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In 2023, I started a quest to find the best sushi joints in the San Fernando Valley, and I actually went to quite a few! In case you didn’t know, the San Fernando Valley has the highest concentration of Japanese restaurants outside of Japan. If you drive down Ventura Blvd, you’ll be bound to find a Japanese restaurant in almost every strip mall. Their ubiquitous presence is fascinating. I’ll make sure to resume my sushi expedition in the near future!
There is no shortage of Japanese restaurants that cost an arm and a leg, but if a celebrity wants to be seen, whether it’s to announce their new relationship or just to be photographed, Hollywood’s rule of thumb is to stage a paparazzi stroll in either Sushi Park (West Hollywood) or Nobu in Malibu.
Sushi Park is particularly fascinating. Is the $200 omakase that good? What is it about it that draws the Hollywood elite? The strip mall’s balcony rail has taken on a life of its own, becoming Sushi Park’s most recognizable feature. I plan on going there sometime this year, so stay tuned!
If a celebrity doesn’t want to be photographed, they don’t go to Craig’s or Giorgio Baldi (most overrated restaurant. Sorry Rihanna), where a legion of photographers are stationed at the entrance.
However, there are a few celebrities who deviate from the glitz and glamour of these star-studded spots, and one of them is Miley Cyrus.
With the release of her album Endless Summer Vacation in 2023, the Miley nostalgia seeped in and I started following an account that Miley herself follows called @adoringlycyrus. Miley only uses Instagram to post about her projects, and this account shares miscellaneous pictures whenever she is seen out and about. Since last year, the account started sharing photos of Miley with Chef Tomoki Honbe at his eponymous restaurant in Studio City: Sushi Tomoki.
Miley, who was a vegan for many few years, transitioned to a pescatarian diet in 2020 after experiencing brain fog. Miley is a regular customer at Sushi Tomoki, but when she goes to NYC, she seems to frequent Sushi M.
When I saw that Sushi Tomoki was located in Studio City, it piqued my interest. Then I saw that Chef Tomoki used to work at Sushi Enya, which piqued my interest even more. When I first moved to LA, the Sushi Enya location in Little Tokyo was my go-to spot. I loved surprising family members visiting LA and my friends from UCLA Extension with Sushi Enya’s amazing food. I even wrote about them when I started the blog back in 2017!
After working at different Sushi Enya locations across LA for many years, Tomoki Honbe opened Sushi Tomoki in 2023.
Funnily enough, the day after my dinner at Sushi Tomoki I went to a pilates class in Glendale. Before we entered the class, a girl was airing her dating woes with the instructor about a guy she went on a date with to Sushi Enya in Pasadena. She said that the sushi was amazing and fairly priced, but apparently, the guy didn’t want to foot the bill because he thought it was too expensive. I chimed in saying that the sushi indeed was amazing there. “Right?” she said. “Oh, wow. I’m going to have to go!”, said the instructor.
Throughout my sushi expedition, I found that sushi joints deep in the valley are less popular than those located on bustling Ventura Blvd., and that December night, Sushi Tomoki was packed. Although it’s only been open since the summer of 2023, Sushi Tomoki has become the go-to spot for locals and celebrities like Anya Taylor Joy, Kelly Rowland, Miranda Cosgrove, and Jenna Ortega!
When I walked in, I was warmly welcomed by the host. After she checked my reservation, she sat me in the bar in close proximity to Chef Tomoki, who was overseeing the kitchen and checking the incoming orders on the computer. All the staff spoke Japanese and there seemed to be a great sense of camaraderie between them.
The items I saw coming out the most were the spicy tuna crispy rice cakes and sliced rolls neatly laid out on rectangular plates — very reminiscent of Sushi Enya’s signature rolls. It was my favorite thing to order there!
Depending on how much you want to spend, Sushi Tomoki’s omakase goes from $80 up to $200. I had the $80 omakase, which included a small appetizer with three types of fatty fish, ten nigiri pieces, a Toro handroll, and a warm miso soup to finish.
