Sushi Dokoro Imai

I literally live two blocks away and go to the Ralph’s in the plaza at least once a week. I was always hesitant to try it, maybe because I was afraid it was expensive. It is. But it is good quality fish for the price and it’s charming that everything is so fresh and natural instead of fancy rolls.
We came on a Thursday evening around 6:30 and were the only ones in the restaurant. The owner is nice and is very hardworking. The most mainstream item on the menu is probably your spicy tuna roll, but everything else is nigiri status.
Started with the tuna and it was fresh. Not dry at all, since I’ve had tuna before where it was dry. I love that there is a bit of wasabi between the fish and the rice. I usually don’t have wasabi with sushi but this just tasted… right. It really brought out the flavor of the fish. Salmon was also good. A nice creamy texture. We also got the yellowtail and I liked that there wasn’t an overpowering fishy taste to it.
Had a spicy tuna roll and it was interesting that it was chopped tuna pieces and not diced like most spicy tuna rolls are. I think I like it like this because it gives the roll texture. Sauce was also not overly spicy.
They didn’t have halibut that day but we got snapper and it might have been the best on the menu. It was just so refreshing, if you can even call sushi that! There was lemon on it, but it wasn’t bitter and didn’t have a sharp taste. It worked really well with the fish and you did not need soy sauce at all. We also ordered scallops and they were sweet and not chewy. Ended with a yellowtail roll, and I enjoyed the crunchy sprouts that was in it.
Finished the dinner with sliced oranges and their red wine sauce.
Dinner for two came out to $ 89 before tax. This is a steep price, but since it’s fresh sushi and a mom and pop place I don’t mind supporting the business and would come back.

We come here frequently when I’m visiting my folks in town. Having been raised in Japan, I can vouch for the authentic sushi experience here. The sushi bar is run by the master sushi chef Imai-​San and his wife. As you relax, sip on a cup of hot green tea, and enjoy masterful traditional sushi while cracking petty conversations with the elderly couple, you can truly appreciate the authentic experience here. I appreciate master Imai’s down-​to-​earth, no-​nonsense approach to his trade. Sure, it probably helps that we’re fluent in Japanese, but you can’t blame the man for the accent. To be fair and blunt, the flashy Asian fusion types need not apply here: you won’t find westernized rolls, noodles, or random rice bowls. Come here for the sushi.

What can I say you will never be disappointed with this place. I have been coming here since 2003 and it is consistently good. I mean really good. This is very authentic Japanese so if you are into rolls only do not come here. If you want the real deal this side of Japan itself this is the place.

This place has great sushi. With that said, the ambiance isn’t all that amazing… but the food is very fresh. If you want rolls and americanized stuff, this isn’t the place for you. If you want no frills, fresh and good, sushi. then you will be happy.
I suggest you take your entertainment, or company, with you as it is rather quiet, but overall a great dining experience.
It is rather pricy though, so be ready for that.

