LET’S PLAY BESUBORU!

by Andrea Rademan

“The Japanese have a wonderful sense of design and a refinement in their art. They try to produce beautiful paintings with the minimum number of strokes,” says restaurant designer, David Rockefeller. Nowhere is that more apparent than at Hokusai (8400 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills; 323-782-9717), which is named for the famous Japanese impressionist painter and wood engraver. In an homage to his work, a stunning glass tower etched with the Japanese words for the elements and the seasons is the focal point of the exquisitely appointed dining room. It overlooks plush booths and chairs upholstered in creamy leather that look as inviting as they are comfortable.

Executive Chefs Charlie Nagase (kitchen) and Koji Matsuzaki (sushi) incorporate the worlds of fashion, beauty and art in the menu as well, all under the direction of General Manager and Partner Tiger Nakawake. Catch this friendly Tiger by the tale? He is one busy guy. As a young soccer star, he left Tokyo for the U.S. when he was all of 15, went to Mexico to play, and signed on as a pro in Argentina. Seven games into his first season he blew out his knee and had to sideline his career. He returned to Southern California where he learned English while working his way up in South Bay Japanese restaurants, starting as a busboy and dishwasher before ultimately training as a chef. He worked at Matsuhisa while completing his undergraduate degree at UCLA — he eventually also earned a Masters in American Hotel Management — where he met restaurateur Michael Cardenas. After Matsuhisa, he traveled to France, Italy, Japan, and New York as a restaurant consultant. He was working in France when Cardenas called and hired him for a new venture, Sushi Roku.

Three times a week the father of four leaves his Torrance home at 4:30 a.m. to hit the downtown fish market with Chef Matsuzaki before the crack of dawn. They hand pick the best fish for their sushi and entrees that mix Japanese traditions with European flavors. Nakawake can’t resist interacting with customers to design the perfect meal. “I love to create a Kaiseki— several dishes served on small plates for them to taste all the flavors.” At a recent dinner, we were knocked out by Nagase’s Kobe cheek stew, which he simmers for eight hours with soy red wine and veal stock until the tender meat falls off the bone. Other signature dishes include delicate Saikyo foie gras, sautéed and served with eggplant and Saikyo miso; Lobster Truffle, which he slices, boils and chills before serving with diced truffle and cherry vinaigrette; Jidori Chicken grilled with spicy yuzo koyso sauce; and Rib Eye steak served with jalapeño butter and veal soy sauce.

Executive Sushi Chef Koji Matsuzaki was born in New York, moved to Japan as a toddler, attended cooking school and became a chef. His love of surfing took him to Hawaii for five years, but he knew that Los Angeles was the place to shine in sushi. Matsuzaki coordinates the menu with Nakawake and kitchen chef Charlie Nagase, “I know Japanese style. Charlie knows French style. I ask him how to make a sauce, he teaches me, and I mix it into my presentation,” says Matsuzaki, who is a master at giving traditional sashimi a modern twist.

Aside from wonderfully fresh sushi, Japan-trained Nagase and Matsuzaki serve elegant cooked dishes. Nagase worked in Europe and apprenticed with Hiroyuki Sakai, the Iron Chef French in Japan. (For more on Sakai, see Here and There in the June 2006 issue of Sushi and Sake.) He specializes in rich creams and makes his veal and lobster stocks from scratch. After spending several years back in Japan, he returned to Los Angeles and discovered that, although many new sushi restaurants had opened, most were doing the same thing. “Hokusai,” he says, and we concur, “is for people who are tired of eating the same Japanese food everywhere they go.”

Owner/Partner Edward Yoon, who was born in Seoul, Korea and moved here when he was three, attended Beverly Hills High School before earning a law degree and working as a stockbroker in Seattle, but his dreams of being a restaurateur brought him back. He prides himself on this one-of-a-kind restaurant where “you can have sushi one night and steak or chicken the next, and have them be equally delicious and satisfying, all with excellent service, sake, cocktails and a full bar.”

