6 days ago
This Hand Roll Bar From a Sushi Master Is Opening in Highland Park
Los Feliz sushi spot Sogo Roll Bar is expanding with a second location along a busy stretch of York Boulevard in Highland Park. Opening on June 4 in the former Holcomb space, the restaurant will debut with the same menu of hand and cut rolls, donburi, and starters, including cucumber salad, as the original location. Sogo Roll Bar comes from a partnership between David Gibbs and Kiminobu Saito of renowned Valley sushi restaurant Sushi Note, and Sarah Dietz and Dustin Lancaster, the industry veterans behind Los Angeles bars that include Bar Covell, L&E Oyster Bar, and Real Charmer.
Although Dietz wasn't actively looking to expand Sogo, the opportunity arose after Holcomb closed in April. During the two-month flip, the restaurant's interior was updated with green Japanese stucco walls and maroon heron print Gucci wallpaper. Simon St. James of New Made LA designed lighting for the space, while Ellery Stoneware created custom earth-tone serveware. A wooden bar runs the length of the dining room, flanked by a handful of tables, and a patio that faces the street outside seems ideal for sake and snacks.
Fans of Sogo's original location will find familiar favorites on the Highland Park menu, including the roll sets with fish like snapper, yellowtail, and salmon. Shareable starters include spicy tuna crispy rice, black cod, salmon sashimi, and baked crab crispy rice. Larger donburis are topped with a choice of raw fish like salmon or albacore, black cod, or cucumber and avocado. While the roll sets offer an easy way to try a diverse array of fish, individual rolls are also available with toro, spicy tuna, unagi, and more.
Alongside the food menu, Sogo also serves sake, wine, beer, and non-alcoholic beverages. Sakes are divided into three categories to guide customers, like 'light and refreshing,' 'savory and interesting,' and 'fruity and funky.' While Sogo's Los Feliz location didn't open with a liquor license, the drinks program is a major focus in Highland Park. 'We're really trying to have a bit more focus on being a drinking and snack destination, as well as full meals,' Dietz says. Sushi is what the restaurant may be best known for, but she hopes locals in the neighborhood will pop by for a glass of sake and snacks before a show or dinner.
Sogo's arrival in Highland Park brings an all-day sushi option to a neighborhood with a small number of Japanese restaurants. One of the only other sushi restaurants in the area, Ichijiku Sushi, is only open for dinner on weekdays, with late afternoon hours on the weekends. Sogo is also focused on offering hand rolls at a price point where people can be regulars, with most sets falling into the $30 range. 'Raw fish is never going to be cheap price point, but we really try to ensure that it's a price point that you can be comfortable eating at,' Dietz says.
Even before opening, Dietz says that neighbors are looking forward to the restaurant's arrival. 'A neighbor was walking their dog down the street a couple weeks ago, and I told her it was going to be a hand roll bar,' she says. 'She screamed out loud in excitement.'
Sogo Roll Bar opens in Highland Park at 5535 York Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90042 on June 4. It will be open Monday to Thursday from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m.
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5535 York Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90042, ,
