LOS ANGELES, Dec. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles, a Japanese cultural destination in the heart of Hollywood, announces the limited-time culinary series SAIDO’s Vegan Way | Chef Katsumi Kusumoto Popup is coming to Los Angeles. Voted the World’s Best Vegan Restaurant in 2019 by vegan/vegetarian restaurant guide, HappyCow, Tokyo Chef Kusumoto’s SAIDO (translation: “the way of the vegetable”) will be open for the first two weeks of January 2023 only. Reservations are highly recommended and available for booking here.

Although Japan is famous worldwide for sushi, sashimi and other fish dishes, high-quality wagyu beef, and tasty ramen noodles topped with braised pork, Chef Kusumoto’s vegan popup will showcase the country’s long-established tradition of vegetarian and vegan cuisine. The specialized cuisine evolved in the rural regions of Japan as well as in the kitchens of Buddhist temples where meat was not eaten. Chef Kusumoto’s limited-time popup series will display his unique blend of incorporating traditional and innovative techniques into his recipes, pioneering a new style of modern vegan washoku, or Japanese cuisine.

The vegan popup series will take place the first two weeks in January 2023 (January 6 - 8 and January 12 – 15) with two offerings each day – a three-course lunch (monaka salad, saimen noodles, and a vegan cheesecake) between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., and a six-course dinner (monaka salad, season vegetable potage, vegan grilled unagi eel over rice, vegan yakitori skewer, saimen noodles, and vegan cheesecake) between 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Diners will be treated to sweeping views from Hollywood to Downtown Los Angeles only available at the acclaimed JAPAN HOUSE restaurant space on the 5th floor of Ovation Hollywood (formerly Hollywood & Highland). For more details on the menu, visit this page.

“Our ongoing culinary series has showcased everything from ramen and kaiseki, to local and Michelin-star chefs, and digital collaborations with the likes of Giada De Laurentiis and Shinji Ishida,” said Yuko Kaifu, president, JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles. “As we start a new year, we’re excited to continue our culinary tradition of popular limited-time events, this time literally delivering the unique vegan flavors and stylings from Japan with Tokyo chef Kusumoto.”

Each lunch costs $30 per person and dinner is $70 per person exclusive of tax and gratuity. Reservations are highly recommended as this popup is expected to book quickly. Walk-ins will be accommodated per availability. For questions or inquiries please contact us through this page or call 323-886-6058.

This popup is presented by JAPAN HOUSE LA Foundation and Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), and supported by JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles.

For more information, visit the JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles website and social channels: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

ABOUT CHEF KUSUMOTO
Chef Kusumoto originally trained in French cuisine before specializing in fine Japanese cuisine at a members-only restaurant in Tokyo where he developed specialized vegan, gluten-free, Halal, and Kosher menus for his clients. Thereafter, he continued to incorporate traditional and innovative techniques into his recipes, pioneering a new style of modern vegan washoku, or Japanese cuisine, culminating with the opening of his restaurant SAIDO in 2018. Located in Jiyugaoka in Meguro-ku, SAIDO offers a visionary approach to Japanese food.

ABOUT SAIDO
The restaurant SAIDO, meaning “The Way of the Vegetable” opened in Jiyugaoka in Tokyo’s Meguro-ku in 2018 by Chef Katsumi Kusumoto as a visionary restaurant that proposes a new interpretation of Japanese food – created without any meat, fish, chemicals or refined sugar – that nourishes both the body and soul. Hidden away in a quiet street, the restaurant serves exquisitely prepared vegan Japanese cuisine, as well as liquors and cordials especially selected by Chef Kusumoto.

ABOUT JAPAN HOUSE
JAPAN HOUSE is an innovative, worldwide project with three hubs – London, Los Angeles and Sao Paulo – conceived by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. It seeks to nurture a deeper understanding and appreciation of Japan in the international community. Occupying two floors at Ovation Hollywood (formerly Hollywood & Highland), JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles offers a place of new discovery that transcends physical and conceptual boundaries creating experiences that reflect the best of Japan through its spaces and diverse programs.

Location: 6801 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028

Website: www.japanhousela.com

Media Contacts:

Nerissa Silao | 310-874-9230 | nerissas@ca.rr.com

Lisa Nakanouchi | 323-904-9298 | lnakanouchi@japanhousela.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/38d4ac5c-453b-440d-b95f-072e0ba51a3a