During the isolation of Covid, my family and I became deeply enamored with the wonderful world of sushi to-go.
Takeout sushi has always existed. But during the pandemic, it was raised to a level of high art, with several sushi bars around town actually opening sibling restaurants within themselves, to offer swift takeout service from menus that were a condensation of their usual offerings — something of a greatest hits list of eat-at-home sushi and sashimi dishes. And for places that have long specialized in takeout, like the various branches of Sugarfish, Covid turned them into much-loved options. Chinese and Italian dishes travel well, but nothing travels as well as sushi.
And sushi to go has become, for many of us, a habit — almost an addiction. Where we used to dig into plates of sweet and sour this and that, and deep-fried that and this, these days, time spent on the couch bingeing on “House of the Dragon” is spent with California rolls and ahi tuna nigiri. And they’re dishes happily purchased at number of particularly fine markets — several of which are not places you’d expect to do impressive orders of sushi. But then, we live in a world filled with surprises.
Though not so surprising is great sushi at Yama Seafood (911 W. Las Tunas Drive, San Gabriel; 626-281-8045, www.yamaseafoodla.com), a small Japanese market with a counter where you can choose your fish, and have it cut to order — sashimied — right in front of you. What is surprising is how utterly concealed Yama is, with its entrance at the back of a building in a nondescript Las Tunas Drive mini-mall. (By contrast, the new Westside branch of Yama — at 11709 National Blvd., Mar Vista; 310-903-6218 — is wholly visible, with an easy-to-find entrance, and a well-scrubbed, almost surgical interior, with a sizable staff slicing fish taken from a large chiller…and tables outside for dining. It’s a world apart from San Gabriel!)
But in both cases, there’s a lot of tuna and yellowtail, salmon and rolls to choose from in an adjacent case — California Rolls, Salmon Avocado Rolls, Spicy Tuna Rolls, Unagi Rolls, Nigiri Sushi and much more, including Hawaiian Spam Musubi.
The freshness is undeniable; there’s no sense these rolls or this fish has been sitting around, waiting to be sold. The turnover at Yama is considerable, and the selection of other groceries is fun to consider. The trick here is not to go overboard in terms of the ordering. I have not yet mastered that trick. (Also note: There are three large sushi platters, priced at $39 and $55. That’s a lot of food for the money!)
By contrast, Bristol Farms (606 Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena; 626-441-5450, www.bristolfarms.com) is most decidedly not an Asian grocery store. And yet, the selection at the sushi counter is the equal of any supermarket in town — Japanese or not.
There are six sushi platters, priced from $39 to $79. Recently there was a Hatch Chile Festival, which inspired a Hatch Chile Fiesta Roll. There’s a do-it-yourself Hawaiian poke bar, with a choice of about a dozen poke trays of seafood, allowing the poke aficionado to, quite literally, go mad with their creations. (Honestly, I’d barely know where to begin. I’d probably fill my bowl with a scoop of everything, making for a tasty poke mess.)
The selection of sushi rolls is dazzling — case after case filled with plastic containers of creations including the Lion King Roll, three different Dragon Rolls, the Fire Tiger Roll, nigiri sushi galore, brown rice creations like the Spicy Tuna Avocado Roll, and numerous cooked dishes. The teriyaki salmon and teriyaki chicken are especially tasty.
Once again, the temptation to grab too much is overwhelming. And trust me, you’ll finish it all. This is strikingly fine sushi, somewhat unexpected, but also very much expected. This is, after all, Bristol Farms — a place that has always been at the crux of what we want, and what we need. And when come comes to sushi rolls, it triumphs.
Also, there’s Whole Foods Market (465 S. Arroyo Pkwy., Pasadena, 626-204-2266; 3751 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena, 626-351-5994; www.wholefoodsmarket.com), which may not have as sizable a selection as Bristol Farms, but in my experience, it has sales — lots of sales. You never know when you drop by which of the rolls will be selling for discount prices. I don’t think that’s to move the rolls out, nearly as much as it to build shopper loyalty — something it does very well.
Last time I dropped by, there were some two dozen rolls, a fine selection that included a salmon avocado roll (spicy and not), a rainbow roll (spicy and not), a Hawaiian rainbow salad roll, a crunchy Sriracha salmon roll and a crunchy peanut lime shrimp roll. Peanuts? I guess.
The chefs behind the counter are notably affable, answering whatever curious questions get tossed their way, including lots about ingredients for those with allergies. They’ll make rolls to order, to accommodate needs. Of which we have many.
Merrill Shindler is a Los Angeles-based freelance dining critic. Email mreats@aol.com.
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