Sunny Blue: The Best Fresh Japanese Onigiri in Los Angeles
Sunny Blue is a woman-owned family business serving unmatched Japanese onigiri in Los Angeles!
Original post published August 2023 and updated December 2025.
I grew up with onigiri as my go-to lunch and snack, and to this day still love to pick some up from the Japanese market or make it at home. I saw that Sunny Blue specializes in onigiri in Santa Monica (they also have a location in Culver City), and have had it on my list for quite a while. I finally gave it a try this past weekend!
Sunny Blue opened in 2010 as the very first onigiri “made to order” store in the U.S. (seriously incredible)! Keiko Numano (the owner) found inspiration from Japanese cultural icons like novelist Murasaki Shikibu and films like Kamome Diner, which tells the story of a native Japanese woman who moves to Helsinki to open an onigiri diner. Numano went so far as to test every onigiri flavor in Japan prior to opening in Los Angeles!
For those of you not familiar with onigiri (or as Sunny Blue uses the interchangeable word omusubi—derived from “musubu” meaning to “hold together”), they are rice balls filled with your choice of topping whether that be salmon, tuna, furikake, meat, and more covered with seaweed (nori). They are very popular in Japanese culture as they are a “comfort” traditional meal, easy to make, affordable, highly versatile, and conveniently portable. Onigiri often fueled samurai on their long journeys dating back to the 12th century! You can read more about the onigiri origin story here. At the Japanese market, you can normally find them under the cost of two dollars with the seaweed kept fresh in plastic sleeves. I always keep sticky rice and seaweed on hand in case I need a quick lunch or snack on-the-go!
I had looked at Sunny Blue’s menu online prior to going, and was a bit astonished at the prices in comparison to the Japanese market—the onigiri at Sunny Blue ranges from $4.50-$5 each. I decided to put my trust in their rave reviews and ordered the mushroom, tuna mayo, and miso beef flavors. My order was ready within five minutes and since they currently do not have restaurant seating, I eagerly rushed back to my car to test them out.
First off, the size of them alone is almost double what you would normally get at the Japanese market, which makes up for the cost alone. It only took one bite for my taste buds to quickly justify the price; I completely underestimated the quality of their onigiri. The rice was made to perfection, and the flavors were to die for. These onigiri are also warm and fresh—which you won’t find in the refrigerated origiri section of the Japanese market!
My absolute favorite was the miso beef, which was cooked in the most delicious miso sauce and had me drooling for more. I would honestly order all of them in the miso beef next time! Lastly, the quality of seaweed used is top tier. It must be soaked in some type of oil or flavoring before roasting, as it had a truly perfect and savory aftertaste. I am also genuinely curious about what magic they use to prevent seaweed sogginess!
I know there may be some hesitation about the cost and quality from people with a Japanese background like myself, but I recommend trying it and seeing for yourself! I think you will similarly find yourself pleasantly surprised (it is also approved by my native Japanese mother)! You can follow Sunny Blue via their Instagram @sunnyblue_inc.
Sunny Blue Santa Monica:
2728 Main St.
Santa Monica, CA 90405
Tuesday - Sunday: 11a - 8p
Sunny Blue Culver City:
12608 W Washington Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90066
Tuesday - Sunday: 11a - 7p
Update: Over 2 years later, I have updated the title of this blog post from the best onigiri on the westside to the best onirigi in Los Angeles (and I am critical!). I visited a potential contender today (Dec. 7, 2025), and Sunny Blue outshines it (no pun intended) in taste and presentation in every way!
P.S. If you do not live in Los Angeles but got some inspiration from this blog on your next snack, I embedded a TikTok below on how to make onigiri in the comfort of your own home (this was the best video I could find—the Kirby rice mold is hysterically ginormous, you can get whichever size of mold you please)!
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