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Business & Tech

Bites Nearby: Ralphs Salad Bar

Bui Sushi is "east meets west through the ocean."

Sashimi salad at . A good way to treat yourself and take good care of yourself at the same time. On the menu, the sashimi salad is listed as “mixed greens, asparagus, avocado, tuna, yellowtail, salmon, shrimp and ginger dressing.”

It is all that and more. The whole is greater than the combination of its parts.

All that leafy and oceanic goodness comes fresh and crispy over the counter for just $15. It looks too good to eat. But once you eat it, you think, “This is how humans should live.”

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When Bui opened in 2006, the place was incognito and didn’t have a sign. The owner Nate Heydari had a prolonged soft opening, with mostly locals coming by, commenting on what he had, allowing improvements to be made to the menu. 

“I wanted to name the restaurant with a word that has ‘Bu’ in it, and in the dictionary, ‘Bui’ is Japanglish for ‘buoy,’” Heydari said in 2006. “My concept for this restaurant was east meets west through the ocean, and those glass Japanese floats have always been a thing of beauty to me.”

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Nearly five years later, Bui is still twisting nicely. It has doubled in size, with expansion to the space next door, so now there are two sushi bars and three TVs. Bui has a sign now and people not from the 90265 are welcome. Both sides are busy, most nights.

The wok-tossed edamame is a good choice; warm and spicy and a perfect complement to a cold Kirin beer. There are many other wonders on the menu, all worth exploring. The food is reasonably priced, the service has a smile, the sushi makers don’t always embarrass you by saying “Herro!” when you walk in and there are occasional celebrities—local and global.

Walking in the other night, Skylar Peak was there, and right where I needed him, because we are working on a book, and I needed to bend his ear. The bill for a Kirin draft, wok-tossed edamame and the sashimi salad came to $25.50.

And on the way out: Peter Fonda.

Bui Sushi is located in Malibu Colony Plaza at 23733 Malibu Road No. 700.

[Ed. note: Jonathan Friedman was previously listed as the writer of this story. The writer is now correctly identified as Ben Marcus.]

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