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#34 Hiko Sushi

Posted on August 21, 2007
Filed Under Japanese, Seafood |

Hiko Sushi came highly recommended from Yelp and from my boss Dan. Of course, any time you have an alledged “Sushi Nazi,” as a chef, you just have to check it out. There are rules here, no cell phones, no weak-sauce stuff like California rolls, just real, traditional sushi. Not a bad set of rules, I’d say.

It’s in this little strip mall on the corner of Sawtelle and National. You can see the sign on the door that says “No Cellphones.”



Sapporo is a great Japanese beer, it’s on the heavier side, rich in flavor and it’s one of my favorites, especially the premium reserve stuff.



We start with Tuna and Yellowtail. The thing I’ve been finding out about sushi places is that each place seems to have their own special fish. Sushi Gen, for example, always has fantastic yellowtail, but their salmon tends to be just okay. Here, though, the yellowtail was okay, and so was the tuna.



What really stands out here at Hiko is the albacore, drenched in a tangy sauce, this is creamy smooth and incredibly flavorful.



The salmon is pretty good, not spectacular, but certainly above average.



I really like the subtle flavor and chewy texture of octopus, one thing is for sure, Hiko’s doesn’t skimp on quantity, their fish is always a big chunky slice and they go easy on the rice, which is warm.




The mackerel turned out to be the surprise star of the evening. Incredibly flavorful, warm and strong. This was just fantastic and we had to order two.



Crab roll. This was definitely above average and works well to fill you up if you’re at the end of the meal and need something to put you over.







Eel. You should absolutely save this for last, the flavor is very strong and you don’t want to eat this thing first as it will ruin your palate.



The chef never speaks, never makes eye contact. Mystery. Sushi. Chef.
Actually, Dad is the sushi chef, the daughter waits the tables, and I hear that the mom runs the back kitchen. The daughter was very friendly and since we were there at 6pm on a weekday, the place was nearly empty. The service was excellent and friendly, but there was one rule I really didn’t understand: You are limited to two rounds of ordering for the sushi. After two rounds, no more, get your check, pay and leave. Weird.

Well, Hiko’s certainly lived up to the hype, the fish was fresh and expertly prepared, and it definitely set new standards for taste on the albacore and mackerel. Sit at the bar for Omakase, which, like most places, is hit and miss for people. I wanted to pick some fish to highlight so I sat at the table and ordered exactly what I wanted.
It is on the pricy side, but when you factor in the spectacular albacore and mackerel, I’d say it’s well worth it.

Hiko Sushi
11275 National Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90064
(310) 473-7688

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