EaterWire: Sashi Sushi + Sake Lounge Coming Soon, Chodorow Bringing Kobe Club to LA

Sashi, rendered

MANHATTAN BEACH: We checked out the Sashi Sushi + Sake table at the Concern Foundation Block Party last weekend and one of the very tan, well-coifed owners told us the restaurant will open in the Metlox Center by early August (previously Plywooded here. Chef Makoto Okuwa plated up some not-groundbreaking but very tasty tuna tartare tacos and jidori chicken cigars at the event, but we expect something more at the restaurant: Okuwa made manyIron Chef appearances with Morimoto, his mentor. [EaterWire]

LOS ANGELES: Citrus at Social and Asia de Cuba aren't enough for Jeffrey Chodorow: Grub Street reports that El Chod wants to bring Kobe Club out here sometime soon. Yes, another freakin' New York-transplant steakhouse. Apparently Chodorow is eager to compete with Wolfgang Puck's Cut, but hasn't found a space yet, and Kobe rep Karine Bakhoum said: “L.A. loves things that are upscale, and you can’t get any more upscale than the Kobe Club.” Ah. NYT critic Frank Bruni gave the New York steakhouse zero stars, so Cut probably has little to worry about. [Grub Street]