Isshin Restaurant

1 star for sushi. that’s pretty bad for me considering i love sushi. i doubt i will ever go back again.
** I started this review back in 2009** I can’t remember what else I had to say. But I guess it’s closed now and that’s that.

I don’t care if Isshin is closed… I have to make a review about what was and will always be my favorite sushi restaurant ever. During my tenure as an undergrad at UCLA, I lived just down the block from this gem of gems which I sadly did not realize till the latter part of my stay. As a senior when I finally became of drinking age, I ventured into this little restaurant for their happy hour to enjoy some cheap beers and hopefully some decent sushi. I sat down at their sushi bar which was very traditional with the arrangement with the sushi chefs. See, when you wanted something, you told the chef directly and he would place it with his bare hands on your bamboo board with a chunk of homemade, marinated ginger and fresh wasabi. My first order for the chef was the salmon sushi. Now, I always judge a sushi restaurant based on the quality of their salmon. If the salmon sucks, chances are everything else sucks too. Boy was I more than surprised!!! It is honestly the most delicious salmon sushi I have ever had. Better than Morimotos. Better than Nobu. Better than EVERYONE. I still long for that taste when I venture into a new sushi restaurant, hoping that I will taste that yummy salmon flavor once again. Alas, it has not happened yet… sniff.
After my happy discovery, I went to Isshin literally every Friday for my entire senior year for the happy hour! I would always get at least 2 orders of the salmon sushi plus their albacore belly and kanpachi which was also to DIE for! Isshin also holds the record for best kanpachi I’ve ever had. I would also have their half-​priced spicy tuna rolls which have also been some of the tastiest ones I’ve encountered. The sisters at Isshin loved me… As soon as I walked in, they would get me a cold, light beer in a frosted glass and we would chat about sports and sometimes Vegas, haha. I am so saddened (and can I say traumatized!?) that they have closed down because they were truly a fine example of a family run establishment with quality service and exceptional food. Isshin: I hope somehow you can open your doors again, wherever they may be. Till then, this girl will still be searching for the perfect salmon to dull the ache of my loss…

Isshin is/​was my favorite sushi place in the world, and I’ve lived all over the US and eaten on six continents. I am *heartbroken* that it is closed, and even more heartbroken that I did not get to say good bye. I last went there on Valentine’s day and did not know they were closing. It is like a sudden death.
The sushi was great (I had fresh eel one night that was the best I ever had), loved the free (to anyone who would drink it) habu sake with the pit viper snake in it, and tried more diverse things there than anywhere else. The sushi chefs were incredibly friendly and accommodating. The sisters who owned it were all *amazing*, and in particular, I miss Risa already! I logged onto Unilocal for the first time in 3 or 4 years just to find out what happened to this place.
If anyone knows *anything* about where they are moving to, future openings, or any other info about them, please, *please* let me know.

This is the most delicious sushi in Westwood, hands down. The albacore melts in your mouth. The prices are really affordable. The atmosphere is lovely.
I came here to check out the hours so I could visit tonight and learn that it’s closing? Say it aint so! I hope the owners are able to reopen at another location. It would be so sad to lose this place.

Have to love Isshin, even if they’re now being forced to close.
Sushi’s not bad– the albacore belly is *amazing* and the spicy tuna is solid, but the rest is merely not bad with one exception: the Lindbrook Roll is TASTY! And the beef teriyaki is superb– this is one of the few places I don’t feel bad about ordering it. Aside from that, though, really, the sushi here is only okay.
But you go because they know you, they know your order, they know what works, they’re right in Westwood… how can you complain? We went three times in the week before they closed, had a range of the entire menu, and left happy for the great food and the experience, and sad they were closing…

