I have been meaning to try Noma forever. Legend has it, that up until a couple years ago, Noma was owned and operated by Mr. Noma himself and that the sushi was terrific. The same legend says that Noma sold his joint and that maybe the new owners don’t provide the same service as Noma did.

I can’t say for sure, because a) I don’t know the history and b) I didn’t go when Mr. Noma owned the joint.

Noma is a pretty standard sushi experience, nothing overly special and not too much to complain about. The service is pretty spotty, it goes in spurts of attentiveness and then neglect. It’s best just to be assertive and let your server know that you need some help, don’t wait for them to come to you.

The rolls at Noma were actually a little disappointing. Rather bland and overpriced for the size. The nigiri, however, was quite good with generous cuts.

A couple of appetizers worth ordering. One is the spicy tuna on crispy rice, along the same lines of Roku’s signature appetizer. The other is a Korean style tuna sashimi that borrows some inspiration from Hawaiian Poke with a nice sesame oil flavor.

Noma looks big from the outside, but in reality, there are limited tables and seats at the bar. If you time it wrong on a weekend, you could be waiting a while.

Prices are a bit on the higher side, especially for the quality, but stick to the nigiri and sashimi and you should be satisfied.

Noma
2031 Wilshire Boulevard
Santa Monica