A warm welcome
is the first
thing you
receive when
walking into
this tiny
locale; the
whole house
screams
Irrasshaimase! -
a friendly
greeting indeed.
Rated among the
top 75
restaurants in
Los Angeles by
Los Angeles
Magazine,
Bar
Hayama
has certainly
made its mark.
Not a surprise
since this
little gem was
opened by the
founder of the
first sushi
school out of
Japan,
California Sushi
Academy’s Frank
“Toshi” Sugiura,
who’s to thank
for introducing
the sushi
culture to Los
Angeles and
trains top sushi
chefs worldwide.
Not to mention
he is also a
judge for the
Sushi Master
Contest held in
California and
Tokyo. For all
those sushi
snobs out there,
this is a place
where you are
allowed to
expect a lot and
they are
guaranteed to
deliver.
A great place
for a date, a
birthday, or
just a quiet
night out, Bar
Hayama has got
it all, the
ambience
amplified by a
large glowing
fire pit which
takes center
stage in the
patio enclosed
by tall leafy
bamboo. French
doors lead from
the patio into
an intimate
dining room
boasting two
large bars,
hence the name,
Bar Hayama.
Hayama serves up
an ideal
combination of
sushi, sake, and
Kozara –
beautifully
presented,
shared small
plates – that
enable you to
try a bit of
everything. Try
the Poke,
marinated ahi
tuna topped with
seaweed, onions,
and a soy sauce
sesame dressing
or the Ankimo
Pate Hayama
Style, monkfish
liver pate
served with
toast (don’t be
scared, its
delish). Taking
the spotlight is
the almost-alive
fresh fish: Uni,
Maguro, Hotate,
oh my! I’ll let
you figure that
one out… but
Toto, we are not
in Oz anymore.
As one of the
four Certified
Master Sake
Sommeliers in
the U.S., Toshi
has hand
selected a list
of over 60 fine
Japanese Sakes
to pair with his
mouth watering
menu. If you
love sushi, then
go straight to
the source.
Toshi has
brought
Angelenos the
closest thing to
Japan; now that
deserves a
standing
ovation.
