"Hiroyuki Naruke's one-star Edomae counter is downtown LA's most exacting omakase — book the $200 seating for a solo sushi pilgrimage."
About Q Sushi
Two hundred dollars, around twenty courses, one chef working the counter. Hiroyuki Naruke trained in Tokyo and ran his own sushiya in the Nogizaka district before opening Q Sushi at 521 West 7th Street in downtown Los Angeles in 2013. The Michelin Guide awarded it a star in 2019, and it has stayed in the guide since. Q is the room we send purists to in our Los Angeles dining guide, and it ranks near the top of our best sushi restaurants worldwide. For the markers we look for, read the seven signs of a great restaurant.
The Kitchen
Naruke cooks Edomae sushi, the Tokyo style that treats fish before it reaches the rice through curing, marinating and aging. He brushes nigiri with nikiri soy so nothing arrives with a side dish of bottled shoyu, ages tuna and serves it as zuke, simmers anago until it needs no knife, and finishes with a dense, cake-like tamago. The shari is warm and seasoned with red vinegar, Edomae to the core. Dinner is omakase only, roughly twenty pieces and courses for about $200, with a $300 premium option and a shorter $150 lunch. Naruke makes every piece himself and serves each guest directly across the cypress counter, so the pace is his, and he imports much of the fish from Japan. The Michelin Guide gave Q Sushi a star in 2019 at 521 West 7th Street, and the room has kept its place in the guide through the latest edition. There is no California-roll concession here and no printed menu; you eat what the counter decides, in the order it decides.
The Room
This is a tiny, monastic room behind a quiet frontage in the Financial District: a short cypress counter, a handful of seats, and almost nothing on the walls to pull focus from the fish. The lighting is even and bright over the counter, the sound level low and conversational, closer to a library than a restaurant. Seats are set so each diner faces Naruke directly. Dress is smart-casual, though many treat it as an occasion. There are two seatings a night, at 6 and 8:15, and the second is firm. Phones down, attention up.
Best for Solo Dining
Book Q Sushi for solo dining for three reasons: the counter is built for one, the omakase needs no companion to enjoy, and Naruke serves each guest individually, so a solo diner gets the same direct attention as a couple. A typical scene: one seat at the cypress counter, a cup of tea, and twenty pieces handed over one at a time with a quiet word about each fish. It also works to impress a client who knows sushi, precisely because there is nothing to hide behind. Take the early seating if you want to linger after.
Not for
Not for a long, chatty group dinner: the counter seats only a handful, runs two fixed seatings, and the 8:15 turn is firm, so there is no lingering for hours.
Frequently Asked
Is Q Sushi worth it?
Yes, if you want serious Edomae sushi and not a scene. Q Sushi has held a Michelin star since 2019, and chef Hiroyuki Naruke prepares every piece himself across the counter. The roughly $200 omakase buys about twenty courses of Tokyo-style sushi, with aged tuna, nikiri-brushed nigiri and warm red-vinegar rice. For purists it is among the best in Los Angeles. See our best sushi guide.
How hard is it to book Q Sushi?
Moderately hard, mainly because the room is small. Q Sushi takes reservations through Tock, with two dinner seatings at 6 and 8:15, Tuesday through Saturday, and a deposit that holds the seat. Weekend slots go first, so book a couple of weeks out; weeknights are easier. Cancellations need 48 hours' notice for a deposit refund. Lunch midweek is the easiest seat to land.
What is the dress code at Q Sushi?
Smart-casual, with no formal requirement. Q Sushi is a quiet counter in downtown Los Angeles, so a shirt or a simple dress is right; jackets are welcome but not required. Avoid strong cologne or perfume, which interferes with the fish, and keep phone use minimal at the counter. Most diners treat the meal as an occasion and dress with a little care.
What is the average meal price at Q Sushi?
The dinner omakase runs about $200 per person for roughly twenty pieces and courses, with a $300 premium option and a shorter lunch near $150. Sake or beer, tax and tip push a typical dinner toward $280 to $350 a head. It is firmly a splurge, but for chef-made Edomae sushi at a Michelin-starred counter, the price is in line with the city's best.
What should I order at Q Sushi?
There is nothing to order; dinner is omakase, so Naruke decides the pieces and the order. Expect aged tuna served as zuke, nikiri-brushed seasonal nigiri, simmered anago and a finishing tamago. If you have a real allergy, tell the counter when you book rather than at the seat. To sit closest to the action, request the counter when you reserve on Tock.
Reserve a Table
Reserve at Q Sushi on Tock
Book on Tock for the 6 or 8:15 seating, Tuesday to Saturday. A deposit holds the seat; 48 hours to cancel.
Affiliate disclosure: Restaurants for Kings may earn a commission when you book through our reservation links, at no cost to you. Our scores are editorial and never paid for.
Practical Information
Address521 West 7th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90014
NeighbourhoodFinancial District, Downtown
CuisineEdomae sushi (omakase)
Price$200 dinner omakase ($150 lunch)
Dress CodeSmart-casual
SeatingCounter only · two seatings (6 / 8:15)
ReservationTock · ~2 weeks ahead
Phone+1 213-225-6285
AccessibilityGround floor, step-free
DietaryPescatarian focus; allergies on booking
