Little Island Sushi

I came here with my friends that were very skeptical because they have been to kazuyo. This place is one of the best sushi places I have been to in my entire life…

Ok this placed just opened a week ago and the experience was amazing. I know I was bragging about Niko sushi forever but now there’s a new place in town for sushi and that’s this place under the name Nomura sushi. The owner Johnny has things on the menu no one else does in the valley. I will be a regular there for sushi from now on.
Rockin Raffi’s Recommendations: Start off with Albacore Salsa and then order the Makimoto Roll you will not be sorry with these two selections. I also ordered a few other things from the menu like the D&D roll, and Monkey brains it was good but my first two recommendations are out of this world. Also we got a sashimi plate I forgot of what but my gosh the portions and quality are way better than all the places I have gone to. because other places give you rice and no to little sushi while Nomura sushi gives you the whole fish with little rice. Don’t forget to top of your experience with an orange in plum wine the best way to end your meal. I will have to go back again and order other things on the menu as well. I hope this review and pics help. Thanks for Rockin’

I was a bit afraid to try Johnny’s new place as I’d met him and Unilocal the same week and I would rather leave NO review before I would sugarcoat one… and what if his fish was only so-​so?
Definitely not the case… started with salmon sushi (ya know, you get that salmon that’s all buttery and toro-​esque? it was), then mackerel (they had whole mackerels that looked really just-​caught and while I don’t normally get mackerel cause it’s a little stronger-​tasting, I went for it and it was really perfect. After that, I had some yellowtail that Johnny serves with salt, yuzu paste and shiso leaf… so good. Ended with a spicy salmon roll … never had one before but I saw Joe making one and it wasn’t a pre-​made salmon mixture, he was making it up fresh so thought I’d try… very good even if I don’t need to do that particular hand roll again.
During the course of lunch Johnny was making little samples of this and that for me and others (he seemed to be quite proud of his fresh albacore) which were really spectacular… things like albacore with spicy tuna and crunchy onions.
Add the above to one beer, one iced green tea and the semi-​traditional orange slices with plum wine and hand me a bill for $ 37.50… I’m in.
Here’s something to be aware of though… I was there at lunch time and there were only anywhere from 6 to 11 customers in there and, while I wasn’t waiting TOO long for food/​drink, I could see that becoming an issue. So, hopefully if and when the place starts hoppin’, the staff size will increase, too.
I was also glad to see that everyone working there was really nice. That’s not always the case and it makes a big difference.

***Update: I wasn’t finished writing this review when I found out that they were moving out of Sherman Oaks :(. They weren’t getting enough regular traffic. This is under new ownership. It’s not the same place. EO and family moved in mid-​March. You can find the whole orginal cast at their other restuarant in Woodland Hills — Little Brothers Sushi. So, I am yet to review that place when I go. Stay tuned…
The review below is for the original owners and restaurant:
I’m a regular… its great for my tummy and taste buds… bad for my wallet! But is well worth it! The must-​trys are the sauteed shrimp or lobster rolls, white fish sashimi with truffle oil, scallop sushi, and giant clam sushi — absolutely delectable. Comes with complimentary edamame, wonton appetizer, and sprout salad to start. Free parking with validation and not so busy on weekday lunches. Good thing for sushi bar regulars :) EO, the owner, is funny and quirky and his son is a great conversationalist. Overall, a great place to be… uh, always!

This place has reopened under a new name? Not sure what the deal is with that. I didn’t have a great experience and I just hope this was because management was still getting the hang of things. We were here two hours and literally only had two dishes come out.
Two!
D-​o-​s.
Two sashimi dishes that were not enormous or extremely time consuming to prepare.
The salmon we got was delicious, I’ll admit, but the other dish we had was just ok and not really worth the wait. I wish I remembered what it was… Our tablemates had yellowtail carpaccio which was pretty good and a couple other dishes, but for some reason they didn’t feel like bringing out dishes for me and my bf, (even though each couple or individual had their own menus with their separate orders) so we ended up canceling the three other things we ordered, going to In-​N-​Out and eventually filling up on BBQ and alcohol at Gyu down the street which was in the middle of happy hour because we had been waiting so long…
Service was just too slow. I won’t come back for a while until they’ve got a system going to handle busy nights.
And parking ain’t cheap. They validate up to 2 hours, but we paid $ 6 for the extra 30 minutes we went over– which wouldn’t have happened if the food and bill had come out sooner.
*shakes fist*

Great sushi for a small price. Was going to Midori but it was packed. Very happy to have found this place as an alternative. Unfortunate they are closing this location down.
$ 39 got me 6 plates of sushi.
Very fresh.

