Sushi Nozawa – Studio City, CA
Pull into the lowly strip mall along a busy road in Los Angeles’ Studio City in the Valley, where Sushi Nozawa is located, and you’ll wonder why there could be such a line coming out of the door of such a bland-looking Japanese restaurant. There are no reservations, (come early or be prepared to wait) and the atmosphere is minimal, but those in the know never look at the menu. The many signs hanging above dour-looking chef Kazunori Nozawa advise: “Today’s Special: Trust Me.” Opt for the “chef’s special,” and you’ll receive course after course of the freshest, tastiest, most tender and buttery raw fish you can imagine. The crab roll is to die for; the tuna, sublime. He will, after several courses, ask if you’d care for anything else--your opportunity to request an encore of a favorite. Do order a glass of their amazing iced green tea. Don’t order a California roll, or you’ll find out why some people call him the Sushi Nazi. Some may argue this style of restaurant doesn’t belong on a list of the finest restaurants in America, but one taste of the fish will explain why it consistently ranks higher than considerably fancier restaurants in the entire greater Los Angeles region.

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