Sora Brentwood, the new hand-roll-focused sushi restaurant, has been packed since the day it opened. We made a reservation before heading over on a Saturday night with our two daughters and a friend who met us there, and it’s a good thing we did — every table was full and the room stayed loud and busy the entire time. After working our way through about sixteen hand rolls across eight different flavors between the four of us, I walked away with mixed feelings: the food is excellent, but the experience comes with real trade-offs worth knowing before you go.
The Concept: One Hand Roll at a Time
Sora Brentwood’s entire menu is built around DIY hand rolls, and there’s a specific way you’re supposed to assemble them. Your nori (seaweed) comes out first, served in its own little box — that’s intentional, so it stays crisp instead of turning soggy while you eat. Then your server brings out a “boat” of temaki on sticks: rice topped with fish or whatever else the roll calls for. To build the roll, you take a sheet of nori, lay the temaki stick-side down on top, fold the nori over along the long edge, and gently pinch the sides closed. Then you slide the stick out, and you’re left with your own open-style hand roll. It sounds more complicated than it is, and the restaurant gives you a picture guide at the table if you get lost. Each roll is small — really two bites, maybe three — and it’s meant to be eaten right away by one person, not shared or cut into pieces the way a typical roll is.
What We Ordered at Sora Brentwood
Between the four of us, we tried a number of different temaki’s including:
- Kumamoto Red Snapper – wasabi, olive oil & truffle salt, yuzu kosho, cucumber, and micro cilantro
- Toro Truffle Jalapeno – cucumber, cilantro, truffle oil, wasabi, micro cilantro
- Tuna Poke – cucumber, crispy shallots, eel sauce, sesame seeds, and scallions
- Coconut Shrimp – soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, scallion
- Spicy California – eel sauce, kanikama, avocado, phyllo
- Spicy Lobster – eel sauce, spicy mayo, masago, crispy potato, chives
- Black Cod Miso – eel sauce, phyllo
- Seared Japanese A5 Wagyu – tare sauce, crispy garlic
We also had spicy tuna on crispy rice and edamame for appetizers.
6 Things I Loved
- The fish quality. Every roll we tried tasted fresh, and none of them felt like an afterthought.
- The black cod miso phyllo. This one specifically was excellent — flaky, rich, and different from anything else on the menu.
- The variety. Wagyu, baked black cod, fried coconut shrimp, and all the classic raw fish favorites — Sora covers a lot of ground without feeling like it’s trying too hard.
- The design. Sora Brentwood feels upscale without feeling stiff — the kind of place that works for a casual dinner or a slightly dressed-up night out in the same outfit.
- The drinks. Sora has a canning machine that crafts and seals your cocktail or mocktail to order, and the strawberry matcha cloud is worth a repeat visit on its own.
- The service. Our server was excellent, patient walking us through the roll system, and the rest of the staff was just as nice.
4 Things I Didn’t
- The price-to-portion ratio. Because each hand roll is a single serving, you can’t split one the way you’d split a cut roll at a typical sushi restaurant. Everyone at the table orders (and pays for) their own rolls, and the bill adds up fast. Our server told us the typical order is four to five hand rolls per person — I had five and it was enough, my husband had five, and my friend, who doesn’t eat a ton, ordered two and had to go back for two more.
- No rice paper option. Every roll comes wrapped in seaweed, and while it’s good seaweed, if you prefer rice paper wraps, you’re out of luck. My husband isn’t usually a seaweed fan and managed fine, but it’s worth knowing going in — there’s no substitution.
- Not much for picky kids. Our 11-year-old ate two rolls and was satisfied, but our younger daughter, who doesn’t eat sushi or fish, really struggled. Outside of a California roll and an avocado roll, there’s no chicken, meat, or other non-sushi option for a kid (or adult) who wants something simple — she ended up eating a bowl of rice.
- Valet-only parking. You park in the back and hand off your car, and it isn’t cheap — budget for it as part of the cost of the meal.
Bringing Kids to Sora Brentwood
Sort of. If your kids already eat sushi, Sora is a good night out — there’s plenty on the menu for an adventurous 11-year-old to try, and the format itself is a little novel for a kid, ordering and eating their own individual roll. But if you have a child who doesn’t do fish, or won’t eat around seaweed, there isn’t much of a backup plan. A California roll or avocado roll is about as far as the kids’ options go, and there’s no robata meat or teriyaki chicken safety net here the way there is at some other family-friendly spots in the neighborhood.
How Sora Brentwood Compares to Katsuya
We have Katsuya just down the street, and it’s hard not to compare the two. Katsuya is just as good, in my opinion, and you get noticeably more food for the price — it’s built for sharing in a way Sora simply isn’t. Sora Brentwood is a well-made addition to the Brentwood sushi scene, and it’s different enough from the neighborhood’s more traditional sushi spots to be worth trying. But between the two, Katsuya is still our go-to, and my daughters agree — they’d pick Katsuya over Sora if you asked them today.
Tips for Your Visit
- Make a reservation. Sora Brentwood was completely full on a Saturday night, and I’d assume most weekend dinners look the same.
- Plan on four to five hand rolls per person, based on what our server recommended and what we saw at our own table.
- Check inKind before you go. Sora accepts inKind, and there’s currently a promo for $30 off a $100 tab, which helps offset the price. You’ll also get cash back in your inKind account to use at another restaurant later.
- Budget for valet. Parking is in the back and valet-only, and it’s an added cost on top of the bill.
- Bring dessert money. Sora is an easy walk from both Susie Cakes and Bacio di Latte, so it’s a natural stop before or after dinner.
- There’s a second location. If Brentwood isn’t convenient, Sora also has a location elsewhere in LA.
The Bottom Line
I’d go back, though I’m not in a rush to. Sora Brentwood is a solid, well-executed restaurant with great fish, an enjoyable concept, and a design I love, but it’s expensive for what you actually get, and it’s not an easy yes if you’re bringing a kid who isn’t into real sushi. It’s a nice option to have in Brentwood, but it’s not going to replace Katsuya as our regular spot.
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