Chef Hayato Kojima heartily welcomes me to the inaugural evening of service at at his namesake restaurant, Kojima, located in Sawtelle Japantown. My spoken Japanese is halting but passable for eateries, while Kojima-san, brimming with alacrity, speaks little English (but is learning). Fortunately for the both of us, Mimi-san, our convivial hostess, possesses considerable bi-lingual skills. And of course, for the next few hours, we shall all share the language of nihon-ryori: Japanese cuisine.
The setting is clean: A large and comfortable L-shaped wood counter seating 6+2 guests dominates the dining room. There are a few four-top tables beyond the noren (curtain), but without doubt, the counter presents the choicest place to be seated at Kojima.
The fairly unique gastronomic style we find at Kojima evolved from Kojima-san’s cooking roots in Japan; he incorporates elements of formal kaiseki and Western-infused kappo-ryori into a modern interpretation of what he calls a customized “Kojima-Style Omakase” experience for his customers. This same style garnered him Michelin Bib Gourmand accolades in 2018 and 2019 in the Nakano district of Tokyo, where he owned and ran Nishi-Ogikubo Hayato. Here in this Los Angeles venture, sourcing of the ingredients hails from local markets, augmented by imported high end items from Japan. Although the order of plates do not necessarily correspond to standard kaiseki structure, fans of Japanese food will certainly recognize the deliberate thought and care that goes into Kojima-san’s dishes. A bit of a linguistic caveat: Though the word “omakase” is invoked here, no sushi/nigiri should be expected.
Birru: Echigo eases the way into the meal…
Chawanmushi with sweet corn, kegani: A fabulous summer dish, served on the cool side. Kojima leans towards generous with the luscious crab meat here… Huge bite!
“C.A.O.” Salad: Cauliflower, alfalfa & onion, with Kojima-san’s special dressing and a touch of shaved Parmigiano Reggiano. The skilled knifework utilized here created a fabulous texture to each bite of this creation. Another winner!
Yakitori hatsu with sansho: The taste here is on par with chicken heart served by a dedicated yakitori joint - Delicious! The order of dishes so far is certainly on the whimsical side.
Tai and zucchini blossom tempura, with Kojima tempura sauce base: Kojima-san’s frying prowess proves to be perfect here. The batter, oil and sauce accompany delightfully to the stars of the dish.
Sake: Kid Natsu No Shippu turned out to be a superb real-time remote expert recommendation by esteemed friend @beefnoguy - Mad props!
Sujiko somen in dashi with daikon oroshi… Utterly phenomenal! Huge bite! The add-ons (nasturtium, dill, panko, cilantro) all add another dimension to these noodles.
Kojima-san, prepping the next offering…
Sashimi: Honmaguro (Japan) chu-toro, o-toro, amaebi (Fukuoka), kensaki ika, and bafun uni (Hokkaido), with myoga allumette, shoyu and wasabi… Outstanding! I’ve never encountered kensaki ika (a subtype of aka ika) outside Japan before. It’s great that Kojima-san can source this.
Ikameshi: This delicate intermezzo uses surume ika, stuffed with rice prepared in dashi. Terrific…
Hirousu: Deep-fried tofu ball, stuffed with edamame, yamaimo and ebi… Supposedly originating from Portuguese origins, Kojima-san prepares this dish in the Kyoto style. Delicate, and very good. Amazing nodogoshi!
Matsukasa-yaki style nodoguro, with nasu… The denseness of the tender perch is balanced with the light eggplant - Very sumato! Also, that “pine tree bark” fish skin prep is crispy and marvelous.
Kojima-san keeps brings out more good stuff!
Seared Ozaki beef with maitake, shiitake and broccoli au jus… Ozaki beef is like one of the rarest, most luxurious type of beef in the world. I cannot believe I am sitting in a bar on Sawtelle, enjoying this perfectly prepared presentation! Huge bite!
Gohan: Shake (wild salmon) gohan with pickles and miso soup… Here we see the kaiseki elements clearly.
The first bowl was splendid!
Kojima-san made the second bowl as ochazuke, and it took on a whole different complexity…
Dessert time: House-baked Basque cheesecake, with berries and balsamic… Served with hoji-cha. A lovely way to finish the evening on a sweet note. Gochisosama deshita!
The Sawtelle area has seen a veritable explosion of eateries in the last decade or so. It is heartening to see a Japanese vanguard-type establishment take root here. Mimi-san’s service is warm and hospitable, truly living up to my omotenashi expectations for this type of dining. Reservation is via Tock, and parking is easily found in the underground lot of the Nijiya Supermarket complex. Note that the Kojima is housed on the second floor (not the ground floor).
The “Kojima-Style Omakase” is priced at $200pp for now, and a 15% gratuity is automatically added to the bill (Japanese-style; diners can opt to give even more tip if they feel it fitting). Given the premium ingredients and labor-intensive prep, this represents a huge deal for any food fan. There is not much in the way of marketing or fanfare at this time (Kojima-san wants to slowly build a loyal clientele for now). Count me in as a fan.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Kojima
2130 Sawtelle Blvd. #211
Los Angeles, CA 90025
424.248.0116
Tock reservation link