Toshi

Got into town and first thin I did is go to toshi and our favorite 2 guys were gone. Now if high priced and smaller portions and flavor just not there.

I have been going to Toshis for a long time. Probably right after they opened. I loved Julio and kept coming back
While I was disappointed to hear that Julio was leaving, he asked me, because he is a gentle man and had respect for Toshi, to come give Toshi a try with an open mind. I did exactly that. I have found Toshi to be a genuine man who really cares about what he serves his clients and it shows in the delicious sushi he serves. I keep coming back, my daughter loves his food. I would very much recommend this sweet sushi bar. I am so grateful to have this spot in our humble neighborhood.
His fish is super super yummy and fresh!!!

The service was slow, the prices were ok and the sushi was really really good. So it’s a three star for me.

Oh how I love me some Toshi! If I could have the Vanessa roll every day I would be so happy! People of North Hollywood you have to check this place out. Its legit!

Just had some of the best sushi in NoHo, they are open now, the menu has changed but the quality is A+

Very small and cute place. Food is great and cheap. Very close to my home. That’s it.

Why are there barely any good sushi joints north of Ventura blvd? Who cares, we found Toshi’s and love this little hole in the wall sushi joint. It may not be fancy or have the most unique menu but the food is high quality and the staff is friendly. Toshi is always smiling and singing as he prepares the food, love that!
TIP: the garlic shrimp and/​or lobster roll is delicious!

Forget this place! I tried going here twice and haven’t even been able to try their food.
Once a couple months ago I came here for my first time, they left me and my date waiting by the door for minutes (when they clearly saw us and there were tables available) until we had enough and just sat ourselves down. Then they walked past us a couple times didn’t offer menus or drinks, again minutes pass. Eventually we had enough and left.
Today I go back again thinking of giving them another shot, I show up a little before 11 am wait until a couple minutes after 11 am to give them time to set up. I finally try to go in and they have a board on the door (to prevent you from walking in) the guy that is cleaning said to come back in 10 min. I wait outside 15 min and come back, the board still up and a chef tells me they open at 11:30 am (this basically saying to wait another 10 min.). I told him that online it says they open at 11 am, he said they haven’t changed the time online yet.
IF I would’ve waited there I would’ve waited a total of 30 min. Ain’t nobody got time for that. I had a short timed lunch and ended up just getting something from 7 – 11 and went back to work.
I don’t understand why the first guy told me that they were going to open in 10 minutes when I got there a little after 11 am if in actuality they open at 11:30 am. Why did he have me wait 10 min just to have me come back and tell me to wait some more?!
What a waste of time. Never going back here again.

Sushi in NOHO… ummm I dunno. That’s pretty much how the convo went. All joking aside I didn’t expect to find a decent sushi spot in this neck of the woods. But this place exceeded my expectations (granted they were pretty low).
Fresh fish, clean, and friendly staff. We ordered the sashimi plate lunch special (salmon was the best tasting one) and substituted the rice and miso soup for cucumber salad. The ninja roll and the rainbow roll (no rice) –I’m on that summer is around the corner diet.
The rolls are not packed or on the big side. But at least the fish tasted fresh and not fishy. Hot green tea is legit. Overall good hole in the wall sushi spot.

So it’s true, Jose and Julio are no longer here (I didn’t know their names, so I’m basing this off of Unilocal). I came to Toshi about every month or so when I needed my sushi fix but didn’t want to break the bank at Chiba. I normally got a few rolls and the sashimi special to go, placing an order via phone and then picking it up 25 minutes later.
It had been awhile since I been to Toshi, almost a year in fact. So when I wanted my sushi fix to eat at home, I went to Unilocal to see if Toshi was still open. To my surprise, Toshi’s rating had gone down and after reading a few reviews I saw that the ownership had change. Pretty much the entire store was no longer the same– different ownership, different chef, different menu, different interior design.
I’m aware that there was also a Toshi located on Ventura blvd. in Tarzana, and I believe that store closed down and the owner decided to move that chef into the Toshi located in Valley Glen, and thus Jose and Julio were fired (this is what I’ve gathered)??? I decided to still go to Toshi to give it a shot. I was especially sad though to see the menu was entirely different, I could no longer order my previous beloved rolls. I ordered the Vanessa roll and the Toshi roll. Both were simply ok, they satisfied my sushi fix. I still think the previous rolls were better, but oh well. ALSO, another downside, since the menu is different, the prices are somewhat more expensive. Not by much, but the rolls on average are about $ 1 – 2 pricier. A positive thing about the new Toshi is the interior design of the restaurant– it’s totally different with dimmer lights and a different layout, and in my opinion looks better.
I’ll probably come here still every now and then to get my sushi roll fix, but only because it’s so close to me and the pricing is decent. I do miss the Toshi with Jose and Julio, something is just amiss without them there.

