The Brothers Sushi

Brothers Sushi opened in Woodland Hills (21418 Ventura Blvd) around 1982 — it ran under the same owner for roughly 36 years before the 2018 sale, and a 2017 profile called it “around for more than three decades.” The exact founding year isn’t documented, but the sources and a longtime patron place it in the early 1980s.

• Mark Okuda Took What He Learned at Asanebo to Transform the Brothers Sushi — Ventura Blvd (ourventurablvd.com) · link
  “It had operated under the same owner for 36 years.”
• Sushi Brother Like No Other — Ventura Blvd Magazine (2017) · link
  “Brothers has been around for more than three decades”
• · Nostalgia reigns on menu at Brothers Sushi in Woodland Hills — Los Angeles Daily News (2015-04-01) · link

Mark Okuda opened and runs The Brothers Sushi with his business partner Steve Vartazarian, a Sherman Oaks attorney (founder of The Vartazarian Law Firm) and food entrepreneur who met Okuda while dining at Asanebo.

• Mark Okuda chef profile — Ora King · link
  “After he left Asanebo, he opened the first The Brothers Sushi with his business partner Steve Vartazarian in 2018.”
• Sushi Vet Masters Seasonal Cooking at L.A.'s Must-Visit Japanese Restaurant (Los Angeles Magazine profile, republished) — Yahoo Lifestyle / Los Angeles Magazine · link
  “His partner at The Brothers Sushi, Steve Vartazarian ... a Sherman Oaks lawyer who met Okuda while dining at Asanebo, is a food enthusiast who's turned into a food entrepreneur. He also owns FatStack Smokers”
• Mark Okuda Took What He Learned at Asanebo to Transform the Brothers Sushi — Ventura Blvd (ourventurablvd.com) · link
  “he purchased in 2018. It had operated under the same owner for 36 years.”
• Some of L.A.'s best sushi is headed to Culver City — Los Angeles Times (via AOL), Stephanie Breijo · link
  “Mark Okuda ... will split his time among the three Brothers Sushi locations.”
• The Brothers Sushi — About — The Brothers Sushi · link
  “The Brothers Sushi is a sushi cuisine located in Woodland Hills, CA since 2018”
• A Big Step For A Sushi Chef And His Wife / The Challenge Of Restaurant Ownership — Table Talk At Larry's (2018-10-08) · link
  “a soft opening for family and friends on the weekend and a grand opening nine days hence”
• Mark Okuda's Rocket Ride to Success at The Brothers Sushi — Table Talk At Larry's · link
  “he opened The Brothers Sushi in October 2018”
• Sushi Brother Like No Other — Ventura Blvd Magazine (2017) · link
  “Goro Uehara owns both Brothers Sushi and Little Brother Sushi ... Little Brother arrived in 2005”

Owner Mark Okuda worked at the Michelin-starred Asanebo in Studio City from 2011 until summer 2018 (roughly seven years), rising to the lead/number-one sushi-bar post, training under chef Tetsuya (Tetsu) Nakao (with Shunji Nakao also cited as a mentor).

• Mark Okuda chef profile — Ora King · link
  “From 2011 until summer of 2018 he worked at [Asanebo]”
• Mark Okuda Took What He Learned at Asanebo to Transform the Brothers Sushi — Ventura Blvd (ourventurablvd.com) · link
  “Trained at Michelin-starred Asanebo in Studio City; Mentors: Tetsu and Shunji Nakao”
• A Big Step For A Sushi Chef And His Wife / The Challenge Of Restaurant Ownership — Table Talk At Larry's (2018-10-08) · link
  “Owner and master sushi chef Tetsuya Nakao ... [Okuda] had been the lead sushi chef there for three years”
• Sushi Vet Masters Seasonal Cooking at L.A.'s Must-Visit Japanese Restaurant (Los Angeles Magazine profile, republished) — Yahoo Lifestyle / Los Angeles Magazine · link
  “Okuda, who previously ran the sushi counter at Studio City mainstay Asanebo ... which had earned a Michelin star in 2008 and 2009”

Mark Okuda trained at Asanebo in Studio City under Tetsu (Tetsuya) and Shunji Nakao, and grew up at Teru Sushi in Studio City where his mother worked as a server.

• Mark Okuda Took What He Learned at Asanebo to Transform the Brothers Sushi — Ventura Blvd (ourventurablvd.com) · link
  “two highly regarded sushi chefs he trained under at Asanebo: Tetsu and Shunji Nakao.”
• Mark Okuda's Rocket Ride to Success at The Brothers Sushi — Table Talk At Larry's · link
  “He grew up hanging out at Teru Sushi ... while his mom waited tables.”

Asanebo, where Okuda trained, was awarded one Michelin star from 2008 to 2009.

• Asanebo — Wikipedia · link
  “The Michelin Guide awarded Asanebo one Michelin star from 2008 to 2009.”

