Hide-san from Sushi Takeda has opened Utamaro, a casual delicious concept here in West LA, at the former BurgerIm location, next to 7-Eleven. Want sushi? Well there’s okonomi (a la carte) nigiri, sashimi, and rolls. Want izakaya fare? There’s a nice variety of hot and cold appetizers, salads, and larger format Izakaya classics here as well. I had a great soft open meal here at the soft opening. Sergio says he’ll be here for a while to personally keep an eye on things. We’ll be back to explore more of the menu for sure!
tasty meal. lovely cooked items. would get the sushi at the bar next time methinks. had some kohada. ended with negitoro and kanpyo maki. would love to visit after grand opening when they have the daily specials going.
Thank you for the heads up on Utamaro, I popped by earlier this week and had a few of the cooked items (it was a chilly night and we were in the mood for hot food) and we liked everything we ordered.
They do take reservations but you have to call in (they aren’t on any platform yet). Really liked the vibe and food here, and the service was great - welcoming, attentive, gave some great recommendations.
Went back again and tried a few more dishes - all excellent! The firefly squid sunomono was my favorite - it’s a seasonal special and the combination of the squid, pickles and slightly sweet sauce was perfection.
