Tag: Hayato.Restaurant

Your Essential Guide to DTLA’s Michelin Restaurants 

Gourmet diners rejoice! Michelin Guide recently updated its coveted awards, recognizing a wide swath of downtown Los Angeles restaurants, many not far from Circa. DTLA currently boasts four Michelin Star restaurants, as our city continues to be a magnet for talented chefs and restauranteurs. While Michelin’s celebrated stars tend to skew more upscale, the organization also recognizes smaller, casual, and more affordable places with its Bib Gourmand Awards, a non-starred honor that still carries a lot of clout. And Michelin judges have added a number of “new discovery” restaurants to their Michelin Guide California selection, including several in downtown LA. Whether these restaurants will receive a Michelin Star or a Bib Gourmand is yet to be determined, but it’s a great vote of confidence for our culinary community.

Michelin Stars

Orsa & Winston Michelin Guide restaurant near Circa residences in Downtown Los Angeles

Orsa & Winston 122 W 4th St. Los Angeles, CA 90013

One star, awarded 2019 & 2021. The restaurant was also chosen as L.A. Times restaurant of the year in 2020. Named after two little dogs, Orsa & Winston is inspired by Italian and Japanese flavors, connected by the creativity of chef Josef Centeno. They offer a five-course tasting menu for $125 per person, plus an optional beverage pairing for $80 per person. Beer, wine and sake are available. The tasting menu changes daily, served during two dinner seatings each evening, by reservation only. They are happy to accommodate dietary restrictions, allergies, vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, and gluten-free requests with ample notice.

Shibumi Michelin Guide restaurant near Circa residences in Downtown Los Angeles

Shibumi 815 S Hill St. Los Angeles, CA 90014

One star, awarded 2019. Chef David Schlosser’s Shibumi is a Kappo-style restaurant, offering multi-course meals that are left entirely up to the chef. Kappo simply means “to cut and to cook,” an all-encompassing word for a less formal cuisine that emphasizes the proximity between the diner and the chef who is cutting and cooking the food. Presiding over his dining bar, fashioned from a single 400-year-old cypress trunk, Chef Schlosser prepares his dishes with a with a unique tool made from sandpaper-rough sharkskin.

Kato Michelin Guide restaurant near Circa residences in Downtown Los Angeles

Kato Restaurant 777 S Alameda St. Building 1 Suite 114, Los Angeles, CA 90021

One star, awarded 2019. Helmed by Chef Jon Yao, Kato serves Omakase-style multicourse feasts in his spacious and polished space in ROW DTLA. Imbued with Taiwanese and Japanese influences, the tasting menu offers contemporary food that is at once simple and complex. The dishes (some of which are made by a local artisan) are as elegant as they are inventive, such as the torn bluefin with caramelized onion or the sea urchin donut with rich uni, hand cut jamon Iberico, and brown butter. 

Hayato Michelin Guide restaurant near Circa residences in Downtown Los Angeles

Hayato 1320 E 7th St. #126 Los Angeles, CA 90021

Two stars, awarded 2019 & 2021. Serving traditional Japanese fare, Hayato assumes the responsibility of showcasing the work of master craftspeople in many fields. Potters, fishmongers, carpenters, kimono makers, tea masters, sake brewers and countless other artisans are all part of the team, to help create an exceptional dining experience. According to Michelin, Chef Brandon Go’s multi-course kaiseki remains one of the top experiences in the city.

Bib Gourmand Awards 

Moo's Craft Barbecue Michelin Guide restaurant near Circa residences in Downtown Los Angeles

Moo’s Craft Barbecue 2118 N Broadway Los Angeles, CA 90031

Recognized by Food & Wine’s Best Barbecue 2020 and acclaimed by LA Times and Eater LA as the best underground barbecue cooking in Los Angeles, Moo’s Craft Barbecue started as a BBQ pop up in a small East Los Angeles backyard in 2017. Inspired by Texas Barbecue, Moo’s uses old school techniques to produce delicious, melt in your mouth smoked meats with a Cali Mex twist. 

Pizzeria Bianco Michelin Guide restaurant near Circa residences in Downtown Los Angeles

Pizzeria Bianco 1320 E 7th St. #100 Los Angeles, CA 90021

Due to popular demand, Chef Chris Bianco has at last opened Pizzeria Bianco in downtown Los Angeles. Located in ROW DTLA, the restaurant is an adaptive reuse of a former coffee roaster and cafe. While much of the space remains intact, a wood-burning oven now inhabits the room where the roasting machine was formerly housed, and a large window offers diners a view of pizzas being made. The menu features a selection of sandwiches on house-baked focaccia and salads, as well as New York style pizza by the slice, small plates, salads, and sides. A focused list of food-friendly wines and beers complement the meal.

