Susumu Tsuchihashi at Fulfilled in Beverly Hills has a new way of serving imagawa-yaki. These waffle-like pastries are traditionally filled with sweet azuki bean and are Japan’s version of comfort food. Susumu has given this treat a fusion style and created a beautiful place to serve it in.

I visited Susumu to taste the new custard flavor and to find out more about Fulfilled.

Julie Wolfson: Who designed the space?

Susumu Tsuchihashi: The store was designed by architect/designer Milan Lojdl. His past projects include Crustacean, Wolfgang’s Steakhouse, Theodore, and many retail shops along Rodeo Drive.”

JW: Imagawa-yaki is a usually served as a street food. It tastes like a pancake-like pastry with fillings. What was your concept for creating a space for making and serving food at Fulfilled?

ST: The store design is aligned with the store concept/menu which is “old japan vs. new japan”. Traditional pastry is served in a fusion/modern form. In the same way, the store design incorporates traditional Japanese elements. The “noren”, a decorative silkscreened curtain, is used for centuries by the Japanese as door curtains. Zen-like tree stools, traditional Japanese tea pots, and dolls are on display. The traditional imagawa-yaki griddle at the storefront window is how imagawa-yaki is typically served to customers – either at a storefront window or a street vendor. We also display contemporary elements of Japanese pop-culture with a modern minimalist look. The flavors have a fusion twist and the design also incorporates non-japanese elements such as the vintage Maria Theresa chandelier (originally chosen by designer Bobby Trendy) and 100s of czech crystals hanging around it. The mirrors on the four upper walls were placed to create an infinity light effect, where a user walks into a “magical” space and sees infinite lights/crystals thru the mirrors. The floors are covered in a unique metallic-colored tile and the mirrored walls, cabinets, and black granite give the space a sleek and modern feel.

JW: Why do you think street food is so popular right now?

ST: Items like cotton candy, donuts, cupcakes, s’mores, mac n cheese, etc are also American comfort food are now served at many high-end restaurants in the US. In the same way, I wanted to be able to do the same to one of Japan’s most traditional street foods to prove that Japanese street food can also be served in a “premier, upscale” way just like cotton candy is served at Simon LA, donuts at Grace, cupcakes at Sprinkles, s’mores at BOA, etc.

The new custard flavor is amazing, just the right amount of sweet. I washed it down with a Kirin Milk Tea. Lately I have noticed that street food has gone through an amazing transformation. Vendr TV documents some of the best food available on you guessed it…the street. Here in LA you can’t get through the day without someone asking about the Kogi BBQ truck or if you have had a hot dog at Let’s Be Frank. For me I am happy to go where the good food is served whether it is high end food heading from a catering trucks or street food finding its way onto high end menus. Eating a warn imagawa-yaki in a beautiful space like Fulfilled makes it even more fun and I would love to have those three stump stools in my house too.

For more photos and to see how imagawa-yaki are made: Click here (Fufilled: Imagawa-Yaki Japanese Pastries in Beverly Hills)

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