Okumura Restaurant

I enjoy supporting mom and pop shops and had high hopes of writing a stella review for this place. I am sad that it won’t be the case. So for those of you that don’t know, the main Chef is the owner and his wife is the hostess. They took over the restaurant about 4 years ago.
We came on a Saturday evening and were seated at the bar right before 8pm. I tried ordering uni, Spanish mackerel and sweet shrimp and was told it was not available or not part of the menu. Won’t lie that I was slightly disappointed and thought there were enough other good items we might be able to enjoy. So we proceeded to order several items from the daily special and a couple from their regular menu.
The second unpleasant surprise came when 4 of the dishes we ordered arrived about 15 – 30 seconds apart and we had to tell them to please slow down. I wanted to be able to enjoy each dish and not have to worry about the sushi and sashimi sitting there too long.
The ultimate disappointment was when the hotate (fresh scallop sashimi) portion looked less than the other pics I’ve seen posted on Unilocal.And the sushi didn’t look as appetizing as the pics either. Their sushi was cut too thin — one of them was cut so thin that the wasabi that was supposed to be underneath the fish came out and sat on top of it (see pic).
In summary, the kinme dai, akamatsu, and hotate tasted bland. Make sure you ask the Chef to season it before serving. I’m not sure why you have to ask for it… especially since their fish needs it.
The price for the food was high for what you get.
The service was great — 4 stars.
Parking: A few meter parking in the front and a large shared lot behind the restaurant.

I’ve eaten sushi all over the world prepared by some of the greatest masters. The Omakase at Okumura is as good as it gets. It isn’t cheap but you get what you pay for in life. The quality of ingredients and attention to detail makes for an unforgettable meal. 1^st class from beginning to end.

My friend celebrated her birthday here over the weekend. The food was amazing. Chef Rayota is an expert in the art of sushi! This resraurant is perfect for a group birthday dinner!

This is a tough one for me to review. We walked into Okumura with very high expectations, which ultimately led to my disappointment. This place came highly recommended so I was dying to get in here and try the Omakase. I heard the owner /​chef was the real deal and the reviews on Unilocal seemed to back that up.
Before I do my review… I want to say that I am giving them 3 stars on the excellent quality of the fish. For many people this can be a 4 or 5 star place.
Went there on a Saturday night with my wife and daughter. As expected the restaurant was crowded. I will say that I was a little stressed because I REALLY wanted to sit in front of the owner and eat Omakase. That was the whole reason for me going to this restaurant. As soon as we walked in the host asked if we had a reservation. I told him that we did not and he said they were packed and it could be a long wait. Then surprisingly he asked if we would be willing to sit at the sushi bar. I say surprisingly because, usually where we go for sushi, it is hard to get a seat at the bar and that is the only way we like to eat sushi. So anyway, I was VERY happy and told him that we definitely want to sit at the sushi bar and I was going to order Omakase.
The host said, «perfect!» He announced to the chef I was ordering Omakase, and we were seated right away. Amazing start!!! I am asking myself how can this be happening? LOL! A packed restaurant with an amazing sushi chef and we have no problem getting seated at the bar. I figured out who the owner was and was a little bummed that were weren’t seated in front of him. I was instead seated in front of a hispanic sushi chef. Apparently he is popular at the restaurant and regular customers reserve seats with this guy, but I was a little bummed.
Meanwhile, my wife and daughter were just ordering a la carte sushi items and even though we were sitting at the bar, the waitress took their sushi orders and their food took forever to come. Not cool. I was into my 5^th course at least before any of their food arrived.
The Omakase seemed to be a set menu because the chef just cranked it out. Started with oysters which were good. Then came tuna with gold shavings and immediately I was thinking Go’s Mart! Go is a master chef with a tiny place in West Hills, and those who know love that guy… including me and my daughter. Anyway, the gold was a nice touch, but the tuna was nothing special. The next few courses were super basic and I was getting a bit frustrated with the whole meal. My wife and daughter were really hungry and I was disappointed.
I was asking what else was coming for me… anything interesting or exotic??? I think the chef was sensing my anxiety and they cranked out the orders for my wife and daughter although they didn’t each much because it took so long. Honestly they just wanted to leave. Then some good items started rolling my way. Amazing black and golden eye snapper, among others.
The bill was $ 200 before tip. I have no problem spending $ 200+ for sushi, but this time I didn’t think it was worth it for what we had. But all of my complaints are based on my Omakase experience and I will still say this is a good sushi restaurant because it is. The fish is quality, they have some interesting menu items. But for me personally sushi is about the experience with the chef. I like to watch the chef work and I want to eat the fish the way it is prepared. You will never see me dip my sushi in wasabi and soy sauce. Instead I want to experience the fish and the way the chef seasons it. It was also a busy Saturday night so I kind of get it.

