The crowd roars. Seafood arrives and vanishes. Glasses explode on concrete. The bustle of Izaka-ya by Katsu-ya could be scored with the "1812 Overture."

From the king of LA sushi, Katsuya Uechi, this small-plates riff on his signature empire is more casual than its older brothers, more rough around the edges. The small room is artfully unfinished; patches of brick peek out from holes in the white wall, and those awaiting a seat cluster hopefully together around a couple small tables in the center of the square room. There's a sushi bar along the back, a dozen or so tables—and, during our visit, a volume knob cranked to 10. (And us without our megaphones.) But everyone's having a good time, except maybe the group of four still not seated 30 minutes after their reservation. Sushi rolls, sashimi, miso-ginger chicken, halibut carpaccio and Spanish mackerel are displayed on a white dry-erase board brought to the table, though most also appear on the actual menu. On our visit, the aforementioned items arrived quickly and tasted fresh. Drink options include beer, wine and soju cocktails. Best sushi ever? No. A fun night with quality fish (and tasty banana fritters begging for a return visit)? Yes. —Lonny Pugh