By Lindsey Styrwoll
As Angelenos know, there is a certain cachet to a spot lacking a visible sign. In the absence of more obvious visual cues, we search for small placards adorning valet stands or the velvet rope outside popular haunts. Directly across from the Pacific Design Center, Nishimura lacks any hint of the culinary greatness inside. Instead of a neon sign or fussy d & #233;cor, Nishimura reels them in with its exquisite albeit pricey cuisine.
Despite the unremarkable facade, Nishimura is a perfect fit for the PDC’s stylish neighborhood. The center is the go-to spot for contract and residential furnishings, drawing flocks of designers to its 130 showrooms spread across a 14-acre campus. Though the center is home to three restaurants (two Wolfgang Puck ventures and a more informal cafe), Nishimura’s Zen vibe is the perfect place to escape the bustle of commerce.
Given its proximity to the West Coast’s premier design center, Nishimura’s white-on-white decor seems like an ironic jab, or maybe just a welcome respite from the visual clutter. A half-dozen tables occupy the austere dining room and the only art adorning the walls is a rendering of flaming asteroids furiously crashing into a Martian landscape. However, its clear the minimalist theme is more device than default as the concept extends beyond the furnishings.
Looking at the single page of menu items accompanying the standard do-it-yourself sushi ballot, we realize that Nishimura doesn’t offer any cooked food, just raw fish. While this certainly pares down its audience, chef Hiro Nishimura’s mission is clear: This is not a place for sushi dilettantes, but rather sashimi supplicants. With a mere dozen options divided into usu-zukuri (thin slices of sashimi) and yaki-jimo (seared), chef Nishimura has a very clear vision of the experience he is bestowing upon his patrons.
Though not on the menu, the traditional starters are still offered at Nishimura, as our server explains in halting English. The tofu soup is excellent with its smoky, salty broth. Though beautifully presented, the seaweed salad is a letdown. With colorful mounds of wakame, hijiki and aka tosaka seaweed atop a bed of greens and red onion, it’s not the traditional version we are hoping for. The dressing is too sweet and heavy, and we are shocked to see on the bill that the rather unremarkable dish costs an exorbitant $15.
Thankfully, the cold plates of sashimi do not disappoint. Fanned out delicately across the platter, the portions are tiny and the presentations spare, but it is all about the delicately balanced flavors. Unlike American-style sushi joints peddling monstrous rolls doused in eel sauce and filled with cream cheese, Nishimura offers a more refined sensibility. The yellowtail or hamachi gets the conventional treatment with serrano chile and a citrus dai-dai sauce, but it is also dressed with a dab of minced garlic and cilantro. The wild Sockeye salmon is bursting with flavor but still benefits from the same chile and garlic garnishes. The seared tuna is good as well, but the flavor of the fish is lost under the mounds of ginger, garlic chip, soy and olive oil. Perhaps it is just too much of a good thing.
Chef’s show
As we brave the endless wait between plates, we become engrossed in the show taking place behind the sushi bar. The single chef prepares each order with the painstaking skill; we realize our Spanish mackerel is being prepared from the whole fish rather than more convenient precut fillets. Though lunchtime is usually a mad rush, the chef is in no particular hurry and thoroughly enjoys watching patrons savor the fruits of his labor.
The success of Nishimura owes not only to the mastery of a skilled chef, but the superiority of their fish. We try an order of the salmon roe, ikura, and are impressed by the firmness and clean flavor of the eggs, the truest signs of freshness. Also not to be missed is the toro sushi, the choice cut of tuna that comes from the fatty underbelly. The flavorful fish melts in your mouth like butter, and we both agree Nishimura has by far the best we have sampled.
To be clear, Nishimura is not the place for wild fusion-style rolls, but the more simple selections are still a good way to fill up after all that sashimi. The best option is the spicy tuna roll. It has just enough spicy mayo to achieve that slightly creamy texture, and it is packed with crunchy scallions. Though passable, the king crab roll does not live up to our great expectations that commence as soon as we see the chef crack open the fresh leg. The subtle taste of the crab is overwhelmed by massive amounts of avocado and sushi rice. This delicacy would be best paired with a little cucumber and a lot less rice.
Dessert is disappointing: two tiny mochi, one vanilla, one passion fruit, cut into pieces. They are as hard as rocks.
Nishimura may not impress with its scene or d & #233;cor, but it does deliver the goods when it comes to fresh, well-prepared sushi. But be ready to spend some time and serious money for the privilege of dining with those who know what sushi should taste like.
NISHIMURA
Where: 8684 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood, 90069. Cross Street: San Vicente Boulevard
When: Noon to 2:30 p.m., Monday through Friday; 6 to 10:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday
What to Try: Spicy tuna roll, toro sushi, wild Sockeye salmon cold plate
Noise Level: Low
Meeting Room: No
Parking: Meters
Price Range: Sushi rolls, $8-$20; cold plates $25-$38
Reservations: (310) 659-4770
Reviewer Lindsey Styrwoll can be reached at [email protected].
