Sake Bar charms with classic Japanese menu

For a place to relax with good food and an even better ambiance, look no further than the newly opened 3rd Generation Sake Bar in downtown Los Angeles. Conveniently located near the 7th Street Metro Station, this sake bar soft opened on Jan. 26 and has plans for a grand opening later this month.

Restaurateurs Michael Kwan and Kerry Moy of the M2K group opened 3rd Generation to bring the traditional Japanese izakaya experience to the heart of Downtown. Jensen Kumamoto, the restaurant’s operations manager, explained that 3rd Generation provides an experience unlike any other. Kumamoto described the restaurant as an ideal place to go with friends for a casual night out.

One of the most appealing aspects of 3rd Generation is its relaxed ambiance and open layout. The restaurant features panels of light wood and soft lighting. It is easy to imagine spending the evening at the bar with friends, munching on small appetizers and sampling sake and soju. While the lunch crowd is mainly local business people, the evening crowd is a diverse mix of locals, students and tourists.

Their limited menu is complimented by a full selection of sake and soju, rice-based alcoholic drinks. The different flavors come from different milling processes and added flavorings. Though sake bars are popular in Japan, it can be a new experience for many L.A. residents. The knowledgeable bar staff makes recommendations based on current preferences for wine, beer, scotch or cocktails. 3rd Generation also mixes sake and soju cocktails and offers beer by the bottle. Though the prices run a bit higher than a typical bar, the imported beverages are a palate-cleansing treat.

“Downtown was missing a sake bar that serves rustic-style Japanese food and hand rolls,” said Kumamoto.

Kumamoto said that the freshly-made hand rolls differ from sushi and recommends the five hand roll lunch combo, which comes with spicy tuna, salmon, toro, baked crab and spicy albacore. The hand rolls are delicate and contain less rice than most sushi rolls. They are small enough to be eaten in a few bites, are served whole — as opposed to sliced — and still come with the traditional pickled ginger and wasabi.

The menu is purposely kept small, “to focus on quality,” said Kumamoto. Each entree is presented with artistic grace and has a delicate balance of flavors and colors. Despite the limited menu and somewhat smaller-than-expected portion size, the dishes are enjoyable and aesthetically pleasing. They also serve sashimi and nigiri sushi rolls. Unlike other sashimi dishes, 3rd Generation meticulously slices their food to add flavor and color to each bite. In the future, 3rd Generation plans to include more vegetarian entrees, possibly including a vegan ramen. They currently use chicken or pork broth in their noodles.

The restaurant’s aim is to stay true to Japanese bar fare and provide a light and satisfying dining experience. The ramen is worlds away from the instant noodle bowls typical to college dorms and comes with a variety of toppings, such as bamboo shoots and soy-marinated egg. The dessert menu features house-made black sesame ice cream and traditional matcha mochi — a green tea and sticky rice treat. 3rd Generation’s current menu clearly caters to seafood lovers, but they are willing to make accommodations to meet the needs of their diners.

“Downtown is still up-and-coming, it has progressively gotten busier in the last seven years and is continuing to grow,” Kumamoto said. “A few years ago it was just sandwich shops that closed after lunch.”

3rd Generation plans to continue integrating into the Downtown community and creating more social media connections.

“Social media is huge in the restaurant world,” said Kumamoto. “It’s how people find out about us nowadays.”

In the near future, 3rd Generation will also offer take-out and delivery within a three-mile radius. Luckily for students, campus and the surrounding student housing fall within that range. They plan on collaborating with food ordering services, such as Eat24 and GrubHub. But take-out customers will miss out on the relaxing, homey atmosphere of 3rd Generation. While the prices can be a bit out of reach for a student budget, the service and experience are well worth the price.

“Think of it as your local, every day pub,” Kumamoto said. “Hang out here, have a glass of sake and some nigiri.”