BONDST - Beverly Hills

In Short
This buzzing New York sushi import is right at home in the Thompson Hotel's posh digs. Girls in silk halters and guys sporting cufflinks fill the anterior lounge while a black-clad, mostly male waitstaff whiz through the main dining room crowded with big brown leather booths and tiny tables set against banquettes. Unlike the hype surrounding its social scene, Bond Street's kitchen has had its share of mixed reviews. The menu is a blend of sushi and Asian fusion, all served as small plates. To start, the complimentary edamame is a nice touch. Seaweed salad, made of six varieties, is served in a circular stack of deep greens, red and white--it's a rubbery concoction of chewy delight. Tuna tataki oozes with smoky flavor but the arugula potato roll is more like lettuce crammed inside rice and nori, topped with shoestring potatoes. That said, the signature Chilean sea bass, served in an artful diamond-shaped form, is firm yet flaky, with a savory-sweet glaze that is achieved by marinating the fish in sweet miso for two days. Worth every penny. And at this place, that's a whole lot.