Azay — Restaurant in Los Angeles

This place is a gem! We love the vibe, love how the art on walls is uniquely related to the history and development of the restaurant. Philip is a delight, it meant so much to us that he shared the history of this family restaurant and what inspires its menu. It’s unassuming on the outside, which I really like about it. The inside is bright yet understated. In the world of Japanese tea ceremony, I would say this place has wabi-sabi. (Not a place to go if you expect a flashy scene.) Also the food is intentionally seasoned with complexity, subtlety and unexpected delights.

We had dinner here and from the first bite everything was delicious. Their food is like an orchestra, with highlights and depth. Every detail of the meal was intentional. We started with a couple of appetizers: Crab and uni milk toast, and Sunchokes w/ dengaku miso. The crab and uni milk toast was rich and creamy on top with a crisp crunch of toasted artisan baguette below. Sunchokes were perfectly crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The miso glaze added a savory highlight.

We had Chilean sea bass and Jidori shio koji chicken. Both were excellent and cooked to the perfect doneness. The chicken thigh had passion fruit seeds which added a sweet surprise to balance the savory honey nut squash. The sea bass, which was one of their signature dishes, is served in a hand-painted dish reminiscent of a traditional Japanese kaiseki meal. It was cooked to tender and delicious perfection.

Desserts were equally delicious and thoughtfully prepared. We had a soy milk panna cotta (big thanks from lactose-intolerant Asian) which was rich and creamy and topped with a pear granita, yum! The apple tarte had a traditional French crust, flaky and delicious.

Service is excellent. We noticed they pulled extra staff out when serving our entrees so everyone at our table received their meals at the same time. Small detail, but it's these quiet details that really made us feel so well thought about.

Their menu changes weekly. If we lived in the area we would definitely put this place on our...

This was easily the most memorable meal during my recent trip to LA. Azay came highly recommended from my local friends, and I can see why—you can feel that every part of the restaurant, from the menu to the decor, has been carefully crafted with a very skilled and clear vision.

I ordered the Japanese Breakfast, and while I’m sure the other menu items are delicious, I don’t see any reason to ever order anything else. The breakfast had so many unique parts that ranged in both texture and flavor, making it not so much a meal but rather an entire experience.

I’ll be honest, I didn’t always know exactly what I was eating, but everything tasted delicious and I knew I was trying things that I won’t often get the chance to. It was enjoyable to try little bites of each piece and experiment with different combinations together. Everyone at my table ordered the Japanese Breakfast, and it was really fun to talk about the varying parts of the meal as we ate it.

The service was surprisingly fast and our waiter was very polite. We could feel the energy in the small restaurant change when Chef Akira made an appearance while preparing food at the front of house. We couldn’t help but sneak a glance at the chef in action, and he seemed just as focused and precise in his actions as I’m sure he was the day he opened Azay. Make sure to check out his story on their website as you dine—we found it really enriching to the entire experience.

If you’re looking for a breakfast spot that you’ll be talking about long after you eat there, you’d be hard pressed to find somewhere better...

We went Azay for dinner 5 days ago and after arriving and sitting down, just realizing that it's set menu only, at $75 per person. I personally do not like set menus because I like the flexibility and freedom to choose. In addition, we weren't made aware of the set menu only for dinner when I made the reservation online. Just as I was discussing about alternative dinner options elsewhere amongst us, the waiter came and really politely relay to me that he had overhead our conversation and completely respect and understand it if we were to go somewhere else because of the circumstances. We then decided to give it a try anyways due to the glowing reviews online....and boy, we were happy that we stayed!!

The food was amazing, everything was super fresh and tasty, the service was also top notch. They really took the time to explain the origin of the ingredients and technique. They also gave us a couple complimentary tasting appetizers, expressing gratitude for staying and giving them an opportunity to experience their food. We felt seen and valued as first-time patrons, which is so very rare these days!

All in all, I can't recommend this place enough! Usually for great food you have to put up with subpar service and vice versa but Azay, is a real gem because you get...