Hansei
Permanently Closed
Multi-course tasting menu exploring Nikkei cuisine in gardens
Multi-course tasting menu exploring Nikkei cuisine in gardens
"Located inside the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center, this nine-course tasting menu spot is one of the most unique dining experiences in LA. Each meal is a marathon (priced at $175 per person) that begins with a tour of the property’s gardens followed by drinks and “LA Nikkei” small bites, a nod to the chef’s LA upbringing as a fourth-generation Japanese American. Eventually you’ll move to an interior sushi bar for the main courses—like marbled wagyu steak in teriyaki and a play on the California roll made with crab, uni, and avocado. From there, it’s back to the garden for dessert. We suggest hanging around to watch the sunset while sipping green tea. " - Brant Cox, Kat Hong, Nikko Duren
"Dinner at Hansei in Little Tokyo begins not at a hostess stand, but with a tour of the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center’s lush gardens followed by shochu-infused drinks and small bites. From there, the multi-course experience takes you through various other locations around the center, including an interior "chef's counter" where you’ll be served dishes like teriyaki wagyu steak and a play on the California roll that involves fried seaweed. There are a lot of moving pieces to dinner here, but you can set your own pace. We suggest hanging in the garden to watch the sunset or sipping green tea after dessert. It’s pricey—the nine-course menu runs $175 per person (before tax and tip)—but for a splurge-y dinner that’s unlike anything else in LA, this is a reservation to make." - Brant Cox, Nikko Duren, Sylvio Martins
"“The third one is another Japanese pick! The Japanese garden originated by two Americans on a mountain Downtown, I think 50 or 60 years ago with authentic imports from Japan into a very interesting space. The view is gorgeous and the restaurant has been a landmark. Also, the food has been good. Therefore it's always a nice place to visit.” " - arden shore
"Chef Chris Ono runs the pop-up Hansei celebrating Nikkei cuisine at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center (JACCC) in Little Tokyo. The tasting menu, which explores the chef’s fourth-generation Japanese American experience, features a version of his mother Janice Higashi’s fried chicken. Growing up, Ono’s mother made cornflake-crusted chicken wings coated in a teriyaki sauce and paired with a cabbage slaw. The recipe came from one of the many cookbooks Higashi collected from Japanese American churches and community centers in the ’60s and ’70s. Because Japanese American families had difficulty sourcing panko following the Japanese American incarceration in World War II, they improvised by using cornflakes, says Ono. The chef’s take on the dish is served as a snack in the museum’s garden at the start of Hansei. Instead of using chicken wings, Ono soaks chicken liver in milk, sears it, then spices it with shiso and myoga ginger before encrusting it in cornflakes; it’s finished with teriyaki seasoning." - Jean Trinh
"While I have eaten countless California rolls in my lifetime, none have taken me aback quite like chef Chris Ono’s rendition made with layers of Dungeness crab, Santa Barbara uni, avocado, and cucumber, served atop a crispy seaweed raft. The three-bite wonder combined wholly familiar flavors in a different format, bringing to focus the chef’s uniquely Nikkei culinary point of view. —Cathy Chaplin" - Eater Staff