After 32 years in the same little spot, my favorite quick-​lunch sushi spot is closing down. ISSHIN is being forced out by a landlord who’s determined to gentrify her property in the midst of a recession against all attempts to persuade otherwise. ISSHIN has always been family owned & operated, with Risa, the owners’ daughter, running the front.
My second time there five years ago, she and her sister remembered where I like to sit, what I chose. The time afterward I brought my husband. Every time after when I bought him a to-​go meal, even if I couldn’t remember what my husband had ordered, Risa did. You cannot buy service like that with a new façade. The sushi they served was good quality, quickly made, and dependable. They were so pleasant. They were just as I remembered my little sushi place in Japan near the train station in Nagaoka, and that was because they Were Japanese. They didn’t have any problem with authenticity — they were the real deal, a little-​town style shop.
They have had streams of clients, many who, like me, have special arrangements with ISSHIN. I saw a family of four go in, and realized their table had been set up specially for them so they could walk right in and eat. They came every other week, apparently. And today when it’s in its last week, I saw a handful of their customers outside the still-​packed building, taking pictures of their sign, sad that they were leaving. It’s just fools who close down places like this. They’re taking away the fabric of a neighborhood.
They might think I’ll later go in and be happy with their newer, fancier choice of restaurant once it’s built. But frankly, I can tell that landlord that none of my middle-​affluent friends will be there. We don’t WANT to spend a lot for lunch so we must only go out once in a while. We needed Isshin, so we could go out more often. Now we’ll be stingy as that landlord and bring our sack lunches until Isshin finds a new venue.

I’ve been looking over the negative reviews and the conclusion I’ve reached is that the folks who don’t like this place don’t like traditional sushi.
The negative reviews are all about tempura rolls and barbecue teriyaki.
I come here for dinner with two expectations:
1) I will pay about $ 40 a person for food, drinks, tax, and tip.
2) I will walk away completely satisfied, having tasted fresh and authentic sushi.
This is a family-​owned authentic Japanese place and the difference shows.
For the quick cheap Japan-​ish eats, I’ll grab rolls at Korean-​run joints like Ami or Yamato.
But when I want nigiri and sashimi, I go nowhere else than Isshin Sushi.
I ask the chefs what’s fresh and they’re always right.
The only place in the world I’ve had better sushi is by the docks of the Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo. If you like authentic, fresh fish then come here and put yourselves in the hands of the Isshin staff.

This place is terrible! Don’t come here. They drench BBQ and Teriyaki sauce on the sushi rolls. Gross!
Don’t trust the other reviews, this place is frequented by mostly college students. College students will eat anything. I won’t name names, but you know who you are, when I was in college I knew people who would eat out of the dumpsters, literally. Or thought that the dining hall served close to gourmet food.
Avoid like plaque or plague. Your choice.

I really can’t understand why the heck this place has such good reviews. My experience here was awful! The only positive thing about the place was the hostess, who was very nice and seated us out on the patio when we requested and closed the windows to keep it from being too cold.
I ordered a shrimp tempura roll for $ 8.75 and got 4 pieces (although I will say they were bigger than normal) – what a rip off! Totally not worth the money! It also looked very dry – nothing like what Ami Sushi, where they drizzle some eel sauce over it – and had weird things in it like asparagus and lacked good stuff like avocado. As a result, I had to ask for some spicy orange mayo if I had any hope of enjoying it. The waitress said it would cost $ 1 and I bitterly agreed, but she never even brought the damn thing!!! My friend got so annoyed that she went to the hostess (again, the only positive aspect of the entire restaurant) and asked for it, after which it was immediately delivered. The waitress never returned to say sorry or anything – she only cleaned up the dishes and gave us the check.
One of my friends that had come with me ordered a combo with teriyaki chicken and katsu chicken. The teriyaki chicken wasn’t even teriyaki chicken – it was basically grilled chicken with teriyaki sauce on the side for you to dip it in. The katsu chicken was equally as unappetizing. She barely ate any of it.
The other friend that had come with us was the only fortunate one. She ordered a spicy tuna crunch roll for around $ 7 and this one was good! And it had 6 or 8 pieces, so it was much more reasonably priced.
We were so angry with the poor service and mostly bad food, we left only $ 0.54 of tip – and that was only because I wanted to make the charge on my credit card a round number!
DEFINITELY DO NOT RECOMMEND! If you’re looking for a good sushi place in Westwood, check out Ami Sushi!!!

