The sushi at Sasabune in Brentwood is classic LA-style omakase.

Eat the Japanese meal of your life at N/Naka.

Nobu Malibu is one of the most famous sushi restaurants in the world, and it still delivers on all its hype.

Kato is a casual Japanese/Taiwanese tasting menu spot in West LA for people who don’t like tasting menus.

Orsa & Winston is an Italian-Japanese restaurant in DTLA that’s just as good for a casual lunch as it is for a special occasion dinner.

Tsubaki is a new Japanese spot in Echo Park and one of the better izakaya experiences in the city.

Bargain hunting for sushi rarely yields good results. Unless you’re going to Sushi Gen.

Jinpachi is West Hollywood’s secret sushi power move.

Sawtelle's Tsujita does the best tsukemen-style ramen this side of the Pacific and some of the best overall ramen in Los Angeles.

Santa Monica’s KazuNori is a handroll-only sushi option from the people behind Sugarfish. Expect the same quality without the crazy wait.

Otafuku is an excellent Japanese restaurant in Gardena that treats cold soba noodles like a science.

Shin Sen Gumi Yakitori in Gardena is an institution where you go to eat tremendous meat skewers in a low-key space.

Matsuhisa is the Beverly Hills restaurant that launched the Nobu empire, and there’s no sushi place that feels more LA.

The original Katsu-Ya in Studio City is also the best.

Sushi Chitose has a fantastic, affordable omakase in an almost impossible-to-spot building in Redondo Beach.

If you’re in Gardena for breakfast (or anywhere close), you need to head right to Painter’s Tape for their excellent Japanese-influenced cafe food.