If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission. Much has been written in recent years about the rebirth of Hollywood to the seductive and star-lit scene it once was. From the return of the celebrity hotspot Warwick, to the bustling restaurants and lounges in the “Vinyl District,” the neighborhood is the busiest and most star-studded it’s been since its last heyday in the early aughts.
But a new restaurant has opened up in Hollywood that isn’t an homage to parties of the past, nor an attempt to bring back any kind of scene. Instead, the intimate, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it space is helping to restore a more grassroots Hollywood, remembering a time when the neighborhood was a hub for innovation, imagination and ingenuity. Udatsu Sushi LA opened quietly this month on Sunset Boulevard, taking over what was once the legendary Sunset Sound Studio, a historic recording studio that served as a home for many years to rock legends like The Doors, Van Halen and Paul McCartney.
Opened in 1958 by Tutti Camarata, Walt Disney’s then-Director of Recording, the building was also known for being the place where many of the animation studio’s most memorable scores were recorded, including Mary Poppins and 101 Dalmatians . At one point, Sunset Sound had three working studios, in addition to The Sound Factory nearby. The original Sunset Sound is still open, and has welcomed artists like Mile.
