It doesn’t get fresher than this.
The Arts District in DTLA has always been on the pulse of cutting-edge culture and cuisine and its newest roaming resident has made it even fresher. Renowned London head chef, Junya Yamasaki, has been eyeing out the neighborhood as a location for a wine bar and eatery, called Yess Aquatic, rooted in Japan’s “sense and traditions.” While the pandemic has but those plans on ice for the moment, the seafood savant and his team have decided to use this opportunity to get things cooking and give the community a taste of what’s to come with the likes of a sashimi food truck.
In case you don’t know, Junya Yamasaki owned the now-closed cult restaurant KOYA in London. But in 2015, he stopped serving up his wildly progressive Japanese food creations and headed to Japan for “extensive Zen training.” His newfound inspiration took him to the sun-soaked shores of Los Angeles, where Yamasaki has since become a free-diver, spending his days familiarizing himself with local marine life. According to rumors, he spends about as much time on land as he does immerse in the water.
With a firm understanding of the seafood sourcing challenges, he has introduced a select network of independent fishermen to a Japanese fishing technique called “IKEJIME.” This allows local species to be killed and bleed with zero stress, which in turn allows him to maximize the fish. By eschewing the usual model of relying on fish from the Atlantic and capitalizing on SoCal’s abundant sea life, he is able to give customers the best quality possible.
His nautical explorations have allowed him to bring exciting delights to the surface like a Hinoki smoked black cod served with lettuce cups, hard-boiled egg, mayonnaise and horseradish pickled cucumber. The sashimi salad has wild, line-caught, SoCal fish sashimi with fresh greens, radishes, seaweed, herbs, roasted chili oil, fried almonds and a mixed citrus dressing. However, the gorgeous fish katsu sandwich with nori and tartar sauce is worth a mention too. All of this is served to you by staff that look like they’re part of Steve Zissou’s crew.
As for drinks, former Sommelier Yukiyasu Kaneko is bringing a healthy selection of kombu tonics infused with fruits refreshing citrus fruits like grapefruit and mandarin, which are sold by the bottle.
While the menu at this bright orange truck may be small, it’s big in flavor and quality. Orders can be made online for pickup.
Location: 2001 East 7th Street, Los Angeles, California 90021
Hours: Thursday to Monday, 11:00 a.m. to 15:00 p.m.
Featured Image: Yess Aquatic