Gyoza Bar, a new concept by the Hiro Nori Group incorporating ramen and gyoza, is making its way to Echo Park, located at 1501 W. Sunset Blvd. Ste. A.
The new 935 square-foot restaurant comes from the owners of HiroNori Craft Ramen, with nine locations across California and a new location coming to Torrance. Now Hiro Igarashi and Nori Akasaka are looking to open this new concept next to Stereoscope Coffee at an unknown date. The property was completely remodeled in 2021 and has undergone a change of use with the addition of five newly constructed apartment units on the second floor.
As the name suggests, this new concept will focus on gyoza, otherwise known as the Japanese dumplings. Unlike other dumplings, gyoza has a half-moon shape, a thin dough wrapper, and is steamed and then pan-fried. Traditional gyoza is filled with minced pork and vegetables. Documents submitted to the Los Angeles Planning Department suggest the company is also applying for a CUP to sell and dispense beer and wine, most likely nihonshu or sake.
Igarashi and Akasaka met in Los Angeles in 2011 and quickly realized they shared a passion for authentic Japanese food. Igarashi specifically was shocked when he tried ramen in Los Angeles and witnessed the poor quality and bad customer service. On the other hand, Akasaka has worked in ramen restaurants his whole life before opening HiroNori Craft Ramen in 2017 with Igarashi. This new concept will bring another aspect of Japanese cuisine to Echo Park.
