THE GET DOWN
Twice a Michelin rated restaurant, Asanebo still holds its weight in gold as it is considered one of the best gourmet Japanese restaurants in LA.
I dare say this is a ‘sushi’ place, because at Asanebo, high quality raw fish, creatively and beautifully assembled will negate any expectation of that “dragon roll” you would ordinarily order upon sitting. In fact, up until 15 years ago, Asanebo did not sell ANY sushi at all.
“At Asanebo, that chawanmushi may be followed by a small plate of shaved orange and purple carrots with a single Hokkaido scallop; tiny, whole steamed firefly squid with dots of house-made miso and neat rolls of kanpachi sashimi; stacked bits of tai, Japanese snapper, with an unusual vegetable called Indian spinach, meaty leaves marinated to resemble seaweed; or a spring composition of sliced alfonsino fish, charred broccolini, sesame miso, grilled eggplant, gelled dashi and a single snap pea, with dried bonito pared over the top like impossibly fragrant pencil shavings.
(They like shaved fish here. A recent scallop composition included both the bonito and funkier shavings of cured bottarga. And that strong yet delicate dashi is the chef’s secret weapon.) – by Jonathan Gold, an admired LA food editor
Yes, I used Jonathon Gold’s quote because this review would be super short if you asked me. All I would say is that my experience at Asanebo was nothing less than mind-blowing. Despite the typical Japanese minimalistic interior, Asanebo takes seafood (and Saki) to a whole different level.
Parents, leave those kids behind on this one so you can truly encapsulate the out of body experience you will be having at Asanebo. Don’t come starving, either, or you can easily rack up a tab upwards of $300 for two (not including Saki). Yes, Asanebo is quite spendy, but with high quality food like this, it has to be. If only once you are looking for a culinary journey of a lifetime, let Asanebo be your place. Enjoy and elevate.
DETAILS
(First timer? Scroll down to check out the rating system below.)
WHERE
Studio City
GO FOR
Date Night
SOCIAL SCENE
Multicultural, Well-Cultured, Domestic Imports
TODDLER RATING
Uh-uh, No way, Don’t even think about it!
NEARBY
Black Market, The Baked Potato Club
CONTACT INFO
Website: asanebo-restaurant.com
Phone: (818) 760-3348
The Spotted Cloth
Rating System:
It’s our goal to make exploring LA either with the kids or with grown ups as easy as possible. Click through the tabs above to check out our rating system.
For those with little
runners & screamers:
Easily forgiven:
Here, you can forget the fact that it’s your rambunctious child that’s screaming and STILL enjoy most of your meal.
Not promoted, but you should take the chance:
If your toddler is at the stage when an iPad or some other colorful distraction can be used for an un-interrupted 20 minutes, then go for it.
Uh-uh, NO WAY, don’t even think about it!:
I don’t care how cute your toddler is. Pop your head in… turn around… walk away. PERIOD.
No contained area:
A place you cannot leave your toddler alone, not even for a second.
Enclosed, but space is tight:
If YOU can’t fit between the tables then you know you couldn’t catch your toddler if they tried – this isn’t Norm’s.
WHAT’S CLOSE
Click through the map below to find delicious places to eat and fun places to play nearby. (It’s completely clickable – go nuts!)
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