My wife and I had been here before and liked it just fine so came back. The service was great, the sushi was good — not amazing but fresh, tasty, and well presented — and they finally gave the place some homely charm whereas before it was just boring white walls. For the location and very good but not outstanding quality, the prices seem a little high but I’m sure we’ll be back.
For those who gave a bad review just because their favorite chefs no longer work there is totally irresponsible. Those reviews should be ignored. My review is actually 4 stars but I’m adding another to help correct the balance.

This is a nice small hole in the wall place. The sushi is average so don’t expect anything mind blowing for the prices you’re paying. That being said, if you’re in a rush or just need a quick fix, this one will do that job for you.
I came in on an afternoon and was the only customer there. I was greeted by the chef (apparently the only person working there) and ushered to a table. The chef spoke broken English, which never bothered me. However, when the English becomes a bad service issue, that’s when it starts affecting my perception of a particular place. Being the only customer in the shop at the time, I would have expected faster service for something as simple as a chirashi bowl (basically, sushi rice with slices of cut fish on top).
I cringed when two more people walked in and the chef had to stop what he was doing just to greet the new customers. This would mean my simple order would take even longer considering the new restaurant guests would also have to be served water, have their order taken, etc.
Having worked in sushi… I always worry about sushi places that don’t have the sushi displayed in front of you. Maybe I’m biased… but I like to see how my fish looks like before and during the process in which they prepare the food considering it is raw. Don’t expect to have that luxury here.
I wanted to give it another chance since it was a half block away from where I was staying temporarily. But now that I’ve moved away from that neighborhood, I won’t be going back.

GREAT SUSHI PLACE! Im european and really picky about sushi in los angeles and i must say it is by far the best sushi place i have experienced. The staff is so welcoming and while i was waiting for my order i could have observed the chef doing my sushis with such a niet method we can see when someone is experienced. This place became my togo sushi here in LA and i totally recommend it.

Ohhhh man, what a disappointment. Had moved to Pasadena so hadn’t been by my favorite sushi in spot in the valley. I walked in and my favorite two guys were gone replaced by stiff staff and over pro iced mediocre sushi. I took my friend there as I had hyped the spot up to him. Just super disappointed, where’s Jose and Julio??? Why must good things come to an end

I was initially surprised to go to my favorite sushi spot and not see Julio. But I stayed to give the place a try. I searched frantically for my beloved Kinta roll and alas, it was gone. I asked the owner and he politely offered to make me a spicy tuna roll instead. I was really grateful that he at least made an attempt to give me a different roll.
I can’t speak about the owner in a particularly negative way, since he tried to cater to me (and I did ask for an off menu item). Of course, we can’t possibly compare the new chef to Julio and Jose – that would be unfair. I really wanted to give this place a try again, but the roll was just… ordinary. It was also a little messy (presentation wise). Also, the quality of fish (I felt) wasn’t as fresh. It wasn’t a horrible experience, it just wasn’t amazing or good enough to make me want to return to Toshi.
Unfortunately, I don’t think I’ll be coming back. I like quality sushi and not only taste, but presentation is also really important to me.

Wow, people are so mean with their reviews. I understand if you liked the previous place, but give the place a chance. In my opinion, the previous reviews are biased. My girlfriends and I have been going to Toshi for years and he never disappoints. P. S. his «mumbling and grumbling» are a reflection of his elderly and friendly charm. Try the place out and decide for yourself!

The previous sushi chefs were amazing and were courteous, polite, and great at their job.
The new person hummed and mumbled to himself the entire time. The sushi was GROSS, blobbed together, NOT as described on the menu, and sat in a puddle of something.
Probably the worst sushi I have ever had. Will never return.

