Five Things to Know About Rokusho, Hollywood’s Swanky Japanese Newcomer

1. It’s inspired by a chef-driven food hall concept in Tokyo. 

In Tokyo, Rokusho is part of a food hall of sorts that features three different chef-created stalls serving various dishes like wagyu and sushi — the whole thing acting as a prelude for the high-end omakase, Udatsu. BHG, the team behind spots like kodo and Yamashiro, had planned to open a Japanese concept at 6630 Sunset as a spiritual sibling to kodo, but then Covid hit and the space faced construction delays. Shortly thereafter, they were introduced to the team at Tokyo-based Three Star Lane, and it seemed like a perfect moment for collaboration. 

While 3SL chef partners Hisashi Udatsu and Naotaka Ohashi were involved in creating the L.A. iteration, executive chef Carlos Couts, formerly of Sushi by Scratch, is making Rokusho his own, drawing inspiration from the original but localizing it with California ingredients. He was inspired by traditional Japanese dishes (“the ones you would eat at grandma’s house,” he says), with an innovative twist. For example, the black tonkatsu is his take on the classic dish, using an Iberico pork cutlet crusted in house-made milk bread crumbs, that’s fried and dusted in black charcoal powder to give it a unique, avant-garde look.

2. The gray-washed space has a stark, brutalist aesthetic.

Dining inside Rokusho feels at once futuristic and like a trip backwards in time. If the raw concrete walls remind you of sibling spot kodo’s aesthetic, that’s no coincidence:  Rokusho was also designed by Gryspace, who masterminded kodo’s striking, minimalist look. The first-floor dining room features 34 seats, including an L-shaped bar that’s accented by bold geometric shapes, including cylindrical light fixtures over the bar designed by Serax and black cork furniture by Studio Corkinho, both Belgium-based.

3. The menu puts a modern spin on Japanese comfort classics.

The menu features a mix of sushi, appetizers, Wagyu dishes, and more. Signature items from Rokusho’s Tokyo location make an appearance as well, like the Wagyu aburi, kushikatsu, nori snack, and katsu sando, all reinterpreted using mostly local ingredients.

The smoked otoro aburi skewer is a modern, showstopping dish in which the fish is seared over binchotan charcoal and finished with a bit of cherry blossom wood smoke, served from within a glass cloche. For the sushi cakes, Couts uses the same sushi rice as the nigiri, but presses it into a tartlet mold to form a round base for the fish. It’s crisped up on the bottom and topped up with raw seaweed puree, bluefin tuna, scallops, salmon, uni, shiso, and edible flowers. “It’s really fun to eat. We’re always reminding people not to use chopsticks,” he adds. (Instead, it’s sliced into wedges like a mini pizza.) The “special” version involves Wagyu and caviar for a more premium bite.

You’ll also find hand rolls, including king crab, shrimp and herb, and namero (Wagyu tartare, truffle, and egg sauce) as well as a full nigiri menu with rotating selections like kinmedai, scallop, otoro, and more, plus creative spins on Western classics like a cured salmon and ricotta salad (reminiscent of lox and cream cheese). While small bites abound, there’s also a Wagyu tenderloin, the black tonkatsu, and a take on the classic miso black cod if you’re looking for something more substantial. 

4. The cocktail menu focuses on both low ABV and vintage Tequilas.

“3SL Group was one of the first groups to take Tequila to Asia and use it in a big way,” says beverage director Felix Campos, formerly of Damian. Having mezcal expertise of his own, Campos designed a cocktail menu that highlights this heritage and infuses his own background into every sip. “The beverage program juxtaposes Latin American spirits with traditional Japanese food,” he adds. For Campos, using low ABV spirits like sake and shochu is the perfect canvas to build layers of flavor. 

His bright yellow riff on a Negroni called the Umeroni mixes up high-proof shochu, plum liqueur sake, and a little bit of gin. “The gin is the last of the actual ingredients,” he notes. “I want the other ingredients to come forward first.” In other words: one of these won’t knock you out with liquor as a traditional Negroni might. His yellow-green Midoriti (“the brat girl summer” of cocktails, jokes Campos) involves throwback liquor Midori, mezcal, and lime juice, reimagined as a modern margarita. The rim is dusted with ground and dried Japanese chiles (his version of Tajin). 

The cocktail menu also features playfully named drinks that have pop culture or musical references in their names, including the Got Gyunyu, which translates to “Got Milk?”, is Campos’ creative take on a milk punch. The Watashi Wa Highball, a.k.a. “My Name is Highball,” a shochu highball inspired by the late ‘90s Eminem song. You get the idea. There’s also a full menu of spirits available for sipping, including many rare Tequilas, mezcals, sakes and more.

5. Look out for some exclusive residencies from sought-after Japanese chefs.

While details are still under wraps, Rokusho and its sibling concept Udatsu upstairs plan to host chef residencies from popular Japan-based chefs in the months to come. “These are chefs you can’t get reservations for in Japan,” says BHG managing partner, Freddy Braidi. “They’re not available for the next 2-3 years.” Stay tuned for more details on these pop-ups coming soon.

Kelly Dobkin is an L.A.-based writer/editor and former New Yorker. She has contributed to Bon Appétit, Grub Street, Michelin, Here Magazine, and is a former editor at Thrillist, Zagat, and Eater. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter. Follow Resy, too.