Sushi Confidential
PROJECT: BondSt Beverly Hills
DIRECTOR/PRODUCER: Jonathan Morr, owner of BondSt New York, BondSt Lounge South Beach, Republic in NYC, and Townhouse Hotel, Miami.
TEAM: Co-partner and General Manager Steven Durbahn, design coordinator Christian Schultz (Dodd Mitchell Design), furniture by India Mahdavi and BDDW, kitchen designer Russell Stilwel, a slew of sushi chefs flown in from New York, hot waiters, and signature bartenders.
DESIGN: Staying true to BondSt original, mixed in with a local sensibility. A major difference is to make the restaurant conducive to lunch by bringing in the outside with big open windows, ivy and grass walls. And yes, there will be an al fresco smoking section when it opens this fall. “It’s not really about creating design,” says Morr. “It’s 100 percent about the feel of the space.”
LOCATION: Corner of Wilshire and Crescent Heights boulevards, encompassing two floors of the Thompson Beverly Hills hotel. Alias: Agent Avenue. Think pow-wow lunches.
MOTIVE: “Purely selfish reasons. I love L.A.,” says Jonathan Morr, the restaurateur and hotelier who made NoHo ground zero for sushi enthusiasts seeking a Nobu-esque production for “subtly stylish modern Japanese dining. And the New York-Miami-Los Angeles connection plays out nightly at the Manhattan location. So L.A.’s the next logical step.”
MISSION: “To bring a familiar piece of New York dining out West; it’s not New York coming to L.A. No ego, aiming to become a neighborhood-like restaurant over time by embracing the neighborhood with a good feel, good food, and good service.”
THE CROWD: “You only have control of a space until you open the door,” says Morr. “We’d love a mix of Madeo, The Ivy, and the coffee shop at the Beverly Hills Hotel,” he added, referring to his favorite L.A. restaurants. “Throw in a bit of Mr. Chow’s, BondSt regulars, residents of Beverly Hills, and many fabulous John and Jane Smiths. Chefs lining the sushi bar is always a great compliment for a restaurant.”
DOOR STRATEGY: We hear . . . no velvet rope (yeah right!). They’re promising no security guards with headsets accosting patrons at the door. However, access to the exclusive rooftop sushi bar will require a personalized VIP card.
