UO Nigiri

Just learned of UO. The restaurant has a crisp and clean vibe, just like their food. The music was at a nice volume, allowing for easy conversation- unfortunately this is a rare treat in this town. The fish was a higher level than most sushi restaurants we've been to. I typically try the one or two unusual fish on the menu. UO's menu had a half dozen I had never seen. I tasted three; the black throat was particularly tasty. The edamame was cooked and salted just right. I finished it off with the salted plum and cucumber roll, which was also new to me. It felt like a nice end after the fish, light and bright. My date had the crispy rice; the rice was prepared well with a unique touch. I didn't order off the Omakase Nigiri, I wasn't in the mood to tell the chef I don't eat certain fish. But after dining here tonight, I might give it a go next time.Yusuke was great to talk to, and he prepared dishes at a nice pace. It's very clear the touches in the restaurant are thought out. We enjoyed having the place to ourselves on a slow Tuesday night. But we also want UO to be successful so it stays in our neighborhood for the long haul. So for my own selfishness, please check UO out.

I would give this place 3.5 / 5 stars.Sashimi and sushi were very fresh. We especially liked the salmon tartare appetizer, Aburi salmon sushi and fresh Hokkaido scallop. They have a mandatory 16.5% service charge automatically added to the final bill. That way you don't have to tip but with the automatic service charge we expected excellent service. The servers were a bit awkward and not as experienced. They were nice, but it just felt a bit unnatural and stiff. Something that I hope improves over time since the servers may probably be new and are getting used to serving and explaining the 3 different omakase course. My wife and I chose the UO Favorite course which is the middle one priced at $48 / person we got our son the UO Lite course for $35 / person. The amount was just right for him. Our course was good as well. The total with alcoholic drinks, 3 omakase courses and one dessert came to around $241 (16.5%) service fee included. I guess the price is reasonable but still a bit pricy for what we got. The interior is simple, clean and nice. Very spacious.

My partner and I came here on Valentine's Day - we were craving sushi and Sugarfish didn't have outdoor seating available because their seats and tables were still put away from the rain over the week. We called ahead and asked if we could bring our dog to eat with us in the outdoor seating, and thankfully the staff was okay with that! We love eating with our dog, so that was a big win in our book. That being said, we peeked inside and the ambiance was really cute and clean! The first look at the menu is pretty reminiscent of Sugarfish, and it seems like they're intentionally priced to be a direct competitor to them. We ordered some hot green tea since it was freezing outside. My partner, who's a bit of a tea connoisseur, was initially a bit taken aback by the 5 dollar price tag on the tea - but after it arrived, he said he could understand why they were charging 5 dollars for it (apparently it's a loose leaf gyokuro). They offer free refills on the hot water, so you can get a few cups of tea out of your order. Moving onto the food: on the grand scheme of things, everything was pretty good, but it's hard to NOT compare the offerings to Sugarfish as the menu is almost a 1:1 translation of Sugarfish's "Trust Me" menus, with identical mid tier pricing and a slightly more expensive premium tier than the "Don't Eat Just Think". We ordered the UO's Favorites at 45 dollars (lunch pricing), and here's our overall thoughts:Edamame: No particular notes here, standard edamame.Salmon Ceviche: My partner and I both felt the sauce used in the ceviche could use a little more punch. Compared to the Tuna Appetizer at Sugarfish, we both preferred Sugarfish' s offering. The presentation was beautiful though, and the tomato garnish was really tasty. Spicy Tuna Handroll: Made with diced tuna rather than the paste you often find in Spicy Tuna hand rolls. That being said, the tuna was likely maguro, so the fish was quite lean. Again, it's an unfortunate comparison to make to Sugarfish's Toro and Crab rolls, but while this was good, it didn't wow us. The seaweed was really crispy though, so that was nice. 8PC NigiriSalmon - Nice and buttery. Albacore - Served with a sauce. Albacore is usually paired with citrus flavors, so wouldn't be surprised if it was ponzu. Hamachi - Tender, definitely fresh. Bluefin Tuna Maguro - Unfortunately, probably the biggest disappointment of the meal; I don't want to come across as entitled, but when the menu is structured so similarly to Sugarfish, you would really expect to at least be getting Chutoro or even Toro. Aji: Served with minced ginger, my partner really liked this. Shima Aji: Firmer than Ani, don't have too much experience with this fish, but it was good! Hokkaido Scallops: Delicious and fresh. Salmon Aburi with Ponzu: Favorite of the meal - rich, buttery, with a hint of acidity to balance the richness of the cut. 4PC Cut Roll (Albacore w/ Green Onions): Actually a lot better than anticipated. Surprisingly buttery, and if you close your eyes and use some soy sauce, it can almost pass as Sugarfish's Toro hand roll. Overall closing thoughts:While the food overall was pretty good, there's still quite a few things that the restaurant can improve on, especially if they're positioning to be a Sugarfish competitor. Pacing wise - our hand roll, 4pc nigiri, edamame, and salmon ceviche came out almost back to back within 3-5 minutes. Considering we were the only table dining, it would be nice if they paced out our items so the rice didn't get cold/the seaweed didn't get soggy, as we had to rush to eat things and eat out of order (it definitely feels strange complaining about food coming out too quickly, but considering it was a really cold day, the rice in our nigiri was starting to get cold by the time we got to them). In terms of the quantity of food, we were both satiated, but definitely not full - maybe Sugarfish just has richer cuts that make you feel more full as the piece counts look pretty similar otherwise at the 45 dollar price point. I'll also note that portion control looks a bit inconsistent, as my partners salmon ceviche had almost double the amount of salmon mine did. We hope that they continue to improve as we'd like to come back again in the future!

