A Michelin-Level Japanese Restaurant Is Stacking Talent in Brentwood

Two big Los Angeles restaurant players are teaming up for what could be the most exciting new project of 2021. Philip Camino, the owner/operator behind a number of projects from Fellow in Westwood to the Hudson in West Hollywood, has lined up alongside Michelin-starred Shibumi chef David Schlosser for a brand new Japanese restaurant called Imari, and it looks to be ready as soon as this spring.

Imari will focus on the Japanese cuisine, traditions, and skills known as Washoku, a celebrated and UNESCO-recognized format often seen in Japanese culture around New Year celebrations. Schlosser spent years learning and cooking at heralded restaurants across Japan, as discussed on a David Chang podcast episode several years ago. Joining him in the kitchen is Japanese-taught Derek Wilcox, a master sushi chef in his own right, who hails from the acclaimed Shoji in New York City and will serve as the new restaurant’s chef de cuisine. Schlosser is Imari’s executive chef, and will continue to operate Shibumi as well.

The new Imari is expected to open sometime this spring at 13050 San Vicente Boulevard, in the former Nagao space, which closed late last year after 22 years. Camino and his team are working now to turn over the space, in hopes of opening in just a couple of months. More on this to come.

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