Amazing sushi! We love all the special dishes
A plus service and amazingly fresh fish!
Can’t wait Togo back

We tried the Omakase and it was excellent! Fish quality is exceptional. Their egg plus Uni dish melts in your mouth. The chef even came over to check on us. Highly recommend!

Wine pairing for the first half of the meal, Asa Tsuyu/​Morning Dew, Sauvignon Blanc, Kenzo Estate Winery. Intense Meyer lemon zest, musky, oily citrus, sour lemon drop scent. Flavours are candied preserved lemon peel, sour lemon zest, w/​tongue tingling acidity, pleasant raspy bitterness to cleanse the palate. Medium finish w/​a touch of mintiness, bitter-​sweet citrus rasp on the tongue.
1) Shigoku Oysters, Taylor Farm, Puget Sound: velvety, mildly chewy w/​ocean spray scented sweetness cupped in hunchback thin shells. Ponzu sauce w/​strong Katsuo Dashi/​broth tones adds an acidic meaty Umami. Red & green Kaiso-​/​seaweed w/​varying fibrous textures & brininess are a natural accompaniment.
2) Sockeye Salmon: Brilliant crimson, plush, sweet neutral meatiness. Bit of Ponzu. Ultra thin lightly battered crispy, fried onion adds a sweet, sulfurous earthy funk. Micro sprouts of red Shiso, Ruccola, cilantro add herbal, refreshing scents. Gold flakes add elegant eye appeal.
3) Sashimi:
a) Miyabi Maguro w/​pinkish, dusty rose colors, pillowy softness, mild blood-​iron minerality & bitterness.
b) Hotate Gai: scallops from the northernmost big island of Hokkaido-​. Soft, moist w/​a bit of al dente, sweet sea scent.
c) Sumi Ika: scored rectangles of white translucent, firm squid, but as one chews, it melts into a comforting milky, mushiness.
Condiments were a rough, sweet sea salt, & special Wasabi that has bits of real Wasabi root to create a more vegetal sweet aromatic rounded sharpness compared to the usual Wasabi paste from dry powder.
4) Seasoned Sashimi:
a) Kanpachi/​Amber Jack is firm w/​a smoothness dressed w/​pickled sweet onion purée inflected Ponzu. Refreshing in a contradictory meaty way.
b) Snake River Wagyu– (wah ghee yu)/Japanese style beef from Wyoming: Tataki where the outer edges are seared w/​a earth brown leaving the center in its natural raw state of dusty rose pink. Soft chewiness dressed w/​meaty Ponzu & scattering of toasted garlic for that earthy stink.
5) Chawan Mushi: Steamed Custard Egg mouthfeel is like the thick, refined crème in Crème Brulee in a meaty Katsuo/​bonito Dashi w/​a tiny sea inflected shrimp. Crowned w/​ultra plush sea funky tongue of Uni & surfeit of Ikura/​salmon roe infused in a Dashi Sho-​yu/​soy sauce.
Makiri Sake (sah keh) has very neutral bouquet to not interrupt the pristine scents of the food itself. The flavours are austere… just a touch of caramelized sugar taste balanced by bitterness. Finish is almost non-​existent w/​a bit of a sugary echo.
Sushi Rice is called Shari & is served slightly warm, soft yet al dente as one bites into the Shari seasoned w/​Japanese rice vinegar & maybe subtle Umami of Kombu/​kelp Dashi. Shari here is an excellent partner to the Neta/​ingredient put on top of the Shari.
6) Hirame/​halibut Sushi is a light, translucent, white subtle sweet fish. Green Wasabi paste is visible through the Hirame.
7) Hotate Sushi (look at section 3b)
8) Copper River Salmon from Alaska has big, bold deep meaty salmon Umami dressed w/​Dashi Sho-​yu. Pleasantly more fibrous & chewy so you have to take time to enjoy its meaty richness.
9) O– Toro/​fatty Tuna belly. This portion is called Sunazuri/​sand scrapper since it’s the portion of the belly that could touch the sandy ocean bottom. Rich, oily, fatty, unctuous, squashy yet meaty w/​touch of hemato-​scented meatiness. Gold flakes to contrast to the fleshy colors.
10) Kuro Dai: black snapper is sweet fresh flesh applied w/​black truffle salt for an earthy, strong dank forest mushroom scent. A nice bit of surf & funky turf.
11) Aka Mutsu: Rosy Seabass which is soft & subtly oily is first brushed w/​the Dashi Sho-​yu then seared w/​an open flame to caramelize the Dashi Sho-​yu. Then later more Dashi Sho-​yu is brushed for a fresher taste.
12) Shima Aji: Striped Jack has firm yet slippery meat lightly aged for a deeper, refined fishiness. Dressed w/​sweet, lemon acidity & flakes of dried Sho-​yu adding a toasty, salty, earthy Umami to complement the fish tones.
13) Hotaru Ika: Small firefly squid touched w/​pickled spicy sweet ginger. Sash of outstanding Nori/​black seaweed paper that reeked of being at Ariake Bay. The fresh sweetness of the Hotaru Ika/​squid was obvious, & when you bit into the Ika, the inside spurted out what seemed like a loose pâté of sweet earthy flavor of Sumiso/​sweet Japanese rice vinegar inflected salty-​sweet white Miso paste.
14) Uni Sushi & Ikura Sushi wrapped around Nori concluded the Omakase.
15) Dessert was a refreshing Panna Cotta although enriched w/​a soupçon of heavy cream. This «pudding» was complemented by slices of strawberry, ginormous sweet blue berries, bright green of spearmint leaf. Perfect way to end a magnificent meal.
Chef Ryota Okumura & wife Noriko are warm, convivial hosts. The Omakase is memorable & worth the price of admission.

