Several prominent Japanese American chefs will gather in Little Tokyo this month to honor the life and legacy of the late Chef Akira Hirose, the Kyoto-born chef whose Franco-Japanese cooking helped shape the city’s dining scene via his seminal restaurants Maison Akira in Pasadena and Azay in Little Tokyo.
At a time when French technique dominated fine dining, Hirose quietly introduced Los Angeles diners to the elegance of Franco-Japanese cuisine in the early aughts, long before the style became widely recognized.
On Sunday, March 15, chefs Roy Yamaguchi, Ray Hayashi (RYLA), Gary Matsumoto (JACCC), Chris Ono, and Charles Namba (Camelia) will come together at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center, 244 S. San Pedro St. in Little Tokyo, for a one-night tribute dinner honoring Hirose’s influence on L.A.’s culinary community.
The evening will feature a five-course menu with each chef presenting a dish inspired by Hirose’s spirit of craftsmanship, generosity, and cultural exchange. The dinner will be offered in two seatings, at 4:30 p.m. and 8 p.m., with proceeds benefiting charities selected by the Hirose family.
Hirose was widely respected not only for his cooking but also for the mentorship and hospitality that defined his career, leaving a lasting mark on the chefs and diners who encountered his work across Los Angeles.
Link to purchase tickets ($195 per person): https://jaccc.org/events/an-evening-in-celebration-of-chef-akira-hirose/