Azay: A Legacy of French-Japanese Culinary Fusion in Little Tokyo

Discover Azay, a Little Tokyo gem blending Japanese traditions with French techniques. From iconic breakfasts to the legacy of Chef Akira Hirose, explore the soul of this resilient Los Angeles restaurant.

The bento box makes an excellent meal for those feeling extra hungry at lunchtime: it includes soba noodles in addition to fit to be tied rice; miso soup; a selection of vegetables; and a choice of tofu, fish, or hen and maitake mushrooms.

Discovering the Heart of Little Tokyo

Spend the day in Little Tokyo bopping around its many shops, markets, and confectioneries. Locate household items at the 80-year-old Anzen Hardware, located next door to Azay and likewise possessed by the Hirose family. On the exact same block is Marukai Market, a well-stocked supermarket packed with Japanese provisions. Fabulous mochi shop Fugetsu-Do is nearby.

The Evolution of a Culinary Legacy

The late chef Akira Hirose opened up the French Japanese restaurant in 2019; since his passing in 2024, it has been under the treatment of his better half, Jo Ann Hirose, kid, Phillip Hirose, and their team of friendliness pros. The Japanese French food selection at Little Tokyo’s Azay stands for the course its starting cook, Akira Hirose, took to opening up the dining establishment. Azay distills Hirose’s life experiences right into a food selection that includes what may be the last typical Japanese morning meal in Los Angeles, plus an everyday bento, omurice, duck confit, beef Bourguignon, and more. After Hirose’s death in September 2024, chef Chris Ono took up the mantle, leading the restaurant along with Hirose’s kid Philip and the rest of the family members.

Obtain a preference of French Japanese combination at its finest with matcha creme brulee. A custard base sets a highly rewarding background, while matcha layers in a grassy hum. Caramelized sugar brings structure and an attractive bittersweetness.

Authentic Japanese Breakfast and Fusion Flavors

It’s everything about traditional Japanese morning meal at Little Tokyo pillar Azay. The late cook Akira Hirose opened up the French Japanese dining establishment in 2019; because his passing in 2024, it has been under the care of his other half, Jo Ann Hirose, boy, Phillip Hirose, and their team of friendliness pros. Azay lately resumed after an eight-month closure as a result of a fire that triggered considerable water damage to its 1st Street building. The good news spread swiftly among Azay’s faithful followers and the community’s tight-knit community, drawing groups back to the precious restaurant for impeccable Japanese breakfasts. Azay supplied supper solution prior to it shut for repair services, it presently serves only morning meal and lunch.

The soul-warming Japanese breakfast spread– as photogenic as it is nourishing– includes tiny bowls of rice and miso soup alongside broiled fish (saba mackerel or miso black cod) and recipes of fit to be tied and pickled vegetables, rolled omelet, and silken tofu. A vegan variation swaps fish for tofu and maitake mushrooms.

The Japanese French menu at Little Tokyo’s Azay stands for the course its beginning cook, Akira Hirose, required to opening up the dining establishment. Birthed in Kyoto, Hirose learnt Azay-le-Rideau, France prior to relocating to the U.S. to function as a pupil at L’Orangerie in the very early 80s. Hirose opened up a French restaurant in Kyoto in the late 80s prior to debuting the now-closed Maison Akira in 1998 in South Pasadena. Azay distills Hirose’s life experiences into a food selection that includes what might be the last standard Japanese morning meal in Los Angeles, plus a daily bento, omurice, duck confit, beef Bourguignon, and extra. The dinner menu modifications once a week yet commonly uses dishes like miso black cod, branzino, and charred octopus. After Hirose’s fatality in September 2024, chef Chris Ono used up the mantle, leading the restaurant along with Hirose’s son Philip and the rest of the family.– Rebecca Roland, associate editor