Mori Nozomi

Experience: 100Food: 100Service: 100Intricacy: 100Mori Nozomi has become my absolute favorite omakase experience! The attention to detail in every dish is unmatched. The experience here is far more exquisite and personal than many 1-2 Michelin-starred restaurants I've visited around the world. From start to finish, every moment was exceptional.I loved how they wiped down each plate after every serving and ensured that no sauce dripped onto the table. Being addressed with your name followed by "San" felt incredibly personal and respectful. The personalized menus with your name printed on them were a lovely touch.The course included 23 servings (at least for ours) and struck the perfect balance--just the right amount of food, with no excess. Every element was thoughtfully designed to make the experience truly special.Everything from the presentation to the ambiance demonstrated incredible care and intricacy. It's an unforgettable dining journey that I highly recommend!

My friend and I thoroughly enjoyed our visit to this small, all female staff (including its sushi chef and owner, Chef Nozomi Mori) sushi bar in Sawtelle. We made a reservation through Tock for an Osaka-style omakase dinner ($250 per person, not including alcohol) and treated ourselves to beautifully curated 3 hour/3.5 hour experience consisting about 22-23 courses. The service was excellent from start to end. The restaurant itself was on the minimal side and only sat 8 guests, however all eyes were on Chef Nozomi as she demonstrated her mastery and presented the different dishes for us that evening. The menu was well though out, navigating through both raw and cooked entrees, and I had some fun surprises throughout the meal. Our meal highlights from the evening were the chawanmushi with uni, the hairy crab stew (over rice with caviar), miso soup (never had it taste like this before - this was special), and belt fish (super buttery!). The sushi itself was very fresh and flavorful: the ankimo and squid were creamy, the Hokkaido uni melted in your mouth, and the madai was delicious. I was VERY full at the end of the meal and almost had to ask my friend to roll me out.I've eaten a good amount of omakase, and I truly believe this one is something special. I can't wait for my next visit to Mori Nozomi.

We celebrated our 3 year anniversary at Mori Nozomi, and it was the best choice! There are about 8 seats and only one 7pm reservation slot a day for omakase. Book early, as their reservations fill up and are limited. Parking and traffic is challenging - I would come at least 30 min early because you may be circling for spots. Be prepared to walk some distance. The ambiance is very minimal indoors. White walls, warm wood, and natural tones make for a simple but elegant setting. They played piano covers of Miyazaki film songs and it fit the vibe completely. The food was incredible. We really enjoyed every dish we got. Everything was prepared meticulously and tasted fresh. There is fresh ground wasabi which was a treat. Both my husband and I usually dislike wasabi, but the real thing we loved! We did not leave hungry. We also really enjoyed all of the gorgeous plating - I believe they source almost everything from Japan. The service was excellent. It was a very intimate experience and the ladies of Mori Nozomi were the epitome of grace and elegance. Our meal was top notch and we cannot wait to be back.

