Sunny Blue, Santa Monica

2728 Main St · Santa Monica, CA 90405 · Neighborhood: Santa Monica

Located next door to a local’s breakfast fave, Sunny Blue is a fresh take on one of Japan’s best quick serve comfort food. Omusubi (aka Onigiri) are Japanese rice balls made with various yummy fillings inside. Have one for a snack… two or three could be a meal.

Sunny Blue claims it’s the first Omusubi store in SoCal. It’s the first one I’ve ever seen, yet is no doubt in a great location situated on a busy Santa Monica street.

My friend who is a Santa Monica local, recently introduced me to this place, and being that I love anything with rice, I was an instant fan! Onigiri is made with slightly salted plain rice (not vinegar’ed rice as is the case with sushi). Rice becomes portable in this fashion and is easier to eat on the go. It’s not a form of sushi, think of it instead as a rice sandwich – the rice being the bread. I was actually quite full with just two servings, but you can always have another or save room for dessert since I’m told their fro-yo here is killer.

It’s a tiny grab-and-go type of place, but if you are lucky enough to snag one of the few seats outside on the sidewalk, you can linger bit longer. It’s a perfect little gem for a mid-day snack while you stroll Main Street and window shop.

Special shout out and thanks to my AH-mazing singer friend, Veera Asher for the heads up on this cute place!

BYB Tip: They also sell Ramune and offer complimentary barley tea.