Sawtelle's Restaurant 2117 Turns Off the Lights After 20 Years

Apparently not everything being thrown at Sawtelle Japantown sticks, as long-running Restaurant 2117 plans to call it quits by the end of the year. The place had passed the two decade mark in the neighborhood, but in recent times has been overrun by more inexpensive noodle, burger, and dessert options.

When Restaurant 2117 first opened in the mid-90’s, chef Hideyo Mitsuno’s brand of Asian fusion cooking was practically cutting edge. The menu might consist of a crispy wonton spicy tuna tartare one night or a blue crab pasta the next, but over the years that sort of interplay has become much more commonplace in restaurants all across the city. So too has the idea of "surprising" upscale food served in a strip mall, from sushi joints in the Valley to Trois Mec to West LA newcomer Kato just down the street.

Still, Restaurant 2117 occupied a particular niche for more than twenty years, a feat that few restaurants ever actually get to. In a note to customers, ownership says:It has been 21 years since we opened the doors to Restaurant 2117. We have been able to continue for all these years thanks to your continued patronage. However, it is with a heavy heart that we must announce the close of our business.

Initially the final night of service was expected to happen sometime this month, but a more recent update notes that the restaurant will stay open through December and possibly into part of January. After that, ownership says "what lies ahead for us is yet to be determined."

Have fond memories of the place? You’ve got a few weeks left to still sneak in for a bite (lunch, brunch, dinner, you name it) along Sawtelle.