Sushi’s home address

FOR as long as most Angelenos can remember, Sawtelle Boulevard has been the Westside’s go-to street for all things Japanese. My favorite family-style Japanese cafe, Yuuki, is gone, replaced by a Korean tofu spot. And Sushi Sasabune, the sushi bar with a cult following, moved to tonier digs on Wilshire Boulevard.

But the wonderful thing about Sawtelle is that it’s always changing. Walk the stretch between Nebraska Avenue and Olympic Boulevard, and you’ll pass fantastic nurseries, intriguing ramen shops, cunning curry shops, hopping boba parlors, gleaming bakeries and even a charming little Japanese grocery that opened almost half a century ago.

The last couple of months have seen plenty of change -- the good kind. The small house that used to be Sushi Sasabune reopened in early July as Bar Hayama. And there’s another new sushi bar almost across the street -- Yuzando Sushi on Sawtelle.

Two new sushi bars; two completely different experiences.

Bar Hayama looks more welcoming than it ever did in its last incarnation. There’s a fire pit in the front courtyard, surrounded by a square bar, and it’s often hopping.

Take a seat inside at the sushi bar, and you might find yourself facing owner Toshi Sugiura. A former owner of Hama Sushi in Venice, he’s not only head chef, he’s also the founder of the California Sushi Academy on Robertson Boulevard. He’s also a guy who loves to have fun with his customers. If he shouts “No soy sauce!” you’d better obey.

On the other hand, the academy’s head instructor, Zoran Lekic, might be cutting your fish. Or it might be a recent graduate.

A trip to Sushi Sasabune meant you’d better know the rules -- no children at the sushi bar, only sushi at the bar, omakase (chef’s choice) only. But Bar Hayama couldn’t be friendlier. Want to order a calamari, asparagus and tomato salad while sitting at the bar? No problem. Or you could go for Ankimo (monkfish liver) pâté Hayama style or Wagyu steak with wasabi sesame sauce. Or choose something fun from the kozara (“Japanese tapas”) menu: fried frog legs with Cajun flavor or a macrobiotic millet croquette.

Best of all, Bar Hayama offers an outstanding selection of sake -- 57 choices at the moment, many of them rare. More than 30 of them are available by the glass or decanter. They’re smartly organized on the list, but don’t hesitate to ask the Sugiura-san for help. He’s a true sake aficionado, and he loves to talk about his sakes.

The house sake, a Daishichi Kimoto Honjozo, is terrific -- made by a 300-year-old kura (sake brewery) in Japan’s Fukushima district that’s been a leader in the revival of artisanal sakes. It’s quite nice at $14 for a 10-ounce decanter. For an after-dinner treat, my husband and I each had a small glass of a rare aged sake -- Daruma Masamune “Achievement.” It was amazing -- deep, complex, rich -- unlike any sake I’d ever sipped, and worth the $20 splurge for each 2-ounce taste.

Two blocks south and across the street, Yuzando recently opened in the space of what used to be Sushi Tenn. It’s quite the happening block, and Yuzando is sandwiched between Orris (Hideo Yamashiro’s popular fusion spot) and Chabuya Ramen.

Yuzando inspires a different sushi mood than Bar Hayama: It’s a cool, quiet, low-key spot, which means great for conversation, and you can really focus on the fish, which is what the place is about. Executive Chef Hideo Sueyoshi, who worked at New York’s well-known Hatsuhana, brings in a number of different fishes from Japan, many of which you don’t see in most L.A. sushi bars. Lately, he’s had wonderful seigo (baby sea bass) and pristine sakura dai (baby sea bream), along with inaba (baby yellowtail) and hobo (sea robin).

Sueyoshi cuts the pieces in a classic style -- nice and small, good for popping in your mouth in one bite. And, unusual for L.A. (but common in Japan), you can order one piece (rather than two) at a time.

So go ahead, try the tachiuo (sablefish), or the megochi (flathead). If they’re not your cup of cha, Sueyoshi-san is happy to make you a California roll.

brenner@latimes.com

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New on Sawtelle

Bar Hayama

Where: 1803 Sawtelle Blvd., West L.A.

When: Lunch, 11:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Monday through Saturday; dinner, 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Price: Sushi (2 pieces), $5 to $8 (market-priced specials may be priced higher); kozara (“Japanese tapas”), $4 to $10; appetizers and salads, $4 to $14; main courses, $10 to $48; desserts, $7.

Info: (310) 235-2000; www.bar-hayama.com

Yuzando Sushi

Where: 2004 Sawtelle Blvd., West L.A.

When: Lunch, 12 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; dinner, 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

Price: Sushi (1 piece), $2.50 to $7.50; dinner appetizers, $5.50 to $12.95; main courses, $15 to $23.50; desserts, $4.50 to $5.50.

Info: (310) 473-2388