Sushi Gen

Nestled in Downtown’s Little Tokyo neighborhood since 1980, Sushi Gen has turned into a cult favorite for L.A.’s sushi aficionados. The main draw: a $26 sashimi lunch special. Glut your taste buds on fresh halibut, fatty tuna, sea urchin, scallops, oysters at this top-notch sushi spot, but be prepared to wait: The lines are massive, and Sushi Gen doesn’t accept reservations. And though the sashimi lunch deal might get all the glory, Sushi Gen's slightly pricier dinner menu is the perfect happy medium between an eye-poppingly expensive omakase and questionably cheap sushi. For those who stop in later in the day, nigiri and gunkan pieces topped with fresh halibut, fatty tuna, sea urchin, monkfish liver and oysters await, all in a wonderfully serene, wood paneled old school sushi bar setting.