Asuka Restaurant, Westwood

The food here just keeps getting better everytime I go.

I went to asuka a couple of years ago and I thought it was average at best. My recent visit however, was awesome. They have made a lot of changes recently. I don't think you can get better sushi that's reasonably priced. The fish is awesome. The main sushi chef goes to the fish market and picks it out himself. Friendly service too. Try the ice cream after dinner.

I used to come to Asuka a few years back and it was very good, but not great. Definitely above average, but nothing to write home about. After a few year break, I've moved into a new place a short walk away from Asuka and decided to go back. Man, have they stepped up their game. The fish just seems better now, it's fresh, tender, and delicious. Some of the dishes are fantastic now. A favorite of mine is the tuna carpaccio, some great tuna sashimi topped with diced sauteed garlic. It satisfies my Italian food cravings while I'm eating some excellent tuna. The Nomo roll is also excellent if you enjoy garlic as much as I do. Beyond that, in the few weeks we've been going, the service has gone from very good to exceptional. After three weeks or so, we're being greeted by name there, and they're more than happy to heap on the garlic for us. I've never been a huge fan of the big sushi joints in LA (I've not been to Matsuhisa, but I've been to a few of the others) and find they often spend more time on atmosphere and being inventive for the sake of being inventive than paying attention to what is just plain good. I've had a few favorite spots in LA for a while now, and Asuka has jumped to the top of that list. Bonus that it's so close. In addition to the two above, I recommend the Ishii roll, but ask for it extra spicy. If you don't like spicy food, don't bother with it, as it's not horribly remarkable, but it's excellent when the heat is turned up.

This is a high quality place with a great location -- just a few steps away from the corner of Westwood and Wilshire. The sushi and robata are both excellent, though the selection of other Japanese food items tends to be rather small. Asuka has long been a favorite place to hold business lunches, yet is friendly as well to the lone diner. Lunches are reasonably priced when you consider this is a high rent location.

A great choice if there are non-sushi eaters in your group. Asuka is half-sushi and half-cooked food, with reasonable prices all the way around. The sushi is good, and less expensive than in most sushi bars. There is also a wide selection of cooked foods. My favorite cooked dish is scallops wrapped in bacon: delicious!! The Beef Japanese is quite good, too. Don't forget to tip your cook/sushi chef!