Sushi San Vicente-Style

The Sushi Ozekii comes to town with a solid reputation.

By Joseph S. Amster

The Sushi Ozekii
480 S. San Vicente Blvd.,
Los Angeles
(323) 852-1799
www.ozekii.com
Other locations in Agoura Hills, Camarillo and Ventura

Having firmly established themselves in Ventura County since 1999, the owners of The Sushi Ozekii have decided to break into Los Angeles’ über-competetive sushi market. With creative menu offerings, fresh and flavorful ingredients, stunning presentation and eye-pleasing décor, they stand a good chance of making their mark.

Patios at the front and side of the restaurant are perfect for warm evenings, and with winter coming, they’re adding heaters. They’re also offering draft beer to go along with a midnight closing every night—perfect for the party crowd. For those who prefer an earlier repast, the color scheme of burnt orange and burnt umber in this small and intimate mid-century modernesque space is relaxing. On this evening, be-bop jazz played in the background, but their musical offerings suit the scene.

An emphasis on presentation was evident in all of The Sushi Ozekii’s offerings. From spin-art style sauce to clever garnishes of carrots cut into whimsical origami shapes, these plates are a feast for the eyes. However, don’t think that presentation is sacrificed for taste—the sushi was as good as it looked.

All special rolls are $10.75, and considering their size, that’s a good value. This evening, we sampled the Hawaiian roll (very soft tuna on top of a California roll), Alaskan roll (salmon atop a spicy tuna roll), and their spider roll (soft shell crab). The Hawaiian and Alaskan rolls came with a light and flavorful goma sauce. The spider roll was impressive because the crab was crisp and not at all oily. The scallop volcano (California roll topped with scallops in dynamite sauce) had a whimsical presentation of pink and green sauces that resembled spin-art. The sauces alternated between sweet and spicy—this dish was truly a delight. Perhaps the most interesting dish was Eve’s Temptation: tuna surrounding mashed sweet potatoes and topped with mint sprigs, made to resemble an apple. This was a combination I never would have thought of, and it was definitely different. Finishing up the raw side was a big eye tuna rose served on top of halibut sashimi dotted with sriracha sauce and floating on ponzu sauce—a wonderful balance of competing and subtle flavors.

Moving over to cooked dishes, the monkey balls are a good appetizer, but the fried tofu salad is impressive with its sweet sauce accentuating the slightly crispy bean curd. An excellent entrée is their salmon teriyaki, which comes with a homemade sauce that’s light on the sweetness and, thankfully, wasn’t molasses-thick like some concoctions I’ve found.

The Sushi Ozekii also has a good selection of Japanese beer and sake. Americans are finally moving beyond hot sake and discovering that there’s a world of flavor to discover in the frigid realm. Be sure to try unfiltered sake for something different and delightful.

Although they’re a little off the beaten path, I found The Sushi Ozekii worth seeking out for their creativity, portions, freshness and prices. Parking in this neighborhood is convenient, and the Beverly Center/3rd St. area is close-by.