Utamaro Sushi Izakaya

The strip mall on Barrington just south of Olympic, next to the 7-Eleven, is where Hide Takeda of Sushi Takeda in Little Tokyo put this izakaya in 2026. Hiro-san works the sushi counter and serves a nigiri omakase of about ten pieces. The rest of the menu is cooked and long: tempura, soft-shell crab rolls, braised pork belly, sesame tofu, firefly squid in season, and a platter of seven small bites. Inside it's wood paneling and a tiled bar. Book ahead for dinner; the strip mall has its own lot.