California Cuisine & Sake

Serious Sushi at Jinpachi

　On April 17, 2006, the fourth generation member of a
family hung out a shingle for Jinpachi and opened
the restaurant on the major thoroughfare in West Hollywood,
Santa Monica Boulevard. That family member and the owner
is Fujita Hirotaka, fondly known by his nickname, Taka.
Jinpachi is the name of Taka's great grandfather.
In the beginning of the twentieth century, around 1915,
Jinpachi started a fishmonger delivery service and
passed it down and had been engaged in a caterer's
restaurant through the generations. From the age of 16,
Taka began training to take over the family business,
but when he was 21 years old his father passed
away and the shop closed. After coming to
Los Angeles at the age of 23, he decided that his career,
after all, lay in that direction, that of a tradesman,
and he continued on that path.
　In 1999, when Nobu Malibu opened, he joined that
company. Three years later, he moved to Takao, and
after a year's training he was entrusted with the
management of Akwa. After that, he polished his skills by
working for a few months at Nishimura. He has traveled
steadily on the road towards establishing the fourth
generation Jinpachi. Taka says that he is lucky to own a
restaurant at such a young age, but he would not be wrong in
stating decisively that it is the result of his own skill and efforts.
　Arriving at the restaurant at 7:00 in the evening, lanterns placed in front of the door decorated in arabesque patterns cast light that made a chic atmosphere as a greeting. Somehow, it evoked thoughts of Japan at a more leisurely time, around the beginning of the twentieth century.
　By around the seventh order of sushi, I was practically stuffed. Despite that, Taka's delicious preparations of the sushi kept me eager to continue to eat more. For that reason, although I saw some examples of the desserts that are the pride and joy of Jinpachi, I reluctantly had to forego that course. Taka's wife, Tomoko, trained at Nobu and Spago and is the pastry chef. I promised myself that the next time I came I would not fail to enjoy dessert.
　While savoring the sushi, soft jazz music flowed around the room, and I noticed that it muffled the voices of the people there.
　 In no time at all the restaurant was full. It is a cozy space, but the second floor also accommodates guests and that was full, too. Taka's sushi is obviously so popular that the result is a crush of patrons. Regardless, heroic efforts are made to serve everyone, and gorgeous sushi comes flying out, order by order.
　Watching Taka prepare dishes with an earnest attitude, I felt that I had learned something important while observing him across that counter full of food. Visits to the market are made three times a week and it is all right to ask if anything special was found. Taka says that he is always learning from his customers, but reading between the lines of these modest words, his severe attitude towards himself can be seen. His target for his customers is high. He strives to be second to none. He never lets his guard down, but works in deadly seriousness every day to create an assortment of delicious creations.
　Watching Taka prepare dishes with an earnest attitude, I felt that I had learned something important while observing him across that counter full of food.
The Chef's Omakase Selection of the Day, $100 per person
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