Sakae Sushi

Come any day of the week, and you’ll find a sizable group of parents, Gen Z-ers, and grandmas running their daily errands in line at this family sushi shop. Since its opening in the early 60′s, not much has changed at Sakae Sushi—it’s still tucked in the back of an office building in Gardena, and each box comes wrapped in a bright-white parchment paper then tied with a green string.

The menu is only six items long—a refreshing reprieve from all the restaurants with over 300+ things to order, where we often feel like we’re being watched by some omnipresent judge of “good taste,” and paralyzed with fear that we’ll make the wrong the choice. But luckily, there is no “wrong choice” at Sakae—just get the mixed box of 12. That way, you can order two of everything on the menu, including the fried tofu-wrapped inari sushi, tamago-maki draped in a bright-yellow sweet egg blanket, and the sabazushi, a bite-sized piece of pickled mackerel placed on a mound of heavily vinegared rice. It’s a little sour, a little sweet, and exactly what we want to be eating while watching dog agility videos for the eightieth time today. Sakae Sushi is cash only, and you’ll need to call in your order before picking up. The phone number is (310) 532-4550.