Hubby and I were craving some yummy sushi so we decided to go to our fave joint with Julio and Jose. Parked and looked inside only to see new faces. We turned around and left. Noooooo!!! We didn’t even get to say goodbye! Sushi will never be the same again. Please, if anyone knows where they went, please message me or update your review. Even if they’re far away we’d make the drive just for that.

Wha? We walked in tonight, so looking forward to seeing Julio and Jose, and indulging in that delectable spicy yellowtail roll. «Spicy. Yellowtail. Roll,» Julio would tease me, holding up the fish (I would sometimes accidentally order tuna. But that was good, too!) Instead, we sat down, with NO ONE ELSE IN THE RESTAURANT, except a woman talking it up as if she were a plant. We waited 15 minutes without a greeting. We then got up and left.
The prices have doubled. The atmosphere is totally jacked. The owner, chef, whoever he is, ran around on his tiptoes doing whatever, totally ignoring us, acting super busy with no one to serve. It was just weird.
We don’t know whether the food sucks or not. We never got served, and we couldn’t afford it anyway. Goodbye Toshi Sushi! We miss Julio and Jose and habañero dragon roll! I am devastated. If anyone knows where they went, please post it here.

Garbage! Nope. Never again. The owner screwed this up BIG TIME! Way to go dumb dumb. I’m making sure no one i know and that is on Unilocal ever goes to ur place. It’s not a restaurant, it’s not an eatery. Ur just another crappy, high priced, low quality, whole in the wall.
Just go to the 7-​Eleven next door. It’ll be like the same thing except cheaper.
What a disappointment. Our office will never eat here again. We definitely miss Jose & Julio.
Time to search for a new spot.

What just happen. Came in an saw two strangers behind the counter. Wth is Julio and jose. Toshi wont be the same no more and i dont think i will continue to come. I gave the new people a try but i have to say they failed miserably compare to Julio. The prices are ridiculous and it feels like a cold place in here. I order a roll and i swear it looked and tasted like an exgirlfriend that just been broken up with cooked it. Just sad. Will have to find a new spot now.

This is a new review for my once favorite sushi spot. Now under new management, I can only give this place an average rating compared to the old Toshi. I gave the new guys a chance but the quality and portions are not worth returning here. I only eat sushi about four times a month but when I do I expect it to be great. This place no longer does it for me.
Good luck to the new owners.

Julio and Jose left on 11÷25÷15 after the owner moved in from his Ventura location. Sadly, I didn’t get to keep in touch with him to see where he would go next. All I know is he’s in the El Monte area and is probably a chef somewhere. If anyone knows please pm me here.
He said that being regulars, we should check out the owner to see the new set up and how things change. Our family walked in one evening and it was just different. I guess we were used to their hospitality and greeting. When I saw the menu and how the prices jumped to at least $ 14 per roll, we all stood up and walked out before they could even get us our water.
Gone are the good days and our regular sushi spot. Time to return to the Korean owned shoga or octopus lol fuck

Toshi is amazing! He recently moved to this new location from Sherman Oaks. I’ve known him for 14 years and he makes amazing delicious art! This location is in a strip mall and he hasn’t had time to get it looking great yet because he has been making sushi since he opened his doors a week ago. He is the sweetest, most amazing guy and his food is wonderful. Overlook the current décor and taste his amazing sushi!!!

What a shame! This place was my go to place for sushi. The chefs were very accommodating and always wanted to please the customer. They would make me a sushi burrito that was delish. I went in and the guy said I don’t know how to make it. That was it! Walked out. I read some of the other reviews of regulars and they have been disappointed as well. What a shame. This place was top notch for a little hole in the wall. Can’t understand why they would change a good thing, look at all the previous reviews, people were happy! Will not be returning…

