Actually the absence of traffic these days allows for some very adventurous take out runs.
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yes - one of the plusses for sure
I’d be surprised if your drive took you more than 20 mins each way. You should try it and let us know. 
I don’t have a car and bus travel is far too dangerous for someone like me.
Ah, makes sense.
Did someone post elsewhere that Raku delivers? Van Nuys is pretty far, but who knows? They might be willing to deliver.
Update XX (To-Go, part 2):
As we walked into Aburiya Raku to pick up our order To-Go, they had more signs posted up about their impressive Sake selection being on sale for 20 - 30% off:
One of Aburiya Raku’s best dishes has always been their Secret Menu Kamameshi (Iron Pot Rice) dish. It turns out it’s still available! 
(Secret Menu) Kamameshi (Iron Pot Rice with Salmon and Ikura (Salmon Roe)):
However, with a large, piping hot batch of freshly made Rice (enough to feed 3 - 5 people), they don’t have any container to package this, so it’s not offered normally.
What to do?
Learn from our FTC legend @PorkyBelly!
Bring Your Own Rice Cooker:
(The Rice Cooker transport method was perfect - it kept the Kamameshi Rice warm all the way back to the Westside with no problem (and no traffic).) 
Taking a bite:
SERIOUSLY.
In these dark times, we all need our comfort food. The combination of freshly made Rice - toothsome, plump, outstanding texture - made just for this order, in a Kama (Iron Pot), with quality Salmon and Ikura (Salmon Roe), mixed with Nori (Seaweed), Ginger create this incredible confluence of real, mouth-watering umami flavors, hitting all your senses, and bringing total joy!
SO GOOD! 
One of the Best Bites we’ve had during this pandemic and just as good as Raku when they were open! (@PorkyBelly @J_L @JeetKuneBao @attran99 @TheCookie @paranoidgarliclover @beefnoguy @A5KOBE @Ns1 and others!)
(Special Order) Bara Chirashi Bento Box:
It turns out Raku’s current Assistant Chef, Jimmy Sugishita (who previously studied under Mori Sushi and Hayato) is doing Special Orders for a Bara Chirashi Bento Box! (Thanks @NYCtoLA for the info.)
Sugishita-san will prepare them and have them ready for you to pick up at Raku at your agreed upon time. Nice.
First impressions are stunning: Each Bara Chirashi Box is wrapped up on cloth, and put in actual laquerware (that you get to keep)! It’s beautiful for a “To Go” item.
Opening up the Chirashi Bento…
Hon-Maguro (Otoro + Chutoro) (Medium Fatty Tuna Belly and Fattiest Tuna Belly); Kinmedai (Splendid Alfonsino) Seared with Binchotan Charcoal; Ni-Anago(Simmered Conger Eel); Tai (Japanese Sea Bream); Ikura (Salmon Roe) Marinated in Dashijoyu; Shiitake-ni (Simmered Shiitake Mushrooms); Atsuyaki Tamago (Japanese Egg Castella-Style); Kinshi Tamago (Shredded Egg); Kyuri Sunomono (Pickled Japanese Cucumbers); Freshly Grated Wasabi:
Taking a bite: Outstanding!
The sheer variety of quality Fish (from Japan), individually prepared, seasoned made all the difference. I think Sugishita-san heard @PorkyBelly because our Chirashi Bento’s Rice was seasoned. 
Not as nicely seasoned as Sushi Rice that you’re used to, but it was seasoned now.
I loved the Kinmedai (Splendid Alfonsino) seared with Binchotan Charcoal! It lent a real deep smokiness.
The pops of Marinated Ikura (Salmon Roe) added sufficient salinity to each bite that you didn’t really need to use the impressive Daiginjo Shoyu (high grade Soy Sauce) that was included.
Sugishita-san’s Atsuyaki Tamago was truly Castella-like, light and fluffy, giving little bits of sweetness to balance out the salinity. The Otoro and Chutoro were lovely.
We enjoyed this Bara Chirashi more than Sushi Ginza Onodera LA’s version (that was more than 200% the cost), although that one was still enjoyable.
I count my blessings during this pandemic, and am glad to see some great culinary offerings that are still available for Takeout. Definitely worth a try.
Note: For the Bara Chirashi Bento, you should contact Chef Sugishita via his Instagram to pre-order:
Aburiya Raku
521 N. La Cienega Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90048
Tel: (213) 308-9393
http://aburiyarakula.wixsite.com/weho
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I’m picking up my chirashi tomorrow. But I wasn’t able to order anything from Raku. Chef said there wouldn’t be any staff to prep it.
