Yamakase

Yamakse is invitation-only, but before you stomp your feet in protest, know this: you can simply request an invitation on their website. Once accepted, an omakase experience unlike any other in Los Angeles awaits. Chef and owner Kiyoshiro Yamamoto, a surprisingly jolly Yama-san, has a storied past. He is the chef of the highly-praised Santa Monica Airport restaurant, the Hump, which closed after serving illegal Sei whale. This time around, though, he's playing by the rules. Behind the eight-seat sushi bar, Yama skillfully prepares course after course (sometimes over 20): jamón Iberico topped with Osetra caviar, orange clam with shiso, chawamushi with truffle butter, tenderloin steak with matsutake mushrooms, neatly cubed jellyfish presented in a soup spoon of cold sesame broth and a tomato wedge—chewy, slippery, cool, refreshing and absolutely delicious. There’s no corkage fee, so diners generally bring their own bottles of wine and sake (and they usually share with the chef). But for those that don't BYO, there’s beer and sake by the glass or bottle.