ONLY SUSHI is served at Sushi Dokoro Imai… neither Chawan Mushi, Tempura, Teriyaki, Nabemono, etc. Not even a Seaweed salad. That being said, Chef Imai is a consummate «old school» Edomae (eh doh mah eh) Sushi Meister.
Edo was the ancient name of what later would be called To-​kyo– after 1868 or so. Edo was the capital of the Sho-​gun or Military Dictatorship who was nominally «chosen» by the Emperor in pro forma style. The ruling Sho-​gun family during the Edo Period from about 1603 – 1868 was the Tokugawa. The Tokugawa rulers gave over two hundred years of peace through out Japan after over a century of civil wars ravaging the country as different war lords vied to take the reigns of power.
Due to the peace that prevailed over the land, a middle class of merchants, tradesmen, artisans slowly formed. The economy started to rise and the middle class became more prosperous. Affluence brought forth the luxury to be able to eat out, and so Sushi became one of the items that developed into its final refined form during the Edo period.
At first, Sushi had a humble start as street food served from carts, and the portions were big. Two or three Sushi of those supersized days would fill an average person. However, as Sushi was adopted by more formal restaurants, the size, shape, kinds, preparation, quality slowly evolved into the sybaritc, luxurious Sushi that we know today.
Now in much of the world, the art of Sushi is de-​evolving into a more crass form as the naturalness of Sushi is being adulterated under the guise as «fusion food» with excessive use of mayonnaise, cloyingly sweet «eel sauce», or being fried with batter like some crappy, oafish American County fair food. (fried twinkies, bacon wrapped dill pickles, batter fried stick of butter)
Chef Imai is the stalwart keeper & protector of Edomae Sushi tradition by serving extremely fresh and high quality Sushi in its most pristine form. His cuts of fresh raw fish are generous as well as the Shari (shah ree)/Japanese rice which is delicately seasoned with Japanese rice vinegar that is by nature mild along with Mirin (mee reen)/Japanese sweetened Sake (sah keh), Kombu (kohn boo) Dashi (dah shee)/ kelp broth.
There must be more secret ingredients, but I can not discern them. This nuanced seasoning of the rice, which is also perfect in the way it is cooked with a slight al dente texture, integrity of the individual grains of rice that just barely stick to each other, shininess of the white rice grains, etc., proves the proficient hand of a Sushi Master.
Put your nose to the Sushi rice & smell the elegant light bouquet that adds a touch of the right gastrique & stock to enliven the meatiness of the Neta (neh tah)/what is put on top of the Sushi rice. The Sho-​yu (show yoo)/soy sauce is also deftly seasoned by Meister Chef Imai with Katsuo Bushi or dried bonita broth, but other not immediately nondiscernable subtle ingredients are present to add an underlying richness to the Sho-​yu.
Sushi Dokoro Imai is a husband/​wife team, and reminds me of other mom/​pop neighborhood Sushi eateries in the more traditional parts of To-​kyo, particularly around the area near Asakusa Kannon Temple. Come to Sushi Dokoro Imai to be immersed in the traditional culture & flavours of old Edo. Chef Imai & his wife are quietly confident and providers of diffident hospitality. Definitely 4+Yelp stars for traditional Sushi experience that will not be around too much longer.

Small mom and pops place. Has been here for nearly 25 years… prices are fair and Sushi is delicious. .try the miso soup. it has clams and they taste just great! !!! Highly recommended! !

The most authentic sushi I’ve ever had. Not only that, but it was delicious. Rice has just the right amount of wasabi to give a good kick and enhance the sushi flavor. No need for soy sauce whatsoever. Everything was made fresh in front of me and my group and not only that, but it was very inexpensive as far as real sushi goes. Don’t come here looking for any fusion, you’re getting the real deal instead. The staff is very friendly and the hours are great. Come here for dinner or a late night fix. You won’t regret it.

Let me tell you a little bit about this place. I came here for the 1^st time over 20 years ago. I proposed to my wife in this restaurant. When my two children were born we had sushi at the hospital from this restaurant. If you are looking for truly good fresh sushi this is the place. No fluff no hype no loud music just a really great meal. If you’re looking for a real sushi and get can get to this place get there. Its always been 5 stars in my book for over 20 years.

Family owned and operated Sushi bar. The husband and wife team may be a drag when crowded since he is the only man behind the counter. The sushi is very fresh and authentic. This is a no frills sushi bar with reasonable prices.
I am definietly returning to this joint soon.

Traditional Japanese style Sushi, at over priced prices. If you like that sort of a thing than you will find O.K. quality sushi. However I prefer California fusion type of sushi places, where you get the most flavor, more variety, roll creations, basically the most bang for the buck. For $ 120 not including tip for two people with 2 small sake and 2 beers, I expect more; and there is a lot of place out there for a lot less money and much bigger food content. For my money I would go somewhere else. Now you choose.

