Sashi
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The Details:
451 Manhattan Beach Boulevard
Manhattan Beach, California 90266
Phone: (310) 545-0400
Lunch (Kissashi): Daily: 11:30am-3pm
Dinner: Sun-Thu: 5pm-11pm, Fri-Sat: 5pm-12am
The Los Angeles Foodie Rating:
The Summary:
Manhatten Beach’s Sashi is a Sake, Sushi, and Robata lounge headed by Chef Makoto Okuwa. Much can be said for Makoto’s impressive resume and the warm staff, but the unique Japanese style food takes the spotlight at this popular South Bay restaurant. Although the sign on the door claims Sushi and Sake, an open mind and an eager tongue are more appropriate to bring rather than your Sake bombing trucker hat.
The Place:
Sashi is on Manhatten Beach Blvd. However, they are really located a bit North down Morningside Drive – adjacent to an underground parking structure that usually has plenty of spots open.
The restaurant is quite large with a bright pink lounge area greeting you as you walk in the door. Here you will find some comfy couches, and further in a swanky bar with a wide selection of drinks handled by an informed and friendly bar staff.
Take a left and you will be in the main dining area along with the 60 foot long Sushi bar. Hugging both sides of the building are two separate areas for outside dining. I was there on a weekday and the place was full. But with so much seating I didn’t notice anyone having to wait. And with the wide range of food types and scenery changes you will be sure to find something that suits you.
The Food:
There is so much to eat at Sashi that it may be a bit overwhelming at first. But the wide range of options definitely presents an opportunity to return until you’ve tried everything.
First, if you are big on sushi, they have plenty. They have a lot of sushi, and with a name like Sashi, I would imagine many of the clientele make their first visits with the original fast food on their minds. And I don’t want to sell the sushi short here, their sushi is delicious, but in a town like Los Angeles where you can find sushi on practically every corner, you owe it to yourself to think outside the bento box.
Okay, let’s get into the heart of Sashi. I’ll give you a second to take a peek at the dinner menu. And after your finger is tired from scrolling and your eyes are getting dry from not blinking for a few minutes, let me give you a sample of what you can expect to eat.
I had the opportunity to try a LOT of their dishes, and everything was not only delicious but unique and interesting. Had I not been on assignment, I would have brought a camera anyway to show my friends the wild food I was eating. And that is probably the highest compliment I can give Sashi – each dish will leave you with a feeling of enlightenment. You feel privileged to be eating these unique, thought-out dishes.
My favorite dish was the Toro Tartar which is first served as a closed caviar tin on a bed of ice. Once placed at your table, the lid is removed to reveal a huge portion of toro. The waitress will then fill the bottom of the tin with soy sauce, hand you an abalone spoon, and you are off to the races. This dish may look small, but I assure you it is a generous helping and you will be savoring every bite.
The Kobe Steak Toban Yaki is impressive. It is a filet with with teriyaki truffle butter sauce. I don’t think I have to do much convincing to let you know it was ridiculously tasty. Adding to the visual appeal of the dish is a vegetable branded with the name of the restaurant. Anyone who brands vegetables is cool in my book. I would definitely add this to your must-try list.
I am a big fan of Robata, and at Sashi I had the opportunity to try the Ton Toro, which is pork and sweet onion. I live on the west side, so I have my personal Robata favorites in Santa Monica, but if I am ever down south, Sashi is my new go-to spot for Robata. Robata is a fairly simple food – skewer some meat and stick it on a grill. But there must be something going on at Sashi, because this was some stand-out Robata. Maybe it was the dipping sauce.
The final dish I will share with you is the Lobster Fried Rice. The lobster was delicious and the Indian influence on the dish were clear. I highly recommend it.
Did I mention that I also got to try nine different Sakes while I was there? Sake doesn’t have the universal acceptance of wine or beer, so it isn’t too often that I’m treated to some delicious sake – but I try not to pass up an opportunity.
I’ve never been able to go to a restaurant and dive into their sake selection like I did at Sashi who does a great job of keeping their sake inventory full of delicious and unique brands. And if you’d like to know what Sake goes well with the food you have ordered, just ask the staff.
The Service:
Everyone was very helpful and knowledgeable about the food and drinks. Being on assignment for LA Foodie, I had the opportunity to chat with the chef. Some of the food language was over my head, but I understood enough to know that Sashi offers a unique array of choices.
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