Izakaya & Bar Fu-ga

On Friday, I was invited to Downtown LA for Jury Duty. I took advantage of LA's finest public transportation to get there and then after a thrilling 5 hours of duty joined my brother in law for lunch.  Gavin took me to the kind of restaurant you wouldn't even notice if you were touring around Los Angeles. On the fringe of Little Tokyo, Fu-ga is hidden down a small stairway in the basement of a large skyscraper.

Upon entering there is a stark difference between the shabby stairs and the beautiful restaurant below. The restaurant is modern and sleek and quite a surprise from the street above. It has a full bar along one edge with a glowing bar top and a collection of tables and booths along the side.

I found the lunch menu a bit confusing to navigate, confused about how the lunch special worked and interested that it isn't possible to get your typical sushi special. I am glad it isn't because too many people claim to love sushi and then stick to the Chef's sampler of yellowtail, salmon and ahi without stepping away to try some new flavors. The menu offers a lunch special that comes with soup, an entree and a sushi roll of choice. They also have a few entrees by themselves and some other sushi combinations.

I ordered the green iced tea which was clearly freshly brewed with a bit of tea texture to it. I also ordered the Chirashi Donburi Sushi which came with a small salad, miso soup and a rainbow of sashimi over a bowl of rice. The dish was beautiful in itself and there was more than just your typical fish adorning the plate. I only wish I knew what I was eating! One tasty bite had the tang of herring and I wondered how I could order it again.

My companion ordered the confusing lunch special with a spicy tuna roll, shrimp & vegetable tempura and the miso soup.  Other things like the Fu-ga Bento box caught my eye as a sampler plate where I could try lots of things and the Dragon & Rainbow roll's which I've had before at other places.

The food was good and the service was fine as well. I liked the hidden atmosphere as though I'd stepped into 1920's speakeasy instead of an underground restaurant.  Nice enough to go with clients, this restaurant is a keeper on my list for next time I'm downtown.

Izakaya & Bar Fu-ga
111 S San Pedro St
Los Angeles, CA 90012