Why KULA Sushi Bistro isn’t more crowded at happy hour is a bit of a mystery to me. Not only is the sleek and elegantly decorated place conveniently located for the Century City after-work crowd, KULA’s prices are really, really reasonable. Plus, their sushi’s made with organic rice!

Of course, KULA just opened in November — and it does already have some fans. The bar at this bar-restaurant was about half full when I stopped by with a friend for happy hour last Friday.

A business-y crowd sipped drinks (specials on house wine and sake) — which automatically got them a complimentary “small plate.” Each day of the week features a different plate, from edamame on Mondays to crispy chicken on Fridays (my slightly blurry pic of the full happy hour menu here).

You can turn happy hour here into a v. inexpensive early dinner. I especially liked the lightly battered calamari ($3 at happy hour, right). 4-piece sushi roll plates ranged from $2.50 for avocado to $6 for eel California — made with real crab.

KULA also notes its commitment to organic, local food on the front of its menu, which states that the restaurant uses “natural, organic ingredients whenever possible” and avoids preservatives and additives. Stop by for a meal, and eco-vores can dine on Chicken Teriyaki made with free range chicken ($18), followed by a dessert of organic chocolate mousse.

That said, many of the eco-claims at KULA are quite vague — and the people who work there aren’t knowledgeable about the food items. While the menu assures the would-be eco-diner that “In the Japanese tradition, relationships are built with the fisherman and farmer, ensuring the freshest delivery of product from ocean and farm to table,” one is hard-pressed to find out where exactly the fish came from, or how it was harvested.

This is a bit of a quandary if you’re trying to stick to the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Guide, which really requires rather in-depth info about the fish. All salmon isn’t created equal, for example. Alaska wild salmon’s among the “best choices,” while wild salmon from Calif., Oregon, and Wash. are just “good alternatives” and farmed salmon should be avoided altogether. To keep things as simple as possible, I just tried asking a couple different employees at KULA whether the salmon was wild. No one knew — or offered to find out for me.

Of course, other LA-area sushi places might give me the same response — but then those places aren’t the ones bragging about its ethical seafood procurement. In general, waiters at most white tablecloth restaurants will know — or will find out for you upon inquiry — where their salmon comes from.

I’m hoping the salmon was wild because the sushi’s already been eaten. For those more assiduous about sticking to the Seafood Watch than I was, read Lucinda Michele Knapp’s guide to LA’s best spots for sustainable seafood in Whole Life Times. You may also be interested to know that Bon Appetit Management, which operates 400 eco-friendly eateries nationwide including the restaurant at the Getty, plans to “stop serving air-freighted fish by April 2009 and to adopt new procurement standards that prefer “regionally procured or frozen-at-sea” wild seafood.” Apparently, “shipping seafood by air generates 10 times as much greenhouse gas as transferring it by container ship and five times as much as shipping by truck.”

As for KULA: If the organic rice entices you, get there now. While KULA’s owners apparently operate many successful restaurants in Japan, this Century City restaurant — supposed to be the American flagship, according to Gayot — may not be around too much longer. According to Eater LA, KULA’s owners are looking to sell.

KULA Sushi Bistro. 10351 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles. 310.282.8870. Lunch: Mon – Fri, 11:30 am – 2 pm; Happy Hour: Mon – Fri, 5 pm – 7 pm; Dinner: Mon – Thu, 6 pm-10 pm, Fri – Sat, 6 pm – 11 pm.

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