The reality is, most of the high profile places have a backchannel for regulars or VIPs to make reservations that bypass the normal free-for-all booking process. It sucks as a regular person trying to book. Although realistically, given the demand, even if they open all the seats up to Tock/whatever service they are all still going to get snapped up immediately. The restaurant benefits from cultivating some regular diners because you know they will like your food, they have proven that they will show up for their reservation, etc. It’s really about figuring out what the right balance of that is. Hayato is even trickier because of how few seats they have and only one seating a night. Unlike N/Naka and other places which do two seatings.
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We haven’t had too much trouble getting seats from the waitlist.
All bets are off if/when they become LA’s first three Michelin star restaurant.
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Last time I was there I sat next to a couple that got off the waitlist. My friend just got off the waitlist this week too. It definitely happens!!
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Adding some pictures of the dishes that were different from @porkbelly’s last post in early summer. Several courses were the same as we’re still in the summer season.
Spot prawn + okra, fried->marinated eggplant, and a plant with a gelatinous coating.
Hamo, seared quickly on the skin side. The meal started with Ranier cutting the bones on the hamo fillets
Bozushi, with ginger garnish. Uncured fish.
Sashimi. Tuna was leaner at this time of year and finely cut squid (great texture, sticky and a bit sweet)
I believe Kinki as before, but with slow roasted lotus root and fresh sudachi
I’ve already forgotten which fish this was. Gently fried with the tail on and then they cut it off before serving. Served with fried fava.
Nabe with mountain yam this time.
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adding on to @boourns report
sakizuke - live santa barbara spot prawns, fried eggplant soaked in dashi, okra, junsai, ginger juice
(new) grilled hamo, wasabi, salt
agemono (kakiage tempura) - brentwood corn, mitsuba, hokkaido scallop
(new) grilled kamasu, tosazu jelly, shiso blossoms
shinogi - aji bozushi, shiso rice, ginger, soy sauce
owan - dungeness crab suimono, kani miso, green yuzu, dashi
(new) sashimi - hatsu katsuo, shin ika
loved the slippery supple texture and sweetness of the shin ika
sake steamed abalone, abalone stock cubes, abalone liver sauce, wasabi
binchotan grilled hokkaido kinki, lotus root, sudachi
(new) magochi tempura, ankake, fava beans
nabe - amadai, mizuna, shiitake mushrooms, udo, tokyo negi
chinmi - karasumi
(new) anago and kinome gohan, nori, miso soup, cucumber, turnip, myoga, hojicha tea
x4*
*ran out of rice
yuki’s kintsugi
harry’s berries gaviota strawberries, kinako whipped cream
yellow regier peaches
yuki’s wasanbon
matcha
a bang bang with kato was perfect
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Quite an add-on! Looks fabulous, you guys!
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(new) hand written menu by yuki-san
I believe this is niyodo paper from hiromi paper inc.
a secret pizza x kato x hayato bang bang was perfect
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Inquiring minds want to know if Hayato also got secret pizza 
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Your capacity astounds me.
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I know. What is going on here?
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After months of fruitless Tock-ing, we finally managed to snag a rez off of the wait list. Had high expectations after trying their various bento and nabe to-go offerings in the past, and we weren’t disappointed.
The menu was mostly the same as what others have recently posted so I won’t bother with a full run-down, but there were some minor changes due to summer coming to an end + the gradual transition to autumn ingredients.
The tosazu jelly dish was served with a Kue Shabu Shabu rather than a grilled fish
The nabe course used matsutake in place of shiitake
Chef Brandon noted that this was the very last of the peaches for the season, so presumably dessert will be something new starting this week
Overall the experience was refined but relaxed, which is a combo that I greatly enjoy. Things never felt overly stuffy (especially once Chef relaxed a bit mid-way and started to chat more freely with the guests) but the food was dead serious and the ingredient quality and overall skill level is obvious.
Personal favorites were the hamo, the lotus root that was served with the kinki, and the bo-zushi. That last one is notable because I generally dislike bo-zushi, but I could have eaten an entire box of these.
Divine Sushi
Really though, this is one of those meals that doesn’t have a weak course. It was a pleasure from start to finish, and needless to say we greatly enjoyed our evening. Still fairly priced at $350pp IMO.
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His hair reminds me of Michael Corleone’s.
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Omg look at young Chow Yun-fat. Yes, lol, Brandon Go looks like a matinee idol. 
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I wonder if Brandon reads these posts, LOL?
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Haha. Btw that is one of the greatest Chinese dramas of all time. Very iconic song too.
He is probably too busy to bother lurking on our food nerd board. With preparing, sourcing, cooking, researching, studying, etc. He does go to places that our LA FTC favorites if I can recall in his IG stories . I seen him go to Ba Le in Westminster and Mini-Kabob. Could be coincidence but I think we are really one of the few places that geek out over hole in the walls on the interwebZ.
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I bet $5 that sir Brandon will come laugh at these sometimes 
#notanillegalbetting
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