Midtown Lunch

When news broke last week that Murakami Sushi had reopened in their new location on Melrose, I rushed over to see if the menu was still the same.  You know… for you- the Midtown Lunch reader.  I can assure you this was not a case of me using the news as an excuse to go eat the best cheap sushi Chirashi bowl in the city. It was strictly for you- the reader.   And you’ll be happy to know that the menu at Murakami has made the transition from Hollywood to Melrose almost entirely intact.  The only difference? Everything is now $1 more expensive (understandable considering that the rent is probably more.)

Well, as long as I was there I might as try one of the bowls right?  You know, for you.

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Photo courtesy of Clarissa Wei

Sad news about one of our favorite lunches near Amoeba Records, and one of the best chirashi deals in all of Los Angeles…  Clarissa Wei, from KCET and the L.A. Times, reported yesterday that Murakami Sushi will be leaving their current location (on Wilcox just north of Hollywood Blvd.) at the end of September, and hope to find a new location by then. Hopefully the rent will be just as cheap at their new location so they can continue to charge such amazing prices.

Related:
Murakami: Hollywood’s Surprising Sushi Gem
My 5 Favorite Lunches Near Amoeba Records

Inspired by Nate Silver, I wondered this week if the same principles could be used to decide whether or not a restaurant is good before going.  Some combination, perhaps, of Yelp reviews and Foursquare check ins, with bonus points for pretty Instagram photos and deductions for Groupon offerings and the number of free meals the restaurant gave out to bloggers when they first opened (because, quite frankly, if you have to give out free food to a bunch of shameless white fatsos and cute Asian girls to drum up business, how good could your restaurant possibly be?)

My buddy Brandon thought he had cracked the code a few weeks back, proclaiming that if a restaurant got 4 1/2 stars or higher on Yelp, and had over 100 reviews it was guaranteed to be good.  The model is not exactly foolproof yet (we probably need to add a few more exceptions to the algorithm) but one place the method works unaided is Murakami.  4 1/2 stars on Yelp. 280+ reviews.  And it’s hands down my new favorite cheap lunch sushi place in Hollywood.

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