Sushi Katsu-Ya

Tucked into a strip mall on Ventura Boulevard, Sushi Katsu-Ya is the unassuming birthplace of a dish that changed LA’s sushi scene forever. This is where the now-ubiquitous spicy tuna crispy rice was invented, long before it showed up on every Japanese restaurant menu in the city. While the glitzier Katsuya spinoffs have expanded to locations from Hollywood to Dubai, this original Studio City spot remains refreshingly casual and consistently packed.

The menu reads like a greatest hits of creative Japanese-American sushi. Beyond the famous crispy rice, standouts include the seared spicy albacore buried under a mountain of crispy onions and the irresistible popcorn shrimp tempura coated in a tangy sauce you’ll want to lick off the plate. The baked crab handroll wrapped in soy paper practically melts in your mouth. For dessert, the tempura ice cream arrives looking like edible art, complete with a strawberry carved into a rose.

This is the kind of neighborhood spot where regulars snap photos of their avocado-topped rolls and families crowd into booths for weeknight dinners. The vibe is decidedly low-key compared to its flashier siblings—no velvet ropes or club music here. Just quality sushi in a comfortable setting where you can actually hear your dinner companions.

If you want to taste the dishes that launched a sushi empire at a fraction of what you’d pay at trendier establishments, Katsu-Ya delivers. It’s the perfect spot for a casual dinner when you’re craving creative rolls without the pretense, and their takeout game is equally strong for nights when you’d rather enjoy those crispy rice bites on your couch.