At Peace with Healthy Japanese Food

With so many big-deal restaurants opening on the Westside, it’s easy to overlook the others. SanSui, for instance, is on the Eastside at 2040 Hillhurst Ave., Los Feliz, (213) 660-3868, and is definitely not big-deal. It is, however, unique.

“Our goal,” says chef-owner Shinichi Kishi, “is to serve healthy Japanese food in a peaceful room.” The small white room is certainly peaceful--the music sounds like wind blowing through lonely trees, and it is all so spare and simple that it is easy to imagine yourself on a mountainside in Japan. The food is pretty much what you’d be served on a Japanese mountain too--although probably not in such quantity. For if you eat one of the set dinners ($14.50 and $15), you will probably be served a lot more food than you can eat.

Each is 10 small courses. The Shojin meal, modeled after the food of Buddhist monks, is entirely vegetarian, with main entrees such as fried tofu, or tofu steak with sticky yamo-imo sauce. Like the non-vegetarian Kaiseki meal, it is made with entirely natural ingredients and served on handmade pottery.

If your appetite isn’t up to that much food, you can order a la carte or come for lunch (which costs about $6). “I believe,” says Kishi, “that the food will give your body and mind a calm, refreshed and satisfied feeling.” I’m not much on health food, but I believe he’s right.