Located just outside of the Culver boundary in Los Angeles, Tomi Sushi is worth breaching that invisible wall. It’s tucked into a strip mall on Culver Boulevard, near to a cake decorating supply store and across from a diner, so the surroundings are fairly nondescript. But that just makes it more of a fun surprise when you venture inside to eat.
The interior is clean, and as welcoming as the staff who immediately offer a table, then a drink. The menu is clear and easy to navigate, though the staff are available to answer any questions – in our case, we had a few about the lunch specials and sushi combos.
We started with a Seaweed Salad appetizer, which was as fresh, tangy and delicious as one could hope a seaweed salad would be. The wakame seaweed is usually tossed with soy sauce, rice vinegar, rice wine (mirin), then shredded veg, sesame seeds and chili flakes are added. It’s a simple but effective concoction, and it’s great here.
Onto the actual sushi, and we chose a combo from the daily special board, and it proved to be an inspired choice. Every single item on the plate, every bite, was sensational. All of the items on the menu looked amazing, including one particularly curious thing called the sexy roll – cucumber wrapped with tuna, salmon, yellowtail, avocado, mountain carrot and radish sprout. That was extremely tempting, but rather than just get one roll, we went for a combo so that we could sample a lot of what Tomi Sushi has to offer.
The presentation is exquisite. Served on a deep, black plate and decorated with bound twigs and leafy garnish, the feel of “traditional” immediately hits you as the plate hits the table. There are slices of sashimi and pieces of sushi on there, and all are wonderful.
The fatty tuna sashimi practically melts in your mouth, though better is the salmon. The oily, fresh fish offers a mountain of flavor, especially when combined with the soy sauce and wasabi (though neither are totally necessary).
Both of those, plus the white fish and shrimp, work equally well on the expertly prepared sushi, and it’s all served on a bed of crisp, shredded vegetables.
The whole meal is prepared with love and attention by people who clearly care deeply about their craft. Not a bite is wasted, and we left immensely satisfied.
Tomi Sushi is located at 12740 Culver Blvd., Los Angeles 90066. Call 310-823-8944.