Too many L.A. restaurants are closing. Which is why the reopening of this Little Tokyo gem matters

"Azay in Little Tokyo, opened in 2019 by the late chef Akira Hirose - a pioneer in L.A.'s Franco-Japanese aesthetic going back to the 1980s - closed last year after a fire in its building caused water damage in the restaurant. Renovations were promised but as the months went on, I worried that Azay would suffer the fate of many other restaurants whose temporary closures became permanent."

"The saba, or mackerel, is broiled until its skin is crisply bubbled and then served with a bowl of fragrant, beautifully made rice, brightly colored Japanese pickles, a block of tender tofu drizzled with soy sauce and scallions, warm miso soup, seasonal fruit (half a Satsuma mandarin on this day) and the bite I always save for last - an expertly rolled omelet or dashimaki tamago."

Amid record restaurant closures, several openings and reopenings show Los Angeles resilience. Azay in Little Tokyo reopened in mid-December offering breakfast and lunch after closing last year when a building fire caused water damage and prompted renovations. Dinners that had been begun by chef Chris Ono are not being offered for now. Reservations are easier through a revamped website, though weekend walk-ins usually face waits. The breakfast menu features chawanmushi, broiled saba with crisped skin, fragrant rice, pickles, tofu with soy and scallions, warm miso soup, seasonal fruit and dashimaki tamago. The restaurant’s founder, Akira Hirose, was a pioneer in L.A.’s Franco-Japanese aesthetic, and his son Philip Hirose maintains ties; the neighboring Anzen Hardware opened a new incarnation after closing in 2023.

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