I can’t believe it has taken me 3 years to check out this neighborhood restaurant. It’s a small, family owned establishment with really good sushi. The only reason I don’t give it the 5^th star is because it could use a little bit of help with the atmosphere. What they lack in atmosphere is more than made up with the great food and friendly service. This will be my new regular stop for sushi.

What’s a beautiful sexy girl going to do on a beautiful summer night???
I found this hidden gem and took my friends here to this cozy delicious hole in the wall :-)
It literally was quality fish and great reasonable price!
I was hesitant to write because I am so good at keeping things to only my close friends and family but I wanted to memorialize this place for their exceptional food quality and amazing late night sushi hour.
I ordered Omakase of course. The abalone and eel were memorable and unique. Mackerel had a fishy taste to it. Everything was great!
It was great with my hot tea and my friend ordered salmon and yellowtail sushi.
The best place to go for late night sushi.
I was thankful that I am still the coolest girl that can find awesome places to eat last minute. Makes me realize that I am truly blessed and others are lost and confused in this world…
I am grateful for the happy life that I live to the fullest…
It is fun to be around loving company and quality places and food.
Good friends and good food=happy life!!!
I even ate the egg sushi as well as the sea urchin.
They were neat. Also had the shrimp and toro
And saved them for last!

I wanted to give this place a terrible review as I don’t want people start coming and taking my seat lol. But I just can’t, it’s a great place. For starters, it’s a small traditional looking sushi bar. It’s man/​wife operation, so give them some time, relax and enjoy your sushi with drinks. They stock pretty much the standard items and there wasn’t a lot of exotic items, like I didn’t see anything like oysters, and surprisingly wasn’t served any yellowtail nor toro. But what I did receive was excellent. The flavors for the maguro, hirame, amai ebi, scallop, squid and uni were exceptional, the salmon, ikura and mackerel were very good as well. I just ordered omakase and i enjoyed everything. Definitely coming back here.

Place is small and cozy.
Clearly family owned.
Prices are reasonable.
Sushi is VERY good.
Overall a pleasant experience.
Highly recommend.

I really enjoyed Sushi Imai!
— Salmon, yellowtail, and scallop sushi, then Combo with 8 piece sushi and California Roll — super fresh and delicious. No complaints!
— Salmon sashimi — covered with daikon and sprouts, but the fish itself was delicious.
— Cucumber roll and avocado roll — JAS enjoyed both!
The edamame was ice cold. I would have preferred it less cold, but I was there for the sushi, not the edamame.
Both the sushi chef and the lady that waited on us were very pleasant and friendly. I liked them!
I don’t like wasabi and they put wasabi in the sushi. My own fault for not telling them to keep it off, but I’ll remember next time. I’m looking forward to going back!

