The Scene
Perched above a runway at the Santa Monica airport, the interior pays homage to Himalayan pilots with an illuminated glass etching of the mountain range dwarfing a tiny plane running the length of the sushi bar.

The Food
Ultra-fresh raw fish is the main draw at the Hump. Start with knockout morsels of sashimi. Toro (fatty tuna), red snapper and hamachi (yellowtail) are paired perfectly with ingredients like Japanese peppers, cilantro, garlic or sea salt. Perfect bites of nigiri sushi are also sublime. For those who prefer their food cooked, the kitchen turns out swoon-worthy hot specials like a fried soft-shell crab with sauteed vegetables and meltingly rich baked eggplant stuffed with sweet miso.