Chef Katsuya Uechi now runs a veritable sushi empire, with a restaurant in Encino and ultra-hip, extravagant spots in Brentwood and Hollywood, but it all started in his understated Studio City strip mall spot, opened in 1997. No, you won't be sipping peach bellinis under the oversized, watchful eyes of geishas (printed on the walls at the Brentwood and Hollywood stores), but you'll get the same basic menu of inventive sushi offerings in addition to super-quick service that keeps this Ventura Boulevard staple consistently packed. Celebrities, the see-and-be-seen crowd and aquatic-edibles aficionados of all walks fill this tiny dining room for strikingly colorful plates of seared spicy albacore or salmon sashimi topped with caviar. The spicy tuna with crispy rice remains a crowd favorite, and other offerings include marinated black miso cod, and Kobe beef. Reservations suggested. Beer, wine and sake available. Serving lunch Mon–Sat, dinner nightly.
Where the Locals Eat Rating
Top 100 Restaurant, Los Angeles
"Sushi Katsu-Ya has become one of the most popular and critically acclaimed sushi restaurants in California. ... Sushi Katsu-Ya earned its remarkable reputation on the quality and the attention to detail in every dish."
– Sushi Katsu-Ya website
"There's lots of competition on this stretch of Ventura Boulevard, but Katsu-ya is one of the best venues on Studio City's crowded sushi row. ... The menu is intriguing and the execution first-rate."
– Gayot
"Uechi has an intensely loyal clientele that is nothing short of obsessive about his baked crab roll and spicy albacore sashimi."
—Bon Appetit
"Katsu-ya is always packed with its loyal following, but it's unquestionably worth the wait."
—CitySearch.com
How Others Rate Sushi Katsu-Ya
Zagat 2009
27 food rating (exceptional to perfection)
Los Angeles magazine
No. 51 on 75 Best Restaurants list, 2008
* (pleasant and satisfying)