Chateau Marmont’s Secret Japanese Restaurant Opens Tonight in Hollywood

One of New York City’s most well-regarded and beloved restaurateurs opens a West Coast offshoot tonight as Chateau Hanare. Reika Alexander, who opened En Brasserie in NYC’s West Village in 2004, has partnered up with Chateau Marmont to take over a previously unused bungalow on the iconic Hollywood hotel. Chateau Hanare, which roughly translates to “cottage set apart,” has its own entrance along Selma off Sunset Boulevard.

Chef Abe Hiroki handles a kaiseki-style menu with elegant, truly gorgeous plates in a regal but intimate space that was once a residential building. The dining room feels like a high end ryokan or Michelin-rated hideaway in Kyoto, something along the lines of LA’s ever-popular n/naka. Hiroki prepares simple, but seasonal sashimi, small plates, and refined comfort dishes, starting with freshly scooped tofu prepared at various times of each service evening.

Starters like kanpachi with white sesame sauce or smoked uni toast on Japanese milk bread lead into a truffle chawanmushi or array of sashimi. Entrees include miso oden, grilled lobster with flash-fried purple potatoes, and clay rice pots filled with salmon, truffle, or vegetables. Hiroki also prepares two kaiseki menus, one incorporating seafood and chicken and another keeping fully vegan, both priced at $115 a person. Finally, desserts feature a soba tea brulee or chocolate tart with Yamazaku whisky ice cream. See the full dinner and drink menus below.

Chateau Hanare is a big move for a well-known New York City restaurateur who’s become a known quantity among celebrities and A-listers. This tucked away spot, with its ambitious but relatively approachable menu aught to make it a celebrity favorite in LA, too.

Chateau Hanare is open Sunday to Thursday, 6 to 11 p.m., with a midnight closure on weekends. 8097 Selma Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90046. 323-963-5269.

Wonho Frank Lee

[Official Photo]

Salmon rice clay pot

Wonho Frank Lee

Cocktails at Chateau Hanare in Hollywood: Top left: Denki. Top right: Mukashi. Bottom left: Raba. Bottom right: Mikko.