Chef Ray Hayashi is opening his first restaurant, called RYLA Restaurant & Bar, in Hermosa Beach, located at 1220 Hermosa Ave.
This ultra-modern restaurant will combine creative Asian cuisine with French techniques and genuine SoCal hospitality. Hayashi hopes to open the new restaurant in early 2022, according to the website. The new restaurant will be the first creative venture for Hayashi, who also works as Simms Restaurant’s Research & Development Chef. RYLA will replace Laurel Tavern, which closed down during the pandemic.
Hayashi, a South Bay native, has worked for several well-known chefs throughout his career, including Chef Michael Cimarusti. In 2011, Hayashi joined Manhattan Beach Post as Chef David LeFevre’s Sous Chef. In 2016, the chef spent a year in Japan, cooking at Michelin-starred kitchens and traveling throughout Europe. Upon his arrival back to Los Angeles, he re-join the team as Culinary R&D Chef for Manhattan Beach Post, Fishing with Dynamite, and The Arthur J.
“The restaurant will be a full-service restaurant serving original Los Angeles cuisine heavily influenced by Chef Hayashi’s Japanese background,” According to their Instagram. “The focus will be on localized seasonal produce, top-quality ingredients, and impeccable service. Breaking the boundaries on typical Japanese cuisine, Chef Ray Hayashi will be combining his experience cooking in restaurants all over Los Angeles with Asian flavors to create a distinctly Los Angeles cuisine that appeals to a wide range of diners.”