Exquisite multicourse Japanese Omakasè that is elevated to a fine art run by Chef Mori Nozomi & sophisticated all woman staff. Minimalist decor is on purpose to showcase the sybartic mini-courses and the associated visually & texturally aesthetic ceramics. Japanese Tea Pairing is a first in L.A. that will please those abstaining from alcohol as well as a smart collection of premium Sakè (sah keh). It's a must go for those who crave a well curated, well honed experience for worldly gourmands. One seating only at 7pm, which lasts approximately 2.5-3 hours, so plan accordingly keeping in mind horrendous L.A. traffic. The pace of culinary presentation is stately and modulated to reflect a meditational mood to restore balance in our busy, pressured lives. 1) Chawan Mushi: Egg Custard Soup is soft, creamy, infused with Katsuo/bonito Dashi/broth. Topped by Hokkaidō Bafun Uni & Ossetra Caviar. 2) Madai/red seabream Sashimi dressed with Katsuo Dashi & Yuzu/Japanese citrus juice. Garnish of blanched sugar pea, heirloom cherry tomato, Shiso/Japanese basil flower. 3) Buri/yellowtail  Shabu/blanched, grated Daikon Oroshi & Ponzu, Asatsuki/Japanese Chives. 4) Ankimo/monkfish liver braised in sweet, light, Shōyu/soy sauce & Dashi. Dollop of grated, aromatic, real, fresh Wasabi root.  5) Tachi Uo Tèmpura: Fatty, fibrous, soft Beltfish fried in thin batter tasting of sweet oil. Baby Corn & Carrot Tempura. 1-5a) Cold brewed Sen Cha: Grassy, fresh hay scent, astringent, acidic, natural sweetness. Perfectly round, clear ball of ice of pure Japanese water chills this elixir. Sushi: 6) Chū Toro: Medium fatty, meaty chaw, lush white fat veined Ōma Bluefin Tuna called "King of the Sea". 7) Ōma Bluefin Tuna Ōtoro: Smokey seared, luxurious ultra fattiness as you chew. 8) Kasugo Dai: Baby seabream marinated in Japanese rice vinegar infused with Kombu/kelp essence. 9) White Squid: Smooth, neutral flavour, palate cleanser. 6-9a) Gyokuro: Tea from the first tender, spring leaves. Bitter, acidic, sweetness, subtle mown green grass. 10) Taira Gai/pen shell clam: Flamed, rough textured, touch of Ichimi Chile, Dashi Shōyu, wrapped in Nori/black seaweed paper. No Sushi rice. 11) Hokkaidō Kègani/hairy crab: Plush, fibrous meat topped with its own crab "butter". 12) Sèki Aji/horse mackerel: Intricately diamond cut, dusty rose & burnished silver surface; white, tan interior. Spicy, hot grated ginger. 10-12a) Hōji Cha: Dark brown, toasty, smoky sweet, thick, mature leaves, 13) Bafun Uni: Custardy, pasty, sea funk minerality 14) Akami: Red meaty Bluefin, wild caught so muscle meat is toned, sinewy.15) Nuka Zukè: Cucumber, turnip pickled in fermented, salty rice bran. 16) Kègani Ankakè: Crab laced, smoky Katsuo Dashi Sauce Velouté. Al dente Risotto-like rice. Uni, Wasabi on top & presented in the crab carapace. 17) Aka Miso Soup18)  Nodo Guro: Flamed, smoky, fatty Black Throat fish. 19) Toro Takuan: Soft meat is spooned from in between the rib bones of a whole Hon Maguro/bluefin tuna. Chopped Takuan/pickled Daikon adds salty-sweet chewiness. Wrapped in Nori. 20) Anago: Sea Eel is grilled, thickened sweet Shōyu sauce. 21) Dashi Maki Tamago: Sweet egg omelette 13-21a) Carbonated Sencha 1-21a) Hello! Kō Èigiku Sakè, Omachi rice, Junmai Ginjo Class, Muroka/unfiltered, Nama/unpasturized: Toasty, woody, powdered soy bean, lacquer scent. Mead, apple, melon, tangerine. Lively acidic tingle on the tongue.  Mizu Mono/sweets 22) Melon & Ama Zakè/sweet Sakè Sorbet, Slice of sugar confit'ed KInkan/kumquat. 23) Wagashi/Japanese pastry: Chrysanthemum shaped mold embossed sweet Mochi rice pâté with a dark, dulcet Anko/puréed black Azuki bean filling. 23a) Classically presented Matcha in a rough, rustic tea cup. Refreshingly bitter as a counter point to the sweet Wagashi. Service is precise, warm, kind, familiar, welcoming. There seems to be an ineffable, feminine aesthetic that gives a pleasant feeling or aura that I have never ever experienced in Sushi based restaurants mostly dominated by men. I can feel an Étoile is coming their way.  5+ Stars.

