Bar Hayama Open for Guests
Bar Hayama
1803 Sawtelle Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90025
Bar Hayama opened on the lucky date of 07-07-2007 at 7:00 pm. The restaurant is located at the corner of Sawtelle Boulevard and Nebraska Avenue in West LA and its unique sign of “irrashaimase” (welcome!) with a chef bowing is quite noticeable. The space on the Sawtelle Strip is the former location of the sushi restaurant Sasabune.
Bar Hayama is an authentic Japanese restaurant with the all-around ideal combination of sushi, sake, and kozara (meaning “small plates”). It is owned and operated by America’s sushi pioneer, Toshimitsu Sugiura. After nine months of undergoing renovation, the restaurant has been completely transformed. The patio has a fire pit where 20 people can comfortably enjoy dinner. The interior décor is modern and features a tranquil atmosphere like that of a resort. The sushi room has 15 seats around the sushi counter. The sake bar has more than 70 kinds, and so forth and so on – I was impressed by the total renovation. Surprisingly, two American chefs who are former students of Sugiura manage the sushi bar.
Hama Venice has been providing sushi to Americans since 30 years ago, and it was popular as a hot sushi bar in 1980s. Sugiura made sure that sushi would be accepted by Americans, and in 1998 he established the California Sushi Academy. The world of sushi is no longer only for Japanese: it is now open for Americans to learn sacred sushi techniques. Sugiura is busy going back and forth between the Sushi Academy and his own restaurant. He is a judge of the Sushi Masters Contest held in California and Tokyo, and is also one of four Certified Master Sake Sommeliers in the U.S. Nicknamed “Sommelier Toshi,” he discusses his encounters with sake and talks of the great pleasure of enjoying the “testing sets” of three varieties of sake, known as “flights” on the menu. At Bar Hayama the variety of the sake collection is so large, guests are able to enjoy sake for any kind of occasion or for any kind of food.
Starting from London, Sugiura traveled to about 60 countries when he was 19. When he ran out of money, he became a street performer and also sold his works of kirie, or “paper-cut pictures.” A lot of books have been written about him and his unique life experiences: “Japanese Food Wars” by Yasushi Ikezawa; “Kaiten Sushi Around the World” by Toyou Tamamura; “Sushi, Please!” by Yuko Kato; and “The Zen of Sushi” by Trevor Corson. It is enjoyable to hear not only of his sushi stories but also of his unique life experiences.
At last it’s time to eat and drink. When I take a peek at the menu with its rich variety of small dishes, I want to try each and every dish, but I have a hard time deciding. Meanwhile, Sugiura chose three appetizers for me. Finally, I still could not choose any other dishes by myself, so I let Sugiura select the other dishes as well, and these were deeply satisfying to me (at $50 it was quite a discounted price – the regular price begins at $75)).
Dish 1: Appetizer 3 items
1. Hamachi Gomadare – The fatty melt-in-your-mouth yellow tail and the sweet taste of sesame match well. Garnished with nyoga, or Japanese ginger
Best pairing - Daiginjo “Fukukomachi”
2nd pairing - Ginjo “Akita Toji”
2. Jumbo Clam with Salt - Ultra-fresh jumbo clam. Enjoy the high quality and crispy texture.
Best pairing – Ginjo “Akita Toji”
2nd pairing – Tokubetsu honjozo “Tsukiyo”
3. Tuna with Miso & Vinegar Sauce – Thick sliced tuna filled with Japanese cucumber. It has a fruity aroma, and the fashionable miso & vinegar sauce is enjoyable.
Best pairing - Junmai Genshu “Akita Issui”
2nd pairing – Ginjo “Akita Touji”
Dish 2: Special Kozara Combo 4 items
1. Crab Meat Dynamite – A huge portion of crabmeat with mushrooms is covered with mayonnaise. This is a small but luxurious item. I was impressed with – and delighted by - this dish.
Best pairing - Junmai Daiginjo “Kimura”
2nd pairing – Daiginjo “Fukukomachi”
2. Monkfish Pate Canapé – The monkfish is very artfully arranged and the pate vanishes smoothly into one’s mouth.
Best pairing - Daiginjo “Fukukomachi”
2nd pairing - Tokubetsu Honjozo “Tsukiyo”
3. Baked Potato with Raspberry – This is a Western-style baked potato with crispy fried onion. And it is arranged colorfully with cooked raspberries.
Best pairing - Tokubetsu Junmai “Munenouchi”
2nd pairing – Tokubetsu Honjozo “Tsukiyo”
4. Japanese Basil with Spicy Tuna Tempura and Apricot Sauce –Deep-fried spicy tuna wrapped with Japanese basil. The spicy taste is addictive.