This was great. Looked through the reviews on here and decided to give it a shot. It is kind of hidden and definitely on the smaller side. The service was fantastic from the moment we walked in. We waited for our freshly brewed ice tea, and tasted a nice little sesame flavored salad.
The sushi arrived in waves. We started with the spicy tuna and spicy yellow tail rolls. They were both very fresh and had a nice spice. Next up came the salmon. I love salmon sushi. This did not let me down, very fresh. The unagi was absolutely perfect. I wish we had ordered a lot more. We finished up with the treasure box roll. It was huge! It had to be split up into about four bites because it was that big. I think it was stuffed with crab, salmon, tuna and tempura shrimp. MMmmmm, it was tasty.
Smaller establishment, smaller selection but had great service and tasty sushi.

My new favorite sushi spot in the Valley! The location did not suggest that this would be a gem, but after visiting it on two Friday nights after salsa class, I’ve found my new local sushi dinner spot. The Valley is full of sushi restaurants and I’ve tried a fair share of them along Ventura Blvd., but none come even close to the Little Island Sushi.
Sashimi seviche is fantastic, highly recommend! We’ve had albacore, tuna and yellowtail nigiri and all of these melted in my mouth. Overall, fish is extremely fresh here and my guess is that you will not be disappointed, no matter what you order. Crispy rice tuna is delicious, the rice cake was soft and heart-​shaped (cute!). Green island roll has lots of different fish in it wrapped in a cucumber… a little too much fish for my liking. I am not a big salmon fan, so I rarely like rolls with salmon mixed in and green island roll is one of those. My boyfriend liked it, but also though that pieces could have been smaller or could have had rice on the outside to balance out the fish.
Service was excellent both times we went there. The second time we came, they seemed to be a little less busy and as soon as we sat down, we were treated to a couple of small appetizers on the house. Nice touch! Call ahead, it’s a small place and gets busy on weekend nights. They are closed Mondays. Parking lot is behind the strip mall the restaurant is located in, and you get your parking validated.

Alright, let’s be honest the food isn’t exactly 4.5 stars worthy. Yeah, I said it. It isn’t all together bad either; however, it falls right in the middle.
Parking: 5 stars why? because it’s FREE with validation. Park in the plaza right behind Baja Fresh
Customer Service: 3 stars
Food: 3 stars
Came in right when they opened on a weekday for lunch and there were only 2 parties: mine and another. Yet, the lady was having a difficult time multi-​tasking between the two. Nice lady just wasn’t as attentive as you would expect when there aren’t that many customers.
We ordered the famous Green Island Roll and also tried the Treasure Box Roll. First off, if you’re on a budget, you’ll have to ask the waitress how much these rolls cost because their menu does not include pricing (I found out the hard way when we saw the receipt). The Green Island Roll was just okay. It tastes how you would expect square pieces of sashimi packed into a cucumber. It comes in 4 ginormous pieces making it really difficult to eat. After one bite, it all falls apart =(so I’m forced to eat it bit by bit. The Treasure Box Roll was average tasting as well. We also ordered some mixed tempura and that was good, but then again you can’t really get tempura wrong unless you burn it to a crisp.
The restaurant is located on the top floor of the plaza. It’s a small little restaurant with really cute décor that makes you think of Hawaii when you come in.
Oh yeah, about my receipt? We didn’t think the total would be so much since we only ordered 3 dishes, but I think that famous Green Island Roll wasn’t worth the price to say the least.
Overall their sushi was not bad, but it really wasn’t great either. With all the hype of 4.5 stars from Unilocal I expected better.

