Osen Izakaya Aims for Affordable Luxury With New Silver Lake Strip Mall Space

Big changes are coming to Silver Lake’s quiet Italian mainstay Aroma, which has existed at the corner of Silver Lake and Sunset for more than a decade. According to some new paperwork filed with the city, a restaurant called Osen Izakaya is moving in.

An ABC license activated for the address shows off the Osen name, which then leads to all sorts of places like a young Instagram page with photos of some of the dishes to come. There’s even a newer website for the restaurant, but the menu details and other pertinent bits are nowhere to be found. As for Aroma, the restaurant is no longer listed on OpenTable and their own website is now kaput.

Osen Izakaya is the work of chef/own Damon Min Cho, who has previously spent time at places like Nobu, Masa, and Maia. More recently Cho tells Eater LA that he’s been working the sushi side of Tao in Hollywood.

The move to put a new izakaya in that part of town should shake at least a few feathers, considering the stronghold that the Silver Lake Ramen team has had there for so long. Not only do they operate the bustling corner slot at that strip mall but they’re also deep in construction on the former Miyako space just up in Echo Park, with the existing Tsubaki izakaya running just beyond that.

As for an opening, expect Osen Izakaya to come to life in early June, giving the neighborhood something new to tackle for lunch and dinner. Hours listed on the restaurant’s website are considered unofficial for now, but expect something close to noon through 11 p.m. most nights, if not later.

Osen Izakaya
2903 W. Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA

• A New Kind of Japanese Cuisine for Los Angeles [ELA]