 Hokusai, named after one of Japan’s most revered artists, transforms the lovely Deco-styled building that formerly housed The Continental. It’s a grand space, completely redone, with a dramatic back-lit bar and “The Monolith,” a throne-like booth enclosed on three sides by blackened glass and home to a spikey chandelier. Chef Charlie Nagase prepares delicately flavored, artfully presented Japanese-French dishes like Kobe beef cheek stew, slow-cooked for eight hours with soy, red wine and veal stock. And sushi chef Koji Matsuzaki, who, like the rest of the crew, has worked at Sushi Roku, Matsuhisa and-or the Chaya restaurants, creates hand rolls, sushi and sashimi. Forget about dousing your hamachi with cheap soy sauce; the kitchen blends its own, and the chef discourages patrons from adding anything to his well-seasoned dishes. Adventurous diners with deep pockets may want to sample the “90211” roll ($35). It's named for the restaurant’s Beverly Hills location, and features seared Wagyu beef, sautéed foie gras and shaved truffles. Best of all may be the omakase menu, subtitled here as “trust me,” a chef’s choice selection of the day’s finest ingredients. Hokusai offers an extensive selection of sakés, some of which cannot be found elsewhere outside of Japan, and all of which are offered in quarter, half and full bottles; a tasting flight of three different styles is also available and highly recommended.
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