The Modest Izakaya Elevates Its Game in Los Angeles

Recently, Los Angeles experienced a wave of trendy tapas bars, followed by a phase of gentrified gastropubs. Now, the city seems to be entering a vibrant new era of izakayas. These modern interpretations of the classic Japanese drinking establishment continue to focus on small, shareable plates, but with a refreshingly bold twist.

A few years back, Echo Park's Tsubaki (1356 Allison Ave.) emerged as a popular spot. It's now a bustling hub not only for its yakitori and yaki-onigiri but also for quintessential Angeleno dishes such as a Caesar salad adorned with panko breadcrumbs and a rich miso parmesan dressing, along with “latkes” garnished with dry-aged Ora King salmon, pickled vegetables, and yuzu scallion crème fraîche.

Since this fall, Dan Rabilwongse, a Thai chef who’d worked at Tsubaki, has been operating the nearby, high-energy Budonoki (654 Virgil Ave.), whose neo-noir interiors are out of a Nicolas Winding Refn production. His menu runs from a charred Japanese sweet potato covered