"“Hey, I’m in Hollywood with 45 minutes to kill, where should I eat?” On any given day, our phones light up with a variation of this text. That’s Hollywood for you, though—a place where Angelenos often find themselves with time to spare before a show or concert or meeting with no idea where to go. Sure, there are plenty of excellent restaurants, but finding that Goldilocks spot with good food, brisk service, reasonable prices, and a relatively mellow atmosphere can feel like cracking a bank safe. That’s why our default reply is straightforward: Go to Iki Nori. For anyone who’s ever been stranded in Hollywood for an hour, this casual sushi bar from the Iki Ramen people is a prayer answered. The sleek space on the ground floor of an office building is walk-in-only, sells filling handroll sets for under $30, and boasts a marble bar pouring cocktails, natural wine, and craft sake. During lunch, office workers crowd the 12-seat bar, snacking on daily nigiri and scallop uni handrolls while checking their phones to see if there’s enough time for another glass of chenin blanc. Come nighttime, the place transforms into the neighborhood’s most centrally located pre-game spot. photo credit: Jessie Clapp photo credit: Jessie Clapp photo credit: Jessie Clapp photo credit: Jessie Clapp Dates with tickets to the Pantages splurge on omakase (for $88, you get 10 pieces of premium nigiri, two handroll sets, and a dessert) while friends walking to Hotel Cafe crush negronis and chat up the young chefs as they sear fatty tuna and pack spicy yellowtail handrolls. Sunset and Wilcox isn’t one of LA’s most picturesque intersections, but Iki Nori’s floor-to-ceiling windows offer a cinematic view of a streetscape that, if nothing else, is never short on people-watching. The whole experience subtly achieves everything you’d want from a before-show dinner destination: getting you full, getting you buzzed, and getting you out the door and on with life. This is Hollywood, after all—we’re on the clock. Food Rundown photo credit: Jessie Clapp 4-Handroll Set Whether you’re dropping in for a quick lunch or coming for pre-show snacks at night, this should be your baseline order. For $28, you get one toro handroll, one spicy tuna, one salmon, and one crab. It’s enough food to fill us up while leaving enough room to sneak in a few chef-recommended nigiri. photo credit: Jessie Clapp Nigiri Every person at Iki Nori is eating handrolls—rightfully so, they’re better than the ones at LA bar-setter, KazuNori. But the rotund, simply presented nigiri should also be peppered into your order. We usually get a few standard cuts from the regular menu like the smoky seared toro and scallop topped with salt, then order off the daily specials board for rarer stuff like white salmon, engawa, or butterfish topped with kumquat miso. photo credit: Jessie Clapp Crispy Tuna Taco A salty, crunchy little bite and a nice breakup from the handroll parade. It’s like spicy tuna crispy rice that went to Cancun for spring break. photo credit: Jessie Clapp Cocktails Have we gone to Iki Nori solely to drink cocktails? Absolutely. And you should, too. There’s a dedicated highball section, plus interesting shochu cocktails made with things like wasabi salt and ube milk. But we prefer to stick with their “classics,” such as the house Negroni or Iki Old Fashioned, made with Japanese malt whisky and kokuto, a smoky black sugar from Okinawa. photo credit: Jessie Clapp Toro Caviar Handroll Are you a little prince today? Or every day? Then this $12 salty, buttery baton is the treat your highness deserves." - Brant Cox
