Chaya Downtown

Haven’t been to Chaya in years. Shame on me! We decided to Ty it again during Dine LA and we were blown away with every aspect. The ambiance is lovely, open and warm. We didn’t like we’re the hostess attempted to seat us, and we asked to move. No hesitation, she accommodated is no problem. We all ordered off the DineLA menu and it was EXCELLENT! But hands down, our server Brandon was the best! Explaining the preparations so beautifully, it was hard to decide. But the barley salad was Amazing, and I don’t like barley! Then the Miso sea bass was the best I’ve ever had! I love this preparation so much, we are going back tonight!
Chaya is back at the top of my list for must go!!! Tricia

At first I was a little skeptical about this place because it had only 3.5 stars, but after last night I can’t understand why it only has that many stars! My cousin, niece, and I went here for dineLA last night and it was an amazing experience!
First off, we made reservations for 7:00 and called saying we were going to be late and bringing a small child with us too. They were very understanding and accommodating.
When we got there, I was a little nervous bringing my 4 year old niece to a place that nice because they may not have anything for kids. I was pleasantly surprised when we got there and they brought out a little coloring/​activity mat for her and some crayons! Even though they didn’t have a kids menu for her, I definitely thought this was a plus!
The service was amazing and they were very accommodating and helpful. They were always checking up on us to make sure we were doing alright.
The dineLA dinner menus was amazing! I highly recommend the miso-​marinated sea bass and the croissant bread pudding.
Overall, I thought the experience was wonderful and they definitely surpassed my expectations.

The seafood is so fresh and delicious. The brussels sprouts were the perfect texture; the sushi roll was stellar and can compete with rolls at any of the best sushi houses in the city. Oh, the drinks were also really, really good. The bread came fresh out of the oven, and I heard it was delicious. Our waiter, Sebastian was really friendly (yet not overbearing) and gave us great advice on what to order. The staff is just superb. Both Sebastian and another waiter who stopped by to inquire on whether or not we’d ordered the last of a particular fish were really passionate about the food. We were full at the end, yet didn’t have that grossed out, bloated feeling because it was a healthy meal.
I highly recommend this place. We came for dinner on a Saturday night after jewelry shopping in downtown, and it was the perfect meal to end the evening with. There was a mix of older couples (mostly when we first got there), young couples/​double dates, families, groups of friends, and a really large party that seemed to be celebrating something (maybe an engagement). You’ll pay for what you get, dinner for two before tip was approximately $ 190.
This is one of the best meals I’ve had in Los Angeles. I eat out often, so that’s saying a lot.

The most excellent dinner that was recommended by Brendan who is a wonderful waiter. Great ambiance and I would highly recommend to anyone. The tuna tartar was delicious!

Amazing atmosphere, Brendan’s recommendations were perfect.
The stsff is very attentive.
But not intrusive,

Hostess in photo with the short black hair declined to bring us our menus, after we told her we wanted to sit at a table. She made up some excuse that she thought we were going to sit at the bar, but we had clearly said we decided against it and wanted the window table seat.

Trendy and a bit of an upscale fusion restaurant nestled in between downtown’s corporate offices. Ambiance was nothing too special and unfortunately neither was the food:
–Tuna Tartare: Made table side which was pretty cool. Fresh ingredients, good balance, but pretty pricey for just a classic tuna tartare 3.5÷5
–Tako Hushpuppies: The chunk of tako (octopus) that was inside was so large that it took forever and ever to chew. It didn’t have much flavor besides the unimpressive sweet dipping sauce. I would not recommend this dish. ¹⁄₅
–Grouper sashimi/​sushi/​rolls & grilled: So when the server explained this to me, he said that half of the grouper would be made into sashimi/​sushi/​rolls and the other half would be grilled (the preference that we chose to cook to fish), but I realized that they actually grill an entire grouper and not half so it was quite a lot of food. This was quite an expensive dish (around $ 110), but it was interesting. The grouper tasted much better sashimi/​sushi than grilled. 3.5÷5
I think this was a one time visit.

Chaya is located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles. It is a Japanese-​French fusion restaurant which also has a sushi bar and lounge area inside. The ambiance was very modern and trendy with low light. The restaurant was pretty big, but it was packed with customers. We sat on the outdoor patio area, which had a nice city view. There was a big stove, so it was not cold at all even though it was December.
The food was really wonderful and we enjoyed every dish we had. The sushi was beyond my expectation and the Kobe beef ribs were very delicious! The waiter was also attentive and helpful, and the wine he recommended to us was a great choice.
I really had a good time and would definitely go back!

