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Did you know that Boyle Heights, besides having some of the best Mexican food in Los Angeles, once had once the largest Japanese community in LA? Nowadays, the largest Japanese community can be found in Torrance and other areas of the South Bay.
According to the website CulinaryBackstreet.com, in the 20th century Japanese-Americans came to Boyle Heights after they were released from internment camps. It is estimated that approximately 1,400 Japanese-Americans lived in Boyle Heights in 1927.
Japanese food first entered the US via Los Angeles. Otomisan was founded in 1956 and is the last Japanese restaurant in this neighborhood, as well as the oldest Japanese restaurant in Los Angeles.
This gem of a place is an indicator of the rich amalgamation of cultures in LA. In 2006, after the owner died, Yoyi Wantabe, who previously owned a dry-cleaners in Boyle Heights for 15 years, bought the restaurant.
In an interview with Kcet.org, Judy, Yoyi’s daughter, reminisced about going to Fuji Cafe, one of the last remaining home-cooked Japanese restaurants in Boyle Heights that was later turned into a Mexican eatery.
While I was doing my research on the oldest Japanese restaurants, I found that Kawafuku was the first U.S sushi bar that opened in Little Tokyo in the mid-1960s.
Yamashiro restaurant, which continues to operate, began construction in 1914, but it didn’t officially open until the mid-1960s. Sadly, Yamashiro is not a place to go if you want high-quality Japanese food, but the impressive grounds make up for the average food.
After finding out about the legacy of Otomisan, I had to go there ASAP and write about my full experience!
Driving in this area of LA is like driving through Mexico: the colorful street murals, the Hispanic businesses, the ever-present mariachis… it’s odd to picture a Japanese person living there. But there are a few remnants that indicate otherwise, like the Japanese Hospital, which opened in 1915 and is right around the block from Otomisan.
After I parked my car, I made my way to the restaurant, where I saw a long line of people. I stood behind the last person. As I was about to mentally prepare myself for the long wait, a guy ahead of me said: “Have you put your names on the list?” He was looking at me and two other guys that had just queued up behind me. I made my way to the door and one of the guys also came with me. Judy looked at the two of us and said the wait time would be about 2 hours. I exited the restaurant thinking about coming back another day. However, since I was there by myself, I wondered if there was any way they could squeeze me in. About halfway to my car, I turned around and went back to the restaurant.
“I’m by myself,” I said to Judy. She looked around and pointed to an empty middle barstool at the bar. Talk about being lucky! If you decide to go there on a weekend, make sure you go right at the opening time which is 11:30.
Once I was seated inside, I was able to fully take it all in. The knick knacks, old photographs, the messy stack of receipts, and Judy running frantically from one place to another only enhanced my experience at this mom-and-pop Japanese restaurant. In the tiny kitchen, I could see Judy’s mom and a middle aged cook. I was sat right across from the TV, which was playing a gymnastics competition.
About 10 minutes in, more people came in to write down their names on the list, but it was too late. “I’m sorry, I’m turning people away because the wait is way too long,” said Judy.
Here’s what I ordered:
California Roll
You might not know this, but California rolls were invented in the 1960s by Ishiro Machita, a sushi chef in Little Tokyo. Judy said this was by far their most popular roll. You can’t appreciate it in the picture, but they were huge and the cuts were very thick!!
Salmon bowl
I’m a salmon fiend and one of my favorite things to eat is salmon and rice. There are two salmon dishes on the menu: one is cooked and the other is raw. I opted for the raw option. What surprised me the most was how plentiful the bowl was. It included salmon, tofu, broccoli, a wedge of orange and lemon, ginger, radish, a small spoonful of Wasabi, and a portion of rice underneath. The salmon didn’t have that melt-in-your-mouth texture that you might get at other sushi places that are more expensive. But nonetheless, the texture of the salmon was very smooth, and as you can see in the picture, the cuts were very generous!
I didn’t eat anything prior to going there, but I was surprised to feel full after I had the California rolls. In most restaurants, the rolls are pretty tiny and unless you’re having them as a snack, they do not constitute a full meal. I was already full from the big chunks of the California roll, so I did not end up eating the entire rice.
Miso Soup
In many Japanese restaurants, the miso soup has a predominantly starchy texture. At Otomisan, the miso broth was very flavorful, rich and you could tell that it was homemade.
My total for all this was $30, which is a bargain considering how much I ate and how incredible the portions were. The only thing you won’t find here is sushi, but that’s ok, because you’ll find other traditional Japanese dishes — like sashimi, their famous beef Udon, curry rice, or their tempura – which is said to be the best in LA. This is what LATaco said about their tempura in their 2015 write-up about Otomisan:
“The standout, though, is Otomisan’s tempura, which appears to be so popular that most everyone orders it either as a standalone appetizer or as part of a combo (one recent night, every occupied stool and table at the restaurant had an order of tempura before them).”
“Once you try it, you can appreciate its popularity: the batter is terrific, and the shrimp and vegetables (recently, onions, lotus root, broccoli, zucchini, sweet potato) are fried to an utterly beautiful, light, delicate crisp. This is tempura that can go toe to toe with the best tempura specialists in the city.”
Yoyi, the mother, took my payment. As she gave me back my card, she said “Arigato”, followed by a bow. If you’re a Japanese food lover and you’re looking to have a one-of-a-kind eating experience at this historic place, make sure to bookmark Otomisan for your next food adventure.
Address: 2506 1/2, 1st St, Los Angeles, CA 90033
