" At Sushi Nozawa Group (SUGARFISH, KazuNori, Nozawa Bar), that is our obsession. We are fanatical in delivering the highest quality sushi experience, consistently, for people who really love sushi.
Living in downtown Santa Monica allows me to try out different restaurants regularly, and being a huge Sugarfish fan, I knew I had to try out Kazu Nori as it's owned by the same group.
The original idea for SUGARFISH was a conversation over dinner between famed Sushi chef Kazunori Nozawa, who opened Sushi Nozawa in Los Angeles in 1978, and Jerry Greenberg, a long time fan and friend of Nozawa. Nozawa’s mission for 40 years remained simple: bring traditional Japanese sushi to America. Sounds easy, but when your product is the result of thousands of years of Japanese culture that has raised the art of simplicity to the pinnacle of creative expression, you learn that mastering the art of simple sushi demands a lifetime of commitment."
Every dish you order is created with thoughtfulness and perfection. They have a set menu, which often varies but the current menu offers 3-4-5-6 hand roll sets that include proteins such as salmon, toro, yellowtail (favorite), scallops, crab, and lobster.
They also have a separate menu of individual handrolls and sashimi, which is what I typically opt for because then I can go off how I feel and what I'm craving.
I love starting with some salmon sashimi or whatever they have as a special that day and then going for a cucumber hand roll, it's refreshing and light. Then, give the crab, salmon, and sea bream roll a try. All delicious, I like to end with the lobster hand roll and 1 or 2 Sapporos. If we're not drinking, I stick to green tea.
This spot is almost always busy but it's well worth the wait.