Brentwood: Imari Now Open For Sushi and More
Imari is now open in Brentwood. The Japanese washoku restaurant opened officially earlier this month bringing the talents of Shibumi’s David Schlosser with Derek Wilcox (formerly Shoji) helming the intimate restaurant.
The menu is well edited with lots of standouts including the rolls and an abundance of seafood. However, don’t sleep on the rich wagyu.
I’ve now gone a couple of times and this post covers both nights. Pictured above is the shrimp roll. Also available are hirame and marinated tuna. I liked the rolls in that order- shrimp with mentaiko, hirame and tuna with avocado.
The Tomato was a wonderful dish with fresh heirloom tomatoes, yuba and sea salt. The simple preparation highlighted the natural flavors of the ingredients.
One of my favorite things is tofu and I love the cold Japanse tofu dish, hiyayakko. At Imari, this is served with an ever changing daily topping. I really enjoyed ours with thinly sliced okra.
It was super fun to try cucumber with miso from one of the oldest miso factories in Japan. I’ll have to remember that the next time I’m looking for a quick snack.
The potato sarada (salad) featured arabiki sausage. We ate the warm potato salad scooped onto tender lettuce.
The simple salad of shaved daikon, celery, mizuna, nori and crunchy sardines was great. I would get this again and again.
I love, love, love sashimi and raw fish in general. The sashimi of the moment was kanpachi that evening and served almost like a salad on top of red onion. Really nice sauce as well.
As mentioned, one of the dishes you must get is the wagyu. The premium beef is what will make you fall in love with red meat again.
The anago (eel) came with a leek tempura. Think of it as the Japanese fish and chips.
I was pretty amazed by the crispy skin on the grilled striped bass. The vegetable changes often. The first time I was Imari, it came with a succulent eggplant. The next time I went, the fish was paired with lotus root. We didn’t get it then but I thought about it!
If getting all three rolls doesn’t do the trick of getting you full, then try the delicious chicken gyoza. This was the sleeper hit of my second time dining at Imari.
I was excited to try the Japanese uni. West Coast uni is also available. I felt I had to try the Japanese kind since the West Coast kind is more familiar. As it turns out, Japanese uni was so much more creamy! And I loved this presentation.
To round out our meal, we had the rice and Japanese pickles. I’m a pickle/ tart fiend so this was the perfect way to satisfy any remaining cravings.
Oh I spoke too soon! Of course, we ended with dessert! We tried the milk ice cream with fresh mochi and sweet green peas.
Imari is welcome addition to the neighborhood.
13050 San Vicente Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90049 — (310) 451-7733
Reservations on Tock
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