This mild-flavored mackerel, found on our limited availability menu, is specially sourced from Japan and served with ponzu, a touch of garlic & ginger, and fresh chives. Unlike the more intense Saba or even to some degree Aji, Sawara eats more like Albacore. After spending nearly a year building a direct source of Sawara from Japan that is consistently up to our quality standards we are excited for you to try it!

The English name for Sawara can be a bit confusing. Some would say it’s a king mackerel, others would say it’s a Spanish mackerel — it just depends on where you are when having that conversation. Our Sawara is Scomberomorus niphonius, which in Japan would be called Spanish Mackerel. Yet another fish we sometime serve, Aji (Trachurus japonicus) is also frequently called Spanish Mackerel here in LA (but is called Horse Mackerel in Japan).

We have elected to simply use the Japanese name and a description of “mild-flavored mackerel” so people know what to expect and are not confused by the name they might have seen elsewhere.

This kind of confusion is what led us to partner with Loyola Marymount University to research sushi mislabeling.