Morihiro

The service was friendly, inviting (Cali casual) and informative. The sake pairing is possibly the best in the city. The food shows a finesse and subtlety not commonly found in the ubiquitous LA omakase scene. While the menu may change, the quality, care and execution is visible in each and every dish. A highly recommended experience.

Morihiro is an incredible experience. From the moment when you walk in and are escorted to your table, to when your server holds the door open for you on your way out this was one of the most unique experiences I’ve had. For the first time in America I felt transported back to Japan. Aside from the food, watching chef Mori and his team prepare food is like watching art being created. The highest level of care taken with each cut of the knife and rolled ball of rice. The variety of food from the appetizer, to the sushi, to the dessert provides a journey of taste that fuses local California ingredients with traditional Japanese ingredients. The best word I can use to describe the food is beautiful because it looks beautiful and tastes wonderful. Finally, the service could not have been more attentive and personalized. If you have the chance I highly recommend experiencing Morihiro.

We loved our experience here! We were visiting LA and luckily were able to make a reservation. Got omakase for 2 - loved our energetic server, love the vibe(it's more on the casual side; when I asked, they said that the dress code is "nice casual") and of course - loved the food. They give you a lot of food also, and the ingredients are superb! Uni(both Santa Monica one and one from Japan) were the best that I've ever had. We were also impressed with their dishware - the chef actually made them himself! The house-made tofu was amazing, the amaebi dish was just soooo naturally sweet... If you like seafood, you'll love the experience. Oh we only realized later that there was no meat in the course. Small note - we took Uber, but there were some public parking spaces available on a Saturday night. Highly, highly recommend - worth the price(the bill ended up being around $330/pp). We'll be coming back.

Morihiro is a great omakase experience. Service, atmosphere, and food are to notch. Dinner is a set course. You will be amazed with great quality food and pair it with sake. It's awesome.

Absolutely incredible experience with a wonderful chef and staff. Truly the best rice on the planet.

Dale Falk Jr. (DJ)

Whatever you do in LA... eat here! What an experience. Everyone was super friendly, the menu was basic and full of exactly what I was looking for... great fish. I came in for dinner with my friend for my birthday and I have to say, one of my favorite experiences for a meal in LA. Every single bite was melt in your mouth good and wow... so glad to have come here! I highly recommend the O-Toro, the Barracuda, and pretty much any roll you could choose. Big shout out to Eli for the service and hospitality. I'll be back!

Lei

Okay I don’t even know where to start but my experience at Morihiro was amazing. It was actually my second time but it gets even better and better. Coming from Japan, it is SO HARD to find good sushi overseas. Sure there are so many Michelin sushi restaurants here in LA but Morihiro is not even comparable- first Shari ( sushi rice ) is ANOTHER LEVEL. Quality of Shari is so important to make good sushi but he actually spent 25years to look for specific rice - Rice here is not just a decoration but it plays important role for the sushi. And appetizers!!! He likes to mix both Japanese traditional dish and local ingredients. It was amazing. A lot of sushi restaurants don’t care about appetizers but they just care about golden flakes or caviar lol But his dish is so delicious and there is a meaning behind. Also service was top notch! They don’t even speak Japanese but they knew the details of regions or seasonal ingredients. Can you even imagine how hard would it be to learn every single name of fish or vegetable in different language? I have huge respect for all the chefs and servers. It was AMAZING. You will NOT regret it. I can guarantee as a Japanese foodie from Japan!!!!!!

Andreas Kaiser

This was simply a dream. The very unrevealing entry led to this temple of supreme flavor presentations. Everything from the elegant interior, to the chef-created pottery, to the super-attentive and knowledgeable staff was a first-class prelude, but wait they were quickly surpassed by the the magnificent food: Each item of the omakase was well thought through, looked spotlessly perfect and had spectacular combinations of flavors and textures. What can I say: a dream. Who knows, maybe I was never there. (Originally posted by me on YELP)

Jonathan Maimon

I don’t normally write reviews but I was absolutely blown away. This was the best sushi, Japanese food, and experience I’ve had anywhere outside of Japan itself. The menu was designed brilliantly and they were able to work around my specific dietary needs (no soy no shellfish). The matsutake mushroom soup was rich, flavorful and a full-body sensory experience. I could go on about the deliciousness of other courses but don’t want the review to turn into an essay. We had about 6 appetizer courses and 6 sushi courses and 2 deserts. The meal was so good I can still taste it. The service was excellent as well the staff works hard to make you feel comfortable like at a home rather than feeling stuffy like other high end restaurants. If I could give 6 stars I would, it’s a food experience you won’t forget.

