The Bar - Hand Rolls by Seabutter

When the DineLA list of restaurants comes out 2x a year, I try to squeeze in a couple of new restaurants. It's a great way to sample several specialty courses in a prix fixe price that feels like a steal. This February '25, it was The Bar - Hand Rolls by Seabutter that caught my eye and whispered sweet sushi nothings into my ears. Of course, the choice was super easy because I was craving good sushi and knew that Seabutter in Westlake Village was reputable with their fish menu. But what I wasn't expecting was the amazing first impression. If you appreciate architecture and design, the minimalist wood panels and circular bar was arresting. Much like how Gaudí's Casa Batllo in Barcelona incorporates natural light into its design, the golden stream of the sunset delicately dimmed the circle around this elegant sushi bar.Our menu for the evening included a choice of cold or hot sake.For starters, the miso soup or cucumber sunomono salad. * HYE was OMG. The minced truffle with yellowtail belly, sesame oil, kizami wasabi, and dash of sea salt was superb.* Spicy Tuna Crunch was great on the heat and nice on the crunch.* Seared Salmon hand roll with artichoke truffle was mmmm.* Scallop was my fave only because it's never a fair game when scallop shows up to my dinner party. With the freshness of the fish and light crowd on a week day early evening, I'd like to make my way back here a few more times. And for $7-11/hand roll, it's a sweet deal for wholesome food with today's prices. Healthy too (if you leave out the sake ;)

My friend and I love a crisp handroll and especially creative fillings so Hand Rolls by Seabutter was a fun choice. They have a 5 roll set with preset options that we ordered and we added one more, another roll called the USC as a final bite. The meal started with a vinegary sunomono cucumber salad, which is appreciated as a palate cleanser. The chefs then deposited a creamy scallop roll, a spicy tuna with lots of punch from a sriracha type sauce and a spear of cucumber, amberjack, salmon, and blue crab. The standouts for me were the seared salmon with a really memorable artichoke truffle salt, and the yellowtail with interesting condiments. Of course, I liked the USC with a seared salmon, creamy uni and a dallop of caviar but it was $$. Perhaps the only thing I did not love was the size of the seaweed. It was far too long and the sushi chefs used the whole length so it doubled up on itself and became such a thick layer of nori.

I've been wanting to try this place for quite a while, since they turned it into a sushi bar from what was once a laundromat.Impressions: Pros:- Easy parking in the back lot by the market - Tasty sushiCons:- Expensive, especially for the set plates- no tables, only the sushi bar for seating- very quiet. We were there at lunch hour, and we were the only ones there.Total damage:$58 after tip for hot sake, the $23 three-piece set plate, and a spicy tuna crunch roll.I walked away feeling disgruntled about how much I had spent. The atmosphere left me wanting (SO quiet) and the sushi, while tasty, wasn't any better than at any of the wide variety of sushi places in the local area. There are other places with much more upbeat atmosphere and where you can get a lot more for $58.I didn't walk out of there, thinking to myself: wow, I can't wait to go back!Maybe I will, and maybe I won't. Check it out for yourself and see.

The bar is an excellent Dine La option! My friend and I went during lunch time. Street parking and additional 1 hour parking available in the back. Ambiance is very intimate, the bar is literally a circle with the sushi chef in the center, I loved it. Service was excellent. The flavors of all the hand rolls we had were fresh and flavorful. My favorite of the dine la menu was the HYE - minced yellowtail belly and truffle. It was tempting not to order more but I wanted to try different speciality items. The most common speciality items per the server was the double t and miss crab! My friend ordered the crab Donburi. All delicious. Definitely coming back here to try more items!

Came on a Sat around 6:30. Was able to get seated right away for 4. Parking was easy, as there is a small lot for the plaza (albeit there being old signs for the taco spot... but we risked it lol). There's also street parking.I love the sleek ambiance - though physically small, but the high ceiling and rounded bar setting really opens up the place. At a glance, the restaurant can probably seat about 20 people. We weren't really impressed by their sister restaurant, Seabutter, at our previous DineLA, but The Bar fares better, imo. Not the best handrolls (e.g. roasted seaweed, served while still crispy), but not bad either. For this year's DineLA until 2/7/25, for just $35 we got the following: - Sunomono Salad (or miso): simple and refreshing. Thinly sliced cucumbers in a ponzu-like sauce. - Spicy Tuna Crunch: I liked the crunch in this- Scallop: not very memorable- HYE: our fave! flavorful- Salmon Truffle: this was our second fave, truffle is always a banger. - Sake (or wine or soda): such a generous serving, and served warm. It was nice! At least 6 cups worth which is more than plenty. The timing between rolls was kinda slow, but we were able to chat. However, SO and I did order another 3 set to split between us, but it took 20 min before we realized it was taking awhile so we cancelled. The waitress was sweet; she offered mochi ice cream though!

I love hand roll bars in general and by far this is the best quality, unique options, and so flavorful! The wall decor is eye catching and the round seating gives it a fung shui atmosphere - almost as if it was purposeful and truly appreciate. I enjoyed almost everything that I ordered, dishes and rolls were served at a good pace and not rushed.

The Bar- Hand Rolls by Seabutter is an absolute must-visit breaking tradition from traditional sushi restaurants and Hand Rolls! The hand rolls here are nothing short of exceptional--each one is freshly made right in front of you and served at the perfect temperature. The seaweed is crisp, the rice is perfectly seasoned, and the fish is incredibly fresh, flavorful, and delightful.The menu offers a wonderful variety, and each roll feels like a work of art. The Double T (Toro and Truffle) was my favorite--its flavors and textures were perfectly balanced, creamy, rich, and decadent. We also loved the spicy tuna crunch, salmon truffle, and scallop and uni-scallop. Each one was perfection, yet our least favorite was the uni-scallop, which was ordinary compared to the complex flavors of the other ones. The atmosphere is unique and inviting, and you can tell there's a lot of thought put into creating an enjoyable dining experience. Sitting at a large circular counter and watching the chefs work their magic is such a fun and interactive element. Saina was attentive, friendly, and eager to make our experience memorable. Whether you're a hand roll aficionado or trying them for the first time, this place is an absolute gem. Highly recommend!

The quality of the fish is great, it tasted so fresh ! My favorite was the U.S.C. (uni, seared scallop, caviar). With the uni and caviar they give, it's a little on the pricier side compared to other hand roll places.

This hand roll sushi spot came highly recommended by a friend on Yelp, and it truly was a phenomenal experience. I brought a friend who typically avoids raw sushi and prefers cooked items, so she ordered the Wagyu Don bowl. It was incredibly flavorful, though the portion size was a bit small to fully satisfy her appetite.I went all-in and ordered a six-roll hand roll set, and every single roll was packed with bold, prominent flavors that really stood out. There was a minor mix-up where my blue crab roll was missing, but the staff was quick to address it, and they made sure I got my full order. The chef was fantastic, taking the time to explain each roll as they came out, which added a personal touch to the experience. My personal favorites were the salmon yellowtail and the blue crab--they were absolutely delicious. Plus, the seaweed on each roll was perfectly crispy.The ambiance here is calm and clean, though the space (and the parking lot) is quite small, so keep that in mind during busy hours. Despite that, I would absolutely come back--both to revisit my favorites and try more of their flavors.

Seabutter was absolutely amazing the rolls were so fresh with high end ingredients the staff was amazing and super friendly and a special thanks to our server David for making our meal 10x better this place rocks!!! --