Michele StuevenSituated halfway between the Wilcox Police Station and Mother Wolf in the restored Citizen News Building, IKI Nori on Sunset Blvd., is a small but bustling neighborhood sushi bar that specializes in a distinctive variety of affordable and approachable omakase.
Founded by the Bali-born Master Sommelier and chef Jeffry Undiartro, the modern Japanese hand roll and sushi destination also offers à la carte dining, along with a provocative cocktail program featuring yuzu margaritas and highballs. The menu also has a long, mindfully curated list of whiskeys and sakes.
IKI Nori (Michele Stueven)
The experiences range from an Omakase Lite, which includes the chef’s choice of one sashimi, eight seasonal nigiri, three signature handrolls, mushroom dashi soup, and
Dessert for $98 to the $150 IKI Omakase that features four otsumami bites, ten seasonal nigiri, two signature handrolls, and dessert. There are also plenty of fixed nigiri sets from $24 to $68, as well as sashimi choices.
In anticipation of the next expertly plated imported Japanese Spanish mackerel, sitting at the bar with a view of buzzing Sunset Blvd. is a show, with chefs juggling kitchen torches next to bartenders shaking up a Dashi Dawn made with 135 East Gin and dashi-infused dry vermouth.
Salmon burrata with pickled cherry tomatoes, yuzu, and honey truffle oil (Michele Stueven)
The new $58 eight-course lunch omakase is an even more enticing deal, bulging with the chef’s choice of sashimi and nigiri that includes golden eye snapper, salmon truffle, hokkaido scallop, and uni. Also included are a blue crab handroll and house-made shio koji ice cream for dessert. Upgrades like an A5 wagyu uni hand roll are available to the basic menu as well as additional alcoholic pairings.
The IKI Hospitality Group, which also includes IKI Ramen in Koreatown, has recently opened the homey Padi Los Angeles, just next door to IKI Nori, a modern Indonesian restaurant open daily for coffee, matcha, lunch, and dinner. Insider tip: Ask for the BBQ chicken, which isn’t always on the menu, but likely on the stove in the kitchen.
Padi Los Angeles (Michele Stueven)