Stephen Osgood

Beautiful menu, and top notch service. Timing was impeccable. Chef was so friendly and conversational. He made the best hand-roll i've ever had with his special rice, toro, uni, and caviar.

Julien Isaacs

Amazing local gem in Atwater Village - chef even makes his own ceramics. Food as art as someone said. It’s a pricey special treat. Great mix of flavors and lots of creative twists.

Tina C

What an experience! We’ve had a lot of omakase and they were all delicious but this one felt different. First of all, the plating was all so beautiful (look at the fried ayu fish!), but I was also SO INCREDIBLY STUFFED. So much food came out with the bar omakase that I almost told them to stop (I didn’t btw). So tasty, so beautiful, and a great experience and anniversary dinner :)

Andrew N

One of the best omakase experience i’ve had. There were so many dishes that came out that I started to get full. Love it! The service was very attentive. The fish quality was great and there were some unique options i’ve never had before. My favs were the ankimo, seared baby barracuda, spotted ebi, and uni. The espresso hojicha dessert was absolutely amazing as well.

Ippei Kanehara

Great sushi, I recommend the chu-toro and mirugai, great atmosphere and staff, the picture of this place still shows the old location, this is the new location which looks more modern and hip, they were also playing good music like Kendrick, great date spot

DJ Lew

Morihiro is a great omakase experience. Service, atmosphere, and food are to notch. Dinner is a set course. You will be amazed with great quality food and pair it with sake. It's awesome.

Su Xiao

It was such an exquisite dining experience at Morihiro, fantastic Japanese omakase meals followed with delicious birthday Taiyaki cake and Akitakomachi rice as gift. I had a lovely and memorable evening there to celebrate my birthday in May.

Micah Bisagni

The service was friendly, inviting (Cali casual) and informative. The sake pairing is possibly the best in the city. The food shows a finesse and subtlety not commonly found in the ubiquitous LA omakase scene. While the menu may change, the quality, care and execution is visible in each and every dish. A highly recommended experience.

Robert Bogolin

Morihiro is an incredible experience. From the moment when you walk in and are escorted to your table, to when your server holds the door open for you on your way out this was one of the most unique experiences I’ve had. For the first time in America I felt transported back to Japan. Aside from the food, watching chef Mori and his team prepare food is like watching art being created. The highest level of care taken with each cut of the knife and rolled ball of rice. The variety of food from the appetizer, to the sushi, to the dessert provides a journey of taste that fuses local California ingredients with traditional Japanese ingredients. The best word I can use to describe the food is beautiful because it looks beautiful and tastes wonderful. Finally, the service could not have been more attentive and personalized. If you have the chance I highly recommend experiencing Morihiro.

Alex Bartz

Absolutely incredible experience with a wonderful chef and staff. Truly the best rice on the planet.

Karen L

We loved our experience here! We were visiting LA and luckily were able to make a reservation. Got omakase for 2 - loved our energetic server, love the vibe(it's more on the casual side; when I asked, they said that the dress code is "nice casual") and of course - loved the food. They give you a lot of food also, and the ingredients are superb! Uni(both Santa Monica one and one from Japan) were the best that I've ever had. We were also impressed with their dishware - the chef actually made them himself! The house-made tofu was amazing, the amaebi dish was just soooo naturally sweet... If you like seafood, you'll love the experience. Oh we only realized later that there was no meat in the course. Small note - we took Uber, but there were some public parking spaces available on a Saturday night. Highly, highly recommend - worth the price(the bill ended up being around $330/pp). We'll be coming back.

Went here for my wife’s birthday. The food was very good but not worth $1500 for two of us. The dining area was empty and there’s an up charge to sit at the counter. I would’ve taken a table 2 feet behind our counter seats if I knew it was that close to the bar. The space is not impressive and the kitchen is not what you’d expect from a typical Michelin restaurant. Most of the dishes were very good but I didn’t think it justified the price point. We chose the standard omakase with sake pairing option. No truffles, caviar, live shrimps or anything impressive. The shrimps and uni were from Santa Barbara and they’re readily available at Santa Monica seafood at a very reasonable price. The sake pairing was also the standard paring. I can’t imaging how much our dinner would’ve cost if we stepped up to the deluxe omakase and sake pairing. The food was definitely above and better than most sushi spots in LA but $1500 for two with no high end ingredients is ridiculous. I’ve paid more at places like Sushi Ginza Onodera but at least their ingredients are high end. You’re getting tons of caviar, truffles, live shrimp from Japan that comes in a box of sawdust, top grade toro from Tokyo and more. Sorry but I cannot recommend Morihiro at $750 a head

It is a nice Omakase. I appreciate the details. But I was not too impressed given the high prices.