Great place For Quality sushi, Did Not have to wait too Long and The service is Good. Portions are not too big and sushi is fresh and tasty. A new place when all else fails!

Sushi roll size just right. Just enough to fit into the mouth. Not too big to stuff your mouth.
Flavored excellent. Very well made.
Clean and modern décor.
Excellent service.
Definitely would return.

The few times I’ve come, I’ve never been disappointed. My most recent trip the food was really on point as was the service.
Came with someone whom had never had nigiri sushi before and swore they wouldn’t eat it because if it wasn’t fresh they would become ill. The quality in the first order was enough to reassure them to keep ordering until I’m sure we went down the whole daily special menu.

Lowkey some of the best omakase sushi around. Don’t tell anyone !!! Shhhhhhh
Trust me and finish your meal with the mochi

Problems…
1. I ordered albacore sushi and typically it is served with ponzu sauce and green onions however it was just plain and then I asked for ponzu sauce and he just brought plain ponzu however ALL the other sushi restaurants on the Blvd put green onion (i.e.So Sushi)
2. I was with 2 other people and I didn’t even revive my food until they were finished with theirs and we all ordered at the same time
3. The service was very slow no one came to check on us I had to flag everyone down to ordered one more thing ask for the check etc…
4. I asked the waiter specifically if they have small scallops to make a spicy scallop hand roll and he said yes however when it came it was large scallops loaded with spicy maya not even mixed with the fish it was just squirted on at the top.

Worst sushi I ever had and extremely expensive. Service wasn’t good either. There isn’t anything good about this place.
Save your money and don’t go here.

If you are looking for the REAL SUSHI experience (not those crappy OMG CRAZY WTF rolls). This. Is. The. Place. To. Be. Chef Okumura is the bomb! My fiancé and I had the Omokase and it was the best we had by far. Fish cannot be any fresher! The explotion of flavors of the Nigiris are to die for. Perfect balance, melts like butter in my mouth! I cannot wait to be back! See you soon Chef Okumura!

Tried this place based on a recommendation of another Unilocaler. To be concise, the sushi here is good. They have a nice selection of fish which is better quality than most places and Okumura san is very knowledgeable and traditional. I asked for omakase and he obliged. I did enjoy myself, but I’m still looking for a place that will make more than your ordinary nigiri or maki sushi or sashimi. I prefer to eat tsumami style and there used to be a couple of places that would make dishes with throw away parts like the head, bones or innards for you to snack on.
As others may have mentioned, this place isn’t cheap. Good sushi in general isn’t cheap, but I would have to say that this place is a little pricier than most for what you get.

Extremely delicious, and surprisingly nice.
Okumura is built into a strip mall next to a cigar lounge, and really, from the outside, it doesn’t look like much.
But on the inside, the fairly modern décor started what turned out to be a really nice dinner.
I’ll start with my only complaint, and that is that it is TOO BRIGHT. Turn down those lights a tiny bit for a little ambiance. Make it a little more romantic. I know the lights in the center of the restaurant are helping the chefs, so that complicates matters, but perhaps there is a light fixture that could more accurately concentrate those lamps into the sushi bar, and then get some warmer, dimmer lights for the standard seating areas.
Other than that, though, everything was well above average.
The food was solid — my wife got 3 types of sushi (salmon, black snapper and one other I forget), plus a tuna cut roll and a tuna hand roll. She confirmed all of them were incredibly fresh and outstanding quality.
I had a California Roll, just because it’s simple, and the grilled chicken teriyaki dinner. It came with miso soup and a small salad for only $ 12, even at dinner time. I’m a cheap date!
We also got a bottle of the hot sake.
Would definitely recommend!