Cons: For the price, I was expecting fresh fish. We had a few orders of dragon rolls and the fish was NOT fresh. It was bad. Presentation was nice but sorry guys the fish was not good.
Prime rib was more on the fatty side with an additional topping of butter? It was a bit too greasy.
Pros: Salad was fresh and green. The miso seabass was most excellent. For a few dollars more, we would of order this dish over the dragon rolls. The desserts: banana banana banana and chocolate cake were delicious. Service waiters/​busboys and atmosphere: excellent.
Will I be back? No.

Fancy schmancy! I came here on a date for my birthday with a long term significant other who was also a chef, so I had a running commentary about our meal as the night went on.
The drinks were fabulous, and our meal was perfect. The place is tres chic and very «DTLA.» Large dining area, pristinely coifed waiters and a general sense of being somewhere popular and desirable. A sexy beginning to a sexy date.
Definitely a great spot to people watch, and a good reason to get out of your pajamas and throw on some makeup. I will definitely be back!

Oysters and sashimi are great. Don’t forget the desserts. So yummy!
The drinks are served in bigger cocktail glasses so watch out for these delicious martinis.

Chaya Downtown is a cute restaurant with a decent size patio seating area in the Financial District. The crowd there that night seemed like an older business group.
Came here for a 3 course meal on Halloween night. Got seated right away and was immediately given the introduction and the food and wine/​cocktail menu.
We started with the Blackberry Tokyo Mule and Chaya Moscow Mule. Both were good! The Tokyo Mule was on the sweeter side.
For the meal, we ordered of each for the appetizer and entrée. The salad and sashimi seafood dish. Entrée was a chicken with risotto and baked fish dish. The dessert we ordered Bread Pudding and Banana Banana Banana. They were out of the pumpkin dessert offered in the 3 course meal but allowed us to order off the regular menu with no problem. My favorite was the salad, chicken risotto dish, and bread pudding! The only thing about the chicken risotto was that the chicken should be sliced thinner. The pieces were chunky and got pretty heavy and over powering with each bite. The bread pudding was amazing– warm and soft with the right level of sweetness!
Overall nice ambiance and friendly servers. Thoroughly enjoyed my meal and had a great time!

I think this place has an identity crisis. They serve burgers and calamari but also sushi?
The food is decent but I would say the menu is confusing. I’ve never gotten sushi here just because I only like getting sushi at sushi spots. I prefer restaurants that have one focus. However, I would say the calamari is BOMB. the salmon is well salmon. I had their chocolate cookies which were baked fresh and that was amazing. Just the thought of it makes my mouth water…

We made reservations for Oct 10^th using the Glit omakase menu. I paid about $ 125 for this special menu that retails 220.
Overall, the meal was superb and luckily got the outdoor booths. The weather this week was unbearably hot so the vibe outdoors put the experience over the top.
The service was above average by our waitress, but if we wanted something like refilled water, we had to ask from the busboys. The managers came by every course to check on us, which was nice.
Would definitely do it again.

Was only here for a networking event but the service and the food was amazing. It’s walking distance from to my apartment so I hope to actually come eat dinner here and I feel it would be a great experience.
I believe there is parking with validation wil hi his also a treat in DTLA.
Some of the food that we had were tuna and salmon cucumber wraps, a cheese plate and hummus. Being a hummus snob, it was actually pretty good!

So we saw Chaya on an episode of Master Chef (well my parents did) and they thought it looked great so we booked a dinner for my mom’s birthday this past weekend!
The restaurant is very nice, it is in the heart of DTLA, across from the Library, and under a big bank building or something
parking is underground and they give 4 hours free; the same entrance also goes to Drago Centro on the other side which was a lot busier than this restaurant was!
Chaya is modern, eclectic, simple and nice! (simple and eclectic? ya!)
The outdoor patio is very nice, the traffic is virtually unheard, but the downside are the flies that annoy you during your meal!
Anywho, taking a look at the menu, we ordered the following:
vegetable root fries: they had a different name on the menu, but these were quite tasty! light, fried, and golden brown, they tasted like fried zucchini, nd came with some wasabi aioli ³⁄₅
XO noodles: these were said in the menu to be pan fried with garlic… but there was no taste of garlic, no sauce, just bland bowl of pasta with vegetables. meh ⁰⁄₅
Short rib Chimichanga: this was delicious! my parents did not care for it much, (though they love short rib) but myself i LOVE short rib and chimichngas so together in one?! yes! the meat was tender and juicy, the salsa was fresh spicy, and the chimichanga was fried to a beautiful golden brown crispy crust! ⁴⁄₅
Fish tacos: the fish was fried to a crispy golden brown, nice mix of fresh crunchy veggies and a spicy sauce well made, simple and tasty ⁴⁄₅
Coffee Rubbed BBQ Pork Ribs: OH MY GOD
THESE WERE AMAZING
Quite simply the best dish of the night, insanely delicious, you would never guess to find BBQ this damn good in the heart of DTLA under a bank where the main menu is comprised of sushi and seafood! The meat was insanely tender and literally everything fell off the bone, the sauce was not too strong, yet subtly sharp with the sweet coffee flavor, and just oh so delicious! ⁵⁄₅
Unagi Sushi roll: $ 24 for this? there was virtually no fish in this roll, the thinest slices of unagi on top, a little crab in the center and small avocado slices spread across… such a shame i get better unagi rolls at an all-​you-​can-​eat place. ¹⁄₅
Tuna Tartare: this was fresh, delicious, and cool to see made by the table, but there really isn’t a «wow» factor in it… fish is good, flavor is subtle, but nothing extraordinary ³⁄₅
So overall a ³⁄₅ for this place, a few great dishes, but mostly meh dishes, and a great place
The menus were also off, there were items online not on the actual menu and vice versa so if you check the online menu only expect 2 – 3 things to be on the actual menu