Jeffrey Y. Nitta, Director of Operations/ Partner, launched ZEROSUSHI, LLC, a global sushi chef placement firm. He has worked with ANA Airlines, Mos Burger Japan and others. “Japan may be the birthplace of sushi,” he says, “but Los Angeles is where it evolved.” He credits our freestyle way of thinking with the creation of the California Roll and the Spicy Tuna Roll. “Most Japanese restaurants are pretty much the same,” he says, “but we give it a twist. “Restaurateurs usually follow what everyone else is doing. We’re take some risks by doing things a little bit different,” he said.

“Our competition,” adds Nakawake, “is not other Japanese restaurants. We are competing with the top Italian and French restaurants.” Whether you come for the sushi, the cooked dishes, the cocktails, or all three, Hokusai will awaken you to the pleasures of great Japanese cuisine.


The funky Art Deco corner storefront that was once a showcase for Richard Tyler’s designer duds has a new tenant and there’s not a dud in sight. MILK is a combination ice cream parlor (rotating flavors such as banana dulce de leche, coffee toffee crunch, and fresh tangerine-blood orange sorbet show off in cones, ice cream sandwiches, hand-dipped popsicles, sundaes, shakes, malts, floats, and ice cream bon bons called “milkies”), pastry shop (hazelnut-chocolate madeleines, glazed red berry scones, pecan shortbread bars, ooey-gooey double chocolate cookies, spiced apple toffee loaves, and savories like bacon-and-cheddar scones), coffee bar (hot chocolate or vanilla, espresso drinks, lattes, hot tea infusions, iced blendeds including banana mocha, MILK green tea, and MILK Thai tea, and chocolate, strawberry or caramel cold Milk, plus a kiddie drinks menu), and lunch counter (pressed sandwiches such as the meaty media noche, stuffed with pulled pork, ham, manchego, pickle, and garlic mayo, or a terrific vegetable sandwich finished off with braised artichokes and pomegranate molasses; a few hearty vegetarian salads and four that feature chicken or turkey; and one daily seasonal soup — the mushroom we had was terrific). Weekend brunches feature buttermilk biscuits, frittatas, pancakes with vanilla roasted peaches, and cinnamon apple stuffed French toast.
The pastries and desserts are made by Richard Yoshimura, whose mother came from Okinawa and whose father was born right here in Los Angeles, as was Richard. Although he studied history at UCLA his passion for the pleasures of the table drew him to the California School of Culinary Arts. While still a student, he hired on as a cook at Gina Lee’s Bistro in Redondo Beach, which he considers “one of the best restaurants in the South Bay.” Today he works at MILK with owner/chef Bret Thompson but there’s still a Gina in his life — his wife, who is pastry chef at Table Eight on Melrose.

Bret worked at San Francisco’s Aqua Restaurant before heading to Europe to train under several Michelin-starred chefs. He also worked for Roy Yamaguchi in Hawaii Kai, Oahu, before signing on with Joachim Splichal’s Patina Group, where his last position was as Corporate Executive Chef. He was named Orange County Chef of the Year in 2002 at Catal Restaurant in Downtown Disney, Anaheim. After bringing Yoshimura on board, Richard worked as senior sous chef, overseeing desserts, menu and recipe development, and creating special occasion and wedding cakes. His delectable pastries were served at Pinot, the Music Center, Walt Disney Concert Hall, LACMA, MOCA and Patina Catering.

Although his bubble gum-colored blue velvet cake has gotten lots of attention — it’s a takeoff of red velvet cake, only with blueberries and blue food coloring — Richard professes to have no favorites. “That would be like picking among your children,” he says. “I’m just happy that whatever I do puts a smile on people’s faces. Besides, what I like most is eating.”

What more could you ask? Well, there’s indoor and outdoor seating, take out, special orders, delivery, curbside pick-up, and party platters. The MILK man cometh.


