Hayato - ROW DTLA

[Starchtrade]

When I first joined FTC, reading the Chowhound Manifest really helped me to understand everything/everyone a little better.

–

The Original Chowhound Manifesto

Everyone has one in his life: the brother-in-law with a collection of 800 takeout menus, the co-worker who’s late from lunch because she HAD to trek to one end of town for soup and to the other for a sandwich. Chowhounds know where the good stuff is, and they never settle for less than optimal deliciousness, whether dining in splendor or grabbing a quick slice.

We’re not talking about foodies. Foodies eat where they’re told. Chowhounds blaze trails. They comb through neighborhoods for culinary treasure. They despise hype. And while they appreciate ambiance and service, they can’t be fooled by flash.

No media outlets serve Chowhounds. They’ve never had a place to gather and exchange information. This discerning, passionate crowd has long been completely invisible and utterly disenfranchised… until now.

If you, too, fret endlessly about making every bite count; if you’d grow weak from hunger rather than willingly eat something less than delicious, this place is for you! Welcome to our community. Let’s talk. Let’s swap tips.

You needn’t be an expert to participate. If you’re less food-obsessed than the rest of us, but have a yen for egg creams, gazpacho, or Quisp Cereal, let the resident hounds guide you to the best stuff. Follow (and chime in on) the rollicking discussion – featuring thousands of messages from characters all over the world.

[beefnoguy]

@lafoodie

I want to discover drinks that are much more enjoyable than iced water. I love iced water. I don’t like most drinks because they usually taste manufactured, less refreshing than iced water and overpriced

If you scroll upward I’ve already mentioned some options of alcohol available by the glass at Hayato (wine, sake) and if you want to buy a bottle you’re also more than welcome to and just take any leftovers home if you like (or leave it behind for the staff). If you use the search function I’ve recommended quite a few bottles for the more adventurous diners here in my own Hayato review thread but it’s up to you to either ask questions or do your own further research.

You’re also free to ask Chef Go and assistants who take your drink order for descriptions, recommendations or any questions you have about their selections before making your choice, and/or what they think pairs best with whatever you are going to be eating/when you eat (if pairing matters to you).

If you are not used to drinking, then perhaps start tasting sake/wine etc, one glass at a time, elsewhere before Hayato for whatever it is you want to explore. The more you taste, the more you learn along the way. We’ve all started from somewhere.

We have an entire thread dedicated to Sake that will give you a lot of good information and hopefully enjoyment.

Sake Talk Anyone?

I think @bulavinaka suggested a dedicated Sake thread. Most liked the suggestion. But how to start? Who does it? Do I know enough? How about we start something informal? When you come across an interesting Sake post, link it to this page. If you find a nice bottle, post it here. If you have a question or need a suggestion, come here. We can go from there.

Bottom line: there are quite a lot of resources here put together by a lot of passionate folks. Pick up the ball yourself and run with it, have fun. Explore, figure out what you like and don’t like (there will be hit and misses along the way, treat each as a learning experience). Try different things, pace yourself (and drink a lot of water in the process, alcohol dehydrates too). More importantly, report back on your experiences as a way of giving back!

[Sgee]

@lafoodie

… I’m very interested in trying drinks as well…
…I want to discover drinks that are much more enjoyable than iced water…

May I recommend a trip down to your neighborhood liquor store or supermarket (or go crazy at Costco) and a brown paper bag. Then pair with sushi takeout from the local supermarket, roll up to your local $1 taco truck/del taco/chipotle [insert cheapest takeout option for cuisine of choice] etc etc

Save yourself the 3 - 7x restaurant markup and get wasted in the privacy of your own home while exploring beverage & pairing alternatives to iced water. Or as @moonboy403 said, just continue drinking iced water

[TheCookie]

@attran99

Sometimes, the only way for you to know is to experiment/experience it for yourself. Independently of what anyone else thinks.

True, since I’ve joined FTC I have to remind myself not to ask too many questions or rely solely on advice & opinions from the board. But! You guys know so much stuff and give such good recs!

[JLee]

Don’t take it so seriously its an online community afterall, much worse is often said in back channels anyway but who cares its just food its not that big of a deal, I suppose I would know having worked with it for over a decade.

I’ve met my fair share of idiot and snarky diners but everyone is entitled to their opinion so its not worth losing sleep over. You don’t have to prove anything to anyone here, but it doesn’t hurt to contribute meaningful information over time.

[lafoodie]

Edit: I have to cancel it. Due to my history, Hayato would not allow transfers.

[Ns1]

Whoever takes it will be dining next to Ns1. Not sure if that’s a blessing or a curse.

[moonboy403]

I’ll take it! PM me your resy email and I’ll ask Brandon to take care of the rest.

Edit: oh well. i guess no hayato for me.

[PorkyBelly]

Winter 2020

still my favorite place to dine in la. i think what makes it so special (besides the food and hospitality), is the fun interaction with chef go and his team and depending on how much wine and sake are flowing your fellow dining guests too.

reservations for march open up this saturday (2/1) at 10am @attran99, @TheCookie, @Chowseeker1999, @Bookwich, @Sgee

welcoming sake

notorious B.H.G

(new) sakizuke - santa barbara spiny lobster, lobster dashi, head roe, ginger
seared over binchotan and finished in the steamer to a medium-rare. the lobster had a nice chew and i loved the addition of the roe.

(new) agemono - satsumaimo (japanese sweet potato), shirauo (icefish from lake shinji-ko in shimane prefecture)
chef go mentions the best icefish come from the brackish waters of lake shinji-ko. the fish is first steamed and then expertly fried.

the fries have eyes

shinogi - saba zushi, sesame, pickled myoga (japanese ginger)
cured in salt and vinegar just long enough to keep the insides raw. this bite elicited several audible “wows” from the counter, including me. insanely delicious.

owan - live dungeness crab suimono (clear soup), baby japanese turnip
the soup was lightly seasoned to highlight the main ingredient; a huge ball of steamed dungeness crab glued together with kanimiso (crab brains). Another wow inducing moment.

that drape…

sashimi tai (kagoshima sea bream), aji (hyogo prefecture spanish mackerel), salt, soy sauce, wasabi, raw nori, myoga, shiso
loved eating this with a dab of wasabi and a touch of salt to bring out the sweetness.

sake steamed abalone, abalone stock cubes, abalone liver sauce, wasabi
excellent as always. it’s crazy how much flavor is in those little cubes.

(new) a5 omi beef, fresh bamboo shoots
my favorite beef prep from chef go so far. the beef was buttery soft, like eating velvet, and the first of the season bamboo shoots might have been just as good as the beef. wow #4 @A5KOBE, @chinchi, @NYCtoLA

binchotan grilled nodoguro (blackthroat seaperch), lotus root
the clean, rich, and oily fish has to be my favorite cooked fish in the city. silly how good this is with just salt and smoke. fourth “wow” moment from the peanut gallery.

and if somebody can point me to a place in la that serves grilled nodoguro similar to this, so that i don’t have to wait months to try it again, my offer of one-million PorkyBelly credits still stands.

komochi wakasagi (freshwater female smelt with eggs), turnip greens, japanese turnip puree
pregnant smelts > nonpregnant smelts. i said it.

nabe - amadai (tilefish), shiitake mushroom, fresh wakame (seaweed)
the amadai had a nice firm and springy texture similar to monkfish. loved how much umami was in the broth.

chinmi - karasumi (dried mullet roe)
rich and briny like a fish cheese. excellent with sake.

gohan - buri (wild winter yellowtail), daikon
chef go uses uonuma koshihikari rice for this dish.
fun fact #1 mori-san hates the texture for this particular rice for some reason.
fun fact #2 i love it

bethany is crushing the BOH and providing some of the warmest hospitality in la

x3

fun fact #3 chef go is on #teamdeltaco @JeetKuneBao, @aaqjr

k&j orchard nashi pears, sake jelly

cara cara oranges (lee farm, fresno, ca)

fin

[Hungrydrunk]

wow nice! it’s been busy and i haven’t been back in almost a year.
i do love the grilled nodoguro or the grilled kinki.
i need to work harder in getting a reservation but it’s hard to get a 4 person reservation (friends always want to join in)

[tailbacku]

How much is this dinner now?

[moonboy403]

@Hungrydrunk

friends always want to join in

such selfish friends aren’t worth having

@tailbacku

How much is this dinner now?

$240 + tax + 16% tip

[moonboy403]

@PorkyBelly

fin

nice qed

[Hungrydrunk]

i would book a seat by myself but then the wife would be mad.

[moonboy403]

then she’s not worth having either

i kid

[attran99]

I’m probably going to have to go by myself the next visit. Coordinating schedules with friends lately is becoming a hard sell…even with advance reservations.

[PorkyBelly]

@Hungrydrunk

i need to work harder in getting a reservation but it’s hard to get a 4 person reservation (friends always want to join in)

hayato only takes reservations for 1 or 2 people now, problem solved. tell your friends to get their own damn reservation.

[TheCookie]

@PorkyBelly

i said it.

You sure did. Excellent report.

[Chowseeker1999]

Nice report back @PorkyBelly. Some of those dishes we had in previous visits, but it makes sense since he’s reflecting the seasons (and they are all just phenomenal). Love their Nodoguro as well! So incredible.

[moonboy403]

@PorkyBelly

(new) sakizuke - santa barbara spiny lobster, lobster dashi, head roe, ginger

that’s the only dish that didn’t work for me on my visit