Taking a Deep Dive into Sakana Sushi Lounge

  I have eaten at Sakana Sushi on 9th and Olive many times over the years and have always enjoyed the food and overall dining experience. A few weeks ago, I had the extreme pleasure of meeting with and getting to know the inciteful and always happy Brandon Lee.

Brandon shares the General Manager role with Luis Kim for Sakana owner, David Bang. David opened Sakana Sushi Lounge in January 2017, while still the owner of a restaurant in La Canada with the same name. David was attracted to Level Hotel and felt it was the perfect location for an upscale and hip restaurant with a full liquor bar that caters to dining enthusiasts. He designed the restaurant’s interior to reflect the concept of the sea with wave tiled walls, bubble lights, hanging netting from the ceiling, and a wooden boat-styled bar.

David is a fanatic about providing consistent, high-quality food. He wakes up at 4 am daily to ensure the restaurant is fully stocked with the freshest uni from Santa Barbara and the “best of the best” curated fish selection in the market.

According to Brandon, “making rice several times every day is an important part of the menu as 70% of the menu items are sushi or rolls.” He proudly shares that they use only the finest rice that ranks in the top three for sushi from Japan. Brandon’s personal favorite food menu items are the Wagyu tataki and the chirashi bowl.

The lounge area features a full bar that stocks a wide range of sake, Japanese whisky, and exquisite tequilas. Sakana boasts its own collection of specialty drinks with such exotic names as The Dodger Blue and The Samurai.

Sakana was a big hit at SPNA’s A Taste of South Park in September. Brandon and the Sakana team loved the opportunity to engage with the community. It gave him a better understanding of how to cater to the local community. Currently 50% of his business is local and 50% is from events, hotels, and visitors.

Brandon said that “it has been a great honor and privilege feeding South Park residents and their families.” In turn, it helps them to feed their staff and their extended families. He is very appreciative to the neighbors supporting them for all these years. He concluded, “Tradition and quality is much more important than following trends. We will do our best to make sure we make your time well spent when you come see us.”

The restaurant and bar open every day at 5 pm and cater to a lively late-night crowd, serving food and drinks until 2 am. 

By Marty Goldberg