Where would you eat your last sushi in Los Angeles?

My son loves sushi.

In about 6 weeks he is going to get a kidney transplant. This is a good thing. The bad part is that he will have to stop eating raw fish and meat, including sushi, after the transplant. He’s okay with this, but we are trying to get in a few great sushi meals between now and mid-November.

Doesn’t have to be fancy, but where would you go if you had to pick a place for your last sushi (without leaving the greater LA area)?

Urasawa if it’s his very last sushi meal.

Good luck to your son

agree with both sentiments

Thanks. From your experiences there, do you think a (respectful, enthusiastic, well-dressed) 17 year-old would feel welcomed there? For him, it’s not just the food, but the vibe of the service, etc. If it’s too “soup Nazi-esque” he would probably not enjoy it as much.

This is 4 years old but the Dr. is the authority on the topic.

Not in the slightest. Hiro-San is one of the nicest sushi chefs out there. He seems genuinely happy to serve you unlike the other top sushi chefs in LA. He always has a smile.

My wife hates fish eggs. He personally calls her the day of the dinner and implored her to try his version. After she ate it (she loved it), he asked her what she thought. She told him she loved it, his response was a resounding “yes!” With a head nod as if his favorite team just scored a winning goal.

Granted due to the price of the meal, they should do everything to make you happy. But in the sushi nazi chefs littered around Los Angeles have shown, being expensive doesn’t mean they’ll be nice.

Let them know why you are going and your son’s condition. I am sure they will treat him like a king.

Except make sure you tell him any dietary restrictions up front. I saw him go off on a woman who told him when she received her course after he had asked at the beginning of the meal.

oh yes, definitely make sure to convey any issues at the time of reservation and again at the start of the meal

Okay, I will check with the banker and see if we can afford this. I could always sell my other kidney, oops, I guess I’d better keep that one.

OK so we have sushi covered, at least one night. but what about other raw stuff? Where’s the best steak tartare right now? Is torchon of foie ok?

Not as important because he’s not so big on raw beef and doesn’t love liver (as most teens don’t).

The other food restriction that he will have to live with is to avoid buffets–just too many chances for either bacteria growth or contamination from other people. That’s really only a problem at summer camp and when he gets to college. But we are told by others that if you just ask, most places will happily plate food for you from the kitchen.

Mostly, we are just visiting all of his favorite sushi spots around town and looking for at least one splurge-level meal. The only downside of Urasawa is that some of our friends have asked to join us and I doubt I can ask most of them to drop $400+ on one meal.

Excuse my ignorance, but why would his condition rule out top quality sushi in the future.

As an aside I remember when we went to Japan with my wife around halfway pregnant with our second and the peculiar looks we got when saying we would like to avoid raw fish as she was pregnant.

Even top quality sushi is at least somewhat susceptible to hosting various parasites or bacteria that would be no problem for someone with a normal immune system. But a transplant recipient is on immuno suppressants that could lead to serious health challenges including infection. We have been told that after a few years the dose of anti-rejection drugs may be lowered to the point where this will be less of an issue, but at least for now, he will avoid those things.

how about fermented foods? Specifically, on my bucket list would be the white kimchi at Myong Dong Kyoja.

Not sure, Paul. I will ask.

Wow. Best of luck for a successful outcome. I would also vote for Urasawa.

A friend is 6 months out from her transplant and she can’t have sushi, carpaccio or steak tartare - or grapefruit and pomegranate but she can have sushi with cooked ingredients like shrimp, smoked salmon and such so that’s good news!

And she’s doing great and says it it alll worth it and good luck!

Thanks for the positive thoughts. The grapefruit and pomegranate are limited due to their potassium content. Right now my son is not eating much potassium or phosphorous due to his failing kidneys, so it’s hard to eat healthy. The phosphorus (think dairy and whole grains) is allowed after the surgery, but it can take a while to get potassium back in the diet, depending on the immuno-suppressants. Some folks wind up with too much and some with too little. Too much potassium can cause heart attack, so…

Is there a decent oyster bar in LA? Fishing with Dynamite in Manhattan Beach is ok.

No doubt, Urasawa. You will have a blast. One of the few “uber” pricey meals we have had where, upon leaving, we wanted to make reservations for the next day.
Best of luck and hope the sushi dinner is fantastic.

MK