Best pairing - Junmai Genshu “Akita Issui”
2nd pairing - Tokubetsu Junmai “Munenouchi”
Dish 3: Macrobiotic 3 items
1. Pumpkin Salad – This dish is a creamy pumpkin salad sweetened with raisins. It is reminiscent of the natural taste of mashed chestnuts.
Best pairing - Daiginjo “Fukukomachi”
2nd pairing - Junmai Daiginjo “ Kimura”
2. Spinach with Sesame – This is spinach marinated with ground sesame. The fragrance of the sesame and the iron of the spinach match well. This is a healthy dish.
Best pairing - Junmai Genshu “Akita Issui”
2nd pairing – Tokubetsu honjozo “Tsukiyo”
3. Marinated Vegetables, Hijiki Seaweed & Fried Tofu – A simple menu item with the enjoyable aroma of fried tofu and the natural taste of vegetables.
Best pairing - Junmai Genshu “Akita Issui”
2nd pairing - Tokubetsu Junmai “Munenouchi”
Dish 4: Hayama Special Zosui – When it came in a big soup bowl, Mr. Sugiura said, “Guess what is inside the bowl. When you start eating, you’ll know.” A big lobster is sitting in the middle of a bowl of soup, which includes many other exciting ingredients: Daikon radish, carrots, spinach, shiitake mushroom, maitake mushroom, squid, chicken … and I found a really good one – Mochi! It is mildly seasoned zoni. In the middle of eating this dish, I added yuzu (or citron) and I could enjoy this delicacy anew.
Best pairing - Daiginjo Genshu “Bishuikan”
2nd pairing – Junmai Daiginjo “Kimura”
Dish 5: Sushi 9 Pieces – After enjoying so many delicious dishes, I was full, but Mr. Sugimura mentioned that “At Hayama you need to finish your meal with sushi.” It is served on a large plate with 9 pieces of gorgeous sushi arranged quite colorfully. I enjoyed each piece one by one even though I was already full.
Tuna Yellow tail
Best pairing - Daiginjo “Fukukomachi”, Junmai Genshu “Akita Issui”
2nd pairing - Junmai Genshu “Akita Issui”, Diginjou “Fukukomachi”
Salmon Albacore
Best pairing - Daiginjo “Fukukomachi”, Tokubetsu Junmai “Munenouchi”
2nd pairing - Junmai Daiginjo “Kimura”, Junmai Genshu “Akita Issui”
Seared Hirame Crab
Best pairing - Junmai Daiginjo “Kimura”, Ginjou “Akita Toji”
2nd pairing - Tokubetsu Junmai “Munenouchi”, Tokubetsu Junmai “Munenouchi”
Eel Shrimp
Best pairing - Tokubetsu Honjozo “Tsukiyo”, Junmai Genshu “Akita Issui”
2nd pairing - Diginjyou “Fukukomachi”, Tokubetsu Junmai “Munenouchi”
Zuke Ikura
Best pairing - Daiginjo “Fukukomachi”
2nd pairing - Daiginjogenshu “Bisuikan”
At the moment I ate the appetizers I could instantly recognize the quality of ingredients and could feel the attention to detail to bring out the natural goodness of the food. Without any compulsion, I felt fully satisfied with the deliciousness. By the time I finished with the nigiri sushi, I was completely enthralled with all of the dishes Sugiura chose for me. The passion for food can be felt in the cuisine. Ingredients are chosen very carefully, and an understated French flavor is revealed on a consistent basis. It is a flavor one doesn’t grow tired of.
The service also makes you feel at home and over three hours passed by in an instant. The contribution of Macrobiotic Chef Chikae Sugiura should not be overlooked. It warms the heart to see dishes centered on fish and vegetables, which are nostalgic to Japanese people, arrayed on tables in a modern restaurant. And one’s pleasure doubles with the spirit inherent in the Macrobiotic gourmet foods. The Macro Brunch ($19) is served everyday, and it seems unnecessary to say that it’s delicious – and there is plenty of food. However, knowing the calories are healthy puts one in a happy mood. It is the kind of excellent food one wants to eat everyday. These days, guests strongly insist on chefs paying careful attention to the details of their meal. And it is a delightful feeling to go to a restaurant where one can feel assured of a very high level of quality. We can say that Bar Hayama is representative of that kind of restaurant. It observes Japanese-style traditions, and each and every guest will probably convey widely to the community the pleasure of the authentic cuisine available at Bar Hayama.
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