Hayashi Tarō won’t be just a takeout sushi house

This city has a great variety of omakase options in which to indulge, but when Hayashi Tarō opens later this month in Mills 50, sushi lovers will be afforded the experience of a chef’s tasting menu stripped of its pomp, fawning service and the inconvenient requirement to leave home.

As we reported back in February, Lewis Lin’s omakase bento, or orizume, house will take over the Royaltea space at 714 N. Mills Ave. and offer a curated selection of fish artfully arranged in wooden boxes called oribako designed specifically for takeout.

But since then, Lin has brought on David Tsan, the seasoned ex-executive chef behind such lauded restaurants as Norigami and Kappo Tsan (now Kappo Sushi), to run the restaurant. Tsan views his post as an opportunity to change with the times by offering an experience that’s more accessible.

“People still want high-quality ingredients, but want it in a more casual, approachable and personal way,” he says. “Hayashi is about creating that kind of experience — not only in a restaurant, but through multiple concepts that can exist at home, as takeout, through pop-ups or wherever people want to enjoy good food. I believe Hayashi Tarō is a reflection of the time we live in.”

And Hayashi Tarō won’t be limited to just takeout when it opens sometime after Oct. 25. Bench seating for eight will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. In the coming weeks, the six-seat counter will open for those who want to see Tsan and Lin in action.

The orizume will be comprised of nigiri and donburi made using the finest selection of seafood shipped from Toyosu Market in Tokyo, house-pickled seasonal vegetables from 4Roots Farm, soup and salad. Premium Tamaki Gold koshihikari rice will be used, and all sauces will be made in-house. In addition, kaiseki boxes (Shokado bento) with cooked dishes will be available on select days.

“Basically, the whole experience is like an omakase or kaiseki,” Lin says, “except that it saves you time and money.”

Boxes will go for between $25 and $75 depending on the number and type of fish, with higher-priced boxes feeding two people.

But don’t expect a rigidity in the culinary offerings. Tsan says that as the restaurant evolves, so too will the menu — which won’t be limited to sushi.

“I want to build a community around different types of food and different counter experiences — an oyster counter, ceviche counter, oden, Taiwanese street food, sushi and whatever else makes sense.”

Hayashi Tarō’s tea program, under the direction of tea and sake sommelier Mai Mitarai, will adhere to strict tradition by incorporating the ritualized elements of matcha preparation and serving. The first-harvest matcha ground on stone mills at Tsuji, a 160-year-old estate, is being shipped directly from Uji in Kyoto Prefecture. Each serving will be measured using a bamboo chashaku scoop, combined with hot water warmed in a traditional cast-iron kama kettle then whisked to order in handcrafted chawan tea bowls.

The hand-crafted ceramics are a part of the immersive experience Lin wants to institute at Hayashi Tarō.

“We wanted to make high-level omakase and Japanese cultural experiences far more approachable and unpretentious,” he says. “The tea ceremony complies with the way Japanese monks make tea.”

The matcha bowls and plates are being created through collaborations between master ceramicists in Japan and local Orlando artists. All will be available for purchase.

For the restaurant’s opening festivities, Lin is bringing Yoshiko Hardick, a certified instructor from the Omote Senke School of Tea in Kyoto and the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in Delray Beach, for a proper matcha presentation on October 25.

As far as the sake program, Lin is still awaiting his beer and wine license. Once he gets it, Mitarai will stage special sake tastings early next year.

Lin says the idea for the restaurant came from a customer who was expecting her first child.

“Her wish was to celebrate the birth with a kappo omakase from Juju in her hospital bed. It literally reminded me of my wife’s strong craving for omakase sushi after she gave birth at the hospital.”

Hayashi Tarō will be open from noon to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. After that, Lin will open the six-seat counter for nighttime omakases and special events.

Be sure to register your email for Hayashi Tarō’s events at hayashitarofl.com and follow @hayashitaro.fl for all the latest.