Dining Review: Opening the book on a tale of two sushis

People are very opinionated about sushi. First of all, you have to like it. Let’s assume you do. You’re going to want it fresh, that’s a given. But after that, are you a hand roll person or do you prefer straight sashimi? Will you be satisfied with only the most exquisite toro nigiri or does a sweet, sticky eel roll float your boat? I happen to like them all. In the two restaurants we went to this week, my family and I ran the gamut of sushi experiences.

Buko Restaurant is in a small shopping mall where Verdugo Road meets Chevy Chase Drive. Parking can be a real bear here as the mall is also home to an Armenian market, a liquor store and other popular restaurants. Find some street parking if you must and grab a seat in Buko’s charming country-style Japanese atmosphere. At the sushi bar, Chef Takashi prepares patrons’ requests or suggests his own (omakase). Most people are sitting at cozy tables enjoying good-looking udon, tempura and all manner of Japanese delicacies. Our waitress got to us as soon as she could on this busy night and confirmed every order with a happy “Hai, hai.”

The seaweed salad prepped our palates, a sesame-laced spongy set of greens that popped with freshness. We opted for an assortment of specialty rolls next to satisfy all our sushi cravings. In the end, we all had different favorites. My husband loved the Popcorn Lobster Roll in which hunks of lobster meat are tempura-fried to a crispy golden brown and served on top of California rolls. My kids couldn’t decide between the Tataki Roll with its smoky, soft interior and the Caterpiller Roll with eel, avocado and a sweetish sauce. My favorite was the White Dragon Roll with truly spicy albacore and an unusual bitter prick of shiso leaves.

The Blue Fin Toro was $8 for two pieces so I was expecting something otherworldly. It was good, there’s no doubt, but it didn’t laser focus all my senses as some sushi experiences have done. In all cases however, the fish at Buko was fresh and melted in your mouth, the combinations were unique and pleasantly startling. As my daughter noticed, the pieces held together perfectly as you brought them to your mouth, then broke down in an orderly fashion once chewed. A sign of a master sushi chef.

A few nights later we went to Sushi Joint on San Fernando Road near the Burbank-Glendale border. Again we had a good experience but of a different kind. The atmosphere here is Party Central with dance music and young employees. Here the rolls are uniquely tasty due to, in my opinion, the house-made sauces. The Glendy Roll, for instance, has shrimp tempura and avocado on the inside, sliced tuna on the outside and is topped liberally with a spicy, sweet sauce. The Sunrise Tunee features a spicy shrimp and crab mash with avocado inside and tuna outside but this time with a mayonnaise based special sauce on top. More decadent than “clean,” these rolls would be great for setting a base before a night on the town. And Sushi Joint makes that easy to do because every night from 4 to 7 p.m. they host Joint Hours.

I think the whole town knows about Joint Hours because the restaurant was packed on a recent Monday evening with people waiting in the parking lot to get in. During Joint Hours a selection of specialty and cut rolls are discounted from $1 to $4 which is a great deal because the prices are low to begin with. Beer prices are also slashed.

We sat at the sushi bar this night and were impressed by the efficient system the chefs and waitresses worked under. Long plates of artfully presented rolls were flying by us every 20 seconds or so. The layout of the restaurant breeds a sociable atmosphere where patrons are happy to linger and keep ordering rolls. Too bad for the people outside.

If you’re a sushi lover, you undoubtedly have a favorite restaurant already. But if you want to try something new and perhaps closer to home, check out Buko and Sushi Joint.

What: Sushi Joint

Where: 6320 San Fernando Road, Glendale

Hours: Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Friday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Prices: Rolls, $7.90 to $12.90

Contact: (818) 548-0688; https://www.bestsushijoint.com
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What: Buko Restaurant

Where: 327 N. Verdugo Road, Glendale

Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, lunch 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Tuesday through Sunday, dinner 5 to 9 or 10 p.m.; closed Monday

Prices: Rolls $11 to $14

Contact: (818) 243-1717
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LISA DUPUY welcomes comments at LDupuy@aol.com.