What this place is: a modern, and minimalist, with the feel of a Japanese seafood market paired with a hand roll bar. Ordered the mini hand roll set with the market trio sashimi (tuna, salmon, yellowtail). All delicious. No frills. Super casual. Friendly staff who know their fish. read more

The concept is interesting and there is clearly a lot of passion behind it, but right now it is suffering from a bit of an identity crisis and it shows. You got a dry-aged fish market, handroll bar, a Japanese specialty market, and a coffee/tea shop. Two of us went around 7pm and the restaurant was nearly empty, maybe six other guests total. We both ordered from the medium or extra medium hand roll sets. The fish quality was solid, which is the most important thing, but some of the flavor combinations felt a little unbalanced. The bigger issue was how long everything took. The restaurant was practically empty and yet the wait was still really significant. The reason is simple: there is only one chef making all the hand rolls for the whole restaurant. When that is your entire menu and you only have one person executing it, the math just does not work, even on a slow night. It turns what should be a fun, relaxed dining experience into a lot of sitting around and waiting. One more thing worth mentioning, avoid the matcha. They leave it sitting out in direct sunlight which causes it to oxidize and the flavor suffers significantly for it. I think with another chef on the line and a clearer sense of direction this place could be really special. For now though it is a spot with a lot of promise that has not quite found its footing yet. Also parking sucks. read more

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This review pains me to write, since i want to like this place, but I think it's suffering from a bit of an identity crisis at the moment. The food that we had was fine. We were a party of 4 and we all ended up ordering either the medium or extra medium hand roll sets. The fish was good, though I felt like some of the toppings overwhelmed the flavors a bit. In the whitefish handroll, for example, the yuzu or citrus salt that they used was all I could taste until I had some ginger later. What unfortunately is dragging this palce down in my eyes is how long it took to receive our orders. We got there around 2pm, which should have been well after the lunch rush. We weren't done being served until around 3:30. One handroll only takes a minute or two to eat, and so we spent the vast majority of the time just waiting around for our food. I don't mind waiting a bit for food made to order, but this felt a excessive. I think the underlying issue here is that there only seems to be one station/person making handrolls for the entire restaurant. If they had other items on the menu that could be prepared in a kitchen, that might be OK, but the one station is a painfully slow bottleneck for a place that only has handrolls on the menu. I mentioned before that I think this place is suffering from a bit of an identity crisis. I understand that the owner might have multiple passions, whether that's in aging fish, coffee, baking, or making hand rolls. Maybe these areas fill different niches at different times of the day, but I think there needs to be some sort of optimization done to help make things run faster. Maybe that means opening a second station, or limiting the number of tables people can order rolls from. read more

We had such a fun time here. It's super super casual, but the hand rolls are next level. Perfect for date night! Yes, we loved the hand rolls but I HAVE to shout out the fish bone broth miso soup. Wow. I loved it SO much I would come back and just get a bunch of it to-go on a cold day or when I'm feeling under the weather. The broth was SO flavorful it blew my mind. I definitely recommend you try it! My husband and I both got the Xtra Medium and it was a lot of food! At first I thought it was funny that there are no plates, but it kind of works here. The chef makes your hand rolls at the bar and just walks over and hands them to you. No frills, just great fish. The Xtra Medium came with lean tuna, fatty tuna, steelhead salmon, whitefish, prawn and a special. The salmon was incredible. The whitefish was snapper and it was incredible. It might have been my favorite! The prawn handroll had a really neat sweet flavor and the special was a crunchy crab with shiso leaf. I loved how the progression of the rolls seemed so well thought out, it was like a full flavor journey. They have some alcoholic bevvys too! I was always hesitant to check this handroll bar out because it didn't seem like an actual restaurant, but it's a true hidden gem! Definitely a place to take someone you are looking to impress! read more

