Kuru-Kuru

Kuru-Kuru Restaurant Review:

Folks who work at nearby Warner Bros. Studios have already discovered this diamond in the rough, hidden in a neighborhood shopping center. To the rest of us, it's the kind of nondescript sushi bar we usually walk right past, assuming the fish is of marginal quality. But this friendly, family-operated business makes you feel at home, and its sushi is presented with care and pride. The interior is unremarkable, decorated with faded traditional art and Craftsman-style lamps hanging above a wood- and glass tile-topped bar. The available selection is often less than exhaustive, but the lack of toro on a given night might be compensated for by albacore belly drizzled in ponzu sauce, or full-flavored black snapper crafted around a warm morsel of rice. A soy paper-wrapped blue crab roll is rich and fulfilling, while well-marbled salmon arrives with a translucent slice of kelp, sprinkled with sesame seeds. Best of all, a gluttonous omakase feast that would easily exceed $100 in a better-known spot in the Valley or on the Westside doesn’t even come close to that here. Chicken teriyaki, mixed tempura and a variety of udon are offered, too. To drink, there's Japanese beer, plum wine, and hot and cold saké.