It was a warm sunny day and I wasn’t in the mood to break a sweat over a hot meal and decided to seek refuge at Isshin for something tasty and light. The interior was perfectly dimmed with a level of enthusiasm in the air due to an unexpected lunch crowd. I guess everyone else had the same idea in mind especially when the weather was almost unbearable. This time I decided to avoid the lunch combination and ordered chirashi ($ 12.25) and a pair of uni gunkanmaki specials. The chirashi was nicely presented with 10 pieces of mixed sashimi that included maguro, seared albacore, ebi, saba, spicy tuna, among others, and two thick tamago pieces and sesame leaf to pack the little bowl high and tight. I thought the fish quality was pretty good, not the greatest; and the bed of cold sushi rice was decent but wished there could be more.
At first when my uni arrived, I thought it looked a little sloppy with sketchy looking pieces of uni and the rice was randomly sticking out at the bottom of the seaweed. However, the taste was phenomenal. It was super fresh, very tasty, and one of the best. Just when I thought that was the absolute highlight of the meal, my wallet also took a hit as I later learned it costs $ 9.50 for those little darlings. Ouch! I wished they could have posted the prices on the list of specials they have at the sushi bar. Service was okay with the receptionist a bit abrasive but my server was friendly and efficient.
So here is how they fared throughout the different stages of the meal:
1.) Quality and freshness: 4 stars. Very impressive uni with other sashimi pieces fresh but not mind blowing.
2.) Creativity and presentation: 4 stars. Chirashi was nicely packaged but the uni looked sloppy. They should also have the specials posted in places other than the sushi bar with prices listed next to each item.
3.) Quantity and substance: 4 stars. Overall quality was there but I wished there could be more rice.
4.) Accessibility and affordability: 2.5 stars. I can have the same meal for less at Minami and get the same quality. I’m still shocked at the cost of the uni special.
5.) Service and ambiance: 3 stars. I thought the service was decent but not the best of the best. The vibe is constituted by a professional crowd looking for an above-​average lunch experience.
There were some variations in the experience but overall the final rating is consistent with my previous visit: 3.5 stars.

The first thing I can say is in my 7 years living in Los Angeles, Isshin is still my favorite sushi restaurant for a few reasons: their food is consistently good, their prices are reasonable and they treat their return customers very very well. Their style is authentic and true to Japanese cuisine which I appreciate in a time when «California roll» is considered sushi. My favorite things to get:
Unagi roll
Salmon Sashimi (buttery and perfect)
Mirugai Sashimi
Miso Cod Dinner (comes w/​Tempura, Miso Soup, Rice, Salad & Steamed Veggies)
Tempura Ice Cream
Spider Roll
Ume Shiso Roll
The last time I went to Isshin was a month ago, after a 2 year period of not being there. They immediately recognized me and when I was seated, gave me a bowl of edamame on the house! Try it and you will not be let down:)

Had takeout from here yesterday for lunch. Chicken katsu with a spicy crab handroll for $ 11. Then I saw the uni… added an order of uni… And I saw mentaiko… added an order of mentaiko… And I saw tsubugai… OK… Had to stop and turn around to face the wall before I ordered more food!
Chicken katsu was nicely fried, not greasy. The mentaiko was awesome, and the uni was extremely fresh. Nice hole in the wall place (is that an oxymoron?). Will be back for sure!

I LOVE the Vegetable Udon from Isshin! I’m not a vegetarian, but it has so many scrumptious veggies and the soup is seasoned perfectly! With the udon, I usually also order the Salmon Cut Roll and dip it in a little wasabi soy sauce mix topped with a piece of ginger.
The service is always friendly and pretty fast. They are closed at odd hours and days, I haven’t been back in probably over a year. The biggest downside is the parking situation. Isshin doesn’t offer valet, so you have to drive around looking for meters or street parking. There’s a new parking structure that has opened up one street east where I think is cheap. I used to park in the EXPO /​Best Buy /​Ralph’s lot, but on the first floor. There’s usually never a parking attendant there at night, so you get to park for free!