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This place is decent for what it is, which is very casual, for dining purposes. The fish itself is good quality, but in my opinion, I've just had better handrolls for the same price. I just wasn't a fan of the these. Out of the 5 I tried, the ones I liked were just okay, and the ones I didn't like, I didn't even want to finish. The rice was inconsistent in quality, and I know it's more so about the fish, however, there's a lot of rice in the dish too, so it should be quality too, and not hard/dry. As for the cocktails, once they were presented, I kicked myself for even ordering them. I thought, "why did I think I'd get a bar-quality cocktail from a casual place?" And then I thought, "well because it was offered on the menu, and it could have been good." I just don't think it was mixed and rationed properly, I wasn't able to finish either of them. As for service, I think they did fine. The staff were very nice, and did everything as timely as possible given the crowd in the restaurant. As for ambiance, like I said, it's a very casual setting. A fish/coffee market that also offers dining. It's located on a street that is full of shops and restaurants you can explore, and there is parking either on the street, in nearby (free) lots, or in the neighborhood. read more

Uoichiba Handroll Bar - Medium OG Handroll Set, Cocktails - Sushi Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

First time trying dry aged fish and it did not disappoint! We ordered the small handroll set and everything was amazing. Staff are friendly and super attentive. Service was actually quicker than i thought. As soon as they see that you have finished the first handroll, they pop up with another. Great quality of fish. Would absolutely be coming back. The parking is just a bit of a struggle because you gotta look around the neighborhood. read more

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First time today at Uoichiba in Sherman oaks and miam miam!! We did the XTRA MEDIUM 6 rolls OG Handroll set that included: lean tuna * fatty tuna * steelhead salmon * whitefish * prawn * blue crab. It was amazing ! I felt like the fish and taste was far superior to Kazunori. It's hard for me to say which was my favorite but the salmon tenderness was impeccable. Service was friendly and efficient. The only drawback perhaps is the lack of comfort as it's essentially high stools and narrow counters. They are on the inkind app which is cool. read more

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Great place for fresh handrolls! Each handroll is wrapped and given one by one so I love the crisp in the seaweed. Also the sushi is really fresh! The set options includes a simple handroll with no special handroll included. I suggest ordering a set handroll then adding a special handroll. The fish bone broth miso soup is a good compliment to the meal. They also have a simple sake selection. This restaurant is in a mixed coffee and fish market so it can smell a bit fishy. But once you sit, the smell goes away. read more

Uoichiba Handroll Bar - Sushi Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I had no idea what to expect when I arrived but I was fully thrown off by the hanging fish displayed in their fridge haha! It's also a shared space with a coffee shop which is interesting. This is located in a very busy place on Ventura so finding parking was quite difficult at 2:30pm on a Sunday. It's pretty small inside and the chairs was a bit tiny and uncomfy but the service was really great - we were always checked on, waters were refilled, and just very friendly and helpful staff! The menu is pretty simple and our waiter shared with us what was popular especially for first timers. I ordered the medium hand roll set and my friend ordered the xtra medium hand roll set. Idk why but I didn't expect it to come out one by one but I actually really appreciated it bc it allowed me to paste myself. The hand rolls were DELICIOUS! I loved all of them but especially the fatty tuna, salmon, and whitefish. I almost wished I got the xtra medium instead! Solid place for a quick and easy bite! read more

There's a very strong fish smell in here, but I didn't mind at all. It just meant that their food is really fresh. My friends and I got a number of handrolls, appetizers, and soup to share. I really loved their slammin' salmon handroll, and I even ordered two. The handrolls are all pretty good, and I had a lot of fun ordering a la carte. Their fish bone soup is DELICIOUS. It was so warming. I would definitely come back again! read more

Uoichiba Handroll Bar - Sushi Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Uoichiba has been on our list and we have been long time enjoyers of other establishments specializing in hand rolls but we're excited to experience the dry aged version. The vision of the restaurant with the dry aged fish totally works--the fish are hanging in the fish market portion of the restaurant, and the flavors are much richer than I have had in other temaki. My wife ordered the medium which I think was a reasonable amount, and I ordered the super set. For a hungry person I think it's just right. The seared salmon was absolutely fantastic and the white fish was also particularly memorable, followed by the prawn and the tuna! We ordered a latte and it took almost the whole meal to come out, and the service was just so-so in my opinion. The barstools are okay but a bit uncomfortable by halfway through the meal I had to stand up before sitting back down. They are so small--not particularly inclusive but I think for thin or otherwise not large humans it would be okay. When the rolls were put down by the servers, the names of the rolls were mumbled and I had to ask each time to clarify but I just stopped asking halfway through. Overall, the food was incredible and lived up to the hype, 5 stars! but the service was just so so. read more

