LAReview
photo credit: Jakob Layman
King's Burgers/Got Sushi?
Included In
The two-in-one fast food joint is among the most undervalued inventions of the 20th century. Not only do you get to eat your Taco Bell, but you and your abandoned soul also have the option of KFC or even the pant disaster that is the cheesy crust pizza from Pizza Hut. As essential to the complete human experience as these places are, they pale in comparison to the greatest two-in-one restaurant combination in Los Angeles: King’s Burger / Got Sushi? in Northridge.
Located on Reseda Blvd. near CSUN’s campus, this space used to be a Carl’s Jr. - before it was turned into what it was always supposed to be: an order-at-the-counter burger joint with a sushi bar inside of it. If this sounds like a bad round of Mad Libs to you, you’re not alone. But King’s Burger / Got Sushi? works because the setup, while strange, is actually pretty comfortable.
You have the front register where you order the burgers, the sushi bar to the left, and the casual dining room beyond that. Sushi ordering and eating can be done either at the bar or in the dining room, where a full waitstaff and the burger crowd awaits. Sure, eating salmon carpaccio next to a mildly inebriated 19-year-old housing a pastrami burger isn’t exactly how you thought lunch was going to look today, but that’s the allure of this place. More importantly, the sushi you’re eating is fantastic.
photo credit: Jakob Layman
We aren’t going to pretend to know how a sushi bar attached to a grill full of greasy burgers serves raw fish that actually tastes great, but Got Sushi does. The menu is large, but whether you’re ordering a sashimi plate, a cut roll, or a piece of special fish the chef recommends that day, it’s going to be great. The salmon belly with caviar and onions is one of the best pieces of sushi we’ve eaten this year and the rice-less Alex roll (snow crab wrapped in salmon) will make even your one friend who likes to remind you of their trip to Japan three years ago nod in approval. The albacore shitake with a garlic truffle vinaigrette is rich and hearty and about as close as you get to fresh fish tasting like steak.
As far as the burgers go, you’ll get exactly what you want: big, hangover-curing ones that taste good because you’re hungover and probably a CSUN student whose metabolism hasn’t betrayed you yet. But at the end of the day, the only real reason you need to be at this establishment is the sushi. And it’s a very good reason. Your abandoned soul thanks you.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Jakob Layman
Salmon Belly With Caviar
photo credit: Jakob Layman
Alex Roll
photo credit: Jakob Layman
Tai 3-Way
Albacore Shitake
photo credit: Jakob Layman