(Gerry Furth-Sides) The story of Sushi Koo is as much of former waitress, Ogi Jiimen, who bought the place a decade ago and celebrated her tenth anniversary with a party honoring customers and and her line of Aji-Mori Umami Sauces, as it is the reputation as a three-staff restaurant where chefs still amaze customers by preparing practically priced high-quality sushi and only sushi, conveniently located steps from the Beverly Center in West Hollywood. //www.sushi-koo.com
The most recent news is the new, wildly successful line of AJI MORI sauces (//ajimorisauce.com) made by the restaurant and used there. They are delicious with a mayo base and exactly the right ingredients and seasonings to make them perfect on every dish we tried it on at home!
Ogi’s culinary adventure in Los Angeles began when she was an international student in Los Angeles. She started working at Sushi Mac restaurant in 2006, bussing tables, where her interest in the food and restaurant industry grew. After years of hard work and dedication, she took the plunge and bought the restaurant. Sushi Koo became the new name.
As a true American entrepreneur, Ogi’s vision was to combine her culinary and business skills to create something special in the food industry. She attended culinary school and business school to polish her skills in each.
Next, Ogi focused on housemade sauce at Sushi Koo that guests already loved. Ogi thought was, “Why not make it even better?” So she tinkered, tasted, and transformed it into something truly irresistible. After it was honored with the nickname “The Sauce Sensation” and customers began asking if they could take some sauce home, Ogi realized she had magic in a bottle. So the line of beautifully packaged AJI MORI was born. And Ogi was right. It was a hit from the very beginning.
Ogi and her team has made SUSHI KOO a popular success even with nearby competition like Kat-Su-ya. Ogi was so proud to tell us, “I have a customer still coming since her high school and now she is a doctor!”
Balmy, cloudless Los Angeles winter weather made a perfect backdrop for Sushi Koo’s spectacular, layered sushi displays. Guests were welcomed online days before so they could be sure to get in on the giveaways and games high-spirited event.
Sake service at the SUSHI KOO customer appreciation party
The Customizable Aji Mori Sauce Gift set has become a huge holiday gift hit. It includes Koomami, Eelmami, Chillimami and Vegan Koomami Sauces curated in a beautiful gift box. A celebrity favorite gift, sauces start at $11.50 each, Holiday Gift Set $43.00. Use code SAUCE for 10% off your order.
For details: //www.sushi-koo.com,
Third Street Plaza, 8474 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90048, (323) 653-3959
Indoor and outdoor dining. Parking lot in front plus street parking.
(Gerry Furth-Sides) If L’Ami Restaurant is not landmark space, it should be. These days, L’Ami Restaurant’s cuisine may be more Mediterranean than former incarnations as French-Canadian and Italian among others, and it once again feels classic and sunny.
The glittering bar in the front room off to the side is warm and inviting, with a fireplace and white shearling covered bar chairs in the front – to enjoy a drink with a date or to have cocktails with a group of friends. 
L’Ami’s daily happy hour takes place from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Walk through the bar and you will find yourself in the central terrace courtyard.
This beautiful little dining area leads to a meandering long corridor under arched passageways that reaches to the alley. To each side, Softly lit, little dining rooms, each with its own Kiva-style fireplace, are off to each side with another courtyard and dining room at the very back, often used for private parties. Few know that the 4500-square-foot site was once a doctor’s office and home.
Another appetizer “meaty” favorite for vegetarians (or not) features produce fresh from the local farmer’s market is the Beets & Burrata Tower ($18). Baby Arugula, Candied Walnuts and a Balsamic reduction at the secrets of the kitchen in this salad. The lovely yellow and red beets provide a beautiful visual display and the combination of balsamic and candied walnuts balance the dish.
This was both a paleo and a vegetarian lover’s fair. La Monara’s Pan de Muertos for the upcoming Day of the Dead holiday coming up had the exact right combination of cake to bread. Hot Chocolate was served with it.
It was a magnificent array with each chef highlighting one dish and no duplications. Most of the chefs cooked on-site so tantalizing aromas mingled in the air with the music.
In addition, this year’s event will feature a Baja Gastronomic Pavilion from the state of Baja California, as well as Estrella Jalisco’s Beer Cantina Bar.
The famous Mezcalería Craft Cocktail bars were among the over 60 vendors. By the time the ViP hour was over, the lines were 30-deep. For those who didn’t want to wait for a mixed cocktail, beer was handy a few feet away.
(Roberta Deen and Gerry Furth-Sides) Virtually “hidden in broad daylight” in a sprawling Sunset Boulevard strip mall, the spacious, subdued interior of Kura Sushi Restaurant becomes the realm of a sophisticated Korean father-son team (Sunny and Daniel) offering the finest of seasonal and omakase dinners prepared in true traditional Japanese style. Its name is accurate: In Japan the “kura” was historically a village storehouse holding precious heirlooms and provisions to support the local community. 
The effervescent, intelligent server/manager, Annie, turns out to be Chef Daniel’s sister! She presents the next course, a step up in a rich and fattier fish, with a touch stronger flavor as well.
Dessert was a meal unto itself as well – and shows the best of Daniel’s playful Korean influence, along with his work at world famous restaurant. Chef Daniel has taken the street food, Taiyaki, the little red bean paste and custard-filled fish batter mold cookies. The chef added to it house made Black Sesame ice cream with a black sesame crumble. A whimsical abundance of riches after a spectacular meal.
Origin Cafe is already packed for breakfast and lunch and now chef/owner Aaron Clayton has invited us to sample his first-ever dinner service. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings the chef offers seasonal three ($30) or four ($40)-course menus. The food is refined, beautiful seasoned kosher, reflecting the chef’s high-end cooking sensibilities. 
Lamb Shanks are made in the traditional way and the fermented items have an uncommon taste to the uninitiated “so some people ask if the meat is spoiled,” laughs Malik. It’s all part of the fun and the sense of community that Malik creates. In the outside back patio at the edge of the (free) parking lot, diners linger over a meal even in the hot Tarzana sun.
There is something for everyone on the menu. Common, popular everyday Middle Eastern snacks start the Vegetarian Appetizer section with addictive balls of deeply textured Falafel, rippled with deep-fried crunch on the outside, creamy on the inside with blended fava beans and chick peas, and served with tahini sauce, tomatoes and pickles. (The plate of 5 pieces is $5.95 or 8 pieces for $7.95.
Baba Ghannouj is another favorite (eggplant charred and blended with tahini sauce into a spread at$5.50 a plate.). The eggplant is fire-roasted in the performance kitchen. Additional small bite dishes to try include creamy, homemade Labne yogurt, the Vegetarian Combo ($10.95) with Hummus, Tabbouli, vegetarian grape leaves or Dolmas, Falafel and Baba Ghannouj. 
Gerry Furth-Sides 
Barbara Hansen 
Chef-owner Alain Cohen 
Roberta Deen 
Jose Martinez 
Nivedita Basu 