Echo Park Izakaya Tsubaki Plots Expansion That Will Double Their Dining Room

Despite only being open since February, things must be going rather well for Tsubaki. The Echo Park Japanese restaurant is plotting an expansion into some neighboring square footage, reports The Eastsider, and it should basically double the size of the existing restaurant.

The move has actually been in talks for some time, but now there’s a public hearing coming on June 21 to discuss the matter with the city. The current restaurant space seats only 25 in somewhat tight quarters, so the jump into the next door salon should increase seats to over 50 easily, with some 2,000 square feet of total room.

That’s good new not only for Tsubaki but also the neighborhood, which has been building up its presence at the restaurant following a rather positive three-star review from LA Weekly critic Besha Rodell. And with other nearby dinner options consisting mostly of places like The Park, Button Mash, and Guisados, there’s certainly room for an upscale casual expansion for partners Charles Namba and Courtney Kaplan.

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