A Modern Izakaya Heads to Downtown’s Bustling Bloc Project

The Bloc, the former Downtown department store converted to shopping and eating zone, will have a new restaurant opening in March: Hatch Yakitori and Bar. Hatch Yakitori comes from Daniel Shemtob, the season two winner of the Food Network’s The Great Food Truck Race.

Shemtob’s approach is a self-described modern izakaya, with a raw bar that will produce “Japanese tapas.” The self-taught chef celebrates his lack of formal training in the kitchen, and traveled to Japan last year in preparation for Hatch Yakitori. Shemtob is also creator of California-Mexican-inspired The Lime Truck. Since winning The Great Food Truck Race, Shemtob and partners opened TLT Food, with locations in Irvine and Westwood. Their Pasadena location closed in less than a year while their Downtown space also shuttered after a short run. CORRECTION: The Pasadena TLT location converted to The Stand before closing in 2017. The TLT pop-up was scheduled to open in the Hatch space.

Hatch Yakitori and Bar will be The Bloc’s second food truck-turned-restaurant, just after The Urban Oven. While Hatch claims it’ll open in a few weeks, a reader suggests the wait could be a bit longer.

Hatch Yakitori + Bar
700 S Flower Street
Los Angeles, CA

• Blistery Wood-Fired Pizzas Come to Downtown’s The Bloc Project Soon [ELA]
• Casual Concepts Flip in Pasadena as The Stand Steps in for TLT Food [ELA]