It may be located handily on Jefferson Boulevard, but Sushi Mashiko is named after a small town in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan, where the Chef grew up. According to their online biography, Mashiko is well known for its ceramics and pottery.
“Sushi Mashiko was established in 1990 by Chef Motoichi Horino, or as many know him, Mickey,” they write on their website. “Traditionally trained under a Master in Japan for over 10 years making Sushi and honing his skills working at well known Sushi restaurants before coming to Los Angeles and opening his own Sushi restaurant here in Culver City, becoming one of the first Sushi restaurants in the City.”
Everything on the menu is tantalizing and tempting. It’s a deep and deluxe menu that features everything from Black Cod (broiled marinated black cod filet with teriyaki eel sauce and sesame seeds on top) and Dynamite (baked scallop, button mushrooms, masago and mayo served in an aluminum ‘boat’) to Soft Shell Crab (lightly battered deep fried soft shell crab served with lemon and ponzu sauce) and Nabeyaki Udon Noodles (udon noodles, in chicken broth base soup with spinach, fish cake, shiitake mushroom, egg and one shrimp tempura).
The restaurant is welcoming and, immediately upon entry, the staff go out of their way to be as helpful and accommodating as possible. The location places it in the same mall as a Ralph’s grocery store, and the Tap Room Pizza Co. that was recently reviewed in the News.
That means that parking is plentiful. It might not be the hippest high street location, but this place is at least as enjoyable. Mashiko is the latest in a long line of Culver City sushi restaurants that have been reviewed in these pages, and it won’t be the last – this city has a glorious abundance of them – and this one didn’t let the city down.
We opted for the Spicy Tuna Salad (spicy tuna over lettuce, dressed in sesame oil, house-made vinegar and garnished with sesame seeds, cucumber and radish sprouts), as we felt the need to eat healthy.
Everything about the dish was pristine. The lettuce was crisp and, paired with the oil, vinegar and sesame seeds, tasted fresh and vibrant. The cucumber and radish sprout gave the salad some extra crunch. But of course, the focus should be on the spicy tuna. The fish has a real bite – the word “spicy” shouldn’t be taken lightly here. But the chili doesn’t overpower the actual flavor of the tuna, which is divine.
The entire dish was magnificent.
Sushi Mashiko is located at 10726 Jefferson Blvd., Culver City 90230. Contact 310-280-0198 and visit sushimashikodesu.com.