Japanese American Cultural & Community Center

"Mise, a specialty shop inside Little Tokyo’s Japanese American Cultural and Community Center, has a very cool $100 soba kit with “half raw” noodles made in Nagano, natural dashi packet, ceramic cups from Gifu, and a gold grater for the perfect textured wasabi and ginger. The noodles, in particular, will be better than what’s typically available even in Japanese markets, with a superlative texture and flavor. An optional $20 Japanese wrapping cloth called a furoshiki completes the traditional presentation." - Matthew Kang

"The Japanese American Cultural & Community Center in Little Tokyo is teaming up with chef Laura Ochikubo (formerly the French Laundry, Providence, Gusto Bread) to offer afternoon tea this holiday season on December 7 and 8 and December 14 and 15 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. or 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. The menu borrows from Japanese and British traditions with Japanese tea sandos, kabocha squash scones, and shoyu caramel bonbons. The cost is $110 per person and includes a glass of sparkling sake." - Cathy Chaplin

"The Japanese American Cultural & Community Center in Little Tokyo is teaming up with chef Laura Ochikubo (formerly of the French Laundry, Providence, Gusto Bread) to offer afternoon tea this holiday season on December 7 and 8 and December 14 and 15 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. or 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. The menu borrows from Japanese and British traditions with Japanese tea sandos, kabocha squash scones, and shoyu caramel bonbons. The cost is $110 per person and includes a glass of sparkling sake." - Cathy Chaplin

"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. " - nikko duren, brant cox, kat hong

"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." - nikko duren, brant cox, sylvio martins