LAReview
Included In
Anybody who partied–or even observed parties–in their 20s knows the art of the pre-game. It’s an hour or so of intense revelry and everybody’s best chance to liquor up quickly before the night’s main event. It’s chaotic, wholly irresponsible, and really only benefits the person getting complimented for their playlist curation. That said, the core principles of the exercise can still be applied at any point in life.
After all, there are concerts to see, shows to attend, and a myriad of other social activities that are simply more enjoyable with a little warm-up. And when such moments arrive, go to Ototo - our favorite pre-game restaurant in LA.
The tiny Echo Park sake bar is operated by the Tsubaki team next door and is the kind of place built for people to hang out in before heading somewhere else. There are no reservations (you write your name on a clipboard when you arrive), no formal table service (you order everything at the bar), and even if you get heavily involved with food, you can still be in and out in 45 minutes.
The food menu is pretty tight, consisting of 15 or so delicious small plates that range from daikon salad with ume miso dressing to pork belly-topped yakisoba noodles. Even if you order heftier dishes like spaghetti and clams or the cheese okonomiyaki, a savory cabbage-based pancake that’s easily our favorite thing on the menu, one thing is clear—this is food meant to be eaten while you drink. And at Ototo, that means sake.
Ototo has one of the largest and most interesting sake lists in town. In fact, it’s not really a list - it’s a full encyclopedia broken into chapters based on flavor profiles. Even for experienced sake drinkers, ordering can be an overwhelming process, so we recommend taking your time reading descriptions so you know what you’re getting. Could Ototo’s waitstaff be more helpful in this department? Absolutely. But ultimately, the sake here is of a high enough standard that even if you panic-order, chances are you’re going to end up drinking something you like. And that’s something we could never say about our post-grad power hours.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Jakob Layman