This is the spot that hits the spot for high end sushi.
My experience has always been the best with the staff (hostess, sushi chief). I love getting beers by the pitcher and always filling up on hot sake. Sometimes the hostesses are so kind to offer me desert for free. There is an obvious casual feel to the restaurant, no pompous or overly done Asia theme like most sushi restaurants. It feels like a humble little local sushi bar.
Nowhere else in LA could you get this high quality of sushi. I’ve eaten sushi since I was little so I’ve tasted a great many of sushi in my time. This restaurant comes close to the quality of sushi I’ve tasted in Osaka, Japan where they slice up sushi right after they catch the fish. I must say a factor that greatly effects the taste of the fish is the time of the year you go. But that doesn’t matter to me because I have blind faith that they are serving me what’s best during that time.
I say remember this, «You get what you paid for». Also, you shouldn’t go with such high expectations, unless you’re a Regular. Then you can say you know what to expect.

I’m a little torn about this place, because it can be both authentic and not authentic.
For the former, you should order off the «daily specials» menu on a small white board. For the latter, just stick to the main menu which includes the «teriyaki» stuff. Basically, it seems like a Japanese-​run restaurant that has learned to cater to the strong demands for the Americanized items. (aka survival of the fittest).
FOOD: For appetizers, we had fresh oysters (allegedly imported from Japan), chicken karaage and spicy tuna salad. For entrees, we got a chirashi (premium), rolls and two sets of dinner combo with beef, chicken and grilled cod… accompanied by several orders of sake and beer. We were pleased with the quality of the fish in the chirashi, as well as the oysters. I would be very interested in going back for a round of omakase at the sushi counter.
OTHERS: Relaxed setting. Okay service. Reasonable prices. I wouldn’t exactly call this place an izakaya, but it’s not strictly a sushi bar either.
SUM: 3.5 stars. It’s probably a good place for those living in LA; however, if you’re briefly visiting the city, do check the other Japanese restaurants as well. There are numerous great (better?) ones. In our case, we couldn’t get a reservation anywhere else!

The last time I went to Isshin for happy hour, I was less than pleased. Perhaps the fact that we were the only people in there should have been a sign… I hadn’t been in a while, but geez, what happened? The happy hour sushi is cheap, sure, but you’re definitely getting what you paid for (or less!). The sushi really was terrible. It was little fish and lots of other fillers. Pretty bland too. The beer is okay priced, and the sake is big, but meh. I won’t be going back for happy hour– there are many better after-​work sushi places in westwood.
I’ve only been for happy hour– but happy hour is awesome! If you’re in the mood for cheap beer, cheap sake, and cheap sushi, Isshin rocks! Of course the beer list isn’t very extensive, and there are only about 6 items (rolls, tempura, meats) offered at the discount happy hour prices, but when compared to other local sushi happy hours (like yamamoto) you can’t really beat it. The food itself is pretty standard for a sushi restaurant– nothing too fancy, but still tasty. (although the spicy ahi rolls are not spicy in the least. My fav on the happy hour menu is the crunchy crabby roll). There isn’t much for outstanding ambiance here, and the place is relatively small, but it does have a sushi bar. For as good as I think happy hour is, it’s really not all that busy either. Oh, good luck parking.