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How much was the chirashi?
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Hi @attran99,
Hope you enjoy your chirashi! And in the future, the regular Raku Bento Box is wonderful (as is the Salmon Bowl) and a few other items.
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LEGEND
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$70
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Thanks for the info! Sounds like a great deal. Need to hit up IG this week 
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Hi @Wakko11,
As at @attran99 said, $70, however it’s a great value. To give you some perspective, it’s probably ~175% the size of Sushi Tsujita’s Bara Chirashi if you’ve had that on Sawtelle. Plenty of food.
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It’s definitely enough food to feed at least 2-3 people. I was so full halfway through…thankfully, my brother was around for the assist.
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That sounds great. Now I just need to stop thinking about it for a week before I can order one
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Update XX (To-Go, Part 3):
Aburiya Raku’s Assistant Chef Jimmy Sugishita has a new variation on his Bara Chirashi Bento Box this week.
(Special Order) Bara Chirashi Bento Box:
As before, the presentation is gorgeous and feels like a special occasion, being wrapped up in cloth, and then the actual laquerware that the dish is packaged in is yours to keep.
This week’s Bara Chirashi includes:
Akami-Zuke (Lean Bluefin Tuna Marinated in Soy Sauce); Ohtoro (Fattiest Tuna Belly); Kinmedai (Splendid Alfonsino) Seared with Binchotan Charcoal; Ni-Anago (Sea Eel); Hotate (Scallops) Glazed with Sweet Soy Sauce; Kegani (Japanese Hairy Crab) Mixed with its Miso; Bafun Uni (Sea Urchin); Ikura (Salmon Roe); Atsuyaki Tamago (Japanese Egg Castella-Style); Kyuri Sunomono (Pickled Japanese Cucumbers); Freshly Grated Wasabi:
To understand how dramatic a change the taste is for this week is to appreciate the seasonality of what Chef Sugishita is doing. This week he was able to source incredible Hotategai (Scallops) from Hokkaido, Japan. They were pristine: Bright, sweet, silky!
In fact thinking on this week’s Chirashi, it was a celebration of the Northern Island of Japan, with the Kegani (Japanese Hairy Crab) also fresh from Hokkaido, sweet, lightly briny (in a good way), delicate and another highlight!
And then the Bafun Uni (Sea Urchin) also from Hokkaido:
It was ridiculous! Perfectly fresh and sweet, stunning! For a “To Go” item, the fact we’re getting Bafun Uni this fresh and perfect shows how blessed we are and lucky to enjoy things like this during the pandemic. The best Uni we’ve had in 2020! (@J_L @PorkyBelly @TheCookie @A5KOBE @beefnoguy @attran99 @Ns1 @Sgee @paranoidgarliclover @JeetKuneBao and others!)
The Akami-Zuke (Lean Bluefin Tuna) and the Ohtoro (Fattiest Tuna Belly) were also bright and outstanding, but the Kinmedai (Splendid Alfonsino) this week that was seared over Binchotan Charcoal didn’t have as much smokiness as last week’s Chirashi, just slightly less, but otherwise tasty.
Sugishita-san’s Atsuyaki Tamago (Japanese Egg Castella-style) was still fluffy, lightly sweet and helped balance out the Chirashi as well. And the Cucumbers and Freshly Grated Wasabi were spot-on and great for contrast.
The Rice was also seasoned better this week, still not as standout as a Sushi Rice, but seasoned enough to support the Chirashi.
Kameizumi - Eternal Spring - Namazake Genshu Junmai Gingo Sake (Kochi, Japan):
We were going to pick up a different bottle for this, but one of our dear friends picked this bottle up from True Sake and shared it with us. With it being a Namazake (Unpasteurized Sake), and being bolder, we weren’t sure it would go well, but it actually paired fairly well. This was sweet, bright, a touch fruity, a bit more funky but to be expected, this was tasty.
As before, for the Bara Chirashi Bento, you should contact Chef Sugishita via his Instagram to pre-order, and then you can pick it up at Aburiya Raku.
Aburiya Raku
521 N. La Cienega Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90048
Tel: (213) 308-9393
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Methinks I ordered a few weeks too early. This looks amazing! Was there an up-charge with the crab, scallops, and uni?
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Nice @Chowseeker1999! I messaged Chef Sugishita yesterday on IG but didn’t here back. I’m thinking he is busy with Mother’s Day this weekend… but for future is there a secret code word? 
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We picked up a couple on Saturday evening for Mother’s Day. It was as great as you described. I can’t take food pics worth a darn and I’m no writer, either, so your post is about as perfect as the chirashi
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