For the first time ever, Nakazawa goes beyond nigiri.
The faithful Edomae-style omakase Nakazawa made famous in New York 13 years ago will still be on the menu in L.A., in a $190 “Classic” omakase format. But, for the first time ever, there’s another option as well: The Chef’s Tasting Menu ($295), which includes both hot and cold dishes in addition to the nigiri. The full kitchen inspired the team to expand their menu, including a binchotan charcoal grill. “We’re using a bevy of local California products as well as Japanese fish, but we wanted some of the new dishes to be really explosive,” Borgognone said.
Both omakase options are the same length, but will run a bit differently depending on where you’re seated. In the dining room, the menu is served as seven courses of three pieces each; while at the sushi counter, each course is done piece by piece (or dish by dish), for a total of 21 courses on both menus. The menu changes seasonally but for the full Chef’s Tasting Menu, for now, you can expect everything from a surinagashi (pureed soup) made with summer corn, white truffle, botan ebi (spot prawn) and finger lime for a pop of bright citrus to A5 Wagyu with porcini and a whiskey jus. Classic nigiri includes sea scallop, an array of toro (fatty tuna), and hay-smoked skipjack. Look out for an inventive uni course as well, featuring an uni sorbet and a crispy tempura roll. The sushi counter has a full view of the custom Bonnet Suite kitchen, giving diners a front row seat to culinary techniques like hay-smoking fish or watching live shrimp wiggle around on the counter (before well…you know).
