Only Sushi/Sashimi. No Tempura No Teriyaki No Noodles No Rice Alone.

100% best Sushi in LA. No ones quality can compare! Authentic Sushi. No BS toppings or sauces. If you’re a true sushi fan “you’re welcome” in advance.

-Vahan

I visited Hama Sushi last week. We got there about a half hour after open time on a Saturday and were able to snag the last three seats at the sushi bar (it was already crowded).

Can I just say- WOW! The interior is tiny and nothing to look at, but who cares with sushi like this. This fish was fresh, delicious and the price was amazing for the quality (think $4.50 for an amazing roll whereas some places in Village plaza were asking for $7-9 for the same roll types).

We ordered: the scallop roll, spicy tuna roll, salmon roll and yellowtail and green onion roll. We also ordered the sashimi platter that had 12 pieces on it for only $18- and these were thick, delicious pieces of salmon, tuna, etc. I split everything with a friend, and my other friend ordered even more stuff that I didn’t try, but we were all raving. Seriously good sushi and attentive service!

-Stefanie

One of my favorite sushi spots in LA. The fish quality is “melt in your mouth” amazing and their cooked foods that I’ve tried are equally tasty. My favorite items from here are soft shell crabs, fatty salmon belly sushi, spicy scallops hand roll, spicy yellowtail hand roll and of course uni sushi.

-Anna-Marie

My friend took me to this hole-in-the-wall sushi place and told me it was one of her favorite places. It is now one of my favorites!

We came here on a Tuesday night and we still had to wait about 40 mins. for a seat since they can only have like 15 people at a time as it’s a tiny place. I think they have 1 or 2 tables for groups, but I think sitting at the sushi bar is what makes it a fun experience eating here at Hama because you can see the sushi chefs prepare all the fresh, seafood goodness.

Every single thing that we ordered was very fresh and just perfect!!! I don’t remember all of the things we got but we ordered the Tuna Toro twice and also had the Salmon, Sweet Shrimp, Scallop, Uni, Eel, and Albacore Sashimi. At first, I had no idea we weren’t allowed to take photos (there was a sign on the wall), but the sushi chef in front of us didn’t seem to mind and the waitresses didn’t say anything either. Apparently, the 3 sushi chefs that were preparing all the meals are also the owners and they’ve been around for a long time. It’s no wonder the sushi is so good and their so skilled at preparing all the food.

The price is pretty affordable as well and even though it didn’t seem like we ordered much, we got pretty full and ended the night by ordering a second order of the toro. They also validate parking which is a nice bonus! I’ll definitely be back here again!!

-Yuna

I’ve passed by Hama so many times yet never really gave it much thought because… because…  I didn’t wanna wait too long and there is always a line outside.  So when I found myself near it on a weekday with no line in sight, I went for it.

Surprise, surprise!  I am so used to eating nigiri with sushi rice that is just not good enough (for me).  It usually never has the right amount of vinegar mixed in.  The only place that hit the spot for me was Sushi Tsujita in Sawtell but Hama Sushi came a close 2nd.

Everything was good.  No complaints.  Will go back fo’ sho’.

-Chris

I’m on a mission to try all the sushi joints around Little Tokyo. This was next on the list. If you come around dinner time on the weekends, wait will be at least 45 minutes. I waited a touch under an hour for 2 on Friday. It’s a tiny place that seats maybe 20-25 people so do NOT bring the whole gang. You won’t find rice bowls, ramens, noodles, whatever here, just sushi and a few appetizer like items such as fish collar.

We tried all the stuff we usually get at sushi restaurants, and it was all really tasty and fresh: salmon, yellowtail, sweet shrimp (with fried head), uni, salmon belly, scallop, albacore toro, and a soft shell crab cut roll.

The sweet shrimp is usually one of our fave items and hard to mess up. Salmon belly melted in your mouth, uni was creamy goodness, and the scallop sushi was done well with just a touch of ponzu on it – no soy sauce needed.

