After a few visits, it seems that there is one recurrent theme about all these new choices: the simpler the better. The quality of the fish here is excellent. All the sashimi sampled was great — especially the Japanese scallop. Copyright © Banzai Marina. All rights reserved.
in search of the perfect wave
Owner and chef Yuji Horii was born in Tokyo, Japan, and came out to
Los Angeles in 1978 during the sushi craze with a love of surfing, beaches,
American music and culture. In Los Angeles, he regularly made sushi for
Hollywood's entertainment elite, becoming the leading sushi chef for many
of the industry's top movers and shakers at Teru Sushi in Studio City. He
opened his first restaurant in 2000, Banzai Sushi, in Calabasas. It quickly
became the favorite sushi restaurant in the area, with regulars ranging
from Stevie Wonder, the Kardashians, the Osbournes to the Van Halens.
Banzai Sushi was awarded to be on the prestigious Michelin Guide at
that time.
In 2013, Yuji decided to take his craft out to Ventura, whose beaches and community
he has always loved. His new venture, Banzai Marina, opened that year in the
previous space of Sushi Marina. Chef Yuji Horii works to blend Ventura's historic
restaurant with his own spin on traditional Japanese and modern Southern California
cuisine. When not at the restaurant, you'll see Yuji out in the ocean surfing.
Our Mission
As a family-owned restaurant, we work hard to bring you the freshest ingredients
(organic when possible), source local produce and support our own Southern
Californian farmers, and share the centuries-old tradition and artistry of Japanese
sushi with our customers.