New Discoveries

asterid by Ray Garcia Michelin Guide restaurant near Circa residences in Downtown Los Angeles

asterid by Ray Garcia 141 S Grand Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90012

Located in Walt Disney Concert Hall, asterid is named after the largest group of flowering plants, ranging from colorful vegetables and fragrant herbs to radiant florals. The restaurant  uses a unique and joyful expanse of local, hyper-seasonal ingredients that bring celebration to life at its tables through a familial dining experience. Authentically from and for Los Angeles, Chef Garcia’s Modern American menu and bar program is unexpected, offering contemporary sensibility, inspiring curiosity, and paying respect to the independent spirit of L.A. Culinary traditions and techniques are both cherished and evolved in imaginative and bright ways at asterid, to share the spirit of its cultural home.

Camphor Michelin Guide restaurant near Circa residences in Downtown Los Angeles

Camphor 923 E 3rd St. Suite 109 Los Angeles, CA 90013

Camphor is a modern bistro located in DTLA’s bustling Arts District, led by Co-Executive Chefs Max Boonthanakit and Lijo George. Camphor is all about easy and relaxed eating, and letting classic French flavors and culinary techniques do the talking. With a menu replete with personal nods to both chefs’ global upbringing, expect a mix of refreshing, refined, yet light fare in a convivial setting that harkens back to the basics with a shareable feast of small plates, alongside a vast selection of curated wines and curated cocktails to pair. 

Damian Michelin Guide restaurant near Circa residences in Downtown Los Angeles

Damian 2132 E 7th Pl. Los Angeles, CA 90021

Housed within a repurposed warehouse in DTLA’s Arts District, Damian serves contemporary cuisine rooted in Mexican culture. Founded by Chef Enrique Olvera, Damian is Inspired by the Pacific coast’s culinary traditions, while celebrating seasonal Californian produce. Damian’s beverage program focuses on artisanal spirits and mirrors its cuisine, letting the high quality ingredients shine through.

LA Cha Cha Chá Michelin Guide restaurant near Circa residences in Downtown Los Angeles

LA Cha Cha Chá 812 E 3rd St. Los Angeles, CA 90013

The sister location of Terraza Cha Cha Chá in Mexico City, LA Cha Cha Chá is located in a chic outdoor rooftop space in the LA Arts District. The restaurant presents gorgeous views of DTLA and a notable menu by Mexico City-born, LA-raised chef Alejandro Guzman, serving traditional starters like aguachile and ceviche, chicharos de sierra with fresh peas, serrano aioli, and crispy potato – a revamped family recipe. Cha Cha Chá also offers a tacos and tostada menu, along with more substantial dishes like grilled fish, charcoal roasted chicken, and pork shoulder confit carnitas.

San Laurel at Conrad Los Angeles Michelin Guide restaurant near Circa residences in Downtown Los Angeles

San Laurel at Conrad Los Angeles 100 S Grand Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90012

San Laurel, a signature dining experience from Chef José Andrés, offers the flavors of Spain as seen through a California lens, highlighting the beautiful ingredients of the abundant Golden State. Heralded by the vision of legendary architect Frank Gehry, Conrad Hotel is an elegant oasis with 305 modern rooms, a rooftop terrace with private pool deck, a full-service spa, and locally inspired dining. Framed by dramatic views of the Walt Disney Concert Hall and downtown LA, discover energizing experiences that will ignite your inspiration.

Photo Credits:

Photo #1: Orsa & Winston

Photo #2: Orsa & Winston

Photo #3: Shibumi

Photo #4: Kato Restaurant

Photo #5: Hayato

Photo #6: Moo’s Craft Barbecue

Photo #7: Pizzeria Bianco

Photo #8: asterid by Ray Garcia

Photo #9: Camphor

Photo #10: Damian

Photo #11: LA Cha Cha Chá 

Photo #12: San Laurel

Something’s Fishy! DTLA’s Best Sushi, Sashimi & Sake

First settled in the late 1800s, Little Tokyo has grown into a bustling hub of delectable food options, exciting nightlife, world-class museums, and eclectic shopping. A major attraction is the restaurant and bar scene, offering an authentic Japanese experience in the heart of the city. From cozy family-owned sushi bars, to hipster hangs, exclusive high-end establishments, and even Japanese cooking classes, you’ll find the best sushi, sashimi, and sake in DTLA!

