A Big Japanese Dining Group Opens a Bold New Bento Option Downtown | Eater LA

"I found a new modern Japanese bento restaurant in Downtown Los Angeles that mixes Southern California ingredients with both traditional and nontraditional preparations; it comes from brothers Anthony and Len Hayashi with managing partner David Chen and will officially open for service on August 24 (currently operating Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.). Occupying a 2,772-square-foot minimalist, modern-Japanese space across from the former LA Times building, it’s part quick-service takeaway, part sit-down restaurant, and part marketplace for authentic snacks and merchandise from Japan, aiming to recreate the high-quality bento experience of Japan’s railways. Under chef Anthony Hayashi, the menu emphasizes local sourcing—Jidori chicken, SRF Kurobuta pork, seafood from Yamamoto Fish Company, lemons from Cycle Brands or Pearson Farms, kabocha from Baloian Farms, daikon from Alvin Farms, and honey from the Hive in Woodland—while allowing nontraditional influences (for example, a Middle Eastern–influenced dry-rub chili on the signature spicy karaage). Standout bentos so far are the ginger- and garlic-marinated Jidori chicken karaage served with Anthony’s housemade shichimi togarashi (made with 14 spices) and the kurobuta miso tonkatsu; all bentos except the vegetarian curry are topped with a jammy ajitsuke tamago whose yolks are cured in an in-house version of saikyo miso to create a thick, candied finish. Vegetarian offerings include a seasonal vegetable-and-quinoa salad, an Impossible Menchi Katsu topped with truffle demi-glace, and a grilled seasonal vegetable curry finished with a tomato-and-red-wine sauce that starts from a roasted-vegetable broth. The owners hope to make the space a community hub—bringing in local artists, adding a beer-and-wine license to sell unique Japanese canned alcoholic beverages, and expanding hours soon." - Kristie Hang