Danny Rodriguez is adding another restaurant under parent company Transcendent Restaurant Group, this time in DTLA’s Spring Arcade Building, at 542 S. Broadway. Sticking with the restauranteur’s Nikkei theming—a cross between Japanese and Peruvian eats—Mikaza is slated to debut on Tuesday, September 1, replacing Kai Japanese Roots.
The menu, which is undergoing final testing this weekend, centers on sushi, yakitori, ceviche, and tacos, and Rodriquez has pined Miguel Torres, a “world-renowned” Argentinian chef whose resume includes Osaka and Fabric Sushi, as executive chef, Rodriquez Thursday told What Now Los Angeles in an interview.
“We always had Torres on standby for this brand and then this location became available, which wasn’t the best time, but we feel very strongly about the brand, and we know we’re going to get the support from our followers,” Rodriquez said. “With the opening and given the circumstances, we’re focusing on a welcoming patio environment where it’s an experience. Patios are really sought after right now, so we’re concentrating on a strong cocktail menu which will use a lot of Japanese whiskeys and pisco.”
The turn-key space will undergo minor changes, including some new Peruvian artwork, and the Robert Vargas mural at the entrance to the restaurant from inside Spring Arcade will remain.
Mikaza will be opening daily 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for lunch, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. for happy hour and tapas, and 6 p.m. to midnight for dinner. The restaurant will do its own, free delivery, within a 3-mile radius.
Rodriguez is mostly known for Pablito’s Kitchen and Pablito’s Tacos. Pablito’s Kitchen launched as a food truck in May 2015 and in October of the same year got its first brick-and-mortar serving Nikkei. Rodriguez’s company also owned the Northern California development rights to Canadian chain Smoke’s Poutinerie, with its first location and food truck in Berkeley, but Rodriguez eventually sold those rights, he said.
The Spring Arcade Building, built in 1924, underwent a renovation in 2010.
[Editor’s note: an earlier version of this article listed Aug. 25 at the slated opening date for Mikaza. The opening has been pushed to Sept. 1.]