Simply put: Isshin is an amazing establishment and restaurant!
Where to sit:
I definitely recommend sitting at the Sushi bar. Sushi chefs are sweet and attentive, as well as pretty entertaining. i always get extremely fast service at the bar and if you’re a sushi buff, you should know that the fish should be eaten immediately after being prepared. Sushi will taste better at the bar and the sushi chefs will really take care of you. It’s a good idea to let the chef pick a few things for you since he’ll know what’s fresh.
Service:
The hostesses are amazing, sweet and make you feel at home immediately. They are right on the ball, and make sure you are always well taken care of. I could not ask for better service.
The fish:
The sashimi and nigiri sushi are my favorites. They always have great fresh fish that does not disappoint. I love the conch, albacore, tuna, uni, and crunchy spicy tuna (the rice is warm and crispy and pairs perfectly with the spicy tuna; i like it with avocado). The kobe beef and calamari salad are orgasmic.
Sushi is my favorite food, I’m part japanese, and I’ve eaten at just about every sushi restaurant on the westside.
I’ve eaten at katsuya, koi, katana, sushi roku (santa monica, vegas and hollywood), tengu (westwood and santa monica), hide, tomadachi, kiriko, echigo, uzen sushi, hamasaku, sushi masu, sushi mon, Taiko, Yuzando, Mori, En Sushi, Hump, and Sasabune. So I definitely know my sushi, and Isshin is definitely one of my top favorites.
I love sunday nights because they have karaōke. So much fun!!!

VERY FRESH SASHIMI. I got the combination (with spicy tuna hand roll-​DELICIOUS, rice, tempura chicken, fruit, cucumbers, 6 piece sashimi) The portion was tiny, but the quality was excellent. Wish they would supersize their portions though haha. Also, the price is a little bit much compared to how small the portions were.
I have yet to try their rolls. Will update when I do.

A Japanese vendor decided he’d like to take me out for a dinner meeting and wanted to know if I liked sushi. I figured it’d be somewhere in the South Bay where his office is but he wanted to meet out in Westwood at his favorite sushi spot, Sushi Isshin. He’s been to quite a few of the trendier spots, and Isshin is where he likes to go, mainly because they have offerings there which are truly Japanese style, which he explained to me in depth. I’m thinking right on… I’m definitely game for that. I read through the other Unilocal reviews and figured they serve the standard fare (various rolls, cooked dishes, etc) which seems to have been reviewed as average, and real sushi, which is what I was in for.
I arrived there around 6:00pm and was told that the rest of my party was running a bit late due to traffic. I was greeted warmly, shown to our reserved seating area, and got to watch the Boston-​Cleveland game on the wall mounted plasma. The chef lived in Boston for a time since coming over to LA (originally from Japan) so you’ll find lots of Red Sox items hanging on the wall by the sake. Once everyone arrived, we had ice cold Sapporo beers to kampai with, and the meal began.
Round 1: Appetizer dish with Awabi Sashimi (abalone), Ankimo (monkfish liver), and baby taco (baby octopus).
Round 2: Hamachi (yellowtail). Seriously fresh with melt in your mouth goodness.
Round 3: Aji (spanish mackeral). This was flown in fresh that day from Japan. A nice light, clean tasting fish. Excellent!
Round 4: Otoro (fatty tuna). Talk about melt in your mouth… Absolutely killer.
Round 5: Mirugai (giant clam). Great stuff. Not too hard and rubbery. Very delicious!
Round 6: Live Amaebi (live sweet shrimp). Nicely done, and they bring you the heads deep fried tempura style.
Round 7: Sake Toro (salmon belly). Nice melt in your mouth belly portion of the salmon.
Round 8: Uni (sea urchin). Very fresh. Old uni can leave a bad taste in your mouth and is hard to get down. This stuff was top notch.
Round 9: Kumamoto Oyster. Lightly drizzled in ponzu (citrus soy sauce), these were stellar as well.
Round 10: Iwashi (sardine). It’s not often that I come across super fresh iwashi sushi, and I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Nice!
Round 11: Iki Unagi (live eel). First timer for me. I’ve had unagi tons of ways at tons of places, but never this fresh. Tasty!
Round 12: Asari Miso (miso soup with fresh asari clams). Delicious, and a perfect way to round out the meal.
And wouldn’t you know… I’m sure there were a couple more rounds in there minimum that I can’t remember. All the beer and Hakkaisan sake seem to have jumbled the ol’ noggin. In any case, it was a definite treat to eat here. I tend to stay away from the various rolls and cooked stuff anyways. Based strictly on the stuff I had, gotta go with five stars. Nice!

The sushi here sucks. The other food aint that good either.
Save your money and go elsewhere.