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We're a big fan of handroll bars so when learning about this place, we instantly felt the need to check it out. It's on Ventura and located in Sherman Oaks. It feels like a fish market, immediately upon entering you're hit with a smell of fresh fish. You get used to the smell over time, but it's a good thing to be aware of, especially if you're bringing a date here. There are fridges with fish hanging around you which is kind of a cool vibe. It is a little weird though that it's a restaurant/fish market but also a coffee shop? We sat at the bar seating overlooking the street. They have menus with a set number of handrolls and you can order a la carte too. We each got the Extra Medium and with that order, you can sub out the special (in our case that day it was a crunchy crab roll) for any of the a la carte handrolls. We got the slammin' salmon instead of the crunchy roll. However, we were never told that it would be an extra charge to do so... so you can sub it out, but you'll be paying the price difference. We were pretty disappointed our waiter never told us that and we ended up having to pay at the end, and disappointed they wouldn't honor that for us despite pointing that out. Each roll was good, the freshness of the seaweed was amazing and crispy. The lean tuna was almost better than the fatty tuna because they use fresh cut fish instead of minced. The steelhead salmon was great, the whitefish was surprisingly really good. The prawn was just straight up not good. Neither of us enjoyed, it's definitely just a filler roll. Rubbery and tasteless. The slammin' salmon we enjoyed, though the crab was my favorite part about it. I didn't care for the pickles in it and didn't think it was worth the added cost. I will note the service was painfully slow. We waited quite a long time in between each roll coming out, to the point where we started to fill up. Handrolls were good overall, but pricey and service is extremely slow. read more

Rolls were really good and fish was fresh and clean, it did get busy and its seems like there is about 3 business in one restaurant space its confusing at first, the prices are normal for any sushi/hand roll restaurant but add up with the more you order which will leave you satisfied but not stuffed which after all is said and done is a satisfactory experience. read more

One of the most heartbreaking experiences ever. This was one of our favorite places to go to. We even try and recreate their slammin salmon at home from the fresh dry-aged from the joint seafood. Today we asked if we could take out handrolls outside since we were being mindful of the no pets rules even though on yelp it states dogs allowed. The staff was unobliging. When asked if we could take some to go and we can eat outside I was bewildered they said no and that the only way that was possible is if i buy an UNROLLED hand rolled -that i would have to roll it myself and only certain rolls were available. I have never heard of this. Disappointing. read more

Uoichiba Handroll Bar - Sushi Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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"Tell me what you eat and I will tell you who you are"... I'm a woman who currently has a slow cooker plugged in with the contents of a spicy beef, bean and beer chili recipe (that a woman at a bar in the DEN airport gave me when I ordered a Christmas Ale from Breckenridge Brewery before boarding a flight home in late November). Let's see... I used a King Fisher beer that was one of the last remaining items in my refrigerator that didn't have to be thrown out after a 4 day power outage from an evening a couple weeks back when I made an Indian feast for dinner... I can keep going... although I'm sure you'd rather I stop and tell you all about Uoichiba Handroll Bar. We can start with, they have beer and sake! I ran into an old friend on a morning walk and he must have read my mind. I've been craving Sugarfish or Sushi Note soooo bad the past few days. Poor Sushi Note, they didn't power for days either. Any how... we got to chatting and he asked if I'd tried Uoichiba Handroll Bar. I immediately said no and asked where they were located, knowing damn well I was coming here for lunch TODAY (never mind the fact the the ingredients for said chili were hanging from my shoulder, that's for dinner!). I walked over for a late lunch, not knowing exactly what to expect - halfway thinking I'd order to go. To my surprise, since I was a Uoichiba Handroll Bar (they have another loca in Culver) virgin, this is actually a dine in joint - located, you guessed it! Right beside/inside Joint Seafood on Ventura. I had a seat and was presented with my set up and the menu. I knew I didn't want to eat too many handrolls, don't get me wrong I love me a good handroll BUT I have this damn chili cooking so... I proceeded with a tasting if you will. After perusing the menu (it all looked AMAZING), I ordered the below three a la carte handrolls: - Whitefish (one of the OG six) - Crunchy Crab (one of the OG six) - Spicy Tuna (because I LOVE Spicy Tuna) They were brought out in this order and each one was delish!!! If you're looking for something a little lighter I'd suggest the whitefish, the crunchy crab was sooo good, as was the spicy tuna. I really wanted to order a bunch more but I knew I'd save them for a return visit very soon. Next time I'll order the Slammin' Salmon, Futomaki, and a Fatty Wagyu. I immediately texted my Mom and Dad and my brother who live local to tell them they must check this place out #datenight I love solo dates, so I wasn't waiting on anyone to come with me. I enjoy my own company ;) but I will be back soon with a friend. Sooooo yummy!!!! Service was 5 STAR, highly recommend. In closing, you may draw your own conclusion of me based on what I eat (makes zero difference to me). I'm also stopping in the caviar shop soon to spread atop my In N Out grilled cheese sandwich and chase with a glass of Veuve Clicquot- so you have some good deets to work with ;) Metered street parking out front. read more

