This place was great. The customer service was warm and friendly. We ordered Omakase. I wish I could remember all the pieces. There was a cilantro sauce that was so delightfully refreshing. The sardine also really stood out. The sea urchin was so fresh and juicy. We also ordered a jj roll which was quite a contrast to the all the fresh bright nigiri. The jj roll is surprisingly tangy and a little spicy with jalapeños and hot sauce. It's like the nacho of sushi. We also got surprise strawberry ice cream at the end with chunks of real strawberry through out. Great service, great sushi, cozy vibe read more

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Kayla our waitress Is a sweet heart the vibe was great, food was fresh and the sushi was awesome highly recommend.

Cute local place. My friend is a foodie and always wants to come here when she's on the Westside. I like their lunch specials.

The "DANA Roll" is my concoction! Spicy Tuna, Mayo, Cream Cheese, Cucumber and a drizzle of Sriracha sauce! Masa & co are incredible! read more

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I'll start with the good, the service was great and the servers were very kind and attentive. Unfortunately, the buck pretty much stops there. The sushi, quality wise, was barely one step above supermarket grade. Lacked flavor, freshness, and tasted fishy. I was also surprised at the bill costing $55 for 4 pieces of low quality sushi, a spicy tuna roll, a miso soup, and 3 pieces of tempura and no drink. Way over priced for the quality. I would have thought $35 was high for that meal, but $55 is outrageous. Will not be coming back. The only reason this gets 3 stars and not 1 or 2 is because the servers were kind and the place was clean. You can do far better for the price point, even in West LA. read more

The best customer service I've ever experienced in a restaurant that I can remember. And the food was fantastic. The sushi was fresh! The sake was great! Couldn't have asked for a better experience. read more

I've been there a few times, and I went there with my family last week. My mom ordered chirashi plate, and since she doesn't like Uni, and I do, she gave it to me. I had to spit it out- it was gone. It's hard to imagine in such a small plate/assortment of sashimi, they couldn't make all the fish fresh, especially Uni, which has to be absolutely fresh or don't even bother with it. Saba also was too fishy. My sister's maki roles salmon and tuna were pathetically small-- it was basically all rice. I will not not be going back there after this experience. read more

5* review for sushi bar (omakase) U-Zen has been in Los Angeles service Westwood neighborhood since 1992 (30+ years). There are countless ways to enjoy a great meal at U-Zen. Maza-San, Andy-San and the entire staff seems to have it all figured out! Attended school in LA in 1998 and live in West LA for five years, how did I missed this place? I would not have found U-Zen because of street parking to dine at Kato. The store front for U-Zen looks appealing and bold. Other than the store front, there isn't much marketing necessary. The restaurant has sushi bar, booth and tables for large parties. Our friend brought us here to try the omakase - or Chef's menu. He has dine here since 1999 and know Maza-San and Andy-San well. Maza-San, my first impression, a shy personality, as dinner progresses, Maza-San is like family (partly because my friend knew him for over two decades). All staff, chefs and manager are extremely polite here but never short of humor! To me, U-Zen has developed something beyond providing great food, but a showcase of great culture (if you allow them to), and it starts to make sense why some of the prestigious restaurants in Japan requires a local guide to introduce new customers and break the communication barrier at sushi bar. Throughout the night I gets one delicious dish to another until I am satisfied and full. A true omakase experience (no menu). Chef Maza-San's hometown is Nagano. One of the local delicacies was bee's larvae (sounds disgusting?) it also does not look appealing. LOL! It's a snack and tastes great! Very doubtful many would dare to try it when offered though. My highlight of the night was the raw and fried octopus leg/tentacles, both interesting in freshness flavor and texture. The braised abalone, hokkaido uni, trout roe, anago, ebi and toro were also flavorful. The tamago has layers that's a must have. All paired beautifully with sake, which was served with chilled glass. I will need to come back for happy hours, lunch special or the popular to-go bento, and definitely more omakase! Thank you once again! Masa-San and Andy-San for your hospitality to treat customers like family! read more