What was supposed to be a quick sushi lunch with my business partner cause we were sick of eating chicken for lunch turned into an incredible sushi and saki lunch, and us walking out of the place pretty damn buzzed. We re in marketing/​advertising! so don’t worry, we just got our Don Draper on! Too bad there’s no Joan in our office, lol.
We ordered a large saki, cause «why order a small one when a large one is only 2 bucks more», the large had 5 shots in it for each of us. A pleasant suprise.
Anywho, the sushi here is the real deal. I love all types of rolls, but I really love the rolls that focus on the freshness of the fish as opposed to spicy mayo — I m one of those people that never orders a side of eel sauce or spicy mayo. I like the real deal raw stuff.
We order the all fish ceviche that was really damn good. Really fresh fish, lightly touched with Ponzu sauce.
We got the spicy mixt which was good. Had a little smoky flavor.
Our other roll was the Green Island Roll, which is really again right up my alley! I think this is up there as one of my favorite rolls of all time. It is a cucumber wrapped soy paper roll, with different types of fish inside and ponzu sauce. (Go check the pics)
The last roll was the Treasure Box, which was a huge roll filled with imitation crab, shrimp and spicy tuna. Very very good, the typical LA sushi eater will love this.
Enjoy this one.
–P

If you’re looking for a fancy sushi spot, this is not it.
But if you’re looking for fresh fish and a skilled sushi chef who knows how to prepare it, this is the place.
Unconventionally located on the second floor of a strip mall, these guys keep very weird hours (they’re closed between 2pm and 5pm). Nonetheless, this is definitely my go-​to Valley spot for my sashimi fix.
Yum-​mazing!

I really didn’t want to write this review. I wanted to keep this gem to myself. I wanted to keep it hidden. I wanted to avoid dealing with crowds and lines and the sushi-​addicted masses. But alas, a change is afoot. And I must now provide you with a special message which will explain what has happened:

Thank you Unilocalers!
I made a reservation for 4 to Little Island Sushi this past Saturday and it was the best decision of the day because the food is amazing. Totally worth it and here is why.
I have been to numerous sushi places, but this place is top notch.
The sushi is FRESH, and it melts in your mouth. Exquisite Sushi.
We ordered Yellow Tail, Mackerel, Unagi, Spicy Tuna Roll, Squid, Octopus, Clam, and Soft shell crab roll and ALL were excellent!
And on top of what we ordered, they served us a plate of octopus and two plates of deep fried fish skeleton,(Free of charge) which was interesting but happy to try anything.
For dessert we all had Mochi, which I swear it tasted like the ones you buy at Trader Joe’s or something =/​
The service was great! The waitress keep coming by and checking up on us. Very friendly and easy going people.
The place is literally a hole in the wall; the space is tiny but with a comfy atmosphere. Though I am not a huge fan of the place being on the top floor, right next to the Laser Tag… which you can hear a bunch of annoying teens being rowdy –_​–
BUT I say overall the place and food is great!
I will definitely go again with different people just so I can go each time
^_​^

Wow, I was SO impressed by my meal here… I had to come home and write my review the SAME night! That means something, peeps.
The sushi here was AMAZING.
The service was spot on and friendly.
They serve a little free appetizer spicy tuna on a crispy cracker. So good.
We had the white fish sashimi, which we chose red snapper for. SO delicious, and served by our FEMALE amazing sushi chef with some instructions… no soy sauce, use the fish to wrap the tomato and onions and eat. Wow. So fresh and delicious.
We had the RED island roll which was huge and delicious. Then we had shishito peppers, the treasure box roll, and the AMAZING sauteed shrimp roll. I generally don’t love shrimp rolls but… um, whoa. This was so good, I was kinda wishing I liked the idea of being fat.
I haven’t ooh’d and ahh’d over sushi like this in a LONG time. I can’t wait to go back!
**Important*** it’s hidden upstairs in the same complex that has the habit and Noah’s bagels.

BIG TIP: Little Island Sushi was a little hard to find since it’s located inside a 2 story complex. It’s located in the same complex at Jamba Juice and Starbucks. Park in the parking lot behind Jamba and take the escalator up. It will be on your right side.
Prices were reasonable and the fish was considerably fresh. I especially liked their Spicy Tuna on a Fried Rice Cracker, more than the popular treasure box.
They give you spicy tuna on a wonton cracker free of charge, which was actually a really tasty appetizer.
The décor was typical. You see your everyday sushi bar and your everyday bright lighting.
Service was good. The waitress was attentive and the sushi chefs were very focused on creating an artful food piece.

