Say hello to Nozawa Bar, a hyper-intimate sushi destination that refines and redefines Chef Kazunori Nozawa’s signature “Trust Me” experience.

Tucked behind a door marked “Staff Only” at Beverly Hill’s SugarFISH, Nozawa Bar serves pristine sushi in sparse and compact quarters. The space between itamae and diner is never more than an arm’s length.

Nozawa Bar serves a twenty-course omakase twice a night, Monday through Saturday at 6 and 8:30 PM. The cost per person is $150, exclusive of tax and gratuity. Each course is served to all ten diners at once, making substitutions and special requests mostly impossible.

Prior to taking the helm at Nozawa Bar, Chef Osamu Fuji, a long-time friend and colleague of Chef Nozawa, opened Japanese restaurants across the U.S. and served as corporate chef for a number of large hotels.

The Astronomer and I reserved two seats for the later seating on a recent Saturday night. Fellow diners included a mix of longtime Sushi Nozawa fans, as well as first-timers like us. The mood in the room was stiff at the start, but eased into casual banter by night’s end, with Chef Fuji cracking jokes left and right.

The omakase opened with a tangy seaweed salad dressed in rice vinegar and generously topped with sweet hunks of Dungeness crab.

While we were digging into the first course, Chef began preparing the second one along with his two assistants. It was really quite a treat having a front row seat to the evening’s slicing, garnishing, and plating. Every movement was mesmerizing.

Next up were slices of Bluefin* tuna sashimi from Spain accompanied by jellyfish from Japan and fresh wakame seaweed. Served on the side were two ponzu sauces, one with a little heat and one straight up.

A succession of nigiri and hand rolls soon followed. Each piece was quickly yet carefully constructed with just-cooked marinated rice. As Chef set each piece before diners, he provided instructions on whether to dip in soy sauce or not. Warm, tender rice paired with cool, freshly cut fish just can’t be beat.

Up first was a fatty cut of toro,* the guiltiest of pleasures…

…a snappy slab of squid paired with shiso…

…unbelievably luscious Santa Barbara sea urchin…

…sweet King crab…

…a downright velvety Hokkaido scallop brushed with yuzu kosho…

…a simply perfect piece of Japanese Amberjack…

…a slick sliver of Skipjack tuna garnished with ponzu and a sprinkling of scallions…

…a decadent toro* handroll complete with crunchy nori…

…a trio of Kumamoto oysters served over crushed ice and brightened with chili ponzu and scallions…

…an over-the-top rich serving of monkfish liver pate with miso dressing. They don’t call ankimo “foie gras of the sea” for nothing…

….an effortlessly gorgeous slice of Albacore with a bit of soy sauce…

…a flourish of salmon eggs, some strewn across the plate, all primed for popping….

…a giant clam slapped into submission, literally, and spritzed with lemon juice and soy sauce…

…a delectable, translucent shrimp with a dab of yuzu kosho…

…a most handsome lobster hand roll…

…a sweet and savory mouthful of freshwater eel…

…and finally, the sweetest block of tomago (Japanese omelet) ever stuffed with rice, shiso, and umeboshi. An intriguing and mostly appealing final piece.

A hot cup of roasted green tea accompanied dessert.

To finish, a scoop of lychee sorbet with plum wine and fresh fruit. It was a little boozy and a lot refreshing.

And just like that, we whipped through all twenty courses. The Astronomer and I both left sated and very much delighted by the entire experience. Bar Nozawa certainly can’t be a weekly indulgence, but every so often when the mood hits, it is definitely worthy of a splurge. Dem feeshes!

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*  I arrived at Bar Nozawa with every intention of refraining from Bluefin, but the format and formality of the experience didn’t allow for any special requests without drawing attention to myself. With only ten diners present and especially tight surroundings, I didn’t want to compromise the dinner for others. Who knew it was so damn tough to be an ethical eater. I’ll do better next time. Promise.

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Nozawa Bar
212 North Cañon Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Phone: 310-276-6900

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