Make Every Day Earth Day
Even as the U.S. auto industry flirts with hybrid technology, American drivers use 783 million gallons a day of gasoline — a near historic amount. Fuel efficiency innovations such as direct-injection, continuously variable transmissions and optimized aerodynamics cannot combat the effects of 400, 500, and even 600 horsepower engines. Hybrids may be gaining in popularity but last year they represented only about 250,000 new cars out of 16 million. While carmakers boast about their new environmental consciousness, their lobbyists and lawyers battle over greenhouse gases.
What can you do to protect the environment? Recycle waste products. Make garden mulch from garbage and catch used kitchen and bathroom “gray water” to irrigate plants. Reduce, reuse, and recycle. Replace grass with drought-tolerant, native-plants and grow vegetables and wildflowers. Lower or turn off air conditioning and heat. Keep your plumbing in order. Don’t leave the tap running. Clean with nontoxic soaps in cold or warm water. Switch to energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs and bring your own bags to the market. Whenever possible, walk or bicycle. For more info, check out: Eco-Village, a local ecological housing co-op; Treepeople, an environmental group that supports an integrated ecosystem; and Eco-Home Network, which promotes Earth-friendly lifestyles.
Consider a Japanese-style eco-getaway at SUNRISE SPRINGS, 242 Los Pinos Rd, Santa Fe, New Mexico; 800-955-0028; www.sunrisesprings.com, which is commited to sustainable practices and ecology-based tourism. It is nestled in a valley just outside Santa Fe, New Mexico, on 70 acres of spring fed ponds, walking trails and healing gardens. Tea Immersion Week runs from July 16 to 22 in conjunction with the Santa Fe Opera production of TEA: A MIRROR OF SOUL by Tan Dun. Experts on music, Asian culture, and the world of tea, including tea expert James Norwood Pratt, will teach Japanese and Chinese Tea ceremonies, Raku (Rakuyaki) pottery, yoga and Tai Chi classes. The first potter, Chojiro, learned under Japanese tea master Sen-No-Rikyu. According to myth, after Chojiro’s death in 1592, ruler Hideyoshi gave a golden seal with the symbol “raku” to his adopted son, Jokei. Hand-made from earthenware, each pot has a unique shape and style and were the first Japanese ceramics to use a seal mark. Participants will make their own Raku pottery tea bowls for the Japanese Tea Ceremony in JoShin An tea house with its views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, a Japanese tea garden and memorial pool, vegetable and herb gardens, fruit trees, fountains, and artistic rockwork. Guests will indulge in a Kaiseki dinner featuring miso marinated salmon in dashi broth with lotus root and udon noodles paired with hand-crafted sakes. The landscape provides herbs and vegetables for the restaurant and is home to many birds, butterflies and wildlife. The outdoor Lotus Bar and patio will feature Asian inspired tapas and house-made herbal infused liquors, with live music on Friday and Saturday nights. Guests may opt for hiking and bird watching. horseback riding, hot-air ballooning, white water rafting on the Rio Grande, kayaking, and skiing, and visit Santa Fe’s museums, art galleries, shops and fine restaurants. The Immersion Week Program registration is through the Opera: 800-280-4654. Rooms are booked through the resort.

Spanning East and West, over the last 5,000 years tea has played a role in medicine, politics, the arts, culture, and religion. Behind this most serene of beverages lie stories of treachery, violence, smuggling, drug trade, international espionage, slavery and revolution. LIQUID JADE by Beatrice Hohenegger (St. Martin’s Press, $24.95) tells the history of western greed and eastern bliss, including anecdotes about: the mythical birth of tea according to Zen; China’s discovery of tea’s invaluable health properties; the Taoist belief that tea was the elixir of immortality; and Buddhist Japan’s development of a spiritual path (the Way of Tea), symbolized by the elaborate tea ceremony known as chanoyu. But tea inspired misery, too. In the west, pirates and traders killed each other over tea and spices; Scottish spies stole the secrets of tea production from the Chinese; the English introduced opium to China in exchange for tea; and the exploding tea industry in the 18th century reinforced the practice of slavery on sugar plantations. The author includes quirky facts, such as the accidental invention of the tea bag and the ongoing debate of MIF (Milk In First) versus TIF (Tea In First). Beatrice Hohenegger is the guest curator of several upcoming museum exhibitions “From East to West on the Way To Tea.”