DANNY LEE
Capturing the Culture
What A Catch
SUSHI PALACE
CLEAN & SAFE REPORT
District services by the numbers.
Working and living at the “nexus of culture.”
SUSHI PALACE
Around the world from Japan to California — via Germany.
Hollywood Media District
Dianna Eisenberg, Executive Director dianna@mediadistrict.org
Cover: Shaheem Sanchez from The Express Way with Dulé Hill, directed by BID resident Danny Lee of CALICO Films.
Working seven days a week to keep Hollywood Media District clean, green and safe.
210
BULKY ITEMS REMOVED 3.57 TONS REMOVED BY STREET SWEEEPERS
14.75 TONS COLLECTED IN TRASH BINS
371 GRAFFITI CLEANED
356 STICKERS REMOVED
CITY BLOCKS OF TREE TRIMMING
Exterior LED lights were installed by the BID on the west side of N. Highland & Waring to improve nighttime safety for guests and residents of the district.
Calico
Stepping out onto the third-floor patio of Danny Lee’s office at Highland and Melrose, the first thing you’ll notice is the Tipu tree, with leaves you can almost reach out and touch, providing shade from the bright SoCal sun. Look to the left, and one can catch a glimpse of the famed Hollywood sign as its white lettering reflects the solar rays onto the city below.
Born in nearby Hancock Park, a second-generation Korean American who spent his youth listening to hiphop while skateboarding down Melrose Ave., Lee’s identity as a filmmaker reflects the multicultural mélange of the city where he grew up.
That’s why, after a few years spent broadening his horizons in New York City, Lee returned to where he felt most at home — opening his CALICO office in the Hollywood Media District and constructing a home for his wife and two children literally around the corner.
“I want my kids to grow up around culture and diversity, which I feel is critical to their personal development. When it comes to my kids, I want them to grow up appreciating the beauty and essence of our city,” Lee says on why he choose to put down roots in the BID while many of his parental peers have understandably move out
to the Valley. He gets the difference, having spent his teenage years in the Pacific Palisades.
That dedication to culture is evident in Lee’s filmography. He has pointed his lens at musical heroes like Fatboy Slim, celebrity chefs Ghetto Gastro and LGBTQ+ icon Dominique Jackson. Interested in sports? Check out Lee’s award-winning ESPN series about the dynastic football family of NFL all-pro Clay Matthews Jr. (and Sr., and III). Sneaker head? Try Lee’s pair of in-depth documentaries unpacking the stories behind the seminal Nike Dunk and Air Max.
Filmmaker Danny Lee puts culture first.
Danny chilling in the Calico offices on Highland Ave.
“It’s amazing to be able to translate my inherent passions into projects here at CALICO,” says Lee, with amazement. “But the best part about the project was getting to know Stan and his wonderful family. It was a true honor.”
Interested in both? There’s Lee’s recent effort, Who Is Stan Smith?, a feature doc about the Tennis Hall of Famer who overthrew his sport’s antiquated amateurs-only Grand Slam system and stood by long-time friend and on-court rival Arthur Ashe in battling racism before going on to revolutionize athletic endorsement deals with his cult classic Stan Smith- brand Adidas sneaker that is still being sold 50+ years later.
“It’s amazing to be able to translate my inherent passions into projects here at CALICO,” says Lee, with amazement.
“But the best part about the project was getting to know Stan and his wonderful family. It was a true honor.”
The feeling was clearly mutual when Smith joined Lee on ABC News, the duo fielding questions about the doc like a champion doubles team.
A few days earlier, Smith and his wife Margie, who also plays a major role in the doc, had joined Lee and the film’s co-executive producer Camille Maratchi from LeBron James’ Spring Hill Company for the film’s theatrical opening at Santa Monica’s iconic Nuart theater. The gathering was full of industry colleagues, close friends and Lee’s family, all there to celebrate his latest work. But it was the second such gathering in as many weeks. The previous premiere took place in CAA’s Rick Kurtzman Theater to coincide with the airing of another CALICO project, The Express Way with Dulé Hill on PBS.
The four-part series, in which Lee partnered with Hill to tell tales of the transformational power of art, finds the pair tap dancing (in Hill’s case, literally) across the country. On the way, they meet a Latin-bluegrass duo in Appalachia,
Above: Overlapping productions keep the CALICO offices humming.
Opposite: Adidas Originals Stan Smith sneaker from Who Is Stan Smith? (top); Dulé Hill in Chicago from The Express Way with Dulé Hill (bottom).
The four-part series, in which Lee partnered with Hill to tell tales of the transformational power of art, finds the pair tap dancing (in Hill’s case, literally) across the country. On the way, they meet a Latin-bluegrass duo in Appalachia, a blind painter from rural Texas, a Syrian-American singer who works with refugee children in Chicago and an all- female troupe of Asian American senior citizens who still perform the follies shows of their youth in Downtown LA’s Chinatown.
Like Who Is Stan Smith?, The Express Way showcases Lee’s ability to closely collaborate with the stars of his productions. It also demonstrates his talent for empathetic storytelling — a skill that was even apparent in his first scripted feature, the 2018 comedy Public Disturbance starring Mike Tyson and Bobby Lee.
And that sense of compassion isn’t just reserved for Lee’s subjects. The open floor plan of CALICO’s office is designed to encourage collaboration the
same way that Lee’s open door policy invites others to come pitch their ideas and explore what is possible.
To hear him tell it, the location is also a vital element of the CALICO magic. Lee intentionally chose the Hollywood Media District because of its position at the nexus of culture — a pipeline right into the heart of Hollywood.
Look around Lee’s office and his emphasis on moving culture forward is readily on display. Next to his desk stands a dry erase board covered with notes about current and future projects. But one’s eyes are drawn to the large painting by local street artist Axis that fills one wall. There are also shelves stacked with books — mostly about the sort of music, art and culture that have been the cornerstone of Lee’s life for as long as he could lace up his own sneakers.
In a city built largely on imagination and artifice, Danny Lee is one BID resident who keeps it real.
“When it comes to my kids, I want them to grow up appreciating the beauty and essence of our city”
Venezuelan musician and asylum-seeking migrant Larry Bellorin of “Latin-grass” duo Larry & Joe; Mimi Chin of Grant Avenue Follies (opