la.foodblogging

[Photo from their website]

R23 Japanese Cuisine and Art Gallery is exactly what a downtown, cool and artistic space serving fantastic sushi and exceptional gastronomic delights ought to be. Tucked away on the outskirts of Little Tokyo, in L.A.’s Arts District, this fine restaurant first opened its doors in 1991. Now, seventeen years later, R 23 has expanded into the galleries next door, extending their ambiance of intimate dining rooms currently adorned with modernistic paintings by Japanese artist, Ichiro, which are available for sale. The expansion also features a lounge area with a small sake bar.

The main dining room remains lined with dramatic Gauguin-inspired paintings from acclaimed Japanese artist Shiho Amano. Tables are dressed with crisp white linen and are framed by R23’s signature, custom-made corrugated cardboard chairs created by L.A. architect Frank Gehry.

R23’s Executive Chef Tobi-San orchestrates an extensive menu from the kitchen that includes two dozen nightly specialties, while Head Sushi Chef Toshi-San leads the team of four chefs at the granite sushi bar.

A substantial heap of their signature Dungeness crab salad ($21) is drenched with a perfectly balanced rice vinegar and olive oil dressing that has the clarity of a consomme and the mild heat of a hint of ginger.

You truly haven’t lived until you’ve sampled their luscious Lobster tempura ($55), featuring lightly deep-fried claws and tails, as well as vegetables, which also arrives as a generous portion fit for sharing.

Grilled medallions of Duck ($14) are stuffed with Tokyo scallion and served with crisply steamed baby bok choy.

Lavish cuts of truly sublime sushi are draped over the lightly vinegared rice and are served on handcrafted ceramic platters with abstract black, grey and red hues. The toro was so rich and oily, it was practically falling apart. In my notes, I think we paid $29.50 for four orders of sushi, including yellowtail, salmon and the toro.

Their refreshed wine list is impressive as well, with selections specifically chosen to pair with the cuisine. A nice range of cold sake, from junmai to ginjo to the finest daiginjo varieties, arrive in cunning little glass carafes with their own internal ice reservoir to keep the rice wine chilled (small is $20, medium is $25).

Be advised, this place is seriously spendy and there are no prices on the long page of chef’s specials, so don’t be afraid to ask before you order, unless you have an unlimited amount of dosh at your disposal!

It may be a little tough (but not impossible) to find R23, hidden down a small street of warehouses off East Third, but that’s all part of the adventure.

R23
923 East 2nd Street, in downtown L.A.’s Arts District.
Open for lunch Monday through Friday – 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.,
dinner Monday through Saturday – 5:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling 213 687 7178.
Valet parking is available, but we snagged a free spot on the street.

By MaxMillion (see more of her posts). Max Million is the nom de 'net of Pauline Adamek. Born in Sydney, Australia, Pauline has lived in Los Angeles for the past thirteen years and finds it agrees with her. She has been reviewing films and filing celebrity-based interview articles since 1991, and has filed stories from various international film festivals, including Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Toronto and Sundance. She completed a family cookbook and has also written novels for 8-12 year olds. She is the creator and host of ArtsBeatLA.