We had a great experience here!We went here on a Saturday night for my boyfriend's impromptu birthday dinner around 7:30pm. The place is small, cozy and intimate. It seems like a cute date night spot for couples and small parties as omakase isn't the cheapest, but it's a great dinner option to treat yourself.We got the Premium Omakase with Suntory Premium Malts. It came with an edamame and salmon appetizer, 10 premium sushi, 1 snow crab hand roll, and 1 4-piece Toro Scallion cut roll. Our plates came out one after the other and allowed us enough time to sit and enjoy each one after. The waiters were nice and explained each of the plates to us, how to eat which with soy sauce or not, etc.I especially loved having miso soup to order to end as it settled our full stomachs well. And, as a surprise, they brought out a green tea ice cream with red bean and mochi (the chewiest mochi I've ever had!) with a candle on top for his birthday, so sweet!They already include a 16.5% service charge so no extra tipping required. Great for an intimate little date night.

I've come here twice to try their omakase offering. Once for their middle tier and a second time for their top tier since it's advertised as premium fish. I cannot in good conscience recommend either based on the quality of the food at that price. Service: fantastic. Interior design terrific. But the sushi is on par with much cheaper establishments. In particular the rice quality is incredibly underwhelming. Compared to say sugarfish close by which I can confidently say had rice that is delicious on its own and accentuates the fish, I'm not even sure UO uses sushi rich.The fish quality is moderate at best, if I'm paying close to 100 dollars after tax and a mandatory 17% tip I should be at least impressed or feel I got my money's worth. At this juncture it feels overpriced. I don't think I was fleeced but if I want good quality sushi I would be doing self harm electing to come here for satisfy that craving.

I appreciate the mellow, traditional ambiance. The restaurant was simple but very nice. The fish selection was widely extensive. The dishes tasted palatable... My qualm is that the pricing and portions were quite small for an establishment that touts itself on its "affordability". We paid $100 per person, without any drinks... which I pay elsewhere for a more plentiful meal. Nothing awful here but I am not running back at all considering the other options for this price.

UO Nigiri recently opened last week in Marina Del Rey. They specialize in omakase (nigiri, roll, hand roll sushi) and ala carte sushi. If you're allergic to shellfish, they will accommodate and swap out the shellfish for fish. The staff was very friendly and nice. There's parking in the lot in front of the restaurant or on the street. It's a very small restaurant, so good for small groups of 2-4 people. It's a pretty pricey place... $48 for the UO favorite (middle tier omakase) and I left still hungry.

Incredibly fresh fish with variety, quick and kind service, and the restaurant itself is very cute and intimate. We were blown away by the Premium fixed menu but something that really stood out was the scallop nigiri - it's an experience.

So glad this opened up!! Quality no frillsSushi omakase. Everything I've had here is delicious and they have lunch specials as well. Simple tasting menus to choose from and a wide variety of traditional Japanese sushi and rolls (I.e. no California rolls!). Love that it's walking distance for me. Owner Yusuke is very nice and friendly!

i don't think i've ever waited so long to be served at a restaurant selling food at these price points in LA before... granted they DID just open on the 13th (and a server did warn me they were short staffed), but the price and the area demand better planning. we walked in to eat at 7:30 on a wednesday night, and i saw at least three groups of people who walked away because the restaurant was at capacity. the quality of the food was delicious, but it was a bit of a let down waiting so long in between these small bites. our servers were also so nice! however, waiting so long, in addition to the poor acoustics of the small restaurant really didn't do it for my family or i. i'd probably come back earlier in the evening to give it a shot because it was genuinely so yummy