The Brothers Sushi is included in the MICHELIN Guide as a recommended/selected restaurant; no Michelin star or Bib Gourmand is awarded. The Michelin listing classifies it as Japanese/Sushi with a $$$$ price symbol and a 'two fork-and-knife' (comfort) rating.

• The Brothers Sushi – Woodland Hills (MICHELIN Guide Restaurant) — MICHELIN Guide · link
  “$$$$ Japanese, Sushi ... veteran chef, Mark Okuda ... the menu features such specials as a 'JYO' chirashi bowl, dry-aged grilled fish collar, and Hokkaido snowcrabs”
• Sushi Vet Masters Seasonal Cooking at L.A.'s Must-Visit Japanese Restaurant (Los Angeles Magazine profile, republished) — Yahoo Lifestyle / Los Angeles Magazine · link
  “Asanebo, which had earned a Michelin star in 2008 and 2009”
• Mark Okuda's Rocket Ride to Success at The Brothers Sushi — Table Talk At Larry's · link
  “earned a Michelin Guide listing”

The Brothers Sushi has been recognized in local press, including the LA Times '101 Restaurants' list; its own site also cites Eater LA Essential Sushi (2023), LA Times 101 (2020) and Best of (2022), and LA Magazine Best of Omakase (2020).

• The Brothers Sushi — About — The Brothers Sushi · link
  “Eater LA 2023; LA Times 101 2020; LA Times Best of 2022; LA Magazine Best of Omakase 2020”
• Some of L.A.'s best sushi is headed to Culver City — Los Angeles Times (via AOL), Stephanie Breijo · link
  “a 101 List awardee from Asanebo vet”

The restaurant has been recognized by major LA food press: included in Eater LA's essential Los Angeles sushi lists and named to the Los Angeles Times '101 List' of best restaurants.

• The Brothers Sushi — About — The Brothers Sushi · link
  “Eater LA ... The 19 Essential Sushi Restaurants in Los Angeles 2023 ... Los Angeles Times 101 restaurants 2020”
• Some of L.A.'s best sushi is headed to Culver City — Los Angeles Times (via AOL), Stephanie Breijo · link
  “a 101 List awardee from Asanebo vet Mark Okuda”

Signature/representative dishes include dry-aged kanpachi-amberjack on a sesame-miso base, seared dry-aged toro with wasabi-marinated ice plant, dry-aged yellowtail smoked with Japanese cherry wood, the Monaka (salmon tartare, mango jam, foie gras, crispy wafers), and the Dobin chowder.

• Brothers Sushi Brings A New Twist to Omakase in L.A. — Resy / Right This Way · link
  “the seared dry aged toro with the ice plant ... aged yellowtail ... the cherry wood with the instant smoker”
• StarChefs - Chef Mark Okuda of The Brothers Sushi — StarChefs · link
  “Dry-aged Kanpachi Amberjack, Sesame Miso Paste ... Monaka: Salmon Tartare, Mango Jam, Foie Gras, Crispy Wafers ... The Dobin Chowder”

The restaurant is known for in-house dry-aged fish (bluefin tuna, kanpachi, hamachi, Ora King salmon from New Zealand); Okuda works with Liwei Liao of The Joint, whom he credits for dry-aging knowledge.

• The Brothers Sushi — About — The Brothers Sushi · link
  “dry aged fish such as blue fin tuna, Ora King Salmon from New Zealand, Kanpachi, hamachi”
• Some of L.A.'s best sushi is headed to Culver City — Los Angeles Times (via AOL), Stephanie Breijo · link
  “a dry-aging fridge to process fish sourced by Liwei Liao of the Joint”

Signature dishes emphasize in-house dry-aged fish: seared dry-aged toro with wasabi-marinated ice plant, and dry-aged yellowtail smoked with Japanese cherry wood; served as omakase or a la carte.

• Mark Okuda Took What He Learned at Asanebo to Transform the Brothers Sushi — Ventura Blvd (ourventurablvd.com) · link
  “seared dry-aged toro with pickled, wasabi-marinated ice plant ... dry-aged kanpachi with amberjack”
• Mark Okuda's Rocket Ride to Success at The Brothers Sushi — Table Talk At Larry's · link
  “the dry aged yellowtail, which is smoked with Japanese cherry wood”

In pre-2018 press the restaurant appears as “Brothers Sushi” (e.g., a 2015 LA Daily News review); under Mark Okuda it brands as “The Brothers Sushi” at the same address. Whether the “The” was a deliberate rename at the 2018 takeover is unsettled — one takeover write-up indicates the name was kept.

