Sushi Mura

CLOSED DOWN.
I was looking for a sushi place around Westwood on Unilocal,and I stumbled upon this listing… it took me a while, and then I remembered eating here three years ago, and like most reviews, it was good.
Unfortunately the restaurant has since closed down. The number doesn’t even work anymore.

I used to love this place when it was half off sushi. I mean, half off sushi in westwood is like. regular priced sushi anywhere else, right?
But still the atmosphere is pretty chill here. Especially not what you expect from the westwood scene. Then again, it’s a bit off the main part of the village that it does avoid a lot of the crowds…
Ok, what am I talking about. The Village hasn’t been crowded for at least ten years. Oh man. I remember the days when it was a hot spot and those movie theaters were packed. Now it seems like the Fox theater is about to be dumped off.
Back to the sushi establishment, it has a trendy and hip feel to the place and is far enough from the main area of the village that you can actually enjoy yourself without hearing them crazy ol’ college students ruining your meal.
Good service and the prices aren’t that bad without the half off special, but still, I miss those days.

i came here after an annual checkup i had at one of the medical centers in westwood. i was the only patron here and even though the service was nice, they got many things wrong.
i asked for a small bottle of the cold sake. she seemed to know exactly what i was talking about, so i assumed there was a house brand or something. what she brought out to me was… weird. i poured the alcohol from the carafe and i could have sworn that it was plum wine. it had a yellow tint and TASTED like plum wine. i just wanted to eat and drink and go and so i didn’t say anything. but seriously, if i ask for sake, don’t bring me anything tinted unless i specify it.
then the clincher. even though all the food tasted passable but with WAY too much rice. (they saw that i pinched off half the rice of each sushi i ate before eating it, but they still kept making me fish with a lot of rice.) this was literally the first time i had such a violent reaction to sushi!
it felt fine during the walk to sushi mura back to the parking structure on broxton, but as soon as i got on the freeway to go home, i knew what i ate was bad because i started getting this cold sweat and i started shaking. i had to use all my power to make it all the way home with clean pants. good thing the freeways were clear and i just lived in culver city!

On the quest for good and cheap sushi in LA, I stumbled upon this place not too long ago. The hanging lanterns from the ceiling, the set up of the restaurant, and the color theme (dark-​wood-​ish) definitely creates a trendy mood to the place… but somehow it still feels like a regular sushi joint. It also sports two flat screen TVs for sports fans.
This place used to have half-​off sushi but they stopped the promotion and put in place cheaper sushi instead (not as cheap as half off obviously). They also used to give out free miso soup but apparently that has been stopped also. The sushi itself is mediocre. The rice can be a little sour sometimes and is not packed really well. It’s always a mess to pick the cut roll from the plate, dip it into soy sauce, and put it into your mouth. The flavor of the sushi is not worth to be ravving about.
The last time I went there with some people, we ordered two udon combos (udon, tempura platter, and four pieces of Calif roll), four masago nigiris, one crispy salmon roll, one salmon roll, and one shrimp tempura roll. It was too much food that we didn’t finish them all. The bill came out to be 51 dollars, which was pretty cheap for sushi.
The service here was excellent though. Our waitress was always tentative. Overall, this place is decent for the price, décor, and location.

