Reviewing Kombu Sushi: Seriously delicious sushi with the familiar flavors of Japan in Downtown Los Angeles.
Birthday dinners are something I really look forward to– whether it is for myself, a family member, or a close friend of mine. I was in charge of finding a spot for eleven girls to dine at before going to a disco club– yup, you guessed it, for a close friend of mine’s birthday! The birthday girl eats very healthy, so my research started with that in mind. She is an adventurous eater, but definitely has her favorites, like sushi. I needed to keep in mind our proximity to the club for our post-dinner plans. At this point, I was looking for a healthy sushi restaurant in the Arts District of Downtown LA. I found a spot called Kombu Sushi, but I had never dined there. I did some digging on their website and Instagram account and decided it was the perfect spot for our group. Upon walking in, what looked like a corporate event was happening outside, but we were seated at a long table inside by the sushi bar. We appreciated how Kombu Sushi prepared for our reservation ahead of time by putting together three tables to accommodate all 11 of us.
We started with edamame, shishito peppers, and Brussels sprouts. The Brussels sprouts were my favorite of the three veggies because they had great flavor from the olive-soy miso sauce. The shishito peppers were topped with bonito flakes, which I am not personally a fan of– but the peppers themselves were tasty in the soy sauce they were drizzled in.
We then ordered some specialty rolls: the citron roll, the crunchy roll, and the salmon fusion roll. The citron roll consisted of spicy tuna layered with seared albacore, thinly sliced lemon, cilantro, serrano peppers, ponzu sauce, and chili oil. This roll was certainly unique in its ingredients, and ended up being my favorite dish of the meal! The tanginess of the lemon flavoring made each bite extremely enjoyable, and the spicy tuna and albacore combo is my new favorite! I highly recommend ordering this roll when dining at Kombu Sushi.
The crunchy roll consisted of shrimp tempura, crab, avocado, and cucumber, topped with tempura flakes and drizzled with eel sauce. This roll was good but nothing special, as I have had this kind of roll at other sushi restaurants. They all taste quite similar.
As for the salmon fusion roll, it consisted of avocado topped with salmon, sesame oil, ponzu, shichimi, and red onions. This roll was incredibly fresh, and the salmon practically melted in my mouth. All in all, I was delighted by the food’s quality, from the ingredients freshness to the portion size.
The staff at Kombu Sushi was extremely accommodating with our large party. I could tell they were definitely a bit overwhelmed, but when one of the dishes came out a lot later than the rest, they ended up comping it, which I thought was highly considerate and showed how much the staff cares about pleasing their customers. The place’s ambiance is young and fun– from the music played to the vibes the waiters give off, to the LED lights throughout the restaurant. I plan to return to try more of their menu and reunite with the citron roll! As mentioned, I definitely recommend Kombu Sushi for large parties. Lastly, it seemed that their delivery system was pretty popular as well, which might be something to consider for nights in.