SUSHI: IF YOU KNEW SUSHI LIKE THEY KNOW SUSHI BARS ...

Byline: Larry Lipson Daily News Restaurant Critic

Despite the notion some people have that raw fish is a primitive and disgusting habit, sushi-noshing has developed a reputation as a sophisticated pastime.

Every community now has a sushi bar, and some have them by the double digits.

So, when the Daily News asked readers for nominees for Best of the Valley, hundreds responded, placing more than 60 sushi bars and cafes in contention.

Nicki Mertz told us the ``fish is always chilled correctly'' by a sushi chef named Herman at Bonsai Garden in Canyon Country.

And reader Lynda Perlin gave many reasons on yellow notebook paper for her choice of small, cozy Mon Japanese Restaurant in Tarzana, but especially its ``chewy fish - the baby clams and squid,'' and its ``nice, quiet, romantic'' qualities. (Her husband, she noted, likes ``all the rolls.'')

Yes, it's often more than the food. Craig Burns goes for the BSC item at Omino Sushi in Chatsworth - that's baked scallops on a California roll - but his main reason for the nomination is ``great music.''

Sushi bars really are more than just eating places. If you visit one regularly, you know they're really a social phenomenon. Relationships are formed, food and drink adventures are pursued.

``Sitting at the sushi bar is a great way to meet new people,'' writes Linda Mundy. Teru, in the heart of the show-biz studio district, is the original home of the hyper staff of sushi chefs who smile and yell greetings and goodbyes and talk incessantly with patrons, which is now expected practice at sushi eateries.

But the food is still important - several readers who have traveled in Japan are quick to match their local sushi bar picks to the country where it all started.

Mark W. Nicholas praises Sushi Oaks in Newbury Park for its innovative Nomo roll, olympic roll and assorted sushi. ``I've traveled extensively throughout Japan and still have never encountered this caliber of palate artistry,'' he said.

Bruce Fine is smitten with the recently opened Sushi Gon in Studio City. ``Patrick is an excellent chef and a funny guy,'' writes Fine, who also claims that Gon's ``avocado boat special is amazing.''

While the word ``freshest'' turns up again and again on nomination forms, so does ``authentic.''

Reader Kathleen Theodore is a no-nonsense sushi fancier who believes Sushi Tatsu has the ``best authentic sushi in the Valley,'' and she salutes Tatsu for having ``none of that namby-pamby Americanized stuff.'' She also suggests that those who visit Tatsu try the off-menu ``green dragon'' sushi item.

Another factor is price. East Valley resident Bruce V. Anderson used to frequent a sushi bar near his home, but now drives to Tarzana because ``Crazy Sushi's prices are fabulous.''

In raw competition, it's the catch of the day, bar none

Here are the sushi bars selected as the Best of the Valley by Daily News readers and restaurant critic Larry Lipson:

People's choice: Mr. Sushi in Canoga Park easily won the popularity contest, snagging approximately a sixth of the total nominations. Next in line with an impressive number of votes is Sushi Tatsu in North Hollywood.

Traditional: Shihoya in Sherman Oaks barely nudged out Sushi Nozawa in Studio City in this category. Although many local sushi eaters prefer a looser, less serious sushi experience than what Shihoya's sushi bar presents, there are those who revere and practically worship with almost religious zeal this dictatorial style of a sushi master at work.

Unusual: Kushiyu in Tarzana, though just as celebrated for its grilled ``kushi yaki'' tidbits as its sushi, comes up regularly with a blackboard of sushi intrigues ranging from obscure or exotic fish to innovative combinations and creative sushi expressions.

Overall: With just the right balance of friendliness, comfort, expertise and reasonable prices, little Yamakawa in Toluca Lake gets the nod as the all-round neighborhood sushi bar choice.

Salads: The clear-cut winner for sushi bar salads, from the popular salmon skin to a mixture of fresh mushrooms to a richly flavorful melange of vegetables called a ``mountain salad,'' is Kazu in Studio City.

Variety: Those who have visited Ueru-Ka-Mu in Tarzana are astounded at the number of nifty, a la carte, appetizer-size bites and bowls that the sushi bar chefs come up with. These are not only the popular, familiar, deftly done, true sushi snacks, but a large selection of items that the Japanese call ippin-ryori.

Healthy: Though this area of sushi, with brown rice emphasized instead of the usual white, was introduced locally by Genmai in Sherman Oaks, Makoto Sushi in Encino edges out Genmai and others because of its all-round appeal, generous portioning and the sweetest, most luscious scallops (both sashimi and sushi) ever experienced in a local sushi bar.