All of the fish had different flavor nuances and textures. Some of them were fattier and briny, and others were slightly chewier. As you can see in the picture below, most of the fish come with a light spread of sauce to enhance the flavor.
My favorite was the halibut, which was drizzled with a small amount of lime zest. Although this fish is mildly sweet, the lime zest took it to the next level, providing a perfect balance of sweet, salty and tangy.
Another standout was the black cod nigiri. The torched fish was a beguiling mix of sweet and mildly savory with an incredible buttery texture that just melted in your mouth.
The miso soup (not pictured) was probably the best miso soup I’ve had in a sushi restaurant. You could really appreciate the deep flavor of the savory broth, which had a very mild sweet taste and just the perfect amount of salt. You can’t miss it!
My only gripe about the toro handroll was the crunchy leaf of lettuce inside, which impeded me from fully appreciating the contrast between the delicate fish and the crisp nori sheet.
Throughout my meal, I felt very taken care of by the host, the waitress, and the sushi chefs. Overall, it felt like a big family!
Something to consider about Sushi Tomoki is that many of the pieces are fairly smaller than in other places, which made the omakase go by in the blink of an eye. Since I was still fairly hungry afterward, I had one order of the spicy tuna crispy rice cake, which seemed to be on every other table, two pieces of salmon nigiri and one halibut.
The spicy tuna crispy rice cakes were heaven for my taste buds. The contrast between the crispy golden rice cake and the smooth texture of the tuna, with its distinctive umami flavor was unbelievable. The tuna instantly melted in my mouth and left me wanting more, and the caramelized sauce left a very pleasant aftertaste in the roof of my mouth. The perfectly ripe avocado tied the bow of this incredible sensory experience. It’s no wonder why it’s a favorite!
For the salmon nigiri, Tomoki uses Scottish salmon. This type of salmon works great in poke, but it was slightly chewy for a nigiri. When I eat salmon nigiri, I want the fish to be fatty with that melt-in-your-mouth texture. In hindsight, I should have ordered the Salmon Belly nigiri instead, which is the fatty part.
After I paid, Chef Tomoki kindly thanked me for coming. When I told him that I found him through a picture of him and Miley, he put his fists in the air and said enthusiastically “Thank you Miley!!”. He said that she was a very sweet girl and that he saw her four days ago. Coincidentally, @adoringlycyrus uploaded this picture of him and Miley that week.
Overall thoughts
Sushi Tomoki is an outstanding mid-range sushi joint that checks all the boxes: amazing quality, personalized attention, and a veteran sushi chef helming the orders. I also loved the warm lighting, which made the atmosphere feel very cozy.
Tomoki is very personable and friendly, and there is no doubt that he is very loved by his patrons.
As a sushi aficionado, would I say that this was the best omakase in the valley? That would be a pretty bold statement. As I was scoping the orders around the restaurant, I noticed that the rolls and the spicy tuna crispy rice cakes took precedence over the omakase. Truthfully speaking, I was more blown away by these than the whole omakase. I don’t want to discredit Sushi Tomoki by any means, but as someone who has eaten sushi extensively, this omakase wasn’t particularly unique. However, I can’t wait to go back to venture into their plethora of rolls with delectable sauces. Of course, I’ll have to order their incredible spicy tuna crispy rice cakes. Seriously, you have to try them!
If you asked me about my most memorable omakase in LA, it would be Go’s Mart. This hidden gem is located deep in the valley in a very unassuming strip mall and is run by a middle-aged Japanese couple. No walk-ins are allowed and no California Rolls are served.
At Go’s Mart, it’s all about the exceptional quality of the fish and the stellar presentation, which is something that you’ll rarely come across in your average sushi joint. Don’t forget to make a reservation otherwise, you’ll be kindly turned away. The restaurant only has 6-8 barstools. Even British singer Dua Lipa featured Go’s Mart in her newsletter Service95 as one of her favorite restaurants in LA!
However, given the steep price, going to Go’s Mart is only reserved for special occasions!
Have you been to Sushi Tomoki?
3791 Cahuenga Blvd, Studio City, CA 91604
Walk-ins are allowed, but reservations are strongly encouraged!
What do you think?