oh MAN, i hardly give five stars to sushi places unless it is Sugarfish. This place is mind blowing. The sushi here is just amazing. I didn’t get a chance to do omakase, but did get a chance to sample a couple of different dishes here and I wasn’t dissappointed.
halibut sushi, black snapper sushi, agedashi tofu, shishito peppers, blue crab hand roll, spicy tuna hand roll, yellowtail/​spicy tuna cut roll. The sushi orders was what I was most impressed with.
Lot of attention to the preparation of the sushi pieces! the spicy tuna hand roll could have been a little spicier, but i like that you can actually taste the freshness of the tuna.
If I am ever back here on this side of town, I would be here in a heartbeat!

I’ve been coming here for quite some time now and I can’t believe I haven’t reviewed it yet. When I first came to this spot it was another restaurant that had sushi on conveyor belts and you just grabbed it off the belt when it came by. I hated that place and never came back. Then my friend Francis G. told me that a new Sushi place called Okumura opened up there and the sushi was amazing. At first, I didn’t believe him but one day I decided to give it a try.
They really cleaned this place up and it looks very modern from the last place that was there. The sushi is 1000x better in comparison and the service is very good. The last time I was there they must of been slow so they were hovering around take every plate and filling my water glass every time it got down to about ¹⁄₃ of the way.
My favorite sushi to order from here is:
BLUE CRAB ROLLS — I love their blue crab rolls. The real crab meat is always nice and fresh and they put a nice amount in the roll.
RAINBOW ROLL — the Rainbow Roll is pretty good. The imitation crab is solid and the fish and avocado they layer on the top is extremely fresh at all times.
That’s pretty much all I ever order from here but every time I’ve had it I’ve never had a bad experience. I’ve had the mochi ice cream from there as well and they were the best ones I’ve ever had. So Overall, I would recommend this sushi spot because they never disappoint!
OOOOO
5 out of 5 Afros

Wednesday early evening, in between appointments and on our maiden voyage to Encino, son and I were on the look-​out for dinner. I wanted Greek, while super thin teenager wanted sushi. Yep, he won.
Parking: There’s a lot shared with many businesses so it was very busy, but we were able to grab a parking spot.
We entered through the back (which is by the bathrooms). Greeted quickly and asked if we wanted to sit at bar or table. We opted for one of the tables for 2 (they also have booths). Décor is modern/​contemporary; its a more upscale sushi restaurant.
Server quickly brought us giant waters (Thank you. I totally needed that and I know there’s a drought and everyone is now telling you they only bring out water on request, but sometimes, you’re just thirsty and need a water, STAT.)
Based upon Unilocal recommendations, I ordered almost all items that were listed as specials.
Appetizers:
Tuna Poke: Very Good. Fresh & Flavorful.
Softshell Crab: Very Good. Crispy, yet not overdone.
Rolls:
Spicy Yellowtail Deluxe: Very Good. My son enjoyed this one, but I though it would be spicier.
Negi Toro Cut Roll: Very Good. Tasted Fresh.
Crispy Albacore Onion Roll: Good. Ordered this because server told me it was a favorite among regulars. Albacore sashimi on top of Spicy Tuna Roll. I’m not a fan of the crispy onions on top, but I brought it home and my daughter liked it.
Arcoiris: Rainbowl rolls wrapped in cucumber (no rice). Good. (They brought this out with the appetizers, so I got a little too full on this one, prior to the other rolls.)
Entrée:
Chicken Steak-​Son was craving some meat and ordered this entrée with Teriyaki sauce. He ate it, but wasn’t a fan. I took a bite and thought the chicken was dry.
Service was very good and server was quick to wrap up everything quickly when we had to leave to make our appointment.
Final note: tables for 2 are close together. We had 2 patrons on one side, but could barely hear their conversation. However, midway through our meal, 2 patrons sat down on the other side and were in full on Valley/​Kardashian speak mode and their volume was loud. Made me wince, while my son had to go take a little walk after dinner. Haha.

I have been to Okumura more than an hand full of times now. I have to say this is my favorite sushi place in the Valley. The sushi is always fresh and consistent. Never once had a bad experience. Chef Okumura does an excellent job serving up fresh and authentic sushi and sashimi dishes.
Recommend:
Dinner:
Omakase: Definitely won’t go wrong in the hand of Chef Okumura.
Daily Special Menu: Like I said in my last review. You won’t be disappointed ordering from this menu.
Lunch:
Chirashi Bowl
Nigiri Sampler
Salmon Skin Salad
This is definitely my place to go for some excellent sushi!