I wanna like this place… I think… and I kinda do like it but there’s just soooomething about it that makes me crinkle my nose a little bit…
For one thing the place is a little bit hidden, right around the corner from Brew Co. They do have a little sandwich board sign right out front proclaiming that they are open until 2am Thursday through Saturday and that most items are 10−50% off. When you look at the menu though it just shows one price so you can’t really tell what’s discounted or if it even is discounted at all.
I liked that the menu actually lists a «Sake Bomb Combo» and you can choose either a large sake and large beer for $ 10 or a small sake and large beer for $ 7. Most sushi places don’t specifically list this and you end up not knowing how much you’re going to be charged per sake bomb.
Most of the menu items seem reasonably priced. Some specialty rolls were a bit pricey, like $ 13 each roll but the Lunch Box is super cheap. For less than 10 bucks you can choose a meat (salmon, chicken, bbq short ribs, chicken katsu and I think pork) and then you get white rice, salad, 4-​pc CA roll, and some creamy shell pasta salad w/​thinly sliced ham pieces. For an extra 3 bucks you can get tempura, or 3-​pc sushi (albacore, tuna, salmon), or salmon sashimi. I got the extra sushi — the pieces of fish looked big but they were pretty thinly sliced. The menu says you’re supposed to also get miso soup with this but 4 of us ordered lunch boxes and none of us got any miso soup. I was too hungry to even bother asking for it. Why was I so hungry you ask? Because the waitress brought out everyone’s lunch box at the same time… EXCLUDING mine. I waited at least 5 minutes for my lunch to come out. Not cool! The food was fine, nothing spectacular, and the sushi rice definitely was extra sour tasting. I didn’t mind that too much though and you don’t really notice it when you just pop the whole thing in your mouth.
The waiters seemed kinda bored the whole time yet they got our boxes mixed up and couldn’t tell which one was pork and which one was chicken. Hmmmm.
There are 2 TVs inside, 1 huge and 1 smaller so we got to watch some of the inauguration things while we ate. Oh, and is it becoming some kind of a trend or something to have message boards on the walls for patrons to scribble on? My favorite message said «I love Chris’ Sexy Roll» yeaaaaaaaaaaa sushi makes people randy huh? I also noticed a sushi conveyor belt but it was not operating today, maybe business is just too slow right now.
Apparently there’s also a delivery/​takeout/​catering business INSIDE Sushi Mura called «Yummy Express» I didn’t see this but there’s a menu for it on the counter that you pass on your way out the door. That counter also holds a big basket of those yummy fruit flavored chewy candies!
So for me, the jury is still out on Sushi Mura. I’ll give it another shot one of these days but one more shot is all it gets!

Okay, so I’ve tried EVERY sushi place around Westwood and this is hands down the best sushi place. Quality, service, taste, room, and price all make this the best sushi place in Westwood. I’m a huge sushi fanatic and I can say this is the first place I think of when sushi comes to mind when I’m at UCLA.
Rainbow Rolls for less than $ 6?! Wow, love it. Everything was cheaply priced and good. Beer seems cheap too but I didn’t drink here.
I’m going back to school soon and this will probably be the first place to go to! =]

This is like THE CHEAPEST place to get sushi in Westwood. For about $ 20, you can get 4 – 5 decent rolls (and by decent, I mean actual rolls, not that cucumber roll stuff). Nice ambiance… good for friends, family, or even a date. It’s kind of hard to find though if you’re a first timer — I usually walk here from UCLA, but for people traveling in cars, it’s incredibly hard to find parking.
Nice friendly staff.

I went there today w/​friend for happy hour. they said they don’t have happy hour and their food is already half price of regular. (huh? confused)
Anyway, we ordered so much. ate for nearly two hours.
their Sexy roll is refreshing and good! so does fatty salmon nigiri sushi.

My boyfriend and I went here the other night and we had an appetizer (tofu dumplings), the dynamite roll and the avalanche roll. The total came out to be $ 21 for two of us and we had half of the avalanche roll left.
The appetizer was soso, just not so great tofu. The rolls though were REALLY good! I like them a lot. The dynamite roll (4 pieces) was really spicy (I should’ve expected it) and the avalanche roll (8 pieces) was really good with the tomato salsa topping. MMM!
I thought the prices were higher than usual but for the amount in the portions, the price was hella legit. I heard there was a 50% off list, but I don’t think that exists anymore since I went there the other night and I saw no such thing!

They didn’t card me for alcohol! So anyone under 21… here’s your place. I didn’t really order anything but alcohol but I will say that the atmosphere is relaxing and very spacious. Also, the service was quick! Sad news, they don’t offer student discounts anymore.

