True, since I’ve joined FTC I have to remind myself not to ask too many questions or rely solely on advice & opinions from the board. But! You guys know so much stuff and give such good recs!
6 Likes
Don’t take it so seriously its an online community afterall, much worse is often said in back channels anyway but who cares its just food its not that big of a deal, I suppose I would know having worked with it for over a decade.
I’ve met my fair share of idiot and snarky diners but everyone is entitled to their opinion so its not worth losing sleep over. You don’t have to prove anything to anyone here, but it doesn’t hurt to contribute meaningful information over time.
4 Likes
Edit: I have to cancel it. Due to my history, Hayato would not allow transfers.
2 Likes
Whoever takes it will be dining next to Ns1. Not sure if that’s a blessing or a curse.
2 Likes
I’ll take it! PM me your resy email and I’ll ask Brandon to take care of the rest.
Edit: oh well. i guess no hayato for me.
Winter 2020
still my favorite place to dine in la. i think what makes it so special (besides the food and hospitality), is the fun interaction with chef go and his team and depending on how much wine and sake are flowing your fellow dining guests too.
reservations for march open up this saturday (2/1) at 10am @attran99, @TheCookie, @Chowseeker1999, @Bookwich, @Sgee
welcoming sake
notorious B.H.G
(new) sakizuke - santa barbara spiny lobster, lobster dashi, head roe, ginger
seared over binchotan and finished in the steamer to a medium-rare. the lobster had a nice chew and i loved the addition of the roe.
(new) agemono - satsumaimo (japanese sweet potato), shirauo (icefish from lake shinji-ko in shimane prefecture)
chef go mentions the best icefish come from the brackish waters of lake shinji-ko. the fish is first steamed and then expertly fried.
the fries have eyes
shinogi - saba zushi, sesame, pickled myoga (japanese ginger)
cured in salt and vinegar just long enough to keep the insides raw. this bite elicited several audible “wows” from the counter, including me. insanely delicious.
owan - live dungeness crab suimono (clear soup), baby japanese turnip
the soup was lightly seasoned to highlight the main ingredient; a huge ball of steamed dungeness crab glued together with kanimiso (crab brains). Another wow inducing moment.
that drape…
sashimi tai (kagoshima sea bream), aji (hyogo prefecture spanish mackerel), salt, soy sauce, wasabi, raw nori, myoga, shiso
loved eating this with a dab of wasabi and a touch of salt to bring out the sweetness.
sake steamed abalone, abalone stock cubes, abalone liver sauce, wasabi
excellent as always. it’s crazy how much flavor is in those little cubes.
(new) a5 omi beef, fresh bamboo shoots
my favorite beef prep from chef go so far. the beef was buttery soft, like eating velvet, and the first of the season bamboo shoots might have been just as good as the beef. wow #4 @A5KOBE, @chinchi, @NYCtoLA
binchotan grilled nodoguro (blackthroat seaperch), lotus root
the clean, rich, and oily fish has to be my favorite cooked fish in the city. silly how good this is with just salt and smoke. fourth “wow” moment from the peanut gallery.
and if somebody can point me to a place in la that serves grilled nodoguro similar to this, so that i don’t have to wait months to try it again, my offer of one-million PorkyBelly credits still stands.
komochi wakasagi (freshwater female smelt with eggs), turnip greens, japanese turnip puree
pregnant smelts > nonpregnant smelts. i said it.
nabe - amadai (tilefish), shiitake mushroom, fresh wakame (seaweed)
the amadai had a nice firm and springy texture similar to monkfish. loved how much umami was in the broth.
chinmi - karasumi (dried mullet roe)
rich and briny like a fish cheese. excellent with sake.
gohan - buri (wild winter yellowtail), daikon
chef go uses uonuma koshihikari rice for this dish.
fun fact #1 mori-san hates the texture for this particular rice for some reason.
fun fact #2 i love it
bethany is crushing the BOH and providing some of the warmest hospitality in la
x3
fun fact #3 chef go is on #teamdeltaco @JeetKuneBao, @aaqjr
k&j orchard nashi pears, sake jelly
cara cara oranges (lee farm, fresno, ca)
fin
23 Likes
wow nice! it’s been busy and i haven’t been back in almost a year.
i do love the grilled nodoguro or the grilled kinki.
i need to work harder in getting a reservation but it’s hard to get a 4 person reservation (friends always want to join in)
2 Likes
How much is this dinner now?
such selfish friends aren’t worth having 
$240 + tax + 16% tip
3 Likes
nice qed
1 Like
i would book a seat by myself but then the wife would be mad.
2 Likes
then she’s not worth having either 
i kid
1 Like
I’m probably going to have to go by myself the next visit. Coordinating schedules with friends lately is becoming a hard sell…even with advance reservations.
3 Likes
hayato only takes reservations for 1 or 2 people now, problem solved. tell your friends to get their own damn reservation.
7 Likes
You sure did. Excellent report.
1 Like
Nice report back @PorkyBelly. 
Some of those dishes we had in previous visits, but it makes sense since he’s reflecting the seasons (and they are all just phenomenal). Love their Nodoguro as well! So incredible.
1 Like
that’s the only dish that didn’t work for me on my visit
I 1000% agree on the interaction part. It’s like a small private house party where you can learn, eat, and drink.
Now I’m wondering what other places get to this level of interaction in LA. For me its just Somni and Sushi Inaba so far.
2 Likes
I think somni is close but there are so many cooks in the kitchen and they’re so far away it’s hard to converse with any one of them.
Dialogue maybe?
(practicing my old Dagobah Yoda voice)…
There is another.
3 Likes