I finally made it today.
First impression was a little awkward… I walk in and the waitress asks how many people, to which I respond «Just me…» [tragic violins soundtrack], and I ask if I can sit at the bar. She hesitates, walks towards the bar and asks the sushi chefs in Japanese. Meanwhile there are about 4 open seats at the sushi bar. (???) The hesitance of the waitress and the chefs goes on for about a half minute. Finally she nods, I went on to sit someplace, and she asks me (kindly) to move to the last chair next to the wall. No biggie, I’m not a diva; but it was a little uncomfortable.
Yet as much as I objectively observed this, I also have to say, once seated, the sushi chef and the waitress were very kind. The sushi chef is a happy/​jumpy older man, accommodating and pleasant.
The food:
The Treasure Box Roll — I really came here knowing I would order the Treasure Box Roll, since I had seen it on pictures and I knew I’d like it. I was indeed correct. Yet the actual bites were MASSIVE (see pics I uploaded), making it very hard to eat. I had to have each of the gigantic 4 sushi pieces in 3 bites per sushi «bite». Of course, disintegration was bound to happen even if you’re chopsticks-​trained. I would’ve preferred instead of 4 meteor-​sized bites, rather 6 moderately-​sized bites. But I do have to say the taste was very good. The Treasure Box Roll comes with crab meat, shrimp tempura, white onion and tomato — quite an unusual mix of veggies in the sushi ingredients context. It is inside-​out style, with rice outside.
The Sautéed Shrimp Roll — I was about to call it a night, since I was stuffed because I had late lunch today, but the sushi chef said I should try the Sautéed Shrimp Roll which, as he proudly said, «comes with a special secret garlic sauce.» I figured I’d try it, since I was there. «Double the cardio, if only for the review, girl!» Self-​proclaimed sushi martyr! ;-P But to be sincere, it was not my bag. The Sautéed Shrimp Roll is great for people who are yet to get used to the taste of more traditional sushi, and they don’t want anything sweet or spicy, maybe even more reminiscent of European-​style seafood. The special garlic sauce seemed very much like oil infused with garlic and some tempura bread crumbs. It was nice, but I preferred the Treasure Box Roll much better.
A very special and unusual thing I noticed is that they use a white (rice ???) paper instead of your typical green seaweed or dark soy paper.
The bill:
1 Treasure Box Roll
1 Sautéed Shrimp Roll
1 Organic Green Tea with free refills
+ Tax
_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​
= $ 23.05
(Definitely cheaper than many other places)
So summarizing: not my top fave, but it’s very good and a suitable option especially if you’re going with someone who’s a sushi virgin since they have at least one Western-​ish alternative. Also, they’re definitely not about sweet or heavy sauces, so that’s also something to consider, since many people who say they dislike sushi, for the most part hate the sweetness, spiciness and/​or thickness of the sauces.
Oh! Apparently they have their own parking lot, because the waitress asked if I had my parking ticket for validation. :-) Also, I noticed their schedule is a little unpredictable sometimes, so make sure you call prior to heading there.

Odd location, but that is why I love LA. I mean, you could stuff your face with the food here and puke it up about 3 minutes later either getting your ass kicked in a bootcamp workout class or playing lasertag.
The food was fresh and great, which is what really counts here.
We were given a small starter of a shrimp and salmon mix on an wanton cracker — yumm. And I needed it too, because I arrived starving.
The first ordered item was the best item — the Treasure Box Roll. This was amazing. It seemed like it was a sampling of about a third of everything he had behind the counter. But the combination was superb. I would travel across town for this item alone.
Next we had the spicy Spicy Shrimp Roll. It was very simple — the focus here is on the shrimp. I can’t say it was incredible, but it was a little treat of buttery, shrimpy tastiness.
Also had an order of unagi sushi-​style. A nice last bite.
Its a small place, but it is nice inside, and the people are nice. Good hot green tea too. I did not crush a huge meal (though I left full) so I cannot say if it is stellar sushi, but I will be back for the TBR and more.

