Best Yakatori Bar: Hatch Yakitori + Bar
Centrally located in DTLA’s The Bloc, the open-air metropolitan center with its own access to the 7th Street Metro Station and hub for all metro lines, HATCH Yakitori + Bar is a carefree and car-free spot to enjoy their curated sake list, select premium Japanese whisky selection and eclectic Japanese beer menu.
Cocktails in bar director James Fastiggi’s program include the Matcha Highball made with Iwai whisky, coconut lemongrass nigori, lemon juice, house-made honey syrup and matcha powder, or the Yuzu Sour, prepared with Iwai whisky, yuzu liqueur, lemon juice, simple syrup and a fresh creamy egg white. The bright pink For Goodness “Sake” gets its color from a splash of prickly pear juice, also featuring dry sake, Tito’s vodka, lychee juice and pear syrup, while the sweet and spicy Mangorita is a mix of Lunazul Tequila, house-made mango syrup, agave nectar, lime juice, orange bitters, and serrano pepper.
There are plenty of oysters, (chilled, grilled, or fried) accompanied by ume mignoette, yakitori sticks like breast and plum, thigh and miso or mushroom as well as plates with selections like the Black Karaage, with two-day brined chicken thighs, squid ink, house pickles, grilled lime, and black ranch dip and slow cooked miso pork spare ribs. —Michele Stueven
700 W. 7th St., Ste G600, downtown; (213) 282-9070, hatchyakitori.com.
A: Best Asian Bistro (Nomad); Best New Restaurant (Auburn)
B: Best Brewery (Imperial Western Beer Company);
Best Brunch Bowl (Mar Vista Cranked Bowl)
C: Best Bakery Cafe (El Carrusel Bakery)
D: Best Donuts (Trejo’s Coffee and Donuts)
F: Best Fried Chicken Sandwich (Preux & Proper)
G: Best Gelato (Gelateria Uli)
H: Best Hotel Bar (Poolside at the Hotel Figueroa’s Veranda)
I: Best Indian (India’s Tandoori)
J: Best Place to Get Japanese Whisky (Mrs. Fish)
K: Best Korean BBQ (Chosun Galbi)
Best Mexican Sushi (El Sushi Loco)
N: Best Latin Market (Northgate Gonzalez)
P: Best Pork Chop (Yours Truly); Best Plant-Based Cuisine (The Butcher’s Daughter)
Q: Best Quesadilla (Tacos 1986)
S: Best Sunday Supper (Lucques); Best Seafood (Michael Cimarusti)
V: Best Vietnamese Experience (Crustacean); Best Breakfast Burrito in the Valley (Sloane’s Valley Village)
W: Best Chicken Wings (Ord & Broadway)
Y: Best Yakitori Bar (Hatch Yakitori + Bar)
Z: Best Peruvian Chef (Ricardo Zarate)
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