![]() The Bird Cup, meanwhile, was the restaurant's version of the famed Pimm's Cup, lightly boozy and highly quaffable, with a tangy, fruity character over a somewhat medicinal backbone. Our first round began with the Gordon's Cup, sort of the requisite gin-cucumber cocktail on the menu, but a good one at that sure, the classic pairing of the cool cucumber and zesty, aromatic gin was spot on, but what really made this special was the spicy, savory overtones from the Sichuan pepper and salt. We were in a cocktail sort of mood though, and would eventually wind up sampling every single one of Ross' 14 creations. ![]() Nakatomi plaza | choya plum wine, yamazaki, fresh pressed green apple Gordon's cup | gin, muddled lime, cucumber, szechuan pepper, saltīird cup | our take on a pimms cup, muddled citrus Click for larger versions.įor all you winos out there, H&tB offers up a formidable wine list as well. Also worthy of note is the cocktail list, an intriguing selection with good breadth crafted by none other than New Yorker Sam Ross (Attaboy, Milk and Honey, Little Branch, Pegu Club, East Side Company Bar). It's a dinner-only affair at the moment, but there are indeed plans to add lunch as well, and I'd love to see them offer a tasting menu option. The Hinoki & the Bird menu is surprisingly lengthy, a celebration of globally-inflected Cali cooking split among smaller plates good for sharing, heartier mains, and some appealing sides. Further seating is available in the adjacent enclosed patio. It's an indoor/outdoor space, wood-y and homey and multifaceted on the inside, anchored by a copper-topped communal table, cozy bar, and gleaming open kitchen (replete with binchotan charcoal grill). The Milo Garcia/MAI Studio-penned decor is a slight departure from the LA norm, which is appreciated. Following, Yagi took a tour of Southeast Asia to further broaden her horizons, and started work on bringing Hinoki & the Bird to life. At this point, she became Executive Chef of Comme Ça here in LA, then left to film Season 10 of Top Chef. Returning from Japan in mid-2011, Yagi worked a stint at EN Japanese Brasserie in New York, under Chef Abe Hiroki, then traveled to Paris and Italy (Milan, Venice, Florence, Rome) for additional inspiration. In Tokyo, she interned at Seiji Yamamoto's much-talked-about modernist kaiseki joint Ryugin, as well as at Sushi Shin, where she made numerous visits to the famed Tsukiji fish market. She excelled in this post, even becoming one of StarChefs' Rising Stars, and held the position up until Sona's unfortunate shutter in May 2010.Īfter the closure, Yagi traveled to her homeland, staging across a number of eateries in Japan, including traditional Kyoto kaiseki restaurants Yachiyo and Konobu, under Chef Takuji Takahashi. Thus, in 2004, Yagi began working at one of the best restaurants in LA, starting in prep, then the amuse station, then working her way up the line to sous before being named Chef de Cuisine in late 2007. The two began talking, and Myers, impressed by her zeal and enthusiasm, offered her a job at Sona. Here, her love of food was rekindled, and it just so happened that one of Ubon's regular customers was none other than David Myers. Given her limited English skills at the time, Yagi ended up working as a server at Ubon, Nobu Matsuhisa's ill-fated noodle house. The marriage, however, was brief, and she soon found herself alone and looking for a job. ![]() ![]() As an escape, Yagi married an American and moved to Southern California in 2003. She yearned to do something more creative, something that would allow her to create using her hands. She first began taking an interest in food due to her mother's cooking, but declined to pursue a career in the kitchen, instead opting for a "safer" profession, resulting in an unsatisfying position at a bank in Tokyo. As for the name, hinoki is a type of cypress tree that is meant to represent the spirit of Japan, while the "bird" encompasses Myers, Yagi, and the staff, whose worldly travels have ostensibly influenced the modern Cal-Asian cooking here.Ībout the Chef: Yagi hails from Maebashi, the capital city of Japan's Gunma Prefecture. The restaurant is housed on the ground floor of The Century, the priciest condo tower west of the Mississippi, and is helmed by Myers' prized protégé Kuniko Yagi, a current contestant on Top Chef: Seattle. ![]() This year's first "big" debut comes to us in the form of the whimsically-monikered Hinoki & the Bird, the latest project from the David Myers Group and quite possibly the successor to Sona that we've been waiting for these past few years. ![]()
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