5 Good Sushi Restaurants In The San Fernando Valley

Today, I came across kevinEats' post on Go's Mart, an obscure sushi joint in San Fernando Valley, and it reminded me that there are quite a few good sushi joints in San Fernando Valley. Most of them never make the local media's "Best Sushi In The Valley" lists because apparently L.A. writers don't like to venture further than Northridge for their food. It makes finding recommendations around where I live pretty difficult.

Here are a few places that we've really enjoyed:

• Brothers Sushi: A tiny restaurant in a non-descript strip mall on Ventura Blvd. The service is friendly, the food is good, and there's quite a number of rolls that are interesting and delicious. We especially like the spicy tuna rice cakes, and the kerry roll is pretty good, and the salmon nigiri is always yummy. A warning: I am pretty sensitive to albacore tuna, and whenever I eat it here, it does terrible things to my stomach. I would skip it if you are sensitive. 
• Little Brother's Sushi: If you can't make it to Brothers, this is a good alternative, though I think this one is more popular. It's also on Ventura Blvd, a further bit down. They have almost the same menu. 
• Shibuya: This place is across from Calabasas Commons. It gets crowded pretty fast, and for good reason. It has some great rolls, the nigiri is fresh, and we especially loved their rock shrimp tempura. (It's not always available, so you have to ask for it.)
• SUGARFISH by Sushi Nozawa: This restaurant just opened at The Commons, so we haven't had a chance to try it yet. We have tried the one in the Santa Monica location, and it's fantastic. This restaurant is a bit more refined than your normal neighborhood sushi joint, and they offer a tasting menu. It's not for those on a budget. 
• SushiEx: Budgeters should go here. This is a little mom & pop place on Vanowen in a tiny strip mall. I'd recommend it for takeout as there are only two small tables inside. As many Yelpers noted, they skimp on the fish for the sushi rolls, so watch what you order. What you do get is pretty good, and they have a fairly large, interesting menu for such as small operation. The owners do not speak much English, so be a little patient with them. They also offer other Asian snacks in front of the register.