What a lovely place with friendly service and delicious food! Thanks for the recommendation, Unilocalers :)
MENU: ⁴⁄₅. Not one of those places that has a bajillion funky rolls that have inappropriate names like «Illegal Border Crossing» or «Hot Ex-​Wife» (I think I did see that somewhere). They’ve got a few special offerings plus a bunch of sashimi/​nigiri options. Fine with me… I don’t like being overwhelmed with choices anyway!
FOOD: ⁵⁄₅. I was really excited by a lot of what I ate — it’s so fun to taste something and just light up and say «wow!» I particularly liked the green island roll and (as simple as it is) the spicy salmon roll. My boyfriend and I also tried the red snapper based on others’ reviews, which we’d never had before — I was blown away by the lovely texture and clean flavor of the fish! The little bit of spicy relish they put on it blew me away too, but in the way that required me to drink a ton of water afterwards.
SERVICE/​AMBIANCE: ⁵⁄₅. Cute place, not crowded, attentive service. Both waitresses there helped us out, and they were really helpful when we asked for recommendations. When we wanted just one more thing, one waitress recommended the ankimo… which is monkfish liver. I’ve heard about it on TV a lot, but it was my first time trying something that «exotic» — it was really good! Great flavor, nice little tang with the sauce drizzled on top. The smooth texture was a surprise, but I got used to it quickly.
I just found this place to be so charming and really quality — I can’t wait to go back!

This place is ALL THAT. No doubt. Go and you will not be disappointed.
Note –for two people lots of sushi, 2 beers and a $ 25 bottle of chilled sake it was around $ 90 I believe.
Although I can’t say it was the BEST EVER sushi experience I’ve ever had, it is in the top five.
I can totally agree/​see why my fellow Unilocalers are all about the 5 stars for this place, it is well deserved.
The fish is very fresh, the service is good, the sushi chefs are inventive yet authentic and classic.

These Unilocal reviews are no lie. This place was beyond fantastic. I came here with my girlfriend and we are coming back here for sure.
First, they give you a hot hand wipe, a little salad, edamame, and a wonton cracker with spicy tuna and crab on it. Free. Just for coming.
We ordered the popular sauteed shrimp roll. This was nice. Rice and veggies were cold and the shrimp was hot, and covered in garlic butter.
After we ordered that, they gave us another complimentary dish. A salmon ceviche plate. Really tangy and tasty.
Then we ordered the green island roll. This had like 4 or 5 different kinds of fish (no rice. It’s the cover picture for the restaurant on Unilocal), and wrapped in cucumber. This was so amazingly fresh. Each piece of fish tasted nice and cold and freshly cut.
Then they brought us yet another free dish. This was an albacore sashimi dish covered in fried onion strings and a kind of balsamic vinagrette or something similar. Also really nice.
We then ordered the spicy tuna rice cake dish. This was awesome. It came and it was literally more than a handful of spicy tuna resting on top of what looked like a giant tater tot. Similar to the look of a McDonalds hash browns. But not mcd quality. This was a fried RICE patty. This was equally amazing.
After all that, we were still a little hungry (lol were skinny people. We just love sushi). So we ordered Spanish mackerel. It came and it was really nice. It came with some sort of soy sauce on it so I didn’t have to fumble with it. Went straight in my mouth. Delicious.
We thought we were done. The chef disappeared and came back with the bone from the mackerel we just ate. He deep fried it and served it with a lemon. It was crispy and delicious.
We were done eating. The waitresses then brought us some citrus honey tea with Ginger. It tasted like a hot lemonade. It was so good and refreshing.
Now the service was just as impressive. The waitresses seemed very professional and actually interested in their job. They were very quick to take a plate the second it was empty. They were very attentive.
The sushi chef was really nice. He seemed surprised at how much we were eating, but at the same time took note to it and was VERY fast at making everything.
So in total we ordered 3 rolls (green island was the most expensive I think. I think it was $ 15) and mackerel sushi. And we had water. The total with tax was $ 46. So the prices are pretty cheap for the quality AND quantity of what you’re getting.
They were very nice and deserved the 25% tip. I can’t wait to go again.
We went on a Sunday. They’re only open from 4 – 8 but it was empty.
One other couple came in, and they ordered a rainbow roll, and it was giant. They ordered another roll that was MASSIVE but I don’t know what it was.
Seriously 10 out of 5 stars. I don’t need to go anywhere else for a while. I love you, Little Island Sushi.