The sushi isn’t really all that, but alot of the selections are half price for ucla students which makes them cost as much as the godawful crap they try to pass as sushi in Tsunami (the one in ackerman) and when you put it that way (which is to say lowering your standards drastically) then it’s awesome.
Really though, with the half off prices it’s totally worth it.

Service here can be so hit or miss! The food is consistently delicious but once they went 45 minutes without serving us. We decided to speak up after they ignored us for 20 minutes.
When they finally did bring out the food they forgot one of our orders. Despite the inconvenience (we were stuck waiting at the restaurant for two hours) they didn’t even really apologize or comp us! We were sitting right by the bar, too!
But I do like their Bruin roll!

In search of LA’s Sushi Deli, we found this place whilst wandering around Westwood shortly after moving to LA. The first time we went there the food was delicious and cheap as hell (you know how Kohl’s is perpetually having a sale? That’s how Sushi Mura’s sushi is: perpetually half-​priced). The second time we went there its health inspection rating had dropped to a B, but the service and food was even better. The third time we went it was back up to an A, and has stayed there ever since. I’ve been here with Dillon alone, I’ve been here with a group of 20 grad students and prospective grad students, dinner or lunch, it just gets better every time.
They definitely have weird-​yet-​amazing sushi here: the onion ring roll, for example (it’s exactly what it sounds like). I have yet to taste something bad on the menu, but diner beware of the Mexican roll– I almost lost my tongue those jalapenos were so spicy, and beware of the shrimp and crab roll, which is basically a mayonnaise-​y baby shrimp and crab salad on top of a California roll. If you go you absolutely MUST get the First Kiss roll: cucumbers and strawberries in a sweet shell with strawberry yogurt instead of soy sauce for dipping.
It’s no Sushi Deli, let’s face it, but for Los Angeles, it’s coming pretty close in price and quality.
UPDATE: As of 7÷31÷08, Sushi Mura is evicted from the premises. Hopefully they’ll pop up again in a higher traffic area.

Most of the time I come to this place, I may be a bit frustrated when arrive whether it is the long 5 – 6 hour public transportation trip to visit my girlfriend when we are in college or whether it is just the lack of parking to be found in hot spots such as Venice Beach and Westwood. One thing, well two things, always seem to calm me down after making the trip to Westwood and UCLA and that is her and Sushi Mura.
The core experience of Sushi Mura is that it is in the heart of «college town» for UCLA and definitely the vibe is different from other Japanese restaurants. You get a more relaxed feeling and that is the reason why this is one of the hotspots for students to be frequents. The aura of Sushi Mura definitely engulfs you and transports you to a college world. This generated fantasy allows a person to become optimistic and forget what they worried about at the door.
The price of the sushi is very generous because of their 50% off rolls and that is generally what we order. There are other dishes and rolls as well and I hope that I will have the courage to try those rolls later on but for now, I am happy with the cheap.
We almost always get the same 4 rolls (Crispy Salmon, Tempura Roll, Rainbow Roll, California Roll) but we have also tried various other rolls and sushis (Spicy Salmon, etc). I am going to say that the quality of the food here is enough to make me try eating them with the immense pain I was receiving from my spacers for my braces this coming week. For all of you that had braces before, you know what I mean. You will not be disappointed with the food here and do not think the sushi or rolls is of cheaper quality just because of the price.
Overall, the feeling you get with this experience of eating here at Sushi Mura makes everything a whole lot better. Waiters are always welcoming and the sushi chefs are always available to talk to. The food just tastes so much better. If you are in the Westwood area, I highly recommend this place. For all the times I’ve come frustrated and angry, I left here without a doubt in my mind, happy.