Hayato

Hayato 1320 E 7th St #126, Los Angeles, CA 90021

This small gustatory gem is all about creating a personal connection and intimate dining experience, as if you were invited into a friend’s home. Dinner is served by the chefs themselves, at one of eight counter seats in front of an open kitchen. For guests who prefer more privacy, a single table in a private tatami seating area is available by special request. The nightly omakase tasting menu menu consists of approximately ten dishes focused on the best fresh seafood available. Hayato uses the five Japanese cooking techniques (sashimi, grilling, steaming, frying and simmering) to produce simple dishes that derive their complexity from the quality of the ingredients. Dinner usually lasts about two and a half hours, but guests are welcome to ask the staff to pick up the pace or slow things down, as they wish.

3rd Generation Sake Bar

Third Generation Sake Bar 808 W. 7th St. Los Angeles, Ca 90017

Located in the heart of DTLA’s Financial District, 3rd Generation Sake Bar serves small plates of popular Japanese dishes and sake in a simple, polished wood-infused room. Specialties include ramen, sushi hand rolls, poke bowls, dumplings, and octopus fritters. Wednesday is Sake Night, featuring $3 Sake Glass & 1/2 off Sake Bottles from their excellent selection of Japanese imports.

Sake Dojo

Sake Dojo 333 E 1st Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012

From the owners of Far Bar (and just a few doors down), Sake Dojo is an immersive dining and drinking sanctuary amidst the hustle and bustle of DTLA’s Little Tokyo. The name Dojo means a hall or space for intensive learning or meditation – the term literally means “Place of the Way” in Japanese. The food is authentic Japanese-style, with a modern culinary twist. Beverages consist of a large selection of craft Japanese sakes, whiskeys and beers.

sushi zo

Sushi Zo 334 S Main St, Los Angeles 90013

Sushi Zo features “Omakase,” a Japanese-style chefs’ choice meal, presenting customers with seasonal dishes, using the highest quality and freshest natural ingredients. The balance between the neta (seafood) and shari (sushi rice) is the most important aspect of sushi. Each day, seafood products are carefully selected, prepared and served at their flavor peak, using a perfectly matched accompaniment for the particular neta, which may include a unique soy sauce, sea salt and other ingredients. The shari (rice) is meticulously cooked, seasoned with a unique blend of vinegars and served at body temperature, to create the perfect partner to the nata. The goal is Ittai-kan – when the neta and shari unite in perfect harmony.

KazuNori

KazuNori: The Original Hand Roll Bar 421 South Main Street, Los Angeles 90013

KazuNori: The Original Hand Roll Bar was created with the idea that the experience of eating hand rolls is truly something special and worthy of its own restaurant. Created by Sushi Nozawa Group, the Los Angeles-based restaurant group behind Sugarfish and  Nozawa Bar, KazuNori is the first restaurant of its kind to focus exclusively on hand rolls. The restaurant serves only the freshest fish, along with specially harvested seaweed, house made sauces, and their signature warm rice.

Foodstory

Japanese Cooking Classes at Foodstory 810 S Spring St #1204, Los Angeles, CA 90014

Yoko Isassi came up with Foodstory cooking classes as a way to pass on what she learned about Japanese food culture from her grandmother, great Japanese chefs in Japan and the US, her friends, favorite books, and fellow food lovers. Foodstory offers more than a dozen cooking classes including ramen, bento box, plant-based dishes, noodles, and the art of tea. She also organizes cooking and tasting tours at Japanese markets in Little Tokyo. Most classes are limited to 10 people with some exceptions. Classes usually last around 3 hours including dining time. Book your class here.

Sushi Go 55

Sushi Go 55 333 S Alameda St, Ste 317 Los Angeles, CA 90013

Located on the top floor of the Little Tokyo Galleria Market, Sushi Go 55 has been a Little Tokyo fixture for nearly 60 years. Owned by the Morishita family, “America’s First Family of Sushi,” Sushi Go 55 was a pioneer in bringing sushi to America, with the mission to provide a memorable experience as if you stepped into a sushi bar in Japan. This cozy establishment focuses on the highest quality fish, flown in fresh from Japan and all over the world.

Shojin

Shojin 333 Alameda St #310, Los Angeles 90013

Fish not your thing? Shojin is a vegetarian option, serving organic, gluten free Japanese vegan and macrobiotic dining, washed down with a heady selection of sake, beer and champagne. Their vision is to provide the most flavorful and naturally preserved meals using natural foods with no chemical seasonings and harmful additives. With personal service in a warm, friendly and relaxing atmosphere, Shojin offers a community setting to help guests understand the importance of healthy eating habits to achieve a rewarding lifestyle.