And then there was Tuna Tartare.
No, God did not create tuna tartare, it was Chaya’s executive chef Shigefumi Tachibe. This is the birthplace of tuna tartare! Think about how many times you’ve seen it on menus all over the nation and it was INVENTED from this guy’s kitchen! You can’t say you’re a fan of it unless you know where it was born, so the least you could do is try it here. It’s changed how people eat raw tuna all over the nation and had big influences on what we know today as pokē.
Masterchef Season 6 **SPOILER ALERT**
If you’re a food geek or a TV show binger like me, you watch Masterchef… all seasons of it (Go Christine Ha!). Masterchef season 6 filmed their «Restaurant Takeover» here where they have the chef’s break up into teams and cook a service for a night in the restaurant. Not only am I lucky enough to work up stairs and see Gordon Ramsay and Graham Elliott film during this episode, I was lucky enough to attend the screening party tonight and catch a glimpse of a couple of the top finalist, Stephen Lee and Derrick Peltz. I cannot say anymore, or else I’d have to kill you.
I’m tired, that’s it… see photos of the goodness!

I love Chaya!
Great Japanese fusion food and Happy Hour~ They have special seasonal menu.
I went during their Uni Fare, and it was fantastic~ Live Uni Sashimi was very fresh in its shell, but it was an seasonal item. You taste the uni in the dashi jelly instead of dipping it in soy sauce, which takes the uni to another level.
They have 4-​course Sunday dinner menu for only $ 25. Their salad is very fresh and impressive. Love their wagyu beef sushi~~
Service is ok. Could be a bit better.
Hey, what’s better than free validated valet parking in their parking lot! In Downtown!

VISITING TSUNODA FAMILY BUSINESS
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Parking: horrible, very difficult to find the entrance of parking lot. FREE valet with tips only though (restaurant validation). If you don’t dining in, the
parking will cost $ 15.
Space: spacious.
Ambiance: STYLISH with Japanese traditional touch.
HAPPY HOUR only at the bar area until closing.
Very good deal for cocktails. For wine actually only different a few bucks, if you sit on the table/​at the bar area.
Service: attentive, polite.
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FOODS:
*Venison (off menu): well executed: it’s not tough; it’s not gamey; it’s not dry.
*Chef’s Bento Box: balanced diet.
#Pâté de Fois Gras: very good combination with strawberry chutney, brings great sensation.
#Arugula & Fennel salad: FRESH (pomegranade, parmesan with balsamic dressing).
#Alfonso Sashimi: TASTY (nigiri of tuna, golden snapper, spanish mackerel).
#miso marinated orange roughy: TENDER (bok choy, eggplant, wasabi soy broth).
#Grilled beef tenderloin tail: TENDER (roasted potatoes, haricots verts, café de paris sauce).
*Maine Lobster & Shrimp Ravioli: very CREAMY but tasty (Shiitake mushrooms, creamy basil pesto, marinara sauce).
*Red Dragon Roll: FRESH (spicy tuna, chopped picked radish, shiso, asparagus, cucumber tuna, avocado, onion-​eel sauce).
*Oyster & Salmon Roe shooter: TASTY (cocktail sauce, jalapeño ponzu, lemon) EAT & DRINK at the same time. Chewing is OPTIONAL! The mixture mingles with oyster flavor. If you can’t stand the fishy smell, I wouldn’t recommend this to you.
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Chaya will add mysterious 3% wellness into the bill before the tax. When asked, the server explained that it’s for Obamacare of qualified servers (working at least 30 hours/​week).
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Foods drinks are not bad, but not superb as well. Considering all aspects, I will recommend this place for HAPPY HOUR, mingled with co-​workers after stressful day in chic place!

