Azay
Japanese restaurant · Historic Core ·
Japanese & French breakfast & lunch from a small open kitchen
Japanese & French breakfast & lunch from a small open kitchen
"“Heartwarming, absurdist, and filled with food shots that rival Chef’s Table, Tampopo just might be one of the greatest films ever made about food. And while it would have been easy to pick any one of LA’s great ramen spots to pair with a viewing, I’d choose to watch it while eating one of the many home-style Japanese dishes from Azay, like a breakfast set made with broiled fish, bowls of unagi, or their daily bento box. Or try the omurice, a simple staple that’s featured in one of my favorite scenes, where a gooey, runny omelet is folded over a bed of fried rice then drizzled in ketchup - which, surprisingly, is only the second-best scene in this movie that involves an egg. Check their Instagram, call (213) 628-3431, or email azay.littletokyo@gmail.com to place a takeout order.” - KH" - brant cox, kat hong, brett keating, james montgomery
"Offers a cozy Japanese breakfast experience, known for its non-fussy and delicious meals." - Michael He
"Azay is a half-French, half-Japanese restaurant in Little Tokyo that's one of the few places to serve Japanese breakfast in the LA area. You'll get a tray of broiled fish, tamago, tofu, miso soup, and a side of rice, plus a few pickles, and think about why you'd ever eat anything else at 10am. Apart from the breakfast, don’t try their pork belly omurice or the Nagoya-style hitsumabushi, a grilled eel dish that’s eaten in three parts. At dinner, the menu leans more French with dishes like salmon tartare and rack of lamb with mustard sauce." - cathy park, brant cox
"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
"Azay is a half-French, half-Japanese restaurant in Little Tokyo where you’ll find the only Japanese breakfast being served in LA proper. Their rendition is quite understated - nothing but a tray of broiled fish, tamago, tofu, miso soup, a side of rice, plus a few pickles. The broiled fish comes with a flakey top and charred bottom, but completely moist meat in the middle. Bright yellow eggs taste slightly sweet, and resemble the shape and size of an elementary school kid’s eraser. Plus, the portions are perfect - not too big, not too small, and you can walk away feeling full, without needing to undo a button on your pants." - the infatuation los angeles crew