This hard to find place is much better than the other half-​off sushi place in Westwood. Not only is the half-​off menu ALWAYS active, the service is a lot better and they provide complimentary salad and miso soup.
There’s a pretty good atmosphere and once I had to stow an ice cream cake in their refrigerator for a friend’s birthday and they were very accommodating about storing it and bringing it out towards the end of the meal to surprise the birthday girl. Furthermore, Sushi Mura really provides a lot of bang for your buck. For $ 10 you can get a rainbow roll and shrimp tempura roll, 8 pieces each!

Caught in a cul de sac due to roadworks, Mura is the newest Japanese Korean joint on Westwood (for student prices) so that excludes Daiwa Yamato.
The conveyor belt was not on, and the lighting was alarmingly absent. I was worried it was bad fish they were trying to hide. So I asked Irene the lovely server why = she said the chefs like the ambience that way. Now I never argue with a sushi chef who is always armed and the ambience grew on me.
I ordered the yellow tail, alabacore, white tuna and mackarel sushi, topped off with deep fried oyster in batter, and a half of an energy roll and a bananna roll!
Yes we ate alot but its exam time; fish is brain food.
Bill was 24 bucks a head post tip.
Fish was suprisingly GOOD, rice was a tad on the sour side. But I like the size of the sushi not too large and on the delicate side. I will go again.

My wife had eaten here for lunch and was mesmerized by the floating trays of sushi (why can’t everything be served on a conveyor belt, I ask?), so we headed over for dinner on a Saturday night. Maybe it’s been too long since I was a UC student, but thought the sushi was pretty mediocre. Granted, the bill was was about ½ of what I’d expect to pay at the sushi joints where we live, which I imagine is a great deal when you’re a struggling student just trying to afford tuition and a little unagi. I actually left food on my plate, which is unheard of for me with sushi.
The waitress took our order then never came back to our table until we had signaled her for the check.

I had a good experience here primarily due to their ½ off sushi price dinner promotion. UCLA students also get 10% off the bill with an ID.
Food: Delicious, visually stimulating, relatively inexpensive. The UCLA hand roll made with Albacore tuna was delicious and about $ 4 (
). I ordered the chicken donburi which comes with a small salad, miso soup (
), and a watermelon dessert (
). Each of these extras was pretty small, but the entrée was freaking enormous and came in a cute box that wasn’t deceptively shallow (
). The udon (
) also comes in large portions and the dynamite is delicious (although not guilt free,
). I hear from Vivian L. that the original sushi prices are insanely high, so I might have to add to this review later.
Service: I’m not sure if they were being super nice because of a lack of customers (probably why they’re holding their ½ off promotion) or if it’s a general practice. It added to Mura’s appeal, especially when they gave my friend a dessert when he hadn’t ordered anything. Open until 11 for you late nighters.
Atmosphere: This looks like an expensive restaurant, but luckily it’s affordable. Most of the area is occupied by a sushi bar complete with conveyor belt. The back wall is decorated in colorful graffiti on a mirror (
). I’m not sure if you can add to it, but it looks funky. Feels pretty upscale overall.
Coming back here in the near future hopefully.

I stumbled across this place while looking for Sushi ACLU (lol American civil liberties union). That place doesn’t exist anymore because someone thought of a better name!
The servers are friendly, and the décor borders modern/​trendy with a bit of ghetto. They still have parts reminiscent of Café Moustache. I was happy to see that the tables were very clean and well equipped.
The prices are typical Westwood 10 – 20 dollar range, but the quality of the sushi/​sashimi is much better than anything else. The fish is fresh and melts in your mouth. [Note: I ordered it specifically, and didn’t grab it from the rotating sushi river. I don’t think it is EVER a good idea to grab stuff from here, because there is typically no way to know how long the fish has been out there)
There is happy hour 2-​for-​1 Sake and Beer from 5 – 7 weekdays. The hot sake isn’t bad.
I recommend trying the Kevin’s/J’s special if you can’t make up your mind (ask what it is, since it changes every once in a while). I ordered it twice so far and have been satisfied both times.

