"The Japanese French menu at Little Tokyo’s Azay represents the path its founding chef, Akira Hirose, took to opening the restaurant. Born in Kyoto, Hirose trained in Azay-le-Rideau, France before moving to the U.S. to work as an apprentice at L’Orangerie in the early 80s. Hirose opened a French restaurant in Kyoto in the late 80s before debuting the now-closed Maison Akira in 1998 in South Pasadena. Azay distills Hirose’s life experiences into a menu that includes what may be the last traditional Japanese breakfast in Los Angeles, plus a daily bento, omurice, duck confit, beef Bourguignon, and more. The dinner menu changes weekly but often offers dishes like miso black cod, branzino, and charred octopus. After Hirose’s death in September 2024, chef Chris Ono took up the mantle, leading the restaurant alongside Hirose’s son Philip and the rest of the family. — Rebecca Roland, associate editor" - Eater Staff
