Hadaka Makes Sushi Sexy

LOS ANGELES – The owner of Hadaka Sushi, a contemporary Japanese restaurant, sushi bar and saki lounge in the heart of West Hollywood’s Sunset Strip, was looking for a way to fuse sexuality and food, namely sushi. The tag line for the restaurant is “sushi gone naughty,” so it’s not surprising, then, to find out that “Hadaka” is the Japanese word for naked.

“From the menus and the language used on them, to the interior [of the restaurant] to the attitude and dress of the servers, Hadaka Sushi is aimed at mature adults, and ‘adult,’ in general,” Edward Brik, Hadaka Sushi’s owner and executive chef, told AVN. “Whether it’s people involved in the adult industry or just adults who are into that sort of thing, that’s who we’re geared towards.”

Brik has a French culinary background and his work at the French Iron Chef Sakai’s La Rochelle restaurant in Tokyo led to Hadaka Sushi’s sexy concept and menu.

Diners can choose from dish names on a special “Naughty” menu such as Sex Beads (soy beans tossed in a sweet garlic ginger glaze), Nice Rack (grilled rack of lamb with unagi sauce and served with sweet and sour eggplant and coriander-mint vinaigrette), Circumcised (maki) or Hand Job (hand roll) sushi, and the Sixty-Niner (combination of salmon, avocado, flash tempera and brunoise red onions).  

Hadaki Sushi has only been around for six months and Brik said that they’ve experienced all of the ups and downs of a beginning business; especially one with a relatively daring theme.

“It’s just a very different, fun way of enjoying sushi,” explained Brik. “And I think sometimes people can get a little intimidated by that new experience. But once they come in, once they’ve experienced it, all I’ve gotten are rave reviews…people love it.”

Staying close to its adult theme, Hadaka Sushi was an exhibitor at this year’s Erotica LA convention in Los Angeles, among porn starlets and novelty retailers.

One of the more alluring features of the restaurant is that it can serve the food nyotaimori style, also referred to as “body sushi” or “female body presentation,” which is the practice of eating sashimi or sushi off the body of a naked person. The nude model’s inherent beauty and energy is seen to enhance the cuisine. The food never touches the model’s skin, but rather is served on banana leaves, draped on top of their flower-adorned body.

Nyotaimori — once reserved for wealthy Japanese businessmen in underground clubs — is a sexual fetish that’s often associated with food play. Before becoming a living sushi platter, the model is trained to lie down for hours without moving. “The models will talk with you during the meal, flirt with you, and might even play some games with you, if she likes you,” said Brik.

“We’re the only place in Los Angeles, probably in the United States, that publicly serves food, nytaimori. It’s a luxury, for sure. It’s different and somewhat expensive, but everyone that does it, says it was a really great experience.”

Both male and female models are available at Hadaka Sushi. Nyotaimori can be served for two people, or up to a group of twelve.

For those that are less adventurous, the restaurant has array of sushi rolls, drinks and dinner items that do not have x-rated monikers. But for those that want to lose their inhibition take their Japanese dining experience to the next level, Hadaka Sushi is the perfect place.

For information, go to www.hadakasushi.com or call (323)822.2601.