Midtown Lunch

When Sugarfish announced that they would be debuting a new concept at Coachella this year, affordable sushi fans across Southern California rejoiced.  Not the carb hating ones, of course, because the new concept is still just as much about rice as it is about fish.  But us rice loving sushi bargain hunters could barely contain our excitement.  The originators of L.A.’s best omakase deal were giving their signature item, the blue crab hand roll, its very own restaurant.

And it didn’t disappoint.  Kazu Nori debuted in the desert this past April to mostly rave reviews.  3 rolls for $15 seemed like an amazing deal at a music festival where a slice of pizza costs $7.  And now that their Downtown brick and mortar is finally open, you might be surprised to find out the deal has gotten even better.  Like, you-can-almost-actually-get-a-Midtown-Lunch-at-this-place, better.

Before you take a seat at the wrap around counter, grab a menu- which you’ll use to order. There is a different take out menu that features cut hand rolls, but clearly eating in is the way to go… and lunch only takes about 30 minutes (if that).

Check off which combo you want, hand it to the person behind the counter, and you’re off and running. $17.50 is obviously way too much to spend for lunch, and the $13 option is pretty tempting.  But how could I not go for the $10.50 combo?   The fact that you could even get a 3 roll sushi lunch of this quality for $10.50 was kind of blowing my mind.  How could I not at least try it?

The 3 roll combo starts with the “Daily Hand Roll”, which will either be toro or yellowtail. It was yellowtail the day I was there (natch.)

Then comes your choice of bay scallop or cucumber.  Not sure if it needs to be said, but maybe it does since Kazu Nori offers it as an option…  if you get cucumber, you’re an idiot.  You also probably shouldn’t be eating sushi this good. You’re trying to get the most out of your $10.50, right?  They’ve already screwed you with the toro/yellowtail thing.  You pick the cucumber, they win the game.  Don’t be a fool.  Do the right thing.  Get the scallop.

The lunch finishes the way every meal ends at a Nozawa restaurant… with the famous blue crab hand roll. Warm rice. The best crab salad you’ve ever had.  It’s bliss.   Now, at this point you can do what a lot of people do- order a second blue crab hand roll.  It’s a move as old as time.  And most people are not going to be filled up after 3 hand rolls.  Each one is a 2-4 biter, at most, depending on how much you want to savor the experience.  But best case scenario, you’ve had 12 bites of food.  Clearly you need more.  And in the end, $13.00 is really not that much for lunch. Especially for good sushi.  I was silly to think I was going to get away with the 3 roll combo.  You kind of have to go for the 4 roll combo.  It’s only $2.50 more.  How can you not.

So what do you get for your extra $2.50?  The salmon hand roll.  Clearly we’ve made the right choice.  2-4 bites later and you’re all done. Right? What a fantastic lunch. So satisfying.  Right? What’s that… did I look at the menu?  Sure I did.

Yes, I know we’re now only $4.50 away from the $17 combo.

Sure, I want lobster.

Yes, I know lobster is delicious.

What’s that?  On the ala carte menu, the lobster hand roll is $7, but we can have it right now for the low low price of $4.50?!  That does sound tempting.  Oh, who am I kidding…

And that, my friends, is how they get you(r $17.50).

Kazu Nori, 421 S Main Street, DTLA.

***WARNING: I am a fat man, and anybody who knows me knows that I decided to order the $17.50 combo from the very beginning. Please don’t take my embellished inner monologue to mean that you can upgrade your combo mid meal.