Mori Nozomi is a tour de force that should garner the utmost respect from any discerning sushi connoisseur. Mori-san exemplifies grace, elegance, and refinement at their highest levels while encased in a mysterious allure.I have had hundreds of omakase at this point and fail to be impressed by many of them. The true test of an establishment is if the diner will return repeatedly; I feel this is the case with Mori Nozomi. Our menu for the evening included the following: chawanmushi w/ Hokkaido uni and caviar, buri sashimi, hotaru ika w/ fava beans, thinly sliced hotate, grilled tachiuo, chutoro nigiri (hon maguro sourced from the Miyagi prefecture), jabara otoro, kasugodai, sayori (kombujime), sumi ika (with its respective fins/tentacles), grilled tairagai, kegani nigiri, Hokkaido bafun, aji nigiri, akami, miso fish bone soup, kegani w/ uni, ossetra caviar, dashi sauce, and shari rice, nodoguro aburi nigiri, hon maguro temaki, anago, tamago (Osaka style), locally sourced cherries, wagashi, and a freshly hand frothed matcha tea.The otsumami were all aesthetically presented, many of accompanied with shiso blossom flowers. The chawanmushi had an ethereal smoothness, which I surmise was passed through a sieve before steaming. The buri had a firmness which accentuated the fattiness of the amberjack; the acidic grated daikon helped to balance the fat of the fish. The hotaru ika was delicately skewered and paired with earthy fava beans to provide a vegetal contrast to the slightly sweet, oceanic firefly squid. The very thinly sliced hotate was paired with a vinegar based sauce and balanced the pleasant milky sweetness of the scallop. The shari was reminiscent of the shari at Ginza Onodera, which should be no surprise as Mori-san had worked there previously. The rice grain themselves have an excellent hagotai (al dente bite), acidic flavor (yusen akazu and kurozu), minimal stickiness (nebari), and a great sheen/luster (tsuya). This produces a very pearl-like individual quality of each rice grain. More importantly, it is packed loosely, allowing quick and even disbursement of the rice grains in the mouth. Mori-san was preparing the shari rice right before the start of service in her giant hangiri which is a welcome sign of showmanship and also a sign that the rice hasn't been sitting for too long of a period. Most experienced sushi chefs let their proprietary vinegar mixture sit with the rice for a minimum of 30 minutes before forming nigiri.I actually had some qualms with the sushi rice for the initial nigiri as I thought the temperature of the shari had dropped a touch too much as her ohitsu remained uncovered. However, as the service went on, it was rectified with refreshed batches of rice from her warabitsu. I ordered 3 additional pieces of aji which were all at the optimal warm shari temperature and it was a source of boundless pure bliss for my palate; probably some of the best I have ever had.Mori-san gives close attention to the scoring of the neta, which provides an edge to her nigiri in my opinion. Normally, I'm not a fan of sumi ika because it can be overly firm; however the delicately intricate vertical scoring of the cuttlefish allowed for a more palatable texture. The length of the neta with the adornment of flake salt elevated it to one of the best I've had in recent memory.Usually, the neta of aji is scored with a single cut down the middle but Mori-san went the extra step to score a very intricate crosshatch. This was both aesthetically pleasant and served a practical purpose for easing the firmness of the fish.The kegani dishes were the star of the omakase in my opinion. It was still alive before preparation and the soft warmth of the kegani was felt in both the nigiri of the leg meat and the carapace meat in the plated course. Mori-san also topped the neta off with the kegani tomalley which added an additional layer of umami to elevate the nigiri as well. The painstaking work of extracting the meat from the shell was made evident through the powerful blunt chops to the carapace and the merus section of the legs.Quite frankly, the prepared plate of kegani absolutely blew me away. It was easily the best dish during my short trip to LA. The warmed slightly gelatinous dashi jelly sauce helped bring cohesiveness to the delicate strands of sweet kegani flesh, shari rice, Hokkaido uni, and ossetra caviar.The wagashi confectionary was a nice touch not seen in any other sushiya that I've been to. Even then wagashi themselves were each uniquely designed and formed, which is a level of detail that exhibits an additional level of personalization.As far as the spirit of omotenashi is concerned, it is evidently seen throughout the night along with personalized notes to all the guests. The all female staff is also a unique point of this sushiya which fosters a warm and welcoming environment. Please make a special effort to visit Mori Nozomi, as you will never forget a memorable experience.

