But will our return trip move me to tears?
So, I have something embarrassing to admit… I recently sat at my kitchen table and got teary-eyed just ~thinking~ about a sushi roll from Teru Sushi in Studio City, CA. I’m not kidding. Ask my partner to vouch for me. Just the thought of eating sushi moved me emotionally.
All that to say, I had pretty high expectations when we returned to Teru Sushi for dinner recently for a review and revisit. Would I break down in full-blown sobs at the dinner table? Or would my dinner fail to live up to the fantasy in my head? Here’s the scoop:
THE ATMOSPHERE
Situated on the far eastern side of downtown Studio City, Teru Sushi has an inviting curb appeal. The exterior features rich wood paneling and a small coy pond outside the front door, only feet from the bustle of Ventura Blvd. Valet parking is available at the front door, but there’s plenty of free and metered street parking available in the area as well. We parked on Hoffman St. and walked for about three minutes to get there.
Once inside, the restaurant elicits a sense of serenity with wood-paneled walls adorned with imagery of cherry blossom trees and storks. A small sushi bar with seating for around six people is located at the front of the restaurant. Booth seating is available in three sections, with the booths partitioned off in small clumps. The front section of booth seating is across from the open kitchen and sushi assembly station. Out back, a covered patio with seating for around 30 hosts another koi pond.
On our most recent visit, we were seated in the middle section of the restaurant in a two-person booth. The middle and back sections are quieter and more private than the front.
THE MENU
Teru Sushi’s menu features an array of sushi and sashimi, in addition to specialty rolls, traditional Japanese appetizers, as well as some salads, hot dinners, and desserts. In general, the menu is massive and I’d expect it to take a month’s worth of daily visits just to try all of the rolls!
The bar hosts a wide variety of soju, sake (hot and cold), as well as beer and wine. I recently discovered soju cocktails and margaritas are also available, so I’ll have to make a return trip to test those out.
Happy Hour for alcoholic beverages, mini versions of the restaurant’s most popular rolls and appetizers occurs Monday through Friday from 5 pm to 6 pm.
OUR MEAL
We stuck to sushi on our most recent trip (When the sushi is as good as it is here, I see absolutely no reason to waste time on hot dishes… But maybe one day!). My partner and I usually get one roll each to ourselves, one roll to split, and then feel it out from there. Here’s a breakdown of our choices:
CHAMPAGNE - We were celebrating ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ The champagne was Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut, so nothing special. But it wasn’t marked up to oblivion, so we were happy with this choice. RATING: 4/5
OMG ROLL - This is the roll that I think about often (and got emotional over as previously mentioned), so I ordered it first this trip to quell my desire. And… it was good. I’ll be honest, it wasn’t as good as previous visits. It features a spicy tuna roll with crispy onions topped with yellowtail sashimi and cilantro; finished with a splash of house ponzu sauce and has been deemed a “house favorite.” The yellowtail and tuna were as fresh as I’d expected, but I felt the roll didn’t have as much ponzu sauce as usual. And were the crispy onions even on it? As I’m reflecting on this dish, I looked at the menu again and don’t recall the onions being on the roll this time around. This one was a bit of a letdown this evening. RATING: 3.5/5
STUDIO CITY ROLL - My partner loves this roll and orders it almost every visit. The roll includes salmon, cream cheese, masago, and avocado in soy paper; dipped in tempura batter, deep fried; a dollop of spicy mayo, and eel sauce. He kindly offered me the end piece to try, which had extra fried batter (Who says no to extra fried stuff? Not me!). This roll tasted good with a nice blend of warm and cool temperatures from the fresh fish and battered outside. Salmon sushi isn’t usually my favorite, but this roll was good (and admittedly, better than my OMG Roll). RATING: 4/5
SEXY ROLL - We branched out and decided to try a new roll for us this night. Our waitress suggested the Sexy Roll, another house favorite. The sexy roll is shrimp tempura, crabmeat and cucumber roll topped with albacore sashimi and avocado finished with a drizzle of spicy Teru sesame sauce. The presentation on this roll was beautiful, including a flower and a pile of shaved watercress and carrots in the middle. The roll itself was insanely flavorful with brightness from the spicy sauce and freshness from the cucumber. This roll ended up being my favorite for the night, even though my lips burned a little from the heat after I’d finished it. RATING: 4.5/5.
SPICY TUNA CUT ROLL - I needed a touch more food, so I opted for a Spicy Tuna Cut Roll to finish my meal. The tuna was fresh, albeit not exactly spicy. While it was miles ahead of the grocery store version of the same dish, it wasn’t anything to write home about. It did it’s job. RATING: 4/5
CALIFORNIA CUT ROLL - My partner also needed a closer to fill up completely and reached for this roll. He gave it a “fine” rating and moved on. RATING: "Fine" LOL
SERVICE
Our waitress was patient, personable, and, efficient. I’m annoying at sushi restaurants and order as I eat so as not to over-order, and she was more than happy to check back with us frequently to make sure our needs were met. Solid service with no issues!
VALUE
The specialty rolls and house favorite rolls are some of the best I’ve found in the Valley. A little pricy, sure, but factoring in the ambiance and quality of the fish, I feel they are worth it for a nice night out. The cut rolls serve their purpose but are a little expensive for the quantity received. This place doesn’t gouge patrons on the alcohol prices, which I appreciated.
TERU SUSHI: THE FINAL REVIEW
While the most recent stop wasn’t the best visit here, Teru Sushi offers an elevated environment for quality food at reasonable prices by LA standards. We left feeling full, but not over-stuffed or aching. Count this as a solid date night spot in the Valley!
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