I wandered in here last weekend because it looked so welcoming. It had parking & was in a great location and I thought let's try it. Unbeknownst to me this place is a local gem. The food was fresh & delicious and the staff were the kindest and coolest people. Even the regulars were nice and I feel this is the kind of sushi bar where dining alone would feel comfortable and the setting makes it warm and fun. I have made this my new spot and can't wait to my dinner trip there.

The food is very fresh. The service was very fast. I went during lunch time on a Saturday. Very great service from the chef to the waitresses to the host. Everything was great.

Love this place. Favorites are the crispy rice with spicy tuna -- ask for the extra crisps. :) And they have classic favorites like agedashi tofu and goma-ae spinach. Yum!

Awesome. We got the 3 -item dinner combo: soba, tempura, chirashi bowl and the 2-item dinner combo: salmon teriyaki and sashimi. Both sets come with salad and miso soup. Waiters were super attentive. Water was always topped off. Inside is really clean and cozy and Japanese. We got a cozy corner booth.

This is a review of their Saturday bento special. U-Zen is a casual neighborhood sushi spot, that is a gem if you are in the know. Every Saturday Masa-San makes a special bento available for lunch only. You never know what he has in store for you and unveiling the layers is always a treat The amount of effort that goes into making the bento is spectacular. Oishi!

We ordered their special bento box for the week. It was very nice! It had a huge variety of food and was a great portion. The service was great as well, as they were warm and welcoming. 10/10 would recommend!

Ordered Omakase for 2, and then an additional order of eel, salmon belly, blue crab handroll, and an U-Zen roll. Everything was delicious! The staff are super friendly, and came out to tell us all about the food we ordered, where they got it from, etc, and even brought us a little dessert drink at the end! The place looks like a traditional sushi shop, and if you can sit at the bar it's even better so you can see the masters in action!

This is another nice sushi place on Santa Monica Blvd in WLA. I was seated right away and chose everything off the happy hour menu at $6 per item...above avg. value. I especially enjoyed the fried oysters. Service was fast and professional. The ambience is pleasant but the place has been open since 1992 and needs an interior update with new furniture. The springs in my booth seat appeared to be squashed, nonfunctional detracting from my comfort level. Recommended for value deals.

Always a consistently good, fun time at U-Zen. The staff is all incredibly sweet and you can normally get a seat right away. The food tastes high quality and has decently large portions. The spicy tuna crispy rice was on a whiteboard labelled "specials" and was not on the actual menu. No pricing was listed for any of the specials, which should be fixed. Parking isn't bad on the street or in the immediate neighborhoods. Overall, it's a great neighborhood spot - nothing fancy or over the top. A classic place to come over and over again for a casual dinner with friends or a very chill date night.

5* review for sushi bar (omakase) U-Zen has been in Los Angeles service Westwood neighborhood since 1992 (30+ years). There are countless ways to enjoy a great meal at U-Zen. Maza-San, Andy-San and the entire staff seems to have it all figured out! Attended school in LA in 1998 and live in West LA for five years, how did I missed this place? I would not have found U-Zen because of street parking to dine at Kato. The store front for U-Zen looks appealing and bold. Other than the store front, there isn't much marketing necessary. The restaurant has sushi bar, booth and tables for large parties. Our friend brought us here to try the omakase - or Chef's menu. He has dine here since 1999 and know Maza-San and Andy-San well. Maza-San, my first impression, a shy personality, as dinner progresses, Maza-San is like family (partly because my friend knew him for over two decades). All staff, chefs and manager are extremely polite here but never short of humor! To me, U-Zen has developed something beyond providing great food, but a showcase of great culture (if you allow them to), and it starts to make sense why some of the prestigious restaurants in Japan requires a local guide to introduce new customers and break the communication barrier at sushi bar. Throughout the night I gets one delicious dish to another until I am satisfied and full. A true omakase experience (no menu). Chef Maza-San's hometown is Nagano. One of the local delicacies was bee's larvae (sounds disgusting?) it also does not look appealing. LOL! It's a snack and tastes great! Very doubtful many would dare to try it when offered though. My highlight of the night was the raw and fried octopus leg/tentacles, both interesting in freshness flavor and texture. The braised abalone, hokkaido uni, trout roe, anago, ebi and toro were also flavorful. The tamago has layers that's a must have. All paired beautifully with sake, which was served with chilled glass. I will need to come back for happy hours, lunch special or the popular to-go bento, and definitely more omakase! Thank you once again! Masa-San and Andy-San for your hospitality to treat customers like family!