N J

It is a nice Omakase. I appreciate the details. But I was not too impressed given the high prices.

John Kim

Went here for my wife’s birthday. The food was very good but not worth $1500 for two of us. The dining area was empty and there’s an up charge to sit at the counter. I would’ve taken a table 2 feet behind our counter seats if I knew it was that close to the bar. The space is not impressive and the kitchen is not what you’d expect from a typical Michelin restaurant. Most of the dishes were very good but I didn’t think it justified the price point. We chose the standard omakase with sake pairing option. No truffles, caviar, live shrimps or anything impressive. The shrimps and uni were from Santa Barbara and they’re readily available at Santa Monica seafood at a very reasonable price. The sake pairing was also the standard paring. I can’t imaging how much our dinner would’ve cost if we stepped up to the deluxe omakase and sake pairing. The food was definitely above and better than most sushi spots in LA but $1500 for two with no high end ingredients is ridiculous. I’ve paid more at places like Sushi Ginza Onodera but at least their ingredients are high end. You’re getting tons of caviar, truffles, live shrimp from Japan that comes in a box of sawdust, top grade toro from Tokyo and more. Sorry but I cannot recommend Morihiro at $750 a head

The place is very nice, the staff are amazing, super attentive and friendly. As a vegetarian I came here for the vegan menu and had very high hopes since it is a Michelin star restaurant. However I was really disappointed. The menu started great with the fresh tofu, but the second course of the appetizer plate was not tasty, it was a selection of “interesting” vegetable flavors but they were all really meh, not flavorful, I didn’t really want to eat them at all after the first bite. That appetizer plate was not innovative or exciting or even tasty! For the main course I got 3 rolls and only liked two of them and even they were not that special. I guess you cannot make a cucumber roll that interesting but I did expect much more from a restaurant of this caliber. If you put a vegan option on the menu, you should put some effort into it. My husband had a nigiri plate and he greatly enjoyed the fish, however he was also dissatisfied with the appetizer plate and the dessert. For dessert we got some fresh fruits, which were nice and tasty but also nothing special. It felt like a very overpriced experience for some great fish for one of us but nothing else special.

Vera Smirnova Koutnik

The place is very nice, the staff are amazing, super attentive and friendly. As a vegetarian I came here for the vegan menu and had very high hopes since it is a Michelin star restaurant. However I was really disappointed. The menu started great with the fresh tofu, but the second course of the appetizer plate was not tasty, it was a selection of “interesting” vegetable flavors but they were all really meh, not flavorful, I didn’t really want to eat them at all after the first bite. That appetizer plate was not innovative or exciting or even tasty! For the main course I got 3 rolls and only liked two of them and even they were not that special. I guess you cannot make a cucumber roll that interesting but I did expect much more from a restaurant of this caliber. If you put a vegan option on the menu, you should put some effort into it. My husband had a nigiri plate and he greatly enjoyed the fish, however he was also dissatisfied with the appetizer plate and the dessert. For dessert we got some fresh fruits, which were nice and tasty but also nothing special. It felt like a very overpriced experience for some great fish for one of us but nothing else special.

*2 stars is assuming the expectations of a restaurant at this price point* We’ve been to many omakases ranging from $50-600/head across LA and NYC, and I will say this is probably the least worth it experience accounting for price point. Quality of fish: for $400 a head not including tip, there was no standout fish. No otoro, no trout or salmon (maybe not in season), 1 type of uni, no ebi or scallop, and the rest of the courses were like 6 types of silver fish (mackerels, snapper, etc) (note: I always say a good omakase makes the less interesting fish like mackerel stand out for the night but this did NOT do that, there was no wow factor there) The “fancier” nigiri served were geoduck & abalone, which are both extremely chewy at the end of the day. The rice was very good and something they pride themselves on. Sake: we did a pairing for $150/person and I don’t think I have much to note. We had 6 pairings which is equivalent to how much you’d pay per glass so really no benefit either way. Somm walked us thru all the different breweries and processes which was nice. Staff: chef spoke to us maybe twice. He was too busy talking and giving extra courses to the couple next to us who seemed to be in the food industry whether food critics or michelin affiliated but he gave them probably 6 extra courses than us, and the bigger problem was we had to wait for them to finish their courses while chatting etc before we could move forward with our meal!! So for the first 5-6 appetizers it took us 1.25hrs alone, and then the nigiri came and it went by faster. But overall whole meal was 3hrs, and a big majority of that was waiting for the couple next to us to finish their extras and the chef/ staff waiting in the kitchen not doing anything. Also I should note there are 6 bar seats here so not chatting with other guests to me is WILD. When you pay $400+ per head you expect a level of service, quality, ambiance, etc. if it was priced differently I’d have no problem with the food I ate, but for how much you’re paying you’re better off at ginza onodera, kaneyoshi, shunji, etc etc etc

