Masanori Nagano

We were greeted by the ever welcoming Chef-Owner Masanori “Maru” Nagano. Concerned about the boarding up, Maru-san explained that Mori Sushi was also a victim of rioting and vandalism during 2020. The restaurant was broken into, windows smashed (as were neighboring stores as well). :frowning: Maru-san explained that 2020 was a tough year for Mori Sushi, as unlike other top Sushi restaurants locally, they decided not to do any takeout (except for a brief period, but ultimately decided that they couldn’t keep up their standards with to-go options, so they stopped).

Thankfully the breaking in and vandalism, along with zero income didn’t defeat Maru-san and Mori Sushi. They persevered and now with the state officially re-opening, they survived the lockdown and 2020, and are now re-open! :slight_smile:

Currently, Mori Sushi is running on a skeleton crew of Chef-Owner Maru-san and 1 front of the house staff. That’s it. They are 100% vaccinated, and only doing 2 seatings a night, socially distanced at the Sushi Bar. For this dinner, we were the only party, so this was almost like a private dining event just for us. :slight_smile:

Mori Sushi has been the pinnacle of Omakase Sushi in L.A. for many years. From the time of original Owner and Chef Morihiro Onodera (during the Chowhound days), to when he sold his eponymous restaurant to his protégé, Chef Masanori “Maru” Nagano and beyond, Mori Sushi has always represented the best in L.A. In fact the last few dinners we had with Maru-san prior to the pandemic just reinforced how the student has surpassed the master; he’s been nothing short of fantastic.

First, it was time for a celebration: A celebration of surviving 2020, of welcoming back one of L.A.’s great treasures (Maru-san and Mori Sushi), supporting the Sake industry again, and just enjoying some darn good Sake. 😉