• Sushi Brother Like No Other — Ventura Blvd Magazine (2017) · link
  “Brothers has been around for more than three decades”
• The Brothers Sushi Woodland Hills (official site) — thebrotherssushi.com · link
• Nostalgia reigns on menu at Brothers Sushi in Woodland Hills — Los Angeles Daily News (2015-04-01) · link
• ✗ Mark Okuda Took What He Learned at Asanebo to Transform the Brothers Sushi — Ventura Blvd (ourventurablvd.com) · link

Okuda opened a third location, The Brothers Sushi Culver City, at 9240 Culver Blvd in 2023, taking over the former K-Zo space; Kenji Sato is listed as executive chef.

• Some of L.A.'s best sushi is headed to Culver City — Los Angeles Times (via AOL), Stephanie Breijo · link
  “He's taking over the former K-Zo space, which served Culver City for nearly two decades before closing last month.”
• About | The Brothers Sushi Culver City — thebrotherssushicc.com · link
  “now open in Culver City ... Executive Chef Kenji Sato”

Okuda opened a second location, The Brothers Sushi Santa Monica, at 1008 Montana Avenue (former Maria's Italian Kitchen) in 2022.

• The Brothers Sushi Adding Second Location in Santa Monica — WhatNow Los Angeles · link
  “located at 1008 Montana Ave ... will replace the closed Maria's Italian Kitchen”
• About | The Brothers Sushi Culver City — thebrotherssushicc.com · link
  “Santa Monica since 2022”

The Brothers Sushi is located at 21418 Ventura Blvd, Woodland Hills, CA 91364; phone (818) 456-4509.

• The Brothers Sushi — About — The Brothers Sushi · link
  “21418 Ventura Blvd, Woodland Hills, CA 91364”
• The Brothers Sushi — Updated March 2026 — Yelp · link
  “21418 Ventura Blvd, Woodland Hills, California”
• The Brothers Sushi – Woodland Hills (MICHELIN Guide Restaurant) — MICHELIN Guide · link
  “21418 Ventura Blvd., Woodland Hills, CA, 91364, USA $$$$ Japanese, Sushi”

The Brothers Sushi (Woodland Hills, 21418 Ventura Blvd) is open and operating as of 2026.

• The Brothers Sushi — Updated March 2026 — Yelp · link
  “Updated March 2026 ... 829 Reviews”
• The Brothers Sushi Woodland Hills — Tock — Exploretock · link
  “active reservation listing”
• The Brothers Sushi Woodland Hills (official site) — thebrotherssushi.com · link
  “Copyright 2025 The Brothers Sushi - All Rights Reserved”

The brand expanded with a Santa Monica location at 1008 Montana Ave (announced Sept 2021, opened ~2022, in the former Maria's Italian Kitchen space) and a Culver City location (opened late 2023), developed with business partner Steve Vartazarian.

• The Brothers Sushi — About — The Brothers Sushi · link
  “located in Woodland Hills, CA since 2018, in 2022 open in Santa Monica, and now open in Culver City”
• Some of L.A.'s best sushi is headed to Culver City — Los Angeles Times (via AOL), Stephanie Breijo · link
  “Brothers Sushi is expanding to Culver City in mid-to-late November 2023 ... already operates locations in Woodland Hills and Santa Monica”
• The Brothers Sushi Adding Second Location in Santa Monica — WhatNow Los Angeles · link
  “1008 Montana Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90403 ... will replace the closed Maria's Italian Kitchen ... does not have an official opening date”

Okuda grew up in the San Fernando Valley and spent time as a child at Teru Sushi in Studio City (where his mother served), then trained at Asanebo before buying The Brothers Sushi.

• Mark Okuda's Rocket Ride to Success at The Brothers Sushi — Table Talk At Larry's · link
  “He grew up hanging out at Teru Sushi ... while his mom waited tables.”
• Brothers Sushi Brings A New Twist to Omakase in L.A. — Resy / Right This Way · link
  “He grew up ... at Teru Sushi in Studio City ... where his mother worked as a server.”

The brand's own narrative: The Brothers Sushi specializes in seasonal fish from Japan and in-house dry-aged fish (bluefin tuna, Ora King salmon from New Zealand, kanpachi, hamachi) plus local produce such as ice plant from Girl and Dug Farm in San Marcos, CA; it offers seasonal omakase chef's courses or a la carte, has a sake sommelier on site, and credits Chef Mark Okuda with over 25 years of experience.

• The Brothers Sushi — About — The Brothers Sushi · link
  “seasonal fish from Japan, dry aged fish such as blue fin tuna ... Ora King Salmon from New Zealand, Kanpachi, hamachi ... locally grown produces such as Ice plants from San Marcos California farm called Girl and Dug ... With over 25 years of experience, Chef Mark Okuda ... a Sake Sommelier is on site”
• Some of L.A.'s best sushi is headed to Culver City — Los Angeles Times (via AOL), Stephanie Breijo · link
  “will feature at least one dry-aging fridge to process fish ... toro, sea bream, amberjack, yellowtail, ora and salmon”