This is not your typical sushi place. It shares space with a coffee shop and a (fish) market, and it is absolutely perfect. Come for the hand rolls. They're hand delivered to you by staff as they create them, and they're perfection. The fish are aged so they have incredible taste and texture. The steelhead salmon one is my fav, but you really can't go wrong. I usually get the medium (5 rolls) and the edamame. Their sake selection is also good! Card only! read more

Great aged sushi and handroll eatery and fish market on Ventura Blvd. Be warned, however, that this is not a fine dining (or even traditional dining) establishment. There are coolers throughout the dining room, with hanging fish in various stages of dry-aging. There's also a coffee shop and small bakery in the back of the dining room, which was not expected. Seating is at a few high top tables or at a counter along the front window. Hand rolls are the specialty, with sets or a la carte options. read more

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Love the handrolls- some of the best I've tasted recently. The seaweed is crispy and the restaurant layout is unique. Cafe, bakery, handrolls, fish market all in one. The service is fast and friendly. The price is decent. The seating is bar style, so large parties might not be able to sit and talk together. read more

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Amazing.. nothing more to say just Amazing... big fan of the fish broth big big fan. the salad 10/10. read more

Uoichiba Handroll Bar - The salad omg.. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

This is simply a great place to get handrolll sushi, period. They give KazuNori a run for their money and then some. I had one of the basic assortment, the tuna and toro and shrimp and steelhead were right on point, and the whitefish was great too despite being a bit firm. Very nice crispy nori used, the side of pickles we ordered was a great accompaniment, and the miso soup was soulful and deeply flavored with fish in a way only a good fish market could do. Relaxed utilitarian atmosphere and friendly service. Price is very reasonable for the high quality. Sushi fans all over SoCal should make a point of trying this place out. read more

Uoichiba Handroll Bar - Shrimp roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Had a pretty great lunch here today with a friend. Ambiance is cute - a combination of a fish counter, coffee shop and hand roll bar called Uoichiba. The service was a bit weird. I arrived when they opened and the staff seemed a bit overwhelmed. I'd come again!! Slightly weird to have guests walking past us to order a coffee at the same spot where the hand rolls come out. read more

Uoichiba Handroll Bar - Sushi Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Absolutely fantastic handroll. Better quality than any other handroll joint I have been to. This is there second location. There first location is in Culver City. Uoichiba is located inside The Joint Eatery where i get my dry aged fish for making sushi. They use delicious dry aged fish. Their (shari) sushi rice is fantastic and well seasoned plus thier rice is not mushy like other handroll joints. Their seaweed they use wasnice and crispy. A perfect crunch with each bite. I ordered the XTRA Medium that come with 6 handrolls of Lean Tuna, Fatty Tuna, Steelhead Salmon, White Fish, Prawn, and Special Roll. Service was great and friendly. Prices were the same with most places with better quality. I highly recommend giving them a try and see the difference. read more

