Jessica Koslow

In Japan, “kaizen” is the practice of continuous improvement. 

Tomo Takahashi learned this principle while growing up in his family’s restaurant, and he brings it to guests at his new establishment, Saijo. 

Takahashi considers kaizen to be the foundation of hospitality.  

“One of the biggest lessons I have learned being in the restaurant business for 25 years is that it is important to constantly be improving,” Takahashi said. 

“Whether in food quality, service or branding, maintaining a high standard is what keeps customers coming back. This has been our core principle since the founding of our company. We always ask ourselves how we can bring more joy to our guests. Instead of settling for ‘this is good enough,’ we strive for ‘this is the best.’” . . .

Read the entire article at The Argonaut.

American-born Anthony Wang, who opened his first restaurant, Firstborn, inside the Mandarin Plaza in Chinatown on March 28, credits his older sister, Lulu, for his career as a chef. He would not be cooking today if it were not for her support and encouragement.

Wang studied classical piano as a kid, and he was really good, often placing at the top in state competitions. But when he turned 18, he stopped loving his instrument. His sister sat him down for a chat.

“It is obvious that you like cooking,” she told him. “Why don’t you try to pursue it?” . . .

Read the full article at LA Downtown News.

Levain Bakery owners Pam Weekes and Connie McDonald began baking at their first shop on 74th Street in New York City in 1995. The friends and running mates aimed to create a great place to work, be part of a community, and bake and share delicious breads and pastries. They had no expectations beyond the original 74th Street location.

Now, Weekes and McDonald have hit their stride with the opening of the Venice shop on Friday, April 4. They plan to stay in it for the long haul.

The latest Levain location takes over where Lemonade served delicious and healthful salads since 2009. Levain is upping the ante. The scent of bakeries wafting from the doors at the corner of Abbot Kinney and Venice boulevards will be a welcome addition to the popular shopping street.  . . .

Read the full article at The Argonaut.

Tomat is the name of the new California cuisine restaurant that husband-and-wife team Harry Posner and Natalie Dial opened five months ago in The Triangle area of Westchester. It is also the nickname given independently to each one because they both turn red in the sun.

The former health care professionals serendipitously met at a research facility in The Gambia in Africa in 2013. Once Dial realized Posner could cook — and would often make things that she requested — she began to sit one seat closer to him each night at dinner.

“We became best friends through the years,” Dial said about her husband with whom she now has a 2-year-old. “We shared a desire and dream to eventually switch careers and open a restaurant. An opportunity came along that expedited this timeline for us.” . . .

Read the entire article at The Argonaut.

Enter the lobby of the U.S. Bank Tower, a 1,018-foot skyscraper on West Fifth Street, and take the elevator to the 54th floor. But wait, there is more. A second elevator escorts guests to the 71st floor. The doors open into 71Above, a dining experience like no other in Los Angeles.

On many occasions, the first words from diners’ mouths when they see the view is, “Wow.”

“We are very fortunate because we get to share that wow moment,” said general manager Alex Hasbany, who has worked at 71Above since it opened its doors in 2016. . . .

Read the entire article at LA Downtown News.