The hottest block in town gets a stylish new spot for sushi, grilled meat, and drinks from a veteran chef and a restaurant group on the rise.
The Arts Districtis the beating mettle of Los Angeles ’ elevated restaurant scene , keeping time for the metropolis ’s neverending rhythm of initiative and shutdown . Bon Temps closes andYangban Societyopens . Nightshade slams shut andCamphorswings its doors full . The Firehouse Hotel contracts , and now expanding into its space iskodō — a young izakaya opening April 20 , withrykn cafe , a companion Japanese cafe and boutique , opening on the same twenty-four hours . A ryokan - way hotel calledryknis place to follow later summer , with all three concepts brought to you by theKensho Group .
Loosely translated to “ heart beats ” in Japanese , kodō is a meet name for a eatery that hopes to keep rate with tough nearby competition likeBestiaandDamian . But it is also inspired by the way executive chef Yoya Takahashi make his dish , with a steady bridge player , an auricle for rhythm , and occasional racing flourishes .
Chef Takahashi comes to the izakaya from the sushi humans , most notably from behind the bar at Westside hotspotHamasaku , where he clear a well - earned report for his omakase menu . They were whimsical and fun , firmly frozen in custom but with unorthodox dishes sometimes served in an unexpected orderliness . He also became well known for his playfulness and his banter — Chef Takahashi has a sharp tongue , and a sharper tongue .
Photo courtesy of Gry Space
The restaurant ’s menu features sushi , of course , but at its core , kodō is an noble-minded , Kyoto - dash izakaya , a sort of Nipponese pub , with an assortment of play bites designed to be share over the course of a long evening , accompanied by round after bout of drink . The elan appears a meet friction match for chef Takahashi ’s bragging personality .
That think of there will be dish aerial cooked over binchotan charcoal , a handful of salad , mess of simmered and pickle plates , modern sweet crafted by pastry chef Mami Yamamoto , and a carefully curated tilt of drink that imbibe influence from LA ’s cocktail scenery . The drink menu covers sake in several denomination , natural wine from around the existence , slyness beer from Saitama ’s Coedo brewery , and cocktail helmed by beverage theatre director Chris Gomez and stripe manager Will Henry that tip on Nipponese fixings like umeboshi and yuzu .
Chef Takahashi ’s former picks on the dinner party menu start the gamut from a salad of soybeans , fava bean , and burrata through blacken Sea Bream Sashimi and on to Sakamushi , a peach of clams steamed in sake and butter . And if you require sushi but ca n’t settle which slice , there ’s a six - row sushi omakase led by head sushi chef Alex Kohsuke Suzuki , tuck neatly at the bottom of the menu .
The infinite itself is outrageously stylish , done up in a manicured minimalist aesthetic that is so nerveless and consistently run it permeate the entire experience . The Department of the Interior is intimate , with 25 seats including table and a barroom , making you palpate like you ’ve been invited to a individual , A - listing dinner party . In dividing line , the expansive exterior features firing pit and a stunning courtyard with more than 50 seating , tempting you to take your dining experience outside .
That energy should cover to the rest of the building in which kodō is domiciliate — rykn cafe , an all - day teatime theater and raw vino taproom with a card of pastries and sandwich byMoon and Sun LA , as well as the dress shop rykn hotel that ’s place to open later this twelvemonth . David Wynn , the owner and father of the Kensho Group , has a track criminal record of scouting splendid spaces , starting with the dearly take leave Echo Park modernist coffee shop , Triniti , and later withKensho , a cafe and vino bar located in a former stable atYamashiroin the Hollywood Hills .
Kodōis open Wednesday through Sunday from 5:30 post-mortem examination to 11 pm.rykn cafeis opened from Wednesday through Sunday from 9 am to 10 pm . reservation forkodōcan be booked viaResy .
Photo courtesy of Gry Space
Photo courtesy of Gry Space
