Chef Tomoki Hombe has submitted planning documents to the Los Angeles City Planning Department for a second Sushi Tomoki location, this time in Sherman Oaks. The filing points to a spot inside La Reina Shopping Center at 14622 W. Ventura Boulevard, expanding the omakase-focused Japanese restaurant beyond its original Studio City home.
According to WhatNow, the new Sherman Oaks restaurant is being developed as the second Sushi Tomoki location, and Hombe recently filed the paperwork himself. The planning documents include a request for clearance to sell and serve alcoholic beverages for on-site consumption with the restaurant, though they do not specify whether that would mean a full liquor license or beer and wine only. The filings also leave out the new restaurant's seat count, square footage, operating hours, and an opening date.
A CEQA Notice of Exemption tied to the conditional use beverage application at that address was filed with the city in August by representative Apex LA, according to CEQAnet, confirming the administrative process is moving forward even as many operational details remain undecided.
Studio City Roots Near the Baked Potato
Sushi Tomoki's original location sits at 3791 Cahuenga Boulevard in Studio City, right next to the historic jazz club the Baked Potato. Per Time Out, that flagship offers three tiers of omakase ranging from $80 to $200, and chef Hombe opened it in 2023 after years working across multiple Los Angeles locations of Sushi Enya. The restaurant's sushi and sashimi menu features tuna, yellowtail, salmon, white fish, and shellfish, alongside specialty items like toro, bluefin tuna, Japanese wagyu, Santa Barbara sea urchin, and Hokkaido sea urchin, per the WhatNow report.
The Studio City menu also includes hand rolls, cut rolls, rice bowls, appetizers, and desserts, plus signature rolls like the dragon, rainbow, lemon, and a seared salmon with truffle roll. Its omakase offerings range from the Ume No. 1, which includes sashimi, 10 pieces of sushi, a hand roll, and miso soup, up to the Matsu No. 3, a more elaborate course with an appetizer, sashimi, eight pieces of sushi, soup, wagyu beef or fish, chawan mushi, a special hand roll, and dessert. Sushi Tomoki has also drawn celebrity attention at its dining counter, with pop star Miley Cyrus among the notable regulars, according to Mariana in LA.
Landing on Sherman Oaks' Busy Restaurant Row
The La Reina Shopping Center itself spans 51,080 square feet of building space on a 1.61-acre lot zoned for LAC2 commercial use, according to a LoopNet listing, with 133 parking spaces on site. Current tenants at the center include Dave's Hot Chicken, Noah's Bagel, Lemon Zest, CycleBar, Cold Stone, and Ideology Coffee, the WhatNow report notes.
The move places Sushi Tomoki squarely on what's long been dubbed Sushi Row. Ventura Boulevard is widely recognized as home to one of the highest concentrations of Japanese sushi restaurants anywhere outside of Japan, according to SFGATE. That reputation traces back to 1979, when Teru Sushi opened in Studio City, drawing on proximity to entertainment hubs like CBS Studio Center, Universal Studios, and Warner Bros., per Visit California. The Studio City stretch alone now hosts more than a dozen sushi bars within a single mile, including Michelin-recognized spots like Asanebo and Leona's Sushi House, SFGATE reports.
Part of a Broader Sherman Oaks Food Boom
Sushi Tomoki's planned arrival fits a pattern of Japanese-focused expansion recently reshaping Sherman Oaks. In April, Japanese specialty market Yama Sushi Marketplace announced plans for a 7,200-square-foot location at 15300 Ventura Boulevard, part of what Hoodline described as a broader wave of sushi-focused expansions along the corridor. Smash burger chain Burger She Wrote also expanded to 14245 Ventura Boulevard this spring, reflecting steady commercial demand for multi-unit restaurant concepts setting up shop in the neighborhood.
For now, exactly when Sherman Oaks diners can expect to eat at the new Sushi Tomoki remains unclear, since the planning filing does not include an opening date. What's confirmed is that the administrative groundwork, including the alcohol service request and CEQA exemption, is already underway at La Reina Shopping Center.