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Yes. Just YES. I absolutely love this place. Uoichiba handroll bar is so underrated and under appreciated by the masses! I stopped by Friday around 4 and it was steadily busy. Staff was great, and the bar is a little mish-mosh but they have you seated behind their handroll counter. It's great seeing all the rolls made right in front of you, kinda like KazuNori. I will say I think they do need to improve service in the sense of organization and time. I don't mind patiently waiting for my food, which is what I did, but I felt they were a bit mismanaged and sometimes forgot orders or, in my case, nobody told me they were out of Wagyu until my Wagyu order came up on the POS system. The chef apologized and I just ordered another so no crisis at all! Just my observations. I ordered the Xtra medium set along with a Slammin salmon and Futomaki. The nori on each and every roll was so damn crispy, they use the crispiest nori I've ever had. The rice was soft and warm, fit together well in each roll. And the portions were generous. In the set, I loved each and every roll but the few standouts were the salmon, whitefish with yuzu sauce, and special which was crab with shiso leaf. But don't get me wrong - the tuna, fatty tuna, and prawn were amazing, fresh, and delicious too! Then came the two other rolls. The slammin salmon was just perfect for a salmon lover like me. And that futomaki was like one of those perfect Italian sandwiches that has so many components but each pair and work so well with eachother that it becomes the perfect combination utilizing the most flavors. It's amazing to see all the hanging and curing fish as well as the market next door. I had to buy one of their t-shirts because I loved the design. I'll definitely be back! read more

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I've never eaten here, but I do buy fish from them. Top grade top quality. The staff are super professional but be prepared to wait a bit as they have other responsibilities than just the retail customers. If you have not tried the difference between buying top grade fish as compared with your local super market, give yourself a rest and give them a try. Be careful- you may not want to go back to the supermarket for your fish. Some people I prepare food for cannot tell the difference, so it make depend on your palette and what dish you are preparing. Definitely a splurge but well worth it in my opinion. And they have a bunch of different kinds of fish hanging in glass door lockers. I like taking my girls and teaching them what the different kinds of fish look like. Definitely a strange business combination between a coffee bar and fish monger. But it seems to work since they have been there for years. Strange combo but good vibe, albeit different. read more

I don't know if they just had an off day but we came there for lunch around 12:00 only ordered 4 rolls each and it took an hour for us to get them. It seemed like they were understaffed and orders were piling up. They had just opened and when people came in they said they have a waitlist but it wasn't because the food was amazing it was because it took too long for them to make people's hand rolls. It seemed as though one person was trying to get things in order while the others were being told something to do. Leaving 1 guy to make the rolls. When things got too bad the person leading the team had to go help make rolls. When all was said and done they still forgot my one of my rolls. Also sadly the fish was average at best read more

Food 5/5 Service 2/5 Ambiance 3/5 I love the food as the dry aged sushi is from the Joint. Unfortunately, service is not the best. It's typically very slow, and there was once a waitress who got both my orders and bill wrong so it was a fiasco. Parking is quite a challenge but it's close to my home so that makes it relatively convenient. read more

What a cool and interesting vibe - located in a fish market. Servers are very friendly. The handrolls are amazing. Fatty tuna FTW! The broth with miso was so rich and flavorful it felt so nourishing. Honestly the entire menu looked good and everything I ordered was a hit. Will definitely have to come back to try everything else! read more

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Solid handroll bar with affordable but fresh/crunchy nori and the right rice accompaniment to all the fish. I had the fatty tuna, whitefish, crab, and wagyu - and really enjoyed the whitefish but would wish a tad less yuzu if it was up to me. Wasabi was lovely and I liked how it seemed to have little bits grounded up and not just a powder paste. Gave the wagyu bite a nice twang. But I wish the wagyu was a thicker cut instead of two thin strips and had a little crisp to the ends.. The lady who takes your order is nice and appreciated her kind interaction with me. read more

Very good hand rolls ! Fish is fresh , and the seaweed is truly the best I've ever had. The taste, the texture, the temperature, on point. The service was excellent! The chef was friendly and very knowledgeable. Little hidden gem. Will definitely come back! read more

