Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Videos: Tyrese Has A 'Backyard Benihana' And Aziz Ansari Tried It
Aziz Ansari and Tyrese Gibson at The Weinstein Company and Netflix Golden Globe Party on January 10, 2016. (Photo by Rich Polk/Getty Images for The Weinstein Company)
()
Aziz Ansari just proved to us that sometimes dreams really do come true, like the dream of eating at Tyrese's Benihana-style restaurant in his backyard dubbed "GibsiHana'."
Yes, actor Tyrese Gibson really does have a private teppanyaki restaurant built in his backyard in the Valley. It even has its own dedicated Facebook page, and a tranquil Japanese-style building complete with a menu and a chef. And on Monday night, Aziz Ansari celebrated his brother Aniz Ansari's birthday along with the guys from The Lonely Island at Tyrese's GibsiHana'.
It looked like the best birthday party ever to say the least. Here's the crew singing along to Ace Hood’s "Bugatti."
Support for LAist comes from
Tyrese Instagrammed the same video accompanied by the caption, "My backyard looks like a them park ride!!!!! #GibsiHana too epic...... A night to remember....... "
And here's the chef tossing food right into Aziz Ansari's mouth:
Aziz Ansari had been asking Tyrese for a very long time to visit his restaurant. Here's a tweet from June 2013:
Ok @Tyrese, so @TheLonelyIsland and I are dying to eat at GIBSIHANA'S. Can we make this happen after you finish the #TGT tour?
— Aziz Ansari (@azizansari) June 13, 2013
And even Aniz Ansari, who also was a writer on his older brother's Master of None series, discussed his obsession with GibsiHana' in an interview with Fast Company last December:
It was also in emails with [Andy] Samberg and his cohorts in the comedy collective, The Lonely Island, that Aniz's sharp sense of humor found a worthy source of inspiration. He'd begun an epic email chain about actor/singer/philanthropist Tyrese Gibson, who goes by the inexplicable Twitter handle, VisionImplementer. Aniz wrote long, detailed analyses of what Gibson chose to do with his money—building a giant replica of a Benihana in his backyard, for instance, which he actually dubbed Gibsihana. Samberg and The Lonely Island crew couldn't get enough. "Andy was one of the guys who told Aziz and also told me that I should just start writing because I'm wasting my time doing all these Tyrese emails and I should probably do something a little more constructive with it," Aniz says. "But I am not opposed to still writing about Tyrese, and if Tyrese ends up reading this—if he wants to reach out to me to write stuff for him—I'd love to connect and go to his home in the Valley and eat at his Benihana."
Support for LAist comes from
Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Tyrese Gibson, Will Smith and Willow Smith
Posted by GibsiHana' on Wednesday, August 1, 2012
And then in 2014, Tyrese posted a YouTube video giving a tour of GibsiHana', showing his restaurant with the letters "GH'" embedded into the concrete. "I'm going to roll this out to a real franchise," he says in the clip. "That's my goal this year." There's a glimmer of hope for all of us to get a reservation some day.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
After rising for years, the number of residential installations in the city of Los Angeles began to drop in 2023. The city isn’t subject to recent changes in state incentives, but other factors may be contributing to the decline. -
The L.A. City Council approved the venue change Wednesday, which organizers say will save $12 million in infrastructure costs.
-
Taxes on the sale of some newer apartment buildings would be lowered under a plan by Sacramento lawmakers to partially rein in city Measure ULA.
-
The union representing the restaurant's workers announced Tuesday that The Pantry will welcome back patrons after suddenly shutting down six months ago.
-
If approved, the more than 62-acre project would include 50 housing lots and a marina less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow's famous nest overlooking the lake.
-
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance.
Best of LAist