Value: The easy-to-pick winner here is a newcomer to Ventura Boulevard, Crazy Tokyo Sushi, that took over a Japanese buffet cafe and purveys excellent sushi, much of which is ticketed at much lower prices than competitors.

Distinctive: Sushi Hirosuke in Encino has achieved a very passionate following. It not only has a distinctive tiered appearance and tops its sushi rice with thick slabs of perfectly sculpted delicious raw fish, but where else will you find the freshest, just-caught uni (sea urchin) still in its hairy shell?

Show biz: If you walk into a sushi bar and an echoing gong sound welcomes you with a shout of greeting from one or more of the sushi chefs, you're either at Teru Sushi in Studio City or at a sushi bar that one of its many alumni has opened. Teru's flamboyant, colorfully clad staff paved the way, probably boosted the speed (and certainly the noise) of the local sushi explosion. And its food is superb.

Here is the list of sushi restaurants that received nominations from Daily News readers:

Akio's, 215 N. Moorpark Road, Thousand Oaks, [phone].

Benihana of Tokyo, 16226 Ventura Blvd., Encino, [phone].

Bizen, 13447 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, [phone].

Bonsai Garden, 19358 Soledad Canyon Road, Canyon Country, [phone].

Brothers, 21418 Ventura Blvd., Woodland Hills, [phone].

Chiba, 11713 Saticoy St., North Hollywood, [phone].

Cho Cho San (Revolving Sushi), 19010 Ventura Blvd., Tarzana , [phone].

Crazy Tokyo Sushi, 18406 Ventura Blvd., Tarzana, [phone].

Edo Nagao, 18760 Ventura Blvd., Tarzana, [phone].

Edo, 22737 Ventura Blvd., Woodland Hills, [phone].

Enshino, 17047-1/2 Ventura Blvd., Encino, [phone].

Fuji, 9071-1/2 Woodman Ave., Arleta, [phone].

Genmai, 4454 Van Nuys Blvd., Sherman Oaks, [phone]

Hashi, 16573 Ventura Blvd., Encino, [phone].

Hatano, 19401 Parthenia St., Northridge, [phone].

Hirosuke, 17327 Ventura Blvd., Encino, [phone].

Hiyama, 74 N. Skyline Drive, Thousand Oaks, [phone].

Iroha, 12953 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, [phone].

Iwata, 14423 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, [phone].

Joy of Tempura, 21841 Ventura Blvd., Woodland Hills, [phone].

Kabuki, 9701 Reseda Blvd., Northridge, [phone].

Kazu, 11440 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, [phone].

Korea Bar-B-Que House, 20200 Saticoy St., Canoga Park, [phone].

Kuru-Kuru, 521 N. Hollywood Way, Burbank, [phone].

Kushiyu, 18713 Ventura Blvd., Tarzana, [phone].

Kyoto, 18531 Devonshire St., Northridge, [phone].

Light & Fresh, 690 E. Los Angeles Ave., Simi Valley, [phone].

Light & Healthy, 23546 Lyons Ave., Newhall, [phone].

Mako, 13905 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, [phone].

Makoto, 17920 Ventura Blvd., Encino, [phone].

Megu's, 22330 Sherman Way, Canoga Park, [phone].

Mikado, 12600 Riverside Drive, North Hollywood, [phone].

Miya, 5215 Laurel Canyon Blvd., North Hollywood, [phone].

Mon, 19463 Ventura Blvd., Tarzana, [phone].

Mr. Sushi, 21051 Victory Blvd., Canoga Park, [phone].

Musashi, 9046 Tampa Ave., Northridge. [phone].

New Satsuki, 8069 Vineland Ave., Sun Valley, [phone].

Nippon, 10155 Riverside Drive, Toluca Lake, [phone].

Omino, 20957 Devonshire St., Chatsworth, [phone].

Riksha, 20940 Ventura Blvd., Woodland Hills, [phone].

Shibuya, 4774 Park Granada, Calabasas, [phone].

Shihoya, 15489 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, [phone].

Shimon, 11943 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, [phone].

Sushi Garden, 6221 Laurel Canyon Blvd., North Hollywood, [phone].

Sushi 911, 20454 Nordhoff St., Chatsworth, [phone].

Sushi Nozawa, 11288 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, [phone].

Sushi Oaks, 2160 Newbury Road, Newbury Park, [phone].

