Kogane
We were definitely in for a treat in our visit to Los Angeles. My cousin raved about this place, and we were finally able to join for a lunch meal. They made a reservation for 4 around lunch time on Christmas eve, and it was fairly busy. For $125, you get a curated selection of omakase sushi that had a lot of interesting fishes that you would not typically have in New York City.
Ambiance & Service
The interior has very few seats, and it’s run by husband and wife. The head sushi chef was quite entertaining and very engaging in every course. Not only was he very friendly, but he explained all the cuts of fish and answered any questions that any of the guests might have.
Food
The 2021 Kai Koshu Wine ($28 - left) was described as a light chablis.
The 2022 Maruki Iro Koshu ($32 - right) was described as a light chardonnay.
The Kai Koshu wine (left) was definitely timid and light, but had notable tree fruit notes and finished very dry.
The Maruki Iro Koshu wine (right) was also just as light but much more forward and bland compared to the Kai Koshu.
Both were holistically a good match for the fish, though I preferred the Kai Koshu because it had some more textures to it.
The Tako Sakurani was an octopus cooked in a traditional Japanese way of cooking, usually slow cooked with mirin and a special soy sauce. From what I was told, this was cooked with red bean as well.
The Kasugodai (young sea bream) had a firm texture with a sweet, lean flavor.
The Hotate (scallop) was very sweet and delicate. It was seasoned with yuzu salt.
The chef showed us the dry age fish that they would prepare later. You can tell the outside areas were much darker than the inside areas. When they prepare the dry age fish, they remove the darker areas entirely.
The Sayori (silver shiny fish) is seasonal from late fall to early spring. It’s also known as Japanese halfbeak, and it tasted good.
The Dry Aged 25 Day Bluefin Tuna had a much more intense flavor to it, yet the texture was so delicate and soft.
The Dry Aged 25 Day Bluefin Toro was one step better than the aged tuna. Like the tuna, the texture was unbelievably soft, and the flavors were very umami.
The Kegani Hairy Crab appetizer ($25) was an extra, and it was very sweet. The chef carefully cuts the crab in half, so that you can scoop out the meat easily. On the side, they gave vinegar with light ginger flavoring, some head cheese, and some more crab meat. For the price, it was expensive, but the taste was outstanding.
The Aji was Japanese horse mackerel. This typically will be much more fishy than the rest, but when it’s prepared well, it’s amazing. This was definitely sublime.
The Botan Ebi (sweet shrimp) had delicious plump textures.
The Ebi Dashi Miso was prepared with the shrimp heads. This added an extra depth of flavor to the miso soup. I feel that everyone needs to use the shrimp shells more in soups and not throw them away unnecessarily.
The Hokkigai (surf clam) had a soft, tender texture. This typically is spongy and not that tasty, but this one was very good.
The Saba was a fatty sushi made from Japanese mackerel. It has an intense flavor, but it was delicately treated for its fishiness.
The Kinmedai (Splendid Alfonsino) was delicate and tender with some interesting flavors.
The Bafun Uni comes from Hokkaido. It’s smaller and had more dense flavors with less creaminess compared to other generic Hokkaido uni.
This is the Auction Grade Hadate Purple Uni ($36). The Hadata uni is the highest rated uni brand in Japan that uses premium Murasaki uni from Hakodate, Hokkaido. This one was from lot 3, so I was definitely in for a treat.
The Hadate-graded purple uni was just delectable. If price was no factor, it’s noticeable that this uni was a very delightful combination of sweet and creamy. I would get this over all other unis if your wallet can afford. Keep in mind that the price is exponential at this point, but if you have the palette for uni, this was definitely the best I’ve ever had.
The Negitoro Temaki was basically a small hand roll with minced fatty cuts of raw tuna. It was also very good.
The Kuruma Ebi ($25), also known as Japanese tiger prawn, had a plump and sweet texture. It’s typically in-season during the summer and winter months.
The Sumi Ika Cuttlefish ($9) is a Japanese cuttlefish that was very tasty and delicate. The cuttlefish was surprisingly very tender and crispy at the same time.
The Anago is a salt-water eel. They cooked this thoroughly, but it was delicious with rice and the eel sauce.
We received a complimentary soup prepared by another chef that was made from bone broth and had some very good flavors in it.
The Tamago was sweet and good.
Final Verdict
Kogane is one of the few LA sushi restaurants that warrants a revisit for its price and quality. The rice was seasoned beautifully, and all the fish cuts were meticulously sliced and served. At least for lunch for the value and the quality that you get, it’s worth it.
Yelp Jabs
My husband and I were invited to be guests by his clients who frequent this restaurant. It is a fancy omakase with 2 seatings… My husband had to sit turned away from the chef in order to face his clients. The seating was a bar and not a table top where we could face one another.
Unfortunately, as most high priced sushi restaurants, it’s really about the relationship between the guest and the chef. That’s why the sushi counter faces the chef. If you want to have a business dinner at a sushi table, it’s better to go to a restaurant that has tables. The night experiences in this restaurant are counter-only.
The food was mostly good but not great. We have recently been to Michelin-starred sushi restaurants in New York and Tokyo. This place was nothing like those.
I have not been to the dinner, but the lunch had phenomenal quality for the price. Sure, you can pay the $400 and boast about it, but I think for lunch the value is pretty good.
Revisions
- Dec 23, 2024 - Initial revision.