Uoichiba Handroll Bar - Sake! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

This place is so good! The fish is fresh, the seaweed is crispy. I'd recommend getting one of the handroll sets then try 1-2 of the specials. They had a Blue Crab special the night I went, incredible! I hope they add it to the menu. And you also can't skip the fish stock miso soup. read more

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The rolls are fresh and delicious. The staff is kind and attentive. We ordered Shabu Shabu tonight and it was very disappointing both in size and in how plain it was. It was just broth and 4 small pieces of wagyu and a few pieces of scallions for $20. The meat was good quality but it was a very basic and small serving. Our favorites are the Salmmin' salmon, spicy tuna and futomaki. read more

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Tucked away in a little fish market coffee counter hybrid. Servers bring your handrolls fresh to you at your table or the counter. Fish was FRESH and so so so delicious. Reasonably priced and good service. Parking was a little tough but to be expected on Ventura. Wanna gate keep this place so bad but it might be my new spot. Really giving Kazu Nori a run for their money!!! read more

Uoichiba Handroll Bar - Sushi Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I got the Small OG Handroll Set .. my best sushi experience to date! Every bite was heaven and perfection .. fresh and so dang yummy .. so good I plan on eating everything on the menu .. Thank you! read more

Uoichiba Handroll Bar - Small - OG Handroll Set - Sushi Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I would give this place a10/5 it was AMAZING. I was on a solo date and the server was just the right touch of personal and giving me my space. Everything I ate was delicious. I will definitely be back read more

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Been excited to try the handroll bar. We have been sourcing fresh fish from the market, so interested to see what Uoichiba was all about! All good except the rice was a little chalky (not sticky) which was a little disappointing. Love the use of the space and the industrial finish. Fun group of guys working the night we went. read more

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Amazing fresh food with a decent price ! Unfortunately they are close on Monday ! We will Definitely come back for some toro handrolls read more

Had a great time at the handroll bar with my family. Enjoyed a variety of handrolls with reasonably priced sake on a Saturday night. Did the six handroll set as well as many of the crowd favorites. If you want to do something different than the traditional sushi bar give this a try. You'll be glad you did. read more

This place is a little hard to find as it's on busy Ventura Blvd but doesn't have a big sign; it's also within their coffee shop/fish market type shop soooo yea The hand rolls are absolutely delicious. They have different tasting menus to choose from if you want a little bit of everything as well as a la cart hand rolls. Everything is so beautifully crafted; doesn't matter if you get the simple ones or specialty because each one has the amazing quality and freshness one looks for in sushi/hand roll bars. Love that they were made one by one to be enjoyed solo, with each one getting an introduction as to what it is. You can tell they take pride in their food and really honor the process. Attached they have a mini fish market type counter where you can buy their delicious aged fish to go. Will definitely need to pick some up next time as I imagine making poke bowls would be exquisite with their fish. We tried almost every hand roll they had and my favorite had to be the whitefish hand roll which consisted of sea bass, the spicy tuna was also a favorite along with the slammin salmon. As is my tradition of getting miso anytime I go out to sushi I tried theirs and although it didn't have the typical components of tofu, green onions, etc it's made with fish bone broth which elevates it to a whole other level I highly recommend. read more

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We love it! Fabulous fresh made hand rolls- spicy tuna and toasted lox are my favorites. Casual sushi bar where they make them in front of you. Delicious saki selection. Reasonable prices and super friendly guys that work there. We've been 3 or 4 times and will definitely be back. Highly recommend the location in Culver City in the Citizens Market read more

Uoichiba Handroll Bar - Delicious saki! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Very different from any handroll bar I've been to in terms of ambiance and seating, gave off "behind the scenes" vibes. My favorites were the fatty tuna, and regrettably not pictured, the white fish (sea bass) and hojicha red bean ice cream sandwich. It was not busy and they didn't seem understaffed; this was also the longest handroll experience I've had which, I usually purposely come to handroll bars for a quick meal so was a little annoyed waiting 10 minutes between each item to come out. Most of the staff was welcoming and kind, there was one girl who made me a bit uncomfortable throughout my dinner though. read more

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