Shunji has been making some waves in the Los Angeles sushi scene for the last couple of years. It has a highly unlikely location: in the refurbished Chili Bowl/Mr. Cecil’s on Pico/Wellesley in West L.a, in the shadow of the Santa Monica freeway, right next to a hardware store and across from an adult bookstore. It’s quite nice on the redone inside though, and the owner/head chef, Shunji Nakao has some serious cred: he was one of the original chefs at Matsuhisa in its heyday and previously helmed Asanebo. His eponymous Shunji is an altogether more modest affair: a two-chef counter with not much room to spare, some tables and a very distinctly non-Temple of Sushi vibe. Continue reading →