With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
At Boyle Heights’ Otomisan, a new owner continues the legacy of homestyle Japanese cooking
Guests enjoy dinner at Otomisan last month.
(
Andrew Lopez
/
Boyle Heights Beat
)
Stepping inside the slender, pale yellow restaurant that is Otomisan, you’re instantly transported to a time when streetcars and Jewish delis lined a multicultural Boyle Heights. Four red booths and a Formica counter for five greet you as you enter this tiny time capsule, which has been a fixture on First Street for 69 years.
“It’s a neighborhood institution,” said Carlos Lazatin, a regular customer who lives downtown and eats at the restaurant once a week. “Folks stop by just to say hi. This is not a fancy sushi or ramen joint. It’s Japanese home cooking, and it’s delicious.”
About this article
-
This article was originally published by Boyle Heights Beat, an LAist partner publication.
The oldest continuously operating Japanese restaurant in L.A., Otomisan was originally named Otemo Sushi Cafe when it first opened in 1956. After a change in ownership, it was renamed Otomisan in the 1970s.
Support for LAist comes from
When Yayoi Watanabe and her close friend took over the business in 2005, their goal was to keep alive the Japanese ties to Boyle Heights. Last year, Watanabe was ready to pass the baton to someone else. Now under the ownership of Jeffrey Ige, the tiny, nostalgic eatery continues to serve homestyle Japanese dishes while preserving its rich cultural legacy.
“They wanted it to go to someone who’s not going to change it,” said Ige, who took over the restaurant in July.
Ige met Watanabe, who he calls “Yaya,” in 2016 while living in his grandmother’s apartment building down the street from the restaurant. Working two jobs, he ate at Otomisan daily, often ordering oyakodon — chicken and egg simmered in a dashi broth and served over a bowl of rice.
Jeffrey Ige took over as Otomisan’s owner in July 2024.
(
Andrew Lopez
/
Boyle Heights Beat
)
Ready to retire, Watanabe was eager to find someone just as passionate about preserving Japanese culture in Boyle Heights. Located just two miles from Little Tokyo in downtown L.A., Otomisan symbolizes a time when working-class Japanese, Mexican, Armenian, Italian, Russian and African-American residents coexisted in an affordable neighborhood free of racist housing covenants.
Ige grew up in Rowland Heights but has roots in Boyle Heights. His grandmother, Harumi Aoki, owned a convenience store on 4th and Mott streets near Roosevelt High School and frequented Otomisan. She sold the store, bought a plot of land on 3rd Street and built an apartment complex, where Ige’s mother grew up.
Support for LAist comes from
In town for his grandmother’s funeral in 2023, Ige stopped by Otomisan, and Watanabe asked if he wanted to take over.
“I’m very comfortable with the new owner. ... His cooking is very good, so I decided he’s OK,” Watanabe said, chuckling between bites.
Having worked in restaurants since he was 19 and honing his skills as a chef at Sushi Ten in Chino Hills, LDH Kitchen, the Robata in Santa Monica and kitchens in Huntington Gardens and Little Tokyo, Ige finds comfort in homestyle cooking.
“It feels like you’re at grandma’s house,” Ige said. “My grandmother used to cook a majority of the food that Yaya cooks, like tempura, teriyaki chicken, katsudon, a lot of katsudon, tonkatsu. You’re not going to leave hungry.”
From tempura to gyoza, Otomisan stays true to its traditional Japanese cooking.
(
Andrew Lopez
/
Boyle Heights Beat
)
Otomisan is the oldest continually operating Japanese restaurant in L.A.
(
Andrew Lopez
/
Boyle Heights Beat
)
Otomisan opened in 1956 as Otemo Sushi Cafe.
(
Andrew Lopez
/
Boyle Heights Beat
)
Running a restaurant while keeping Otomisan’s legacy alive is no small task. Regulars rely on old-school dishes like panko-covered fried pork cutlet tonkatsu, tender teriyaki chicken, flavorful udon and light and crispy tempura, which is Ige’s sister’s favorite.
“My brother’s tempura is better than our grandparents’,” said Kristine Ige, 42, who’s been working as a host and server at Otomisan since October and exudes Watanabe’s same warmth. “They made it good, but he makes it better.”
Support for LAist comes from
Ige enlisted friends with restaurant experience for the initial transition. He hired a sous chef to help him in the kitchen and two servers for the front of the house.
As for the food: “I haven’t changed anything,” said Ige. “The only change I want to make is to restore the tile floors and fix the neon sign out front.”
Otomisan has been at 2506 1st Street since 1956.
(
Andrew Lopez
/
Boyle Heights Beat
)
Masks and other Japanese artwork are featured on the walls and shelves of the restaurant.
(
Andrew Lopez
/
Boyle Heights Beat
)
Gifts from longtime customers decorate Otomisan, including a signed print from local muralist Robert Vargas.
(
Andrew Lopez
/
Boyle Heights Beat
)
Daniel Ramos, 24, and Kaylee Hernandez, 22, enjoy dinner at Otomisan on March 26, 2025.
(
Andrew Lopez
/
Boyle Heights Beat
)
A commemorative plaque at the foot of Otomisan’s door.
(
Andrew Lopez
/
Boyle Heights Beat
)
Keeping prices the same in a gentrifying neighborhood is the biggest challenge.
“I feel bad raising prices, but inflation skyrocketed this year,” said Ige. “I’m very lucky and fortunate that Yaya built such a great clientele that continues to support us.”
Although technically retired, Watanabe, who lives nearby, comes in once a week to visit old customers and have lunch with the new crew. A small pink mailbox sits near the front door for customers to leave her notes. A Polaroid camera is kept behind the counter for regulars to snap photos of themselves and write their names so Watanabe, who just turned 73, can remember them.
“I don’t want her to feel like she’s not welcome,” said Ige. “This is still her home.”
Support for LAist comes from
Committed to honoring its designation as a historic-cultural monument, Ige meets weekly with Mariko Lochridge, a small business counselor with Little Tokyo Service Center, which preserves Japanese culture in L.A. and is planning Otomisan’s 70th anniversary next year. Ige also works with Vivian Escalante, CEO of Boyle Heights Community Partners, which created the Otomisan history poster hanging on the freezer inside the restaurant. Together, they’re trying to get more information about the Nishiyama residence where Otomisan is located and talk to Arctic Hotspot owners Christina and Jonathan Mora, who grew up in the houses behind the restaurant.
“I want it to keep going for another generation,” said Ige.
In preparation for Otomisan’s 70th anniversary, the Little Tokyo Service Center is in search of old menus, photos, records or personal memories related to the restaurant. If you’d like to contribute, the group asks you call (323) 526-1150, email jeff@otomisanrestaurant.com or stop by the restaurant.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
What do stairs have to do with California’s housing crisis? More than you might think, says this Culver City councilmember. -
Doctors say administrator directives allow immigration agents to interfere in medical decisions and compromise medical care. -
The Palisades Fire erupted on Jan. 7 and went on to kill 12 people and destroy more than 6,800 homes and buildings. -
People moving to Los Angeles are regularly baffled by the region’s refrigerator-less apartments. They’ll soon be a thing of the past. -
Experts say students shouldn't readily forgo federal aid. But a California-only program may be a good alternative in some cases. -
Distrito Catorce’s Guillermo Piñon says the team no longer reflects his community. A new mural will honor local leaders instead.
Best of LAist