I-naba Japanese - Torrance

We really enjoyed our time here last night with Chef Yasu, he is very friendly, positive, humble, jovial, and has self-deprecating humor to boot. I really appreciate it when the chef proprietor is transparent with his knowledge and techniques during service as interaction with the chef is one of the highlights when experiencing an omakase. There were 25 courses in the omakase and from the start, I knew this would be an excellent meal. Chef acknowledged that he uses a blend of vinegar on the shari that is mostly Yokoi akazu, the red vinegar that seems to be the gold standard amongst Michelin star chefs. The plating for the initial courses were understated yet gorgeous. All the dishes were excellent and mouth watering, but the standouts for me in particular were the Hokkaido crab and pen shell scallop with vinegared gelee, cherry blossom chip smoked katsuo, iwashi maki with chives and ginger, and nodoguro aburi prior to the start of the nigiri flight. He used a very interesting searing technique with the hand torch where the flame of the hand torch is deflected off a piece of a concave piece of charcoal; this is an aburi technique I haven't seen before which was quite ingenious. I really enjoyed the interplay of the soft pillowy Hokkaido crab with the slices of stiffer pen shell scallop; a nice textural contrast. Initially, I wasn't sure of the terminology the chef was using (miscommunication) and he was kind enough to retrieve the shell as a visual aid. The vinegared gelee with the shiso flowers provided both a cooling refreshing acidic touch with herbal notes on the dish. The slices of katsuo (skip jack tuna) had an exceptional deep flavor and the accompanying sauce, chives, and wasabi heightened the spectrum of flavors. The iwashi maki sans any rice was very refreshing with the seasoning of the sardine itself while being tightly packed with ginger and chives; a very refreshing and bright bite. This is a dish that I've rarely encountered. Finally, the nodoguro sushi was expertly seared and the flavors (fat and skin) were brought out beautifully while nestled in the perfectly seasoned rice and crisp nori. As for the nigiri, Chef Yasu has clear mastery over the neta and shari. As mentioned before, the rice is heavily seasoned with akazu and packed just enough with adroit precision where each grain of rice disperses evenly on your tongue as the nigiri is being chewed in your mouth. The standouts for me were the zuke bluefin, kasugodai, makogarei, kuromutsu, shima aji, aji, otoro, Hokkaido uni, and the tamago with scallop and shrimp paste. Again, they were all excellent but at this point we are splitting hairs with nigiri preferences. Anytime a piece of nori was used, it was crisp and roasted, a small detail that is missed when a lesser chef uses nori (untoasted, wet, and limp). Small details such as flipping his grated fresh wasabi dish over to prevent unnecessary oxidation are signs of a seasoned Michelin chef. In the middle of the nigiri flight, we were served kinki (shortspine thornyhead) with a flavorful and umami packed kelp broth. I really enjoyed the gelatinous texture of the fat between the fish and the skin with the perfectly tender and succulent texture of the flesh. The broth that accompanied the kinki was very exceptional as well. Chef Yasu is essentially a one man operation (less beverage and plate service from his kind assistant) and it was quite impressive how he managed to hold his composure and energy through the entire 3 hour service. He deserves your respect and he comes with my highest recommendations, especially with the value he brings with the omakase. Please ignore the lower star reviews on this page as they don't have the knowledge to make an educated review on edomae omakase.

I've been wanting some high end sushi after taking a sushi class in Torrance, now that I have a new appreciation for the art. First, parking is easy, it's a large lot, lots of spaces and very accessible. I ordered online for lunch on Sunday for a Wednesday pickup. The web site was mostly intuitive, there is a booking section and a to go section. Once you select to go, it'll ask you which date and what time. You order and pay and wait until your pick up day and that's it! I arrived at 12:01 worried I was late because pickup time was 12. I entered through the left door of I-Naba and walked to the reception desk through a short hallway. I let the hostess know i was there for pick up and she was about to give me someone's else's order but confirmed if I had ordered 2 rolls, which I did not. After showing her my reservation, I was escorted to a door in the hallway I had just walked past, and entered. This room is a small counter room with maybe seating for 6? A chef was there and he asked me to wait and confirmed I had ordered the jewelry box. After a few minutes another gal came in to confirm my order and proceed to click on an iPad. Once that was complete, I waited a few more minutes and the chef assembled last part of my order, wrapped it up and presented me the to go bag. I was excited to get how and rip open the package. The contents included chopsticks, hand wipe, soy sauce, and a small dish to pour the soy sauce in. Once I opened the box, it was like a present from sushi clause. Everything was beautifully presented, and symmetrical. The aroma was fresh fish and fragrant. The food was fresh, extremely fresh, and a perfect consumption temperature. Not too cold, slightly warm/room temp. What I learned in sushi school was that rice is the most important part of sushi, and there are secret ingredients to give the rice more umami. The rice here is superior! The kernels are plump, sweet, sour, and savory. Each kernel is well coated and has a nice finish. The box is not packed so everything is light and airy. Bonus, the flower not sure what is called has an amazing aroma as well as flavor and compliments the dish well. Overall, if you want $80 sushi for lunch, I recommend trying the jewelry box at least once. It's quite filling and fresh. I have another order for rolls coming up in a few weeks and I'm looking forward to trying that next.

Finally made my second visit after three years. It's the only sushi bar in LA I couldn't find anything to criticize, everything was close to perfect. All the appetizers and sushi are delicious, even more delicious than three years ago. The chef is super smart, talented and with good sense of humor, he and his lovely wife creates such a relaxed environment for us. What a nice dinning experience!

Great Experience as always, have been visiting Inaba sushi since their Manhattan Beach location. Yasu San always deliver with his creativity and quality of the food. From the Soba with Uni appetizer and various Seasonal Fish which is perfectly seasoned in my opinion. Looking forward to my next visit.

We ordered 2 omakase nama chirashi to go. For sushi takeout order, these boxes are definitely show stoppers. Visually stunning an beautifully arrange, all the seafood tasted fresh as well. The rice is seasoned well, albeit just a little heavy handed for my liking in terms of the salt and vinegar balance. I feel like sometimes the rice flavor overpowered the subtle sweeter seafood delicacies. That being said, it was well worth it and the portions were plentiful for 2 ppl. I think they 're temporarily located within the I-Naba sushi restaurant through a side door into a seating bar. The ordering and pickup process was seamless. For a special occasion and for ppl who are still wary of dining in, this is a great option for sushi take out!