Sushi, rich in creativity

It may look like just another neighborhood Japanese restaurant, but, in a big break with tradition, the two chefs at Azami Sushi Cafe are women.

Sushi chef Niki Nakayama and her cousin Sayori Onozuka, who handles the hot dishes and assists with sushi, trained in Japan at an inn owned by Onozuka’s parents. They opened Azami three years ago on Melrose Avenue just west of La Brea Avenue.

It’s a sweet place, serenely simple, with the walls a soft shade of lemon cream and a striking blue painting of clouds at the entrance. There are nice touches, like starchy white cloths on the tables, and skylights that let in a soft glow during the day.

The counter fills up at night, evidence that people like Nakayama’s work. The standard sushi is fine. Albacore, salmon, striped bass, yellowtail, sardine, freshwater eel -- I liked it all, except for a spicy tuna wrap clogged with too much rice.

A good introduction is the lunchtime sushi special. This includes three tuna rolls, three California rolls and six pieces of nigiri sushi, stylishly grouped on a triangular black tray. Miso soup and a green salad with a slightly sweet Asian dressing accompany the special. It’s a nice buy for $8.95.

At night, the restaurant offers omakase (multi-course) dinners, including one from the sushi bar for “$35 up,” that comes with a couple of appetizers and goes up in price if you want to order more sushi than is included.

Azami serves traditional appetizers such as edamame, cold tofu and boiled spinach, as well as tempura and teriyaki main dishes. But it’s more interesting to create a dinner from the cafe’s innovative small dishes, such as shrimp bouquet, eggplant Napoleon and spicy tuna and avocado “crispies.”

The base of the bouquet is a crisp basket formed from a fried spring roll wrapper. Inside are shrimp and clusters of candied pine nuts, dressed with sweet miso sauce. This is a great dish if you like nut brittle.

The challenge presented by eggplant Napoleon is how to cut it gracefully. The three eggplant slices, layered with shrimp, crab and scallops, form a tall stack that falls apart at the touch of a knife. The best approach is to separate the layers, then share them as an appetizer. (I wish the kitchen had blotted away some of the grease on the plate.)

Cute little “crispies,” formed of deep-fried soy paper dipped in tempura batter, make a crunchy base for diced raw tuna and avocado, a canape I’d like to see at a cocktail party. Soy paper embedded with black sesame seeds can be substituted for nori seaweed in Azami’s sushi rolls.

Everything is right about the yellowtail carpaccio, prettily arranged on a plain white plate that shows off the components. Neatly folded slices of yellowtail surround onion sprouts speckled with black seeds. Pink peppercorns are scattered about, and the sauce adds a pleasant citrus note. It’s an infusion of jalapeno and shishito peppers with ponzu and yuzu vinegar, made by Nakayama.

Brought to the table in a steamer basket like dim sum, steamed shrimp and crab cakes resemble Chinese shiu mai, only they’re more delicate. They’re wrapped in soft noodles, rather than wonton skins.

Other dishes were less successful. Baked halibut in cream sauce was disappointing because the halibut was overcooked and dry, but the sauce was a sensational blend of mayonnaise, miso, Dijon mustard, cream and dried bonito.

Tuna twister -- seared tuna strips twisted around short lengths of asparagus -- drew everyone’s attention when it provoked a bonfire on the stove. That surge of flames was too extreme for delicate fish. The tuna was dry and the asparagus was woody. At $6.50, it also seemed a little pricey, for very little tuna and asparagus.

Toro tartare California -- raw fish molded into a timbale topped with avocado, onion and pastry wings (baked spring roll wrappers) -- gets good marks for presentation. The zigzag of slightly sweet sauce looks nice on the plate, but the fish itself needs seasoning.

The cafe offers premium sakes and a few wines.

At dinner, the sushi bar was crowded, but the tables were empty. It’s obvious that sushi is what people want, and Azami can supply that nicely. But the restaurant’s forays into creativity are worth investigating too.

*

Azami Sushi Cafe

Location: 7160 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, (323) 939-3816.

Price: Appetizers, $3 to $12; sushi, $4 and up; lunch specials, $7 to $12.95; dinner entrees, $15 to $22.

Best dishes: Spicy tuna and avocado “crispies,” shrimp bouquet, yellowtail carpaccio, sushi special lunch.

Details: Lunch, noon to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; dinner, 5:30 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, till 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Wine and beer. Parking at night behind Fantasy Lighting east of the restaurant; valet parking on weekends, $5. Major credit cards (minimum purchase $10).