User's Guide

Where to Eat and Drink While Helping Japan

Last week, we reported that quite a few L.A. restaurants had stepped up to raise funds for Japan’s relief efforts. Fortunately, the list keeps growing and the benefits, fund-raising ideas, and special offers keep coming in, so we thought it would be best to start an ongoing list of restaurants who are supporting Japan in the wake of its devastating natural disasters. From El Tepeyac to Typhoon, a whole range of different neighborhoods and restaurants are pitching in. Have a look at our user’s guide to eating and drinking while helping Japan.

Katsuya
Ongoing
The Brentwood, Hollywood, Glendale, and LA Live locations are donating 100% of sales from any of their “Katsuya Fresh Cocktails” to the American Red Cross International Response Fund.

The Bazaar
Ongoing through April 30th
Jose Andres’ patisserie is selling Japanese green tea-infused white chocolate tablets for three dollars each and $24 for a 24-piece box. 100% of proceeds go to the Red Cross disaster relief efforts in Japan.

Asia de Cuba
Ongoing through April 30th
The restaurant is donating 50% of sales from every Cuban Opera Cake sold this month.

Public Kitchen & Bar
May 3rd
The restaurant is holding “Restaurants for Relief,” a party in the Roosevelt lobby and Blossom Ballroom aiming to raise $60,000 for Japan with cocktails and cuisine from Tim Goodell and restaurants and chefs including Nobu, Puck, Mako Tanaka, and Hiedo Yamashiro. $40 General Admission includes 2 drink tickets and unlimited food, $100 gets open bar, and $300 offers VIP All Access including an exclusive after party at Teddy’s. Find tickets and details online.

BreadBar Century City
May 16th
Chef Noriyuki Sugie presents a five-course chef’s dinner withDavid Myers (Comme Ça, Sona), Michael Cimarusti (Providence), Walter Manzke (Church & State), Hiroyuki Urasawa (Urasawa), and Ramon Perez (Sona) for $110 per person including tax, exclusive of gratuity, to aid a special fund for disaster relief in the Japanese prefecture of Ibaraki.

Comme Ca
May 18th
Chef David Myers will double down on chef Sugie’s series with a five-course dinner at Comme Ca, featuring chefs like Jon Shook & Vinny Dotolo (Animal, Son of a Gun), Jordan Kahn (Red Medicine), Michael Voltaggio (INK.) and Roy Choi for a five-course dinner at $100 per person including tax, exclusive of gratuity.

See previously reported Japan fund-raising at Takami, IDG, FreshEast, and Oiwake and stay tuned right here for updates as we add more restaurants who will donate to Japan’s relief.

Past Events:

Xino
March 21-24
The Santa Monica Place restaurant is offering three course lunch and dinner menus, with ten percent of profits being donated to Give2Asia.

Sprinkles
March 22nd
The cupcakery is designing a special Red Cross red velvet cupcake, with 100% of the day’s sales proceeds going to Red Cross and Japan relief.

Cube
March 22nd-29th
Starting tomorrow, the LaBrea restaurant and market will offer “Red for Red,” donating 100% of the proceeds from 2006 Brigaldara Amarone ($18), 2008 Nicodemi Montepulciano d’Abruzzo ($10), and 2009 Zuani Collio Bianco ($12) to the American Red Cross’ Japanese disaster relief program. Each wine will be marked with a cross on the menu.

La Seine
March 24th
6:00 P.M.
100% of Thursday night’s proceeds from the sushi bar and lounge here will go to earthquake and tsunami relief. Chef Alex Reznik is debuting new sushi selections for the night, including crispy rice sliders with albacore and Spanish mackerel ceviche, to go with the restaurant’s signature rolls and sushi like the panko-crusted Beverly Hills roll and Rising Sun roll.

Sashi Sushi
March 27th
4:00-8:00 P.M.
“Hanami Festival”
The Manhattan Beach sushi stunner is holding a celebration of sakura (cherry blossoms) this Sunday with proceeds going to Jimmy Miller Foundation, who will donate a portion of their own earnings to Red Cross’ Japan Relief Fund. The edible focus here will be on Japanese street food from chef Troy N. Thompson and sushi chef Yoya Takahashi, who will prepare sustainable Kindai bluefin, along with sake tastings, traditional Japanese music, DJs, and a silent auction. 100% of proceeds from the $40 ticket price will go to Jimmy Miller Foundation and Red Cross.

Typhoon
March 27th
“12 Hours of Jazz”
This Santa Monica airport restaurant and its off-shoot The Pan Am Room will bring in nine different blues and jazz musicians, and a few big bands, from 11:00 A.M. to 11:00 P.M. There will be bento boxes ($10) and special rum punch on sale, with 100% of the $30 ($10 for kids 6-10) ticket price going to Japan through The Red Cross. Check out the full schedule online.

El Tepeyac
March 29th
6:00 A.M.-8:00 P.M.
In collaboration with The Fukumoto Family Trust, El Tepeyac’s staff is donating its time and its suppliers donating their wares for a benefit day to aid the children of Japan through UNICEF. All net food sales proceeds from this next Tuesday will be donated.

Umami Burger
March 29th
All Day
L.A. Taco tells us that every location of the burger chain will donate one dollar for every burger sold to American Red Cross next Tuesday, during what it calls its Umami Tsunami benefit.

Royal/T
Ongoing
March 30th, the cafe will hold an extended happy hour until 10:00 P.M. with drink specials and 15% off select apps, with 10% of proceeds going to Second Harvest Japan and a chance for guests to give ideas on how to help Japan. April 3rd, the cafe will screen a Japanese film called Littlerock, with 10% of cafe sales and 30% of ticket sales going to Second Harvest Japan. April 6th will be onigiri night, featuring different rice balls recipes from Sunny Blue and a screening of Kamome Diner with a preface by UCLA’s Dr. Yamaji Smith. Donations will be taken for Japan Earthquake Relief Fund and 10% of cafe sales go to Second Harvest Japan.

Black Cat Bakery & Forage
“L.A. Bakesale for Japan”
April 2
L.A. Weekly tells us this bake-sale, spear-headed by Tavern pastry chef Breanne Varela with San Francisco’s Samin Nosrat, is looking for volunteer bakers to join the event, to be held at Black Cat Bakery and Forage, as well as other, yet-to-be-announced eateries. Find a bounty of hundreds of “high-end” baked goods on sale to benefit Peace Winds Japan from 10:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. If you’d like to join the bakers, you don’t have to be a pro, just check out the rules online.

Where to Eat and Drink While Helping Japan