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Always a consistently good, fun time at U-Zen. The staff is all incredibly sweet and you can normally get a seat right away. The food tastes high quality and has decently large portions. The spicy tuna crispy rice was on a whiteboard labelled "specials" and was not on the actual menu. No pricing was listed for any of the specials, which should be fixed. Parking isn't bad on the street or in the immediate neighborhoods. Overall, it's a great neighborhood spot - nothing fancy or over the top. A classic place to come over and over again for a casual dinner with friends or a very chill date night. read more

U-Zen Japanese - Spicy tuna crispy rice - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

This was one of my friend's favorite place to eat on the westside and it did not disappoint. They have a nice parking lot and service was fantastic. They had a great selection of bento boxes and prices were great for the amount of food we received. Unfortunately I didn't take pics of all our food so this picture doesn't do justice to the sets we ordered. read more

U-Zen Japanese - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

This is another nice sushi place on Santa Monica Blvd in WLA. I was seated right away and chose everything off the happy hour menu at $6 per item...above avg. value. I especially enjoyed the fried oysters. Service was fast and professional. The ambience is pleasant but the place has been open since 1992 and needs an interior update with new furniture. The springs in my booth seat appeared to be squashed, nonfunctional detracting from my comfort level. Recommended for value deals. read more

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Excellent food! And the service is unmatched. This is my go to date night restaurant with my wife. :)

This is a review of their Saturday bento special. U-Zen is a casual neighborhood sushi spot, that is a gem if you are in the know. Every Saturday Masa-San makes a special bento available for lunch only. You never know what he has in store for you and unveiling the layers is always a treat The amount of effort that goes into making the bento is spectacular. Oishi! read more

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A hidden gem! A great neighborhood sushi that pleases. Wonderful service and delicious! read more

My go-to for Japanese comfort food and good prices...especially during happy hour! The sukiyaki is my favorite

This Is a great Japanese Restaurant on the Westside. Kinda of a hole in the wall that has great quality fresh sushi and sashimi. I always get the Chef's specials! They are always great, filling and with some added bonus. The owner always adds so much into his meals and staff. My drive from LA to the Westside for each meal is a treat! read more

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It's my neighborhood sushi place; I can walk to, and stagger home from. Masa cuts a generous sized piece of fish, their selection is abundant, and the sushi chefs are always open to suggestions. Yes, the price of fish, tuna especially is "out of this world", but really, what isn't. And, really what's money for but to circulate and enjoy. read more

Ordered Omakase for 2, and then an additional order of eel, salmon belly, blue crab handroll, and an U-Zen roll. Everything was delicious! The staff are super friendly, and came out to tell us all about the food we ordered, where they got it from, etc, and even brought us a little dessert drink at the end! The place looks like a traditional sushi shop, and if you can sit at the bar it's even better so you can see the masters in action! read more

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Awesome. We got the 3 -item dinner combo: soba, tempura, chirashi bowl and the 2-item dinner combo: salmon teriyaki and sashimi. Both sets come with salad and miso soup. Waiters were super attentive. Water was always topped off. Inside is really clean and cozy and Japanese. We got a cozy corner booth. read more

U-Zen Japanese - 3-item dinner combo: soba, tempura, chirashi - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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I've become a regular of U-zen during the pandemic thanks to the restaurant's recent triumph - the Saturday lunch bento! For $25-30, you get a fantastic mix of steamed, raw, grilled, and fried morsels that epitomize Japanese home cooking. (There's also a small dessert included in the price if you choose to dine in.) While the ingredients and presentation may not be at the same level as some of the Michelin-starred places that have turned to bentos during the pandemic, U-Zen's offering is affordable, satisfying, *and* visually stunning -- a remarkable feat for a small, unassuming restaurant off Santa Monica Blvd. We always look forward to going to U-Zen because the bento features a rotating set of items and presentations. This past week, for instance, our food was placed in a gourd-shaped box that was both interesting to look at and exciting to open. Otherwise, the rest of the menu is typical for a Japanese restaurant, with items ranging from sushi and sashimi to tempura and teriyaki. At lunch, the food is reasonably priced given the quality and quantity, and I highly recommend the weekday lunch special, which also features homey items but is much less extravagant than the Saturday bento. At dinner, the same food is a bit more expensive. (When we came for dinner, we concluded that we preferred coming for lunch.) The restaurant does have a late-night happy (8pm-close), which is a good option if you're looking for small bites and drinks at amore reasonable prices. This review would not do justice to the restaurant without mentioning its staff, who are uniformly excellent. The restaurant shares a very small parking lot with the neighboring beauty salon, but there are also metered spaces on Santa Monica Blvd and Brockton Ave. read more

