Kazunori Nozawa (born c. 1945) is a Japanese sushi chef and restaurant owner. In 1963, he apprenticed with a master sushi chef in Tokyo at the age of 18, before eventually opening his own restaurant in Japan. After emigrating to the United States as a sushi consultant, he opened Sushi Nozawa in 1987 in Studio City, California, with the goal of educating Americans on Edo-style sushi. [1]
Sushi Nozawa, which operated until his retirement in 2012, helped popularise omakase -style sushi in Southern California. [2] Nozawa's gruff demeanour and reputation for adhering strictly to omakase principles earned him both fans and critics, with customers nicknaming him the "Sushi Nazi", in reference to Seinfeld's "Soup Nazi" character. [3] [4] His strict list of rules (no mobile phones, text messaging, loud talking or switching seats with patrons) did not dissuade customers, who could expect waits of hours for a seat at table. [2] Sushi Nozawa inspired adoration — musician Trent Reznor lamented the loss of his "very favorite place to eat" upon the restaurant's closing [5] — and vitriol — Los Angeles Times food critic S. Irene Virbila lambasted it as "one of the most overrated restaurants in Southern California", criticizing the "curt and ungracious" service. [6] Nozawa ejected actress Charlize Theron from his restaurant after the two disagreed on what type of sushi would be served for her meal. [2]
Kazunori Nozawa serves as President of Sushi Nozawa, LLC, a Los Angeles-based restaurant group that was founded by Nozawa, Jerry A. Greenberg, and four other partners. [7] Sushi Nozawa, LLC owns and operates SUGARFISH, Nozawa Bar, and KazuNori.
Masaharu Morimoto is a Japanese chef, best known as an Iron Chef on the Japanese TV cooking show Iron Chef and its spinoff Iron Chef America. He is also known for his unique style of presenting food.
The history of Sushi began in paddy fields in China, where fish was fermented with vinegar, salt and rice, after which the rice was discarded. The dish is today known as narezushi, and was created in Japan around the Yayoi period. In the Muromachi period, people began to eat the rice as well as the fish. During the Edo period, vinegar rather than fermented rice began to be used. In pre-modern times and modern times, it has become a form of food strongly associated with Japanese culture.
Omakase is a Japanese phrase, used when ordering food in restaurants, that means 'I'll leave it up to you'.
A California roll or California maki is a makizushi sushi roll that is usually rolled inside-out, and containing cucumber, crab or imitation crab, and avocado. Sometimes crab salad is substituted for the crab stick, and often the outer layer of rice in an inside-out roll (uramaki) is sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds or roe such as tobiko from flying fish.
Masa (雅) is a Japanese and sushi restaurant located on the fourth floor of the Time Warner Center at 10 Columbus Circle in Manhattan in New York City.
Masayoshi "Masa" Takayama is a Japanese chef and owner of Masa, a three-Michelin-starred Japanese and sushi restaurant in Manhattan, New York City. He is also owner of Bar Masa, with two locations: one adjacent to his New York City restaurant, and one in the Aria Resort & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada.
Joan's on Third is a specialty food marketplace and restaurant located on Third Street in Los Angeles, California, USA. Joan's is situated in an area popular with Angelenos for its eating and shopping establishments, located between the Beverly Center on La Cienega Boulevard and Farmer's Market at the Grove on Fairfax Avenue.
The Drago family has owned and operated some of the most famous high-end Italian restaurants in Los Angeles, California, since the 1980s. They are known for their pasta dishes. The family includes four brothers:Tanino, Calogero, Celestino, and Giacomino. Giacomino is co-owner of 11 Los Angeles restaurants—including Beverly Hills' iconic Il Pastaio and Via Alloro, and referred to as the scion of the family's restaurant businesses.
Father's Office is a gastropub located at 1018 Montana Avenue in Santa Monica, California and has become famous for the Office Burger, which Esquire called one of the best burgers in the world.
Korean tacos are a Korean-Mexican fusion dish popular in a number of urban areas in the United States and Canada. Korean tacos originated in Los Angeles, often as street food, consisting of Korean-style fillings, such as bulgogi and kimchi, placed on top of small traditional Mexican corn tortillas. Korean burritos are a similarly themed dish, using larger flour tortillas as a wrap.
Uchi is a contemporary Japanese sushi restaurant located in Austin, Texas which opened in 2003. The Japanese word "Uchi" translates to "house" in English, and the 2,700-square-foot (250 m2) space is a refurbished home. Owner and chef Tyson Cole's menu consists of hot and cool tastings, sushi and sashimi, makimono, yakimono and tempura, and a changing omakase based on seasonal items. In 2011, Cole won the “Best Chef, Southwest” award from the James Beard Foundation.
Sasabune is a Japanese sushi restaurant located at 401 East 73rd Street on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, in New York City.
Sushi Yasuda is a Japanese sushi restaurant located at 204 East 43rd Street in the Midtown East area of Manhattan, New York City.
Sushi Seki is a Japanese sushi restaurant located at 1143 First Avenue, on the Upper East Side in Manhattan, New York City. It was established in 2002. Seki, who uses only one name and who spent five years at Sushi of Gari, is the chef and owner.
Urasawa is a Japanese restaurant located in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles County, California run by head chef Hiroyuki Urasawa who used to work with Masa Takayama. As of 2018, the restaurant is considered the second most expensive in the world after Sublimotion at $1,111 per person.
Hidekazu Tojo is a Japanese-Canadian chef based in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Barbara Ellen Lazaroff is an American interior designer and restaurateur, and the co-founder of the Wolfgang Puck brand. She has been involved with several women's business and leadership organizations.
Todai was a restaurant chain based in the United States. As of 2016, the chain had over 19 restaurants in the United States, 7 restaurants in South Korea and each one restaurant in Hong Kong, Canada, Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia. On February 15, 2019, their official website with a copyright date of 2009 states, "All Todai USA locations are close for renovation. We plan to reopen in December 2017." As of 2020 there are no Todai branded restaurants have opened in the United States but instead many locations have rebranded to Makino, 100s Seafood Buffet and Haiku.
Jū-Ni is a Michelin Star Omakase style sushi restaurant located in San Francisco, California founded by Geoffrey Lee and Tan Truong.