One small complaint is that their selection is a bit smaller than the other sushi places, and there are items available that aren’t on any menu. We had to ask if they had salmon belly, it was not listed on any menu or their daily specials whiteboard…there were a few other items I wanted to ask about, but felt hesitant to bother the chef additional times.

THE SHORT: Prices are as expected in the area, we spent about $80 (with tip) for about 8 orders of sushi for 2 people. To be full, you’d easily spend over $100, I think. Service was amazing, food was great. Sushi Enya is still our favorite though…….

-Lisa

Hama holds a special place in my heart since I’ve been coming here before I even liked sushi. When I was a wee boy my family used to come here and I would not eat anything on the menu. They have a pretty strict no outside food policy so for a while we didn’t come anymore. After I got into trying new foods, Hama was the first place I tried traditional, quality sushi.

Hama is a Tokyo Street style sushi bar with very limited seating and no reservations. They obviously have a no outside food policy so not a great place for families with young children who don’t eat sushi.  There so many good things at Hama I don’t think I could get through them all in this review so I’ve selected a few that would satisfy the most broad palates.

The spicy tuna is some of the best anywhere. It’s hard to have a step up in quality considering how basic of a staple spicy tuna has become to most Japanese sushi restaurants but the spicy tuna here is streets ahead. Rich, creamy and chunky it’s the perfect combination of flavor and texture. I’d recommend getting it as a hand roll. They hand it to you directly instead of putting it on your plate. Eat it immediately since this is intentional to prevent the seaweed from becoming soggy.

Other basic stuff are the yellowtail collar and salmon sashimi. Even in the most common they excel. The baked hamachi is cooked to perfection, the meat along the bone flaky and melt in your mouth perfection. The salmon sashimi, and any sashimi for that matter, are fresh and amazing quality. You can tell that it’s never been frozen.
For the more adventurous, the monk fish liver is usually on point but I’ve found that the quality varies more than the other selections.

This place is perfect for a group of four or less and ideal for a couple as a date spot! Don’t be intimidated if it’s your first time, ask the chefs for their recommendations if you feel like it, you can’t make any wrong decisions here!

-Harrison

I think Hama Sushi has just become my new favorite sushi restaurant in Little Tokyo! I had heard good things about this place prior to coming, but after trying the sushi here, I have fallen in love. This is real, authentic, traditional, simple nigiri sushi at its finest. The freshness of the fish here is remarkable, and the texture and temperature of the rice is unrivaled.

Came here this past Sunday for dinner around 6pm for my first time. The wait was about 20 minutes. This restaurant is very small and popular, but the wait is well worth it. There are plenty of places to explore nearby to pass the time, anyways. We were seated at the bar, and I loved the ambiance. The atmosphere makes you feel as if you’ve directly transported to a small sushi bar in Japan.

Three sushi chefs were working meticulously behind the counter, busting out sushi piece-by-piece. Service was great throughout the meal. I didn’t realize until halfway through our meal that pictures are not allowed. I was kindly reminded by our sushi chef when he caught me in the act. Sorry! No picture policies are very common at high-end sushi restaurants, as it distracts from both the taste and experience. I respect it.

The sushi here was ridiculously good. I don’t know if I came on a great day or what, but I was amazed. My high expectations were met with ease. Having recently got back from a 2 week trip to Japan, where I went to some of the best sushi restaurants in the country (including Jiro), high praise like this does not come easy from me in regards to sushi. The fish and rice temperatures were perfectly balanced, resulting in a melt-in-your-mouth experience. The albacore toro, albacore, yellowtail, tuna, red snapper, and scallop were all standouts. The red snapper quite possibly was my favorite.

Quality at this price is unheard of, period! I would argue that this is the best value sushi in Little Tokyo, hands down. If looking for a top notch sushi restaurant that won’t break your bank, look no further. I cannot wait to come back and have more.

-Michael