Samantha Darryanto

*2 stars is assuming the expectations of a restaurant at this price point* We’ve been to many omakases ranging from $50-600/head across LA and NYC, and I will say this is probably the least worth it experience accounting for price point. Quality of fish: for $400 a head not including tip, there was no standout fish. No otoro, no trout or salmon (maybe not in season), 1 type of uni, no ebi or scallop, and the rest of the courses were like 6 types of silver fish (mackerels, snapper, etc) (note: I always say a good omakase makes the less interesting fish like mackerel stand out for the night but this did NOT do that, there was no wow factor there) The “fancier” nigiri served were geoduck & abalone, which are both extremely chewy at the end of the day. The rice was very good and something they pride themselves on. Sake: we did a pairing for $150/person and I don’t think I have much to note. We had 6 pairings which is equivalent to how much you’d pay per glass so really no benefit either way. Somm walked us thru all the different breweries and processes which was nice. Staff: chef spoke to us maybe twice. He was too busy talking and giving extra courses to the couple next to us who seemed to be in the food industry whether food critics or michelin affiliated but he gave them probably 6 extra courses than us, and the bigger problem was we had to wait for them to finish their courses while chatting etc before we could move forward with our meal!! So for the first 5-6 appetizers it took us 1.25hrs alone, and then the nigiri came and it went by faster. But overall whole meal was 3hrs, and a big majority of that was waiting for the couple next to us to finish their extras and the chef/ staff waiting in the kitchen not doing anything. Also I should note there are 6 bar seats here so not chatting with other guests to me is WILD. When you pay $400+ per head you expect a level of service, quality, ambiance, etc. if it was priced differently I’d have no problem with the food I ate, but for how much you’re paying you’re better off at ginza onodera, kaneyoshi, shunji, etc etc etc

Extremely Bad! I don’t know what kind of people gave this place a review that even passes the basic standard level. Either the people who previously wrote the review have bad taste or they were paid by the restaurant to mislead people into thinking this is a real sushi restaurant. Do you know what’s sushi? Simple way of telling you how “sushi quality meat” is made is when the fish is caught it is bled out and hence it keeps the fish very fresh with a “umami” taste. The usual “sushi” you get at your local supermarket or take out place most likely is not done that way hence the meat of the fish is “Mushy”. There I explained what sushi quality fish meat is to anyone who doesn’t know. Let me state this clearly for you! Morihiro does NOT USE SUSHI QUALITY FISH MEAT! This restaurant uses the same cheap “unqualified” regular fish meat found in your supermarket! Japanese food critics would destroy you if they ever found this restaurant that was pretending to serve Omakase style while charging the price that only high quality sushi/ omakase restaurants deserve to charge! I uploaded unfiltered photos for all of you to see, so you won’t be mislead and tricked into coming here. Look at the color of the fish meat that they serve, any experienced sushi eater knows that the color of the fish meat Morihiro serves is bad quality!

Alain Delon

Extremely Bad! I don’t know what kind of people gave this place a review that even passes the basic standard level. Either the people who previously wrote the review have bad taste or they were paid by the restaurant to mislead people into thinking this is a real sushi restaurant. Do you know what’s sushi? Simple way of telling you how “sushi quality meat” is made is when the fish is caught it is bled out and hence it keeps the fish very fresh with a “umami” taste. The usual “sushi” you get at your local supermarket or take out place most likely is not done that way hence the meat of the fish is “Mushy”. There I explained what sushi quality fish meat is to anyone who doesn’t know. Let me state this clearly for you! Morihiro does NOT USE SUSHI QUALITY FISH MEAT! This restaurant uses the same cheap “unqualified” regular fish meat found in your supermarket! Japanese food critics would destroy you if they ever found this restaurant that was pretending to serve Omakase style while charging the price that only high quality sushi/ omakase restaurants deserve to charge! I uploaded unfiltered photos for all of you to see, so you won’t be mislead and tricked into coming here. Look at the color of the fish meat that they serve, any experienced sushi eater knows that the color of the fish meat Morihiro serves is bad quality!