Cheap but well-portioned sushi place near Santa Monica. I can see why it's a long-time favorite of many loyal customers! I got the pick 3 combo (each came with sashimi of my choice and rice) and a jalapeño bomb. Was so delicious! Friendly and efficient service. Will be back! read more

U-Zen is a delightful neighborhood restaurant serving a variety of sushi, sashimi, and other Japanese dishes. It's great for dinner and pre-COVID, they had great happy hour deals. Part of the charm, and sign of the quality and authenticity, is the number of long-time locals chatting in Japanese during lunchtime. My favorite here is the weekly lunch special, a bento-style assortment of dishes, including a variety of home style dishes not often seen on Japanese menus in the US. The lunch special comes with miso, a few pieces of sashimi, a small salad, usually a fish or seafood dish, a vegetable fish, often some sort of tempura, and often a cold dish. It's always tasty. read more

Fantastic !!! U-zen is always an absolutely dynamite eating experience through and through. The food is delicious and delectable. Even the rice is flavorful and cooked to perfection! The service is attentive and friendly and the ambience is calm, inviting, and pleasurable. This is one of my favorite restaurants in LA and as a Japanese American, this is my number one recommendation! Thanks so much Andy! From the Kubotas read more

U-Zen Japanese - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

The food is very fresh. The service was very fast. I went during lunch time on a Saturday. Very great service from the chef to the waitresses to the host. Everything was great. read more

U-Zen Japanese - Chicken Teriyaki Roll - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

We ordered their special bento box for the week. It was very nice! It had a huge variety of food and was a great portion. The service was great as well, as they were warm and welcoming. 10/10 would recommend! read more

U-Zen Japanese - This desert was included in the bento box. - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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The Best sushi , a super tasty variety and the service is amazing! Super clean and nice staff everyone is friendly I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone who enjoys quality. read more

Our favorite japanese restaurant in SM! Masa-San and his son are wonderful. My parents and I have high standards for authentic Japanese food, and this is our go to place for family dinner. They are also always thoughtful about my allergies, which I really appreciate read more

I live walking distance from U-Zen and order often for takeout. Their food is consistently fresh, good quality and the service is always friendly. They've also got a happy hour from 8-10pm if you wanted to stop in. The ambiance is pleasant. Overall, would recommend. read more

Excellent food, ambience, and service. Terrific for an intimate graduation party--one very large table so we all could see each other. Make reservations for a party. read more

U-Zen is one of the favorite local Japanese lunch spots. It's away from the hustle and bustle of Sawtelle and have the ability to accommodate larger groups. It's spacious and more relaxed place. There's a small parking lot next to the restaurant with a few spots - super narrow and will need to back out of the lot to exit. For the food: Good lunch specials - one or two items with lots of options (teriyaki, fried cutlets, sushi, tempura). It's a good value for the quality and generous portions. There's daily bento box that rotates different items - great to split with someone to try new things. read more

Very solid Japanese fare. My wife and I did dinner via delivery and we enjoyed the fresh sashimi in the chirashi, salmon teriyaki, and perfectly grilled ika sugatayaki doused in a derricious glaze. The only flop was the grilled hamachi kama that was overcooked and burnt on most of its surface. While a bit pricy (eg. chirashi was $33.50), we appreciated that the overall quality was commensurate with the cost. read more

I've been going here for many years and always have a great meal. Fresh sushi and great cooked dishes at a reasonable price. family owned and Andy and team are amazing hosts. Great lunch specials and an epic happy hour. Highly recommended read more

We spontaneously decided to grab lunch here after walking by, and it did not disappoint. The lunch specials are a great deal: $21.50 to pick 2 entrees along with salad and miso soup. I wasn't that interested in the sushi rolls, but the fish is really fresh and yummy. I picked chirashi and salmon. The tempura is another really tasty option and lightly battered. Service was really friendly and efficient! read more

U-Zen Japanese - Lunch special - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California