Q

Q Restaurant Review:

Sushi abounds in L.A., yet finding a genuine transcendent sushi experience here isn’t easy. At Q, chef Hiroyuki Naruke’s iteration of Edomae cuisine hints at zen, not just because the sushi is divine, but because for the lingering hours of one omakase meal you're encouraged to live in the moment, bite by bite. Naruke relocated to Los Angeles after the 2011 tsunami damaged his six-seat sushi restaurant in Tokyo. In downtown L.A., his beautifully crafted modern dining room seats 26 (ten at the sushi bar) beneath a cascade of glowing orbs and Japanese antiques. Classical music --- so rarely heard in L.A. restaurants these days --- assists in setting the elegant tone. The 20-course omakase meal ($200) is the only choice at dinner. Singular appetizers, glistening sashimi and nigiri sushi (with rice that is lovingly made with red vinegar brewed from aged saké cakes) are presented at a relaxed and ideal pace. Naruke’s purist aesthetic treats each pristine piece of fish differently --- some are aged, cured in kelp or lightly seared; others paired with house-made fermented rice, sesame paste, Kyoto-style miso or fresh wasabi. Much depends on the season --- you might have a Shigoku oyster, hirame or shima aji from Japan, or orange clam from Boston or Santa Barbara uni. Servers are knowledgeable, and will expertly pair sushi with fine sakés, Japanese beer or wine.