Sushi in the stars: Takami Sushi & Robata Bar

Perched atop the skyscrapers, Takami Sushi & Robata Bar towers over downtown LA housing a hipster following on the hunt for a dynamite after-work haunt. Featuring floor-to-ceiling windows on the 21^st deck, the view from the inside is staggering. The view from the patio outside...stratospheric. And the food is spectacular in equal measure.

This is the restaurant that could give credibility to downtown LA's much hyped gentrifying effort. The faces are as fresh as the fish, the energy as illumine.

The menu is exceptional - options abound, even for the raw fish fearful. If you can handle the kick, bypass the edamame and head straight for the shishito - they are a sassier step up, lightly dusted with bonito. The Creamy Rock Shrimp Tempura Purse tastes as pretty as it sounds. And the Poki Martini: you almost hate to eat it - it's a work of art. Served parfait style in a martini glass, layers of spicy tuna poki atop caviar mashed potatoes sprinkled with cucumber, red onion, avocado, and seaweed. Karate Kid meets Sex in the City.

For my entrée I had to go with the Miso Chilean Sea bass, served with Champagne Yuzu sauce and Wasabi Mashed Potatoes. Buttery and magnificent - if I didn't know better, I'd say the dish was caramelized. The homemade potato chips wedged into the mashed are a darling touch. And it wasn't just the sea bass - looking around, every dish outdid the previous one, each plated with pride and precision.

You could easily make a meal and a night out of the robata bar - Japanese grilled delicacies as sumptuous as they smell. The restaurant at large was hosting several large parties, on a Monday night no less; it easily lends itself to such. With so much to sample and an unparalleled cityscape, you'll likely be inspired to throw one yourself. The Poki Martini is reason enough to celebrate.

Finish your evening with the rainbow array of Mochi; mango, strawberry, vanilla, green tea, and cappuccino, carefully placed atop fresh mint leaves and a mélange of fresh berries and melon; a rare opportunity to cleanse your palate the tropically delicious way.

Takami Sushi & Robata Restaurant is an elevation of expectation and an amplification of detailed attention. Go for the fish, stay for the sunset, and have yourself a cocktail. Don't worry about wanting to order everything off the menu. Dine once, and it's certain, you'll be back to do it again.

By: Jolie Loeb

TAKAMI SUSHI & ROBATA RESTAURANT

811 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 2100

Los Angeles, CA 90017

Phone: 213.236.9600

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