Haru

by: Amanda Fornecker

For a posh and yummy evening check out Haru. Rolls are an average price and there are specialty drinks to be ordered from a fully stocked bar. The dim lighting sets an intimate scene, but it's not just for the couple with the romantic anniversary. You can come to Haru for a chill night with a group or to catch up with your long lost friend.

With multiple locations throughout the city, you'll be able to enjoy some good Japanese food at your convenience. Upon entering the Gramercy Park location, there's a waterfall and two floors, making the ambience very pleasant and exciting. Farther uptown, there's a Haru restaurant and a Haru sake bar just across the street. The sake bar serves a full menu as well.

The wait staff is attentive and the food is definitely very tasty. It does tend to get crowded, especially on weekends so reservations are usually a good idea. But if you go during off times, like most restaurants (early or late) you'll be able to get a table with little or no wait. Just be cautious of popular dining hours.

Haru is great to grab a couple of rolls, sit by the bar and relax, and just hang out with friends. Definitely a great place to get sushi and sake.

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Izaka-ya by Katsuya

Another sushi restaurant on 3rd Street? Puuuuhlease. With Sushi Roku across the street, and Sushi Mon, Zen Grill, Hirozen, and Café Sushi all within striking distance, is Izaka-ya by Katsuya really a necessary addition to the already overpopulated 3rd Street and Beverly Blvd. restaurant rows? One bite of their infamous baked crab hand roll and it’s clear that the answer is an emphatic “Yes!”

Walking into this rather inconspicuous sushi spot on 3rd Street, it is not immediately apparent what is attracting such a sizable crowd of entertainment industry hob-nobbers, ladies who lunch, and the occasional starlet or recognizable actor. Once the rock shrimp tempura, spicy tuna on crispy rice, and the aforementioned hand rolls begin arriving on the table, all will be illuminated. You might even find yourself in a chopstick war for that last piece of the crispy yet succulent rock shrimp.

An offspring of the always hopping Katsuya in the Valley, the menu at Izaka-ya includes all the fan favorites that drove Westsiders over the Hill, even with the ever-rising gas prices. The atmosphere, while still minimalist, even has a dash more charm than its older sister, and is beginning to show signs of a hot scene -- enough to give even Sushi Roku, frequented by Britney Spears, reason for concern.

Though it has only been open since February 2007, the whispers are driving the chopstick-bearing sushi hounds in by the hordes, so reservations are a must. The service, though attentive, struggles to keep up when slammed during prime dining hours, but the creative, artistic rolls prepared with high-quality, fresh fish keep diners happy. Not even fighting with the sleek silver Mercedes for that last parking meter on the street can detract from this dining experience. Especially if Nicole Richie is sitting at the next table.