A Good Place for Sushi: Kabuki in Hollywood

Everyone knows that sushi is pretty much the "it" food in the major cities of America. So it comes as no surprise that there are hundreds of sushi restaurants in Los Angeles alone. But which one do you choose when you want to go out for a little sushi and sake? I visited one of the most popular sushi restaurants in the Hollywood area to see how it stacks up and let you know.

Kabuki restaurant is nestled in the heart of Hollywood, located between Hollywood Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard on historic Vine Street. Upon walking in the door you are greeted warmly with a traditional welcome in Japan, "Irasshaimase!" The restaurant is fairly large, with no floor to ceiling walls dividing up the dining room. The major walls in the restaurant are decorated with a large mural of samurai and Japanese lettering, known as Hiragana. There is a medium sized drink bar in the corner of the restaurant, serving a wide variety of house drinks, beer, wine, and sake; all of which can be ordered and consumed at either the drink bar or at your table. The actual sushi bar in Kabuki spans from one side of the restaurant to the other and is stocked with a wide variety of fresh fish.

The prices listed on the menu are more than reasonable. The sushi menu consists of two sides, one side offers half-priced sushi and basic maki (or rolls) and the second side offers specialty sushi and maki, with a number of original sushi chef creations. The regular menu lays out a large selection of hot and cold appetizers, salads, bento boxes, and teriyaki dinners. Each is served with a generous portion per plate and presented neatly.

The only problem I actually had with the restaurant is the service. The service at the restaurant tends to be a little slow, from the second you walk in the door until the time you pay the check and leave. I almost got the feeling that the bill was the most important item to the server because it was the only item that came quickly and was taken care of in a timely manner. Another concern I have with the service was that I did not see the manager around the restaurant or visiting tables to see if the guests were enjoying their meals. Managers servicing tables is a major issue in the restaurant business and is considered to be of the utmost importance in higher class restaurants, so it was a bit disappointing for that aspect to be missing at such a nice place.

Overall however, I really enjoyed the food and atmosphere at Kabuki. I can honestly say that despite the minor problems with service would visit the restaurant again and do recommend it for those of you who enjoy Japanese Cuisine.