. I have documentation of my illness and have reported it to the health department and from what I've seen in their past reviews, I'm not the first person to raise concerns like this. As someone who cooks with and is closely connected to chefs like Beth Aretsky, Aretsky Patroon, and the late Anthony Bourdain, I know the difference between an off night and a fundamental problem. Unfortunately, this was the latter. A restaurant's integrity is tested not when things go right, but when something goes wrong and in this case, they failed. I sincerely hope they take action before someone else ends up worse off. read more

This was a nice place to eat. We sat outside and had a variety of sushi and plates. My favorite was the tempura mix with shrimp and vegetables. Service was good and our food came out fast. Parking: there is a parking lot a few stores down, it does not have the name of the restaurant in the lot but I confirmed it was ok to park there. There's also street parking. read more

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Amazingggggg! Definitely my new go to sushi spot when in town. Spicy Alaska roll is seriously one of the best rolls. The fire roll was very good as well. The baked salmon (forgot to take a pic) was good but not my favorite as I don't prefer cooked salmon on sushi but personal preference nonetheless the sauce was good and I would still recommend. read more

Sushi Ai - Spicy Alaska Roll and Fire Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Food always fresh and taste good , great customer service. Ambience is quite and relaxing

This has been my favorite place for a long time, but they recently took everything I used to order off the menu, and now the individual sushi only comes as one piece instead of two. It's not the biggest deal and it doesn't speak to the quality of the food, it's just kind of a bummer. I loved that they made the salmon roll with cucumber instead of avocado, but alas it is no more. I realize this is not the end of the world, it's just hard losing your favs. read more

A nice Japanese restaurant in Los Feliz village, plenty of good indoor and outdoor seating (outdoor has heaters - nice on a cold day with hot sake. Their cooked items are delicious - the fish collars, any teriyaki, chicken karaage- yum. They have a really good selection of beer and sake. For larger groups, the overflow room is great with larger benches to accommodate big parties. The 2 other sushi spots in the area are fine, but are very small with few tables - this place has a better flow and is more spacious in every way. The sushi itself is fine. I'd recommend specialty rolls over the nigiri. Wait staff is very friendly: read more

Average sushi nothing to brag to the sushi gods about. Plates were nicely laid, taste was ok, temperature slightly cold, sushi cuts were from an inexperienced chef (prolly not trained in Japan or not trained by someone trained in Japan). Raw food I don't mess with, either you're hygenic expert , else, I won't give you my business. Omakase was Ok (don't get this). But I asked for a list from our trusty Yelp expert Kevin P, Yelp's sushi spot maven and will be trying more places he recommended. Bonus for the Jeni's ice scream shop a few down. Wow. More on that later. read more

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I am never disappointed with the food here and always order again! Their dishes are consistently good and they always take great care in packaging their delivery orders. Their Chirashi Sashimi bowl was large and filled with very nice slices of sashimi. They were a good thickness and it was filled with nice surprises! We also ordered the Combo A&B dinner with salmon and chicken. It was a good amount of food! Delicious! read more

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Came here on a Sunday evening expecting there to be a long wait but luckily there was not, we were able to dine in. The food did take a while to arrive but it was totally worth the wait. If you're really hungry just remember this.. maybe eat a small snack so you don't get hangry. Customer service was great, atmosphere (with no one around was awesome) Parking as with everywhere in LA can be a hit or miss. Definitely come try them out ! read more

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The sushi here was delicious, so fresh and flavorful, we enjoyed it so much, the staff was so nice, helping us choose suitable options after we explained we kind of sushis we liked, I really liked the atmosphere of the restaurant its self, tables are spaced away with the perfect distance lol Thank youuu read more

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Food was very fresh and food came out quickly. Left wanting to order more but it was just too much food

Sushi Ai accommodated my gluten allergy and even had gluten-free soy sauce. The service was good as well. Disappointingly the seaweed in the sushi was not crisp and very chewy. It made the sushi experience unpleasant, and I didn't even know seaweed could taste like that. read more

I went here for an outdoor lunch this past Friday and was so impressed with the level of service, the implementation of the Covid guidelines (this restaurant made me feel really safe), and the food quality is what makes me want to go back already. Compared to other sushi restaurants in the area this is a little on the pricey side, but the fish quality totally backed it up. Below is what we tried: Baked Crab Hand Roll - 5 Stars. Served with soy paper just like at Katsuya, this hand roll is a must try and absolutely delicious. Spicy Tuna on Cripsy Rice - 4 1/2 Stars. Quite tasty. Rice was perfect crisped, and the tuna quality was fresh and delicious. 4 Types Sashimi - 4 1/2 Stars. This has salmon (4 1/2 Stars), Tuna (5 Stars), yellowtail (4 Stars) and whitefish (4 stars) all presented beautifully and very fresh. Eel Sashimi - 4 Stars. Served between fresh slices of avocado, this was really delicious. Overall this was a great experience. Parking for lunch was super easy, they have a small complimentary lot during the day on Hillhurst, in addition to street parking. Service was outstanding, the gal that helped us was really nice and friendly. Great experience, I'll definitely be back again! read more

