THIS WEEK: SUSHI SPRAWL

L.A. sushi, thy name is ubiquity. How to sort out where to go and when? Mix and match your mood to these house specialties.

--

Chefs/cousins Niki Nakayama and Sayori Onozuka and their talented band orchestrate one of the friendliest omakases (your dinner; the house’s choice) around, while hitting delicate grace notes of sea salt, citrus pepper and white truffle oil, and weaving together the likes of crisp Japanese snapper, blue fin tuna that’s crushed-velvet-smooth and creamy blue crab hand rolls. No wonder regulars at this Hollywood sushi cafe start booking early on weekends. 7160 Melrose Ave., (323) 939-3816

AZAMI

--

K-ZO

Get your pineapple-infused sake elsewhere. Despite its stylish Culver City address, the purists over at K-Zo prefer to focus on the nuanced craftsmanship required to create the plain old original. Most of their 26 boutique varietals (“Delicate Snow,” “Blaze of Jade”) are sold by the bottle, but those with commitment issues can summon the sampler -- three assorted cups of intoxicating dew served with a plate of tender seaweed strands on the side -- or go for just a glass of the one rarefied sake of the month. 9240 Culver Blvd., (310) 202-8890

--

SHIBUCHO

It’s nearly midnight and you’ve just finished dumping that body in the back alley and want to top off the evening with a slice of L.A.’s best unagi. Luckily for you, Shibucho is open late, delectable and blessed with a robust selection of wines and a desolate location near the Rampart area. But I’m not kidding about the unagi. I once met a guy here who’d driven down from Lake Arrowhead to grab a bite. 3114 W Beverly Blvd., (213) 387-8498

--

ASANEBO

There’s plenty of rice on the menu, but it’s about sashimi at this deceptively nondescript eatery on Studio City’s sushi row. Feathery slips of halibut with citrus pepper, seared tuna splashed with a vinegary sauce and topped with scallions, spicy radish, ginger and garlic and stunning Spanish mackerel. If you eat just two crispy cooked bits, make them the asparagus-infiltrated calamari and the soft-shell crab basking merrily in ponzu. Oh, and expect to pay appropriately for the privilege. 11941 Ventura Blvd., (818) 760-3348

--

FRENZY SUSHI

The genuine warmth generated by this family-friendly neighborhood spot in the OC is part of the appeal, but regulars return for the fusion concoctions designed by chef John Arteaga: the poki salad -- a tweaked Hawaiian dish involving albacore, avocado, yamagobo and Filipino spices, or the crunchy shrimp tempura Firecracker roll with creamy sweet wasabi and piquant mayo. 369 E. 17th St. No. 17, Costa Mesa, (949) 646-1333

Mindy.Farabee@latimes.com