Name: Echigo
Type: High end sushi
Good for: Sushi only, no cooked food or rolls
Location: 12217 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA [Google it!]
PPP: $11 lunch special, $40+ for dinner
Overall vibe: Amazing sushi for diehards
Anything bogus: Stripmall location, no ambience
The Location
Making your way down Santa Monica Blvd, you have to be on the lookout not for a fancy restaurant or gaudy signage, but a sign that simply says SUSHI. This place is located on the 2nd floor of a stripmall. You would never think that this humble room houses one of the purest sushi bars in California and, according to some, the entire country. During lunchtime, parking in their tiny street-level lot is impossible if not illegal, with 20 minute parking spots overruling others. Parking out on the street is difficult but ill-advised on Fridays (citable for street cleaning). There's usually a decent amount of underground parking, though the spiral driveways and tiny corridors make it a bit confusing and difficult to navigate at times. I've seen a car wash down here, where a guy will wash your car while you're here. I've never done this but it seems convinient for those who are too busy to make a special trip.
The Atmosphere
After walking upstairs, or more bravely riding up the rickety elevator, you arrive on the second level of a fairly run-down area. Walking past an adult education school, hair dresser, and massage parlor with a sign instructing you to stay quiet, you arrive at the entrance. A small paper handwritten sign on the door states that the ever-increasing price of fish has forced Echigo to raise its prices for its lunch special from $10 to $11. Upon entering, another handwritten sign, this time on a dry-erase board, lets you know that you are entering an area for those In the Know*. Children are not allowed at the bar, and there are no cooked items whatsoever. You will not find miso soup, chicken teriyaki, or even dynamite rolls here. Bare in mind, if you have been doing your homework at all, you know not to come here and ask for any of these things to begin with. Echigo's decor, if you could call it that, is that of white-walled simplicity. It's as if they stripped out everything that didn't have to do with serving you sushi and threw it away. The air is filled with the scent of fish and vinegar. While this may not sound all that appealing, to those of you In the Know, it's a sweet scent; one that tells you that you are in for an experience not soon forgotten. I advise sitting by one of the large windows. The bar is only for those enjoying the chef's special.
The Food
Chef Toshi apprenticed under Chef Nobi at Sasabune, though anyone trying Sasabune these days would be surprised to find that Echigo is actually better. I may someday write a review on Sasabune as I have yet to eat at their newer, and some say more sterile, location.
For lunch, they offer a fairly-fulfilling lunch special for $11, and includes albacore, tuna, yellowtail, salmon, and red snapper sushi, and finishes the meal off with a blue crab handroll. One quick note about the salmon: it comes with a slice of pickled something that I haven't ever liked and I usually end up picking it off (to those who view this as a sin: I'm sorry). This is a warm-rice bar, Japanese style from what I understand. The rice, in addition to being warm, is very tart with a hint of vinegar that takes some getting used to. It's so delicate that sometimes it falls apart as you try to pick it up. Everything is served separately on tiny circular dishes, forcing you to fully enjoy each type and giving your palette time to reset after tasting different fish. Their wasabi is some of the freshest I've had and has an appropriate fluidity and mixes into soy sauce very well. The ginger is crisp and not too spicy; properly pickled and not dyed like at knockoff places. I would suggest ordering one or two other items or you'll find yourself starving a few hours later. Lately one of the consistent items on the special menu on the dry-erase board by the bar is swordfish. I cannot praise this sushi enough. I have come here many times just to savor it's buttery consistency and flavorful excellence. They have a variety of other delectible fish here, and every one of them is amazing. The stuffed squid's tentacles are a bit much for me, and I usually let my buddy eat that portion, but the rest of it is very good. The kampache is excellent and the black snapper is very tasty. The only thing that has topped the swordfish is the barracuda, but it has not been seen for a while as its only in season in the spring, according to Toshi. (Another reason, though highly unlikely, is that barracuda have been linked to cases of ciguatera food poisoning in the past.)
Echigo takes on a slightly more refined air for dinner, though most people don't dress up to eat here. The quality of the fish easily rivals other high-end sushi places such as The Hump, but at 1/2 the price or less. I prefer the nigiri sushi and rice here over The Hump.
The Service
The waitresses here are, for the mostpart, nice and orderly. They announce which type of fish they're brining you and whether or not you should use soy sauce. Sometimes they could be more attentive. Sometimes you have to raise your hand in the bar to get their attention for a water refill, say.
Anything Bogus?
Other than this place not being very romantic, it's still a good date spot if your date appreciates fine sushi. It's not big on atmosphere, but what it lacks in elegance it more than makes up for with quality.
Summary
Echigo is not for everyone; heck...it's not for most. But for those who enjoy nigiri sushi, I have yet to find a place that can best it.
*In the Know: To me, this means that you know the difference between fresh pasty wasabi and more commonly-served chunky [stale] wasabi. You'd know the difference between nigiri and sashimi, and the difference between maguro and toro. You can taste the difference between yellowfin and bluefin tuna. Not to say that those who do not eat fish are not In the Know, but in this particular instance, if you do not eat fish, this is not the place for you. While perhaps a bit more humane than other high-end sushi bars such as The Hump (where fish are chopped up and are still breathing and twitching on your plate), Echigo is still on the deep end of what I would consider hardcore sushi bars. You won't find California rolls or rainbow rolls like at large chain restaurants such as Kabuki, or anything like what you'd buy at Trader Joe's. If that's all that you're used to, it's entirely possible that you won't like Echigo or other Japanese-style sushi bars. However, if you're adventurous, eating at places like Echigo will broaden your horizons and take you to the next level of being a true Foodie.
Interesting Factoids
- Echigo was a northeastern province of Japan, which was ruled by Kenshin during the Sengoku period
- The Sengoku, or "Warring States" period marked the introduction of currency in Japan for trade between states as well as trade with China. The war itself was known as the Onin war, which lasted almost 11 years
- There are nine species of tuna, including three species of bluefin tuna
- Tuna can swim 48 miles per hour
- There are 26 species of barracuda
- Barracuda can swim 27 miles per hour, but only in short attack bursts
Source: Wikipedia (Echigo Province, Sengoku Period,Tuna)
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