Just came back from toshi lve been a regular here for quite some time. I knew Julio and Jose were gone and I told them that I wouldn’t return when I heard they were being let go and that the owner and a new team were coming in. Julio and Jose, being the nicest guys in the world, insisted that I give the new crew a try!
Fast forward to today– I’ll start with the positive. Ordered the Pink roll (I would always order the Washington roll from Julio) and a Cali roll. I wanted to keep it simple since I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. The verdict on the food was a 4 star. Not quite as large as the portions before (more rice less fish this time around) but nonetheless, the flavors were good.
Now the negative– it pains me to say this because of my long standing love for toshi and the sushi that Julio and Jose were known for. But this is not Toshi (as we know it) anymore :(. This is another establishment with much higher prices think $ 13 – 14 per roll instead of $ 10 before. The chef and crew were… well they aren’t Julio or Jose. To be fair, no one can replace those guys though. But the differences were so in your face that I began to get angry inside and even yelled «Juliooooo» (on my drive home) in my terrible Rocky impersonation.
As I waited for my food, the phone rang and the chef answered. All I heard was sorry I don’t know how to make that, we changed the menu– phone clicks. Bruh, you’re going to lose so much business this way. No one expects you to be Julio or Jose, but come on now, where’s the customer service? Where’s the attempt to make the sale? «Sorry I’m not familiar with that roll but I can make you this instead» — that response would’ve been so much better!
Overall impressions– food was good but the service, the prices, and the toshi that we regulars loved so much is no longer here. They do take credit cards now so I suppose that’s a plus. I may visit Toshi every blue moon or so but I now relinquish my duke-​ness to the next person willing.

Well this no longer is my favorite a spot because it has changed ownership! What a disappointment! If I can give zero stars I would! Granted they are in a transition but the cuts are small, not so fresh, and they totally screwed up my order! No sad came with my combo, the spicy tuna roll was more rice than tuna and it wasn’t even spicy! Bummed out!

The food is super good. Servings were big too. It was a shame that the service was kind of super slow. I feel like it was 2 men operating the entire restaurant, and only one of them was making anything sushi-​related. Considering it’s a sushi restaurant, and there was a super large take-​out order of a bazillion sushi rolls ahead of us, you can imagine the kind of bottleneck they had.
BUT BUT BUT, I’m all for really nice service with good food and reasonable prices so I didn’t care as much about how long we waited. Maybe try take-​out if you’re in a rush? I feel like I’m making a big fuss about the wait haha. Other Unilocalers seemed to have zippy service so maybe it was just an off day. Let’s focus back on the food, people! No qualms about the food. It’s great! Go nom!
TLDR: Be prepared for slower service (sometimes) but the food and pricing is worth it!

Cash only. Great job. My favorite is their baked scallops on California cut roll. I ask then to leave out the mayo sauce. No sauce and I get bursts of ocean goodness from little scallops.
Very friendly, reasonable prices, great quality.
A friend of mine is an attorney that works downtown but lives in the valley. He said that he brings clients to all of the famous, very expensive sushi places in west LA and nothing beats the small valley places like this one for quality and price.
I agree wholeheartedly.

Cash only…
Really good sushi, good service, easy and convenient to get to. I had the Firecracker roll to go and was happily surprised by the generous portion! And the price was on point $ 11.
It was suppose to be spicy, but really wasn’t for me, but that just may be my problem, since I love spicy food ;).
The place is tucked away in a little plaza with a 7 – 11 on the corner, next to a Thai food place and a dry cleaners.
I’ll definitely be back for take-​out. The restaurant was clean and simple, but a little too quiet for me.

Came here on my lunch break for a quick sushi fix. The sushi chef is hispanic.
I had the salmon nigiri and yellowtail nigiri (2 pcs each) which was about $ 5 each. The slices of salmon and yellowtail where very long and thick on top of very little rice. It took two bites to finish a piece; that’s how big it was. (Also, I had to fish out two bones in my salmon nigiri, that’s a first)
I also had the Funky Night Roll, $ 12, which was a spicy tuna roll with jalepeno, cream cheese and chopped up yellowtail on top with raw onions and a generous amount of ponzu sauce. The first time I had this it had good flavor, but the second time it just fell apart and there was too much cream cheese and ponzu.
A definite hole-​in-​the-​wall sushi joint. It’s not the freshest selection of fish, but I didn’t get food poisoning or have a stomach ache either.
CASH ONLY and parking in a private lot shared with 7-​eleven. Service was nice and friendly.

Authentic? Far from it. But is it good? Well… it’s okay.
I came on a whim to order spicy tuna rolls, spicy yellowtail rolls and California rolls with masago. I ordered take out and my expectations were low, but I have to say, the rolls were all right.
I’ve been here a few times but have only ordered my food to go. I haven’t sat here for a meal just yet. The service is friendly though and the food is worth a visit if you’re spinning your wheels wondering what to try around here.
Unfortunately it’s cash only with limited parking spots in this corner strip mall.