KazuNori: The Original Hand Roll Bar

Our friends keep moving to Los Angeles - cheaper rent, sunshine, seeing Emma Stone in your workout class, yada yada yada. But there’s a bit of eastward movement as well, mostly in the form of restaurants. First came Sugarfish, the beloved kind-of affordable sushi place, and now we also have its more relaxed younger sibling, KazuNori, which serves exclusively handrolls.

When you walk into this restaurant on 29th Street, you’ll be handed a paper menu and a pencil, and you’ll be instructed to take a seat along the long bar. It’s like a mix of going to a fast casual restaurant, a fancy cocktail bar, and the local middle school where you took your SATs.

Once seated with your pencil and paper, you’ll pick which handroll set you want - they come in sets of three to six, with the six topping out at a very affordable $28 including gratuity. Each roll is handed to you freshly made, one at a time, and they’re designed to be eaten immediately for maximum seaweed-crispness. It’s a good deal, and it’s also fast: everyone sits along a bar and you’ll probably be out in under 40 minutes. The quality is good, and it’s a satisfying option for almost-cheap sushi. Hit it early (before 7) to avoid waits.

We’d recommend KazuNori for a quick dinner, not for a date or a night out. It’s a good place to eat solo. Remember, all your friends moved to LA anyway.

Food Rundown

Handrolls

Aside from a little salmon sashimi appetizer, these are the only thing on the menu. Get a set of between three and six. They’ll be handed to you one at a time, and you can supplement any others a la carte - the crab and toro are the best ones.