We ordered take-away sushi from here today and we were very pleased. Sometimes sushi just doesn't travel well. We had mixed results from other places so we decided to try Sushi Ai for lunch. It's very close to home so why not? We ordered a simple beef bowl which my wife enjoyed. Solid. We also order tuna maki rolls and octopus nigiri sushi for my kid. He was impressed and ate every last bite happily. Nice. I got several sushi items. Blue Fin Tuna, Albacore and Eel nigiri sushi. Everything was very tasty and looked great too. We will order again soon! read more

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Fresh sushi, friendly service, and local business with parking in Los Angeles! What more can a girl ask for?! My husband found this place by accident. They have a big and decent size menu. Items that most of us are familiar with generally in any sushi restaurant. They have amazing fresh fish! The service and the guys making the Sushi is amazingly friendly! One of the best things is that they have parking! It is valet but at least there is an option for parking! All in all, this is my favorite sushi joint now and I can't stop raving about this place read more

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Great sushi spot. Such a cute neighborhood- great service, chill vibe with perfect service, huge menu with lots of variety, and they even have a Japanese craft beer selection! I've never seen that, so I thought that was awesome. There are a few tvs but they're on silent. There are big family sized style tables and bar seating. Outdoor cute area with heaters too! The pricing is fantastic, don't go pay more somewhere else for less. I love this place. Try it!!! read more

Sushi Ai - Salmon belly! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

The Combo B plate with chicken was incredibly flavorful: the grilled chicken was nicely textured and had a tasty sauce, the fresh salad was deliciously dressed, the sushi was very tasty and topped with a nice crunch, and the sashimi was of great quality. The night atmosphere was contemporary / clean and the service was very attentive. Such a nice quality sushi spot for locals in the area! read more

I come here around two times a month and it's solid sushi! The food is consistent and the sushi and entrees are good! The service has gotten better too and the waiters/waitresses are always willing to help out with getting you a refill or checking in on you. I'll continue to come back here! read more

Disappointed with the restaurant when it comes to Uber Eats delivery. It is the third time I write "NO SPICY" on the salmon lovers roll and it arrives spicy. It's an expensive roll and I can't even eat it. I am no longer ordering delivery of this roll from this business. read more

Giving them 4-1/2. The Spicy Alaska Roll (Spicy Tune, Shrimp Tempura, Jalapeno, Lemon & cilantro) might be one of the best rolls I've had in quit some time. Perfect balance of flavor and ingredients, and the sauce, Lemony, was not overpowering; just right. Thew Crispy Onion ( Spicy Tuna-albacore crunch onion) had the right texture of crispy warm rice on the outside, but still soft on the inside, and spicy tuna was xclnt. Udon was flavorful, and noodles were perfectly cooked. Shrimp tempura was as good as it gets. Ok, why not five stars? The Yellowtail & Pepper Salmon was about a 3-1/2 to 4 for me. Although it tasted great, the piece size (I know, I'm the only one who will ever say this) was too big. I like cut rolls a little more on the small / tight, bite size. But hey, a great spot and I'll be back. read more

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Always the best! Head chef behind Sushi bar is a master. The service is excellent and professional. The quality is off the charts for delicious traditional sushi and sashimi dishes. The rolls and maki are creative and delicious! Also the spicy tuna and crispy rice is a must get when at Sushi Ai! Great wine list and full bar also. I enjoy the sushi bar myself but the interior has a awesome pub vibe that you might find in Tokyo or Osaka. Nice outside sidewalk cafe area too. read more

Sushi was fresh. Wife said that her Teriyaki bowl was the best she's had. That says a lot cause she usually doesn't like sushi places because of quality non sushi items... but this place was great. I would have given 6 stars if they had picture of the sushi on the menu!!! read more

Food was good not amazing, service was slow, ambience just ok. I think as it was a Sunday night and we were a party of 6 that maybe they weren't expecting much business so only had 3 people total including the chef working. Think they were dealing with a lot of takeout and delivery orders. Would like to try again as it is close by, though some of the special rolls are quite pricey. I was only vegan in group so they had some items I could order , mainly the usual avocado and cucumber roll, they had a veggie tofu roll also. read more