Parking:If you plan to drive, come early because parking on the street is near to non-existent and you'll be circling the block waiting for something to open up. We parked 2 blocks away and had to walk. Never again. Do yourself a favor and ride-share (Uber/Lyft). Ambiance/Service:If you find parking fast or come too early you can have a quick drink next door at the bar while you wait until they open their doors. This is women ran and owned (girl power!). The vibe is so different than the typical male dominated sushi that we are used to. I just felt more connected and the vibe was so fun! Service is on point! It's very minimalistic inside and clean. Food/Drinks:Chawan mushi with Ginkgo nuts: 9/10Always so comforting. She explained that they like to let it rest before cooking so only add extra ingredients on top instead of inside.Madai with Yuzu/Red snapper: 10/10Loved the essence of shiso leaf and the freshness of the fish. I drank that sauce with no shame!Ni-Tako/Octopus: 10/10Great with the yuzu paste but don't put all of the paste in one bite otherwise it will be salty.Buri shabu/King Yellowtail: 10/10I ate it in 3 different parts to taste it alone, with just a tiny of the topping and then will every element. Each part was amazing!Tachiuo Tempura/Belt fish: 9/10Try a bit of each alone, then with both the yam and fish tempura and thank me later.Sushi Akami/Wild bluefin tuna: 10/10They were proud of its certification and I see why. Very delicious and fresh. Toro/Wild bluefin tuna: 10/10Sooooo fatty and soooo good!Oshinko Japanese pickle: 10/10Love me some pickles and they were a perfect palate cleanser after that fatty tuna.Ika gesso-yaki/Squid: 8/10Good but wish there was more to this dish....literally because it was tiny. But good from what I had. Kasugodai/Baby snapper: 10/10There was a nice subtle smokiness to this bite that I was picking up and I liked it.Shiro-ika/Swordtip squid: 10/10Creamy and I wanted more.Hokkaido Uni: 8/10This one was just okay. Wish it had more on it. Sanma with Matsutake/Pike mackerel: 9/10Seared to perfection with a slice of mushroom on it. Really came together with the lime.Hokkaido Kegani/Hairly crab: 10/10Yes this was delicious! Seki-Aji Jack/mackerel: 10/10One of my favorite dishes of the night with the different flavors. The mackerel was such good quality. I usually hate mackerel so says a lot. Hotate Fresh/scallop: 9/10I liked that she put olive oil and salt on this as a fishing. Was very interesting!Kegani Ankake/Hairly crab: 10/10Such a comforting and amazing dish. I didn't want it to end. Was rich and thick in a good way. Akadashi Red miso soup: 9/10Hugs you from the inside out. Chef explained how she used the bones from the fish used from the meal for the broth. Very good. Nodoguro/Black throat sea perch: 10/10Another fav of the night with that smokey, torched taste.Torotaku hand-roll/Chopped toro: 9/10Yum! Wish it was bigger but it was still delicious!Dashimaki Tamago/Egg: 9/10I really liked that this was not too sweet and more on the savory side. Came out fresh and piping hot!Anago/Sea eel: 8/10I am partial to eel but this was okay. My husband loved it though!Fresh Passion fruit Sorbet with Hoji-cha crumble: 10/10So refreshing after a rich mealWagashi with Kyoto Matcha: 10/10Handmade desserts?! Yes please. You could taste the love and effort placed in the piece. Each one was different for everyone and one of a kind. The matcha was mixed right in front of everyone. Yes!Overall, amazing and they will get their Michelin star or stars! So much better than many other omakase dinners that I have experienced. I was pleasantly surprised and really loved how they proved that an all women's crew could do it better! Love love love! Coming here again!

There isn't much more I can say than what has already been noted in other reviews, but this dining experience was absolutely beautiful, and the food was magnificent. We felt honored to enjoy the warm hospitality and artistry that Chef Mori Nozomi and her incredible team shared. The dishes are delicate, yet full of beautifully balanced flavors and prepared with the utmost care. The chawanmushi was a perfect start to the meal, silky and subtle. Her miso soup was the best I've ever tasted. Every bite was just to die for, and we added the tea pairing, which was perfect. L.A. is home to some incredible sushi restaurants, and we have tried many of them, but this is truly one of the best experiences we have ever had. It's the restraint, the meticulous attention to detail, the minimalist beauty, top shelf ingredients, and the chef's confidence in letting her artistry shine that makes this incredible restaurant a must. Wholeheartedly recommend. Don't miss this. we will be back. Our sincere thanks to you and your entire team. We felt so welcome.

The sushi is so good I've already been here twice since they opened just a few months ago. All the fish here tastes amazing, looks fresh, and is beautifully presented. There's attention to detail on every course from the intro dishes to the finishing desserts and matcha tea serving.The Chawanmushi they serve here is one of the best I've had. The first time I went here they had a Hairy Crab Chawanmushi which was probably the best Chawanmushi I've ever had and the second time I went they served a Uni with Caviar Chawanmushi which was also perfection.The Ankimo here was also one of the best I've had at any restaurant here in LA. Super rich and creamy. This is exactly how Ankimo should taste and feel like.They presented the Hairy Crab at the beginning and then you get to see them prepare it in front of you until it's put together into a beautiful Hairy Crab nigiri. Then there's a second Crab plate where they top the Crab meat with Uni and Caviar. Not just delicious but the plate presentation was really beautiful.The Tamago here is Osaka Style, as Chef Nozomi is from Osaka, and it's amazing. After the sushi you get served dessert with freshly whisked matcha tea made by Chef Nozomi. The first time I went they served Japanese Strawberry and handmade Wagashi with the matcha tea.From start to end this place delivers quality and the perfect Omakase experience.

Another great Omakase restaurant has open in L A. Chef/Owner Mori Nozomi exhibited meticulating effort into every dish. Every morsel was fresh and succulent. The great touch was the matcha and chef's home made Kyoto dessert at the end. It's almost like a great kaiseki (懐石料理) dinner. See it for yourself. (The entire meal is 3.5 hours.)

Five Stars all around. Sublimely brilliant and elegant performance by Nozomi-san and her team. Amongst the best sushi I've experienced anywhere in the world, including Japan.Such a warm, friendly, and lovely team with meticulous attention to details. This place should be multiple Michelin-starred IMHO.Can't wait to get back. Ganbari, Nozomi-san and team!