Very traditional sushi. If you ask Imai san to make «Omakase», he will make pretty good course menu for you. (I usually spend $ 100 for the course).
I like Imai san’s wife Kumi san’s shrimp head special miso soup. She put «Myo-​ga» into the miso soup.
The sushi rice (called shari) is little sweeter than other place. It’s like a Kyoto style sushi.
****LITTLE MANNERS AND FUN TIPS AT ANY TRADITIONAL SUSHI RESTAURANTS****
+ Better to order Omakase from Sushi bar, not from table
+ Eat sushi with your fingers! not chopstick.
+ Dip lightly sushi into soy souse from fish side only, not from rice side. And put sushi into your mouth upside down.
(fish part will attached on your tongue)
+ If you order sweet shrimp, also order shrimp head miso soop. Taste better than deep fried shrimp head.
+ Sashimi is never comes with Ginger (gari) in traditional way. Gari is only for sushi. If you see Gari on the sashimi plate… you are eating at the wrong sushi restaurant.
+ If you done eating, tell Sushi chief «Gochi sou sama deshi ta!”(means: I’m done! Taste good!)For sure they will give you big smiles and they treat you more special way next time when you visit.
****Japanese restaurant communication tips****
+Good evening = konban wa
+Chopstick = Hashi
+Which one do you recommend? = Osusume wa nan desu ka?
+Please give me XXXXX = XXXX wo kudasai
+Tasty= Oishii desu! (sounds like Oh Shit!)
+Melting in my mouth = Kuchi no naka de toroke masu!
+Unit for tea (1 cup = Ippai, 2 cup = 2 hai)
+Ask for a bill = Oaiso kuda sai
+That was tasty… thank you = Gochisou sama deshi ta. Arigatou gozai masu
+I will come back = Mata Kimasu
***AT SUSHI RESTAURANT ****
+Polite way to say sushi is „Osushi“.
I never say „sushi“ in front of sushi chef. I always say „O sushi“
+Tea = Agari
(Only works for sushi restaurant. Other Japanese restaurant you should say Ocha)
+Ginger= Gari
+Wood Dish for sushi = Geta
+Unit for sushi=Kan
(1 piece = ikkan/​2 = ni kan/​3= san kan/​4=yon kan) usually one sushi order comes with 2(ni) kan. When I order Omakase, I usually ask chef to make ikkan (1) each so that I can eat different types of sushi a lot.
+How to request one piece each…“ikkan zutsu osushi wo kuda sai»
Cyu toro’s fat fine veins = Shimofuri (you can use for Beef’s fat fine veins, too)
… And more and more!

BF & I decided to grab sushi on a FRIDAY night.
Pulled up around 7:40 and noticed a closed sign on the door? I walked inside and discovered around 10 people and asked the waitress if they were closed. She said no; and motioned me to sit. I told her I was going to be right back to let the bf know to park.
7:42, back in and she is no where to be found. Sushi chef yells out and she comes scrambling out and says: SORRY, WE CLOSED.
WTF? I was shaking my angry fist in the air all the way out. What kind of restaurant does that? What difference did 2 minutes make? No good. We went to Inaba in Torrance and had a much nicer meal. Maybe if you’re reading this, you should check out Inaba as well… nicer atmosphere and better food.
I will never be back to this POS.

I’m just going to call it an off night, because i really want to like the small sushi bar with a single chef (who barely speaks english) and single waiter (who i assume are married).
I’ll give it another shot, so i’ll hold judgment until next time.

Do not expect to have crazy (non-​traditional) rolls here. ;)
It’s been awhile since I went to Sushi Imai last time, and my friend insisted that we had to go, so I did.
The master and his wife welcomed us — they said they were just talking about me a few days ago. Nice to have that «elite» status. ;p
Anyhow, since we got there early in the evening, we were the first guests for the day. Each of us probably had 14 – 15 pieces of sushi (incl toro) along with some beers and shochu (Japanese vodka). They served us a couple of sliced orange with their homemade red wine reduction syrup at the end — yum.
The bill was a bit under $ 60 pp incl tax, w/​o tip. The fish was fresh and they provided great service as always — very consistent and maintain old school/​traditional style.
While we were eating, there was this couple came in. Apparently they had never been here before as they wanted to order rainbow roll and some other «creative» rolls, but their desire was declined as this place does not offer any of those. The couple had some tuna rolls and left soon.
Oh, I noticed they put the Unilocal sticker on the entrance door! The master told me… Unilocal sent it, so he decided to put it there. :)

I felt the need to update this and let you know that you should totally go on Saturday nights. Friday’s are super busy but Saturday there is almost no waiting. New date night on Saturday night instead. Oh and Imai goes and gets the fish every three days and it is from all around the world. Super fresh SUPER delicious!!!
Our family has been eating at this facility for about 4 years now. They are an extremely nice couple that owns the facility and the food is amazing.
We moved away from the area and had not been by there for a year and they remembered us. We now try to get back to eat there at least once a month that is how good the food and service are.
The fish is always fresh and the prices are good. This is the only place I prefer to eat sushi at — other sushi joints just don’t match up!