Sushi Zanmai

Sushi Zanmai, one of Japan’s most popular middle-tier sushi chains, has planted a flag in Koreatown’s Chapman Plaza—and L.A.’s sushi scene is richer for it. With late-night hours, reasonable prices and surprisingly solid nigiri, Sushi Zanmai is poised to become an absolute raw fish juggernaut. On my visit, I enjoyed both the sweet yukhoe tuna crispy rice and its more conventional spicy tuna counterpart. Every single one of the nigiri I tried was just above-average, but excellent for the price, and the cooked items (chicken karaage, asparagus goma-ae and vegetable toban) were tasty as well. Most importantly, the final bill for a party of four came out to around $200 before gratuity, an absolute steal in this current economy. The only dish I didn't like was the salmon skin roll, which featured a soggy, unappealing uramaki. The server we had was friendly and helped explain the tablet-style ordering system—a common sight at restaurants in Japan, but relatively rare in Los Angeles, even in the wake of the pandemic.