Sushi Yuzu

My sushi cravings one night brought me to Sushi Yuzu , which I now think is a hidden gem in Toluca Lake. Yelp's reviews for this place were very accurate.

It's walkable from my apartment so my apartment mate and I decided to take work up our appetites a bit. My hunger made the walk feel so much longer than it actually was, so this made even more eager to try their food by the time I go there.

If you're just walking by, it's easy to miss this place. We were looking for it and it still was a little difficult, just because the sign for the restaurant is nestled in a bunch of leaves.

It was about 6:45 when we got there and the only spot left was at the sushi bar. The rest of the restaurant was full except a few tables that were reserved. I could tell from this that Sushi Yuzu is popular. I would recommend making a reservation if you're going to go after 6:00 and you want a guaranteed table.

At first impression, the restaurant is very clean and simple. I would describe it as "minimalist".

We were given a double sided menu and a long sheet of paper that you order your sushi on. There were hot appetizers, cold appetizers, regular sushi, and specialty rolls. The appetizers range from $4-$23. Most were about $10. The rolls were about $12-$13, with some exceptions that were extremely pricey. On average, everything here is two or three dollars more expensive than Kuru Kuru Sushi.

I ordered Kani-Shitake Age as a hot appetizer and a Baked Crab and Salmon Roll. The Baked Crab and Salmon roll had been lauded about on Yelp and I wanted to try the appetizer because it just sounded good.

The Kani-Shitake Age is tempura shitake mushroom,stuffed with crab and scallop. It comes with spicy radish on the side and soysauce tasting dipping sauce. The way this dish was presented made it look very delicate. And when things are given in small quantities, we think it's good because there is so little of it. And this indeed was delicious. I wanted to savor every bite. I first tried it with the radish and dipping sauce together, but the radish didn't appeal to me. It was this strange, stinging, spicy taste. The tempura shitake was warm and crispy. The layer of breading wasn't too thick just lightly covered the mushroom, which was still juicy when you bit into it. The juices from the mushroom then flow into the crab and scallop stuffing and altogether, it's amazing. I had finished the 4 pieces before I knew it.

Then comes the Baked Crab and Salmon Roll. This is a baked salmon roll with soy paper and avocado on the outside, baked crab dynamite on top, all placed upon a bed of miso sesame sauce. The flavors of this roll just burst in your mouth. I didn't know what the charred thing on top of the roll was when I first got it, but I discovered that it's basically a mayo-based sauce with something else that makes it taste creamy and tangy. It melts into the baked crab and salmon. The warmness of this meets the cools refreshing taste of the avocado on top and soy paper mellows it out as well. But as soon as those flavors cancel out each other, you get a kick of the miso sesame sauce at the bottom and now you want another piece.

I wasn't hungry anymore after the appetizer and the roll but I definitely could have eaten more! The only downside I would give for this place is the price. If I had ordered another roll, so I could walk out satisfied, my bill would have come out to be nearly $40. It was definitely worth the money though. If you're looking for cheap sushi, then this may not be the most ideal place. If you're looking for GOOD sushi, with less worry about price, this IS the place to go.

4.25/5 stars!