This is one of my new favorite restaurants, and probably the best one in Westwood… I just came back from this place and I must say it’s pretty amazing compared to all the other Japanese restaurants in Westwood. It just opened where Café Moustache – it just opened – used to be (which is bittersweet for me because «back in the day,» i.e. 4 years ago or so, it used to be good… but recently I came back and it was going down the tubes so this restaurant is indeed an upgrade).
It’s got the rotating sushi bar/​boat thing (while it doesn’t have the «river» like some places have, it’s cool nonetheless) but I didn’t come at a time where I could see it in action. It was also happy hour which is 5:30, to 8:30(?) where you can get Sake or Beer 2 for 1.
The inside looks really good… it seems like someone was opening the restaurant themselves, and while didn’t pick the most expensive furnishings, knew how to make the most of his/​her money. It looks pretty good inside, very modern like many sushi places. It actually looks better than most of the sushi places in Westwood. There are still remnants of Moustache with the french styled walls and windows, but I’m sure in the future they’ll probably change it to fit the style more.
There is also this cool mirror which people are allowed to write on with those neon markers. Very cool. It also makes the room look bigger which is always a plus.
Now onto food. My friend and I had the 12 piece sushi combo (Nigiri) and it was some of the best sushi I ever had… It was very fresh. Some places seem a bit old because the fish is a bit tough. Here the fish just melted in my mouth. The only exception was one of the fish which was probably a day or two older than the rest so it was slightly tough.
Anyhoo, VERY good. I liked the rice very much as well. Ate it all.
I also had the soft-​shelled crab, which I get at every sushi place I go. Here it’s a bit basic with regular tempura but it still tastes great. The tempura is slightly sweet which is unexpected (usually my tempura isn’t). I still like Ami’s soft-​shelled crab though… it’s a tie there. I also liked the bed of tempura flakes it was put on… though I was sad to see the tempura wasted.
We shared the 12 pieces and that wasn’t enough so we got «Kevin’s special» that was also really excellent, probably due to the fresh fish as before. (I think Kevin and J’s specials change everyday b/​c the ingredients are not listed.)
My friend got the 2 for 1 sake but she couldn’t finish it, too strong :).
What was nice was that the service was good. The lady got me some complementary miso soup when we were waiting (we only had been waiting like 4 minutes or so) for the second dish. The staff seems really nice.
Next time I’ll come try the other dishes (they have udon, yakitori, boxes, like most sushi places)… I’ll update…
But as of now… one of my fave sushi places. The only other place I really love I can’t find on here: P… I need to go back and get a card so I can add it.
Anyway, in sum, GREAT sushi place. Looks like it’d be fun to come at night (though it is a little pricier than Ami’s it’s sushi is way better… the quality upgrade is worth the price).
Edit: Went again… around 7 pm on a Sunday. It was still really good. This time I got the Soft-​Shelled Crab roll (which was huge by the way b/​c the crab was shoved in it) and that was pretty good. I also tried Toro for the first time (yeowch $ 10 for two pieces) and it was really great. The meatier parts were firm and it separated on the fatty layers when I bit into it. It had a really smooth buttery taste. I really liked it. It was cool that they gave us free miso soup too.
Edit: Went yet again. They changed their menu. NOOOOOO! :(My dad always used to say that leads to the downfall of a restaurant. He was around during the early days of McDonalds when they had REAL burgers… he said the minute they started changing and adding crap is when they started being bad. In and Out, conversely, has not changed and thus stayed good. Don’t fix it if it’s not broke! I had some wierd oniony roll and that was pretty bad. It had a variety of sauces which made it really sweet and oily, and on top of creamy avocado in California roll… I usually don’t like California Rolls as I hate avocado but I do make some exceptions. There is some sushi with avocado I like.
Then, comes the crap boiled mussels I got. They were incredibly tough and obviously were frozen. OH THE HORROR. Japanese places are known for good seafood… frozen seafood shouldn’t even be considered! UGH.
SO sadly, I will have to DOWNGRADE to four stars!