Delicious Little Tokyo Foodie Weekend

Go Little Tokyo presents a full weekend of authentic food and drinks directly from the streets of Little Tokyo. Delicious Little Tokyo invites the foodie community to experience the diverse culinary offerings from the restaurants of Downtown Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo Friday, July 29 through Sunday, July 31.

The culinary weekend will kick off Friday, July 29 from 7-10pm as the Little Tokyo Service Center (LTSC) hosts the 10th Annual Sake & Food Tasting Event, Starry Night in Little Tokyo, featuring an array of Japanese sake with delicious culinary pairings. A benefit for LTSC, guests will enjoy more than 50 featured sake with small plates provided by over 15 restaurants and specialty vendors.

On Saturday, July 30 beginning at 10am, join the Little Tokyo Historical Society (LTHS) on a journey through Little Tokyo’s culinary past with a guided walking tour of historical food landmarks found in the neighborhood. From the first fortune cookie to the first ramen noodle restaurant in the U.S., visit shops featured in the LTHS’ 2016-17 calendar. Tickets are $15 per person and the tour is limited to 20 participants.

The Chado Tea Room will stay open late on Saturday, July 30 at 6:30pm for a FREE, after hours tea tasting and 20% off pastries and accessories. Sample white, green, oolong, yellow, black and pu-erh teas with a tea expert and learn about the origins at this tea-lover’s paradise.

On Saturday, July 30 and Sunday, July 31 from 1-9pm, the Higashi Honganji Buddhist Temple will host their annual Obon Festival, a traditional event to honor and express gratitude to the spirits of our ancestors. The FREE celebration includes oishii food, games, cultural performances, tea ceremony demonstrations, traditional Bon Odori dancing and more.

Also on Saturday, July 30 from 6-9pm, Izakaya & Bar Fu-ga, Little Tokyo Vibes and Mutual Trading Co., Inc. will present,Shochu Night in Little Tokyo. Enjoy an evening of delicious appetizers and shochu tastings guided by a knowledgeable sommelier. If your palette wants more, there will be shochu flights, craft cocktails and limited edition shochu bottles available for purchase at special prices. A $5 ticket to attend this event will go directly towards the Kumamoto Japan Earthquake Relief Fund.

Sunday, July 31 at 10:30am, the Japanese American National Museum (JANM) will present a cultural and culinary walking tour. The tour will begin with an introduction to the museum before embarking on a walking tour of the historic sights of the neighborhood including stops at local specialty stores and cafés to sample a variety of Japanese treats. Tickets are $28 for JANM members, $35 for non-members and include museum admission and six food samplings.

Experience an award winning film critics are calling “indie, off-the-beaten path, and mesmerizing” and “cinema, by and about women, that strives to capture a new look on the American South.” There is a New World Somewhere returns to Los Angeles for another special screening, presented by Visual Communications and the Japanese American National Museum(JANM) on July 31 at 2:30pm. A Q&A with the filmmaker will follow the screening.

Join Little Tokyo’s neighborhood highball bar, Wolf & Crane, on Sunday, July 31 at 2:30pm for a lesson in mixology. Learn how to concoct (and drink) the perfect cocktails like the O’Shito, Tokyo Express and a classic Old Fashioned from the Japanese whisky experts at the free demonstration and tasting event.

During the Delicious Little Tokyo weekend only, find great deals, discounts, specials and promotions at various Little Tokyo shops and restaurants. For the full list of participating venues, specials offered, registration information for demos and food tours, parking and more event details visit golittletokyo.com/delicious.