DineLA $ 50 dinner at Chaya DTLA sucked me in, & a Sunday only offer of ½ off any bottle of Sake (sah keh) or wine clinched the deal so I got a 750ml bottle of Black & Gold Junmai class Sake for half the price. Made by «Gekkeikan (geck kay kahn,), a Japanese manufacturer of Sake & plum wine based in Fushimi, Kyo-​to. Founded in 1637 by Jiemon Ōkura, it’s one of the world’s oldest companies.» I’ve had the pleasure to go to their U.S. Sake Kura/​brewery in Folsom close to Sacramento. IMO their claim to fame is their premium Sake called Ho-​rin Daiginjo– for its velvety, extra smooth delivery, tropical fruit bouquet & flavors.
B&G is much more austere. The bouquet is reserved w/​a slight woody, astringent fragrance & flavours of a hint of anise, musk melon, over ripe Japanese Nashi/​pear, even a soupçon of spearmintiness. Finish is fruity in the above flavours, but there is a refreshing light bitterness to clear the palate of any lingering strong flavours left by what had been eaten. B&G will pair w/​most Japanese influenced foods except maybe fatty, dry aged Wagyu– (wah ghee yu) which will require a stronger, more yeasty Sake such as the Yamahai class.
Bread at Chaya is very good. Not so yeasty, but this pane rustico has a nice crusty, crisp crust while the inside is moist, soft yet retains resilience like a good home-​made bread at least if it’s made in the home of an Italian house maker living somewhere in the Toscano countryside in the early 20^th century.
1) King Crab & Pork Meatball Soup: The crab meat & rough ground pork were all mixed together so that the crab visually & gustatorily was lost in the pork meat. Perhaps a small meatball of pure King Crab meat & 2 larger pure pork meatballs would have been a great way to have a taste test. The broth looked like a light chicken broth perhaps darkened by a bit of Sho-​yu/​soy sauce & flavoured w/​a Mirepoix of onions, celery, carrots in the soup stock. There was a rice krispies looking square of Japanese short grain rice that was probably lightly fried into a pleasant toasty rice scented faintly sweet cracker. You can put it in the soup where it softens & becomes part of the soup, or I ate it on the side between sips of the soup. This was the weakest of the three courses since it was rather unexceptional & bland.
2) Yuzu Peppered Duck Breast roasted on a large Ho-​ba/​Japanese Magnolia Leaf: Traditionally in Ho-​ba Yaki ingredients are placed on top of a Ho-​ba leaf over a charcoal brazier where it cooks in its own juices. Chaya cheated a little by grilling the duck meat, asparagus, green onions & placing it on the Ho-​ba leaf. A squiggle of Red Miso/​fermented soybean paste underlay the breast meat so that a touch of the miso contacted the duck meat for an earthy, salty, lightly sour gastrique. Good flavours, but I found the Red Miso a bit strong so I placed the butter for the bread on the still warm duck meat to infuse a more dairy, oily sweetness in order to augment to the rougher rich, bucolic Red Miso. I could sense the piquant, citrus zest fragrance & saltiness of Yuzu Kosho-​.
3) When I looked at the regular menu, I couldn’t resist trying the Wok Fried Dungeness Crab with Garlic Hatcho– Miso. The crab is probably steamed & then placed in the wok w/​oil, and Hatcho– Miso is added as well as spicy black pepper, Sake, scallions, & cilantro. Hatcho Miso is made from steamed fermented soybeans in Sugi no Ki/​Japanese Red Cypress barrels which gives it a woody, conifer scent for a minimum of 2 years. The entire effect is the mixture of ocean scents & sweet meaty flavours of the sea w/​the funky, woodsy, musky, forest bouquet of the Hatcho– Miso. I thoroughly enjoyed this dish, but I have to admit you have to be a real aficionado of fishier things such as Uni, Saba/​mackerel, Iwashi/​sardine.
1−3a) Black & Gold Sake was used to pair w/​the Crab & Pork Meatball Soup. B&G did an exceptional job in pairing with the Duck with its strong Red Miso which left a strong after taste that was cleared by the astringent, understated bitterness as well as refreshing the palate between attacks of the Crab in Hatcho– Miso.
4) Chaya Profiteroles were «cream puff shells» filled w/​Sicilian Pistachio ice cream drizzled w/​a chocolate Chaud-​froid sauce. The pistachio ice cream was lightly sweet w/​a roasted, toasty nuttiness & more like an ice milk for a cleansing, refreshing effect which was certainly needed after my indulging in the 2 different earthy, salty, fermented Miso sauces.
My waiter, Señor Cordova, was easy going, friendly, accommodating, & urbane who kept a vigilant eye on his tables to make sure things were running right. The entire staff was hospitable, cordial & helpful on a laid back Sunday evening. 4– Unilocal stars for a good DineLA introduction to Chaya.