More than anything else, the reason I put Tsubaki on a pedestal is because the food is consistently spectacular, and so is the sake list. I have never had a bad meal there — not even a subpar dish. In a town full of good salads, Tsubaki’s Japanese Caesar, with frilly lettuces tossed in panko and creamy miso dressing, topped with a snowdrift of shredded bonito and nori, is my favorite. The chef’s selection of sashimi never fails to showcase what’s fresh and good. Everything skewered and/or grilled is phenomenal, from crispy-skinned branzino to snappy chicken gizzards. And the hojicha soft serve parfait with sesame-miso caramel and candied red walnuts — toasty, creamy, and laden with umami — is a showstopper of a dessert. 

Izakayas are abundant in Los Angeles, particularly as you head south toward Gardena and Torrance. Unlike most of them, however, which traffic in standard-issue fare, Tsubaki’s food registers as completely its own. Namba puts his own spin on dishes like potato pancakes, which he calls latkes and pairs with dry-aged salmon and yuzu-scallion crème fraîche; and adds pork ragù and fermented chile-and-bean paste to his yakisoba to make it more dan dan-esque. 

And then, there is co-owner (and Namba’s real-life partner) Courtney Kaplan’s sake list, which plays a huge part in Tsubaki’s charm. It’s divided into sections like fruity, funky, and seasonal, and includes detailed descriptors to make it easy to find something you’ll like. Kaplan is a sake savant and there’s simply nowhere better to drink sake in this town, save for Tsubaki’s next-door sake bar, Ototo, which recently picked up a James Beard Award for Outstanding Wine & Other Beverages. 

The icing on the cake is Tsubaki’s location: tucked off of the scrum of Sunset Boulevard, but within spitting distance of a highly walkable stretch of Echo Park. You could bring your parents to El Prado before, bless your friends with second dessert at Quarter Sheets afterwards, or post up next door at The Douglas for a nightcap.

Or just finish with the hojicha parfait, a sweet ending to a perfectly Los Angeles night.

Emily Wilson is a Los Angeles-based food writer from New York. She has contributed to Bon Appétit, Eater, TASTE, The Los Angeles Times, Punch, Atlas Obscura, and more. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Resy, too.