Sushi Spot, 19658 Ventura Blvd., Tarzana, [phone].

Sushi Tatsu, 12515 Victory Blvd., North Hollywood, [phone].

Sushi Tsune, 18373 Ventura Blvd., Tarzana, [phone].

Sushi Zawa, 208 E. Palm Ave., Burbank, [phone].

Takeo's, 38575 Sixth St. East, Palmdale, [phone].

Tatsuki, 21630 Ventura Blvd., Woodland Hills, [phone].

Teru, 11940 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, [phone].

Todai, 11239 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, [phone].

Todai, 20401 Ventura Blvd., Woodland Hills, [phone].

Tokyo, 2211 E. Palmdale Blvd., Palmdale, [phone].

Tokyo Delve's, 5239 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, [phone].

Tori-Yen, 7406 Foothill Blvd., Tujunga, [phone].

Ueru-Ka-Mu, 19596 Ventura Blvd., Tarzana, [phone].

Yamakawa, 10118 Riverside Drive, Toluca Lake, [phone].

Yoshi's, 13573 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, [phone].

Zono, 601 N. First St., Burbank, [phone].

You can trust sushi chef, but don't forget this list

Rarely is there a middle of the road on the sushi appreciation highway. People tend to love it with a passion or wouldn't touch it with a 10-foot chopstick.

The sequence is important, according to Koji Yoshida of Shihoya in Sherman Oaks, who informs his patrons that if they sit at his sushi bar, they must allow the chef to dictate the meal. At Sushi Nozawa in Studio City, Chef Nozawa has written on his blackboard: ``Trust me.'' Customers are requested to leave all the ordering to him.

In a traditional presentation, appetizers and sashimi are always first. Sushi partaking runs from the lighter, softer fish to heavier or oilier types, with rolls eaten last.

Here are some of the basic sushi bar terms:

Agari: Japanese tea

Aji: Spanish mackerel 

Ama ebi: Sweet shrimp

Anago: Sea eel

Ankimo: Monkfish liver

Ebi: Shrimp

Edamame: Boiled soybeans in pods

Gari: Pickled ginger

Hamachi: Young yellowtail

Hirame: Halibut 

Ibodai: Pompano

Ika: Squid or calamari

Ikura: Salmon roe

Kaki: Oyster

Kani: Crab

Kappa-maki: Cucumber roll

Maguro: Leanest raw tuna

Masago: Smelt egg roe

Mirugai: Giant clam

Miso: Soybean paste

Nigiri sushi: Most common sushi of sliced raw fish on a patty of rice

Noren: Decorative Japanese curtain, sometimes with logo

Omakase: Sushi meal selected by chef

Oshibori (or osibori) : Rolled wet towel for cleaning hands

Otemoto: Chopsticks

Otoshi: Free appetizer

Ponzu: Lime juice, soy and rice vinegar sauce

Saba: Mackerel

Sake: Salmon, also rice brew

Sashimi: Sliced raw seafood

Shari: Vinegared sushi rice

Shiso (or oba): Beefsteak plant leaf

Sunomono: Vinegared thinly cut vegetable salad

Tai: Red snapper

Tako: Octopus

Tamago: Seasoned omelette

Tane: Sushi selection

Tekka-maki: Tuna roll

Temaki: Hand roll

Toro: Oily belly tuna

Tsume: Sweet brown sauce

Unagi: Fresh water eel

Uni: Sea urchin

Uzura: Quail egg

Wasabi: Spicy, green, mustardlike paste

CAPTION(S):

7 Photos, 2 Boxes

Photo: (1--Cover--Color) THE RAW TRUTH

Readers pick their favorite sushi eateries.

(2--Color) Koji Yoshida, at his Shihoya in Sherman Oaks, prepares strictly traditional sushi.

(3--Color) At Yamakawa, picked as the all-around neighborhood sushi bar choice, sushi chef Tak Inoue prepares one of the restaurant's specialties, the Yam Special roll.

(4--Color) Chef Inoue and owner Keiko Yamakawa break tradition and eat their specialty rolls with chopsticks.

(5--Color) Teru Sushi sushi chef Hero Matsuda adds a bit of showmanship to his sushi.

(6--Color) At Mr. Sushi, which won the popularity contest, Gwang Choi puts the finishing touches on his roll.

(7--Color) no caption (Sushi)

Gus Ruelas/Daily News

Box: (1) In raw competition, it's the catch of the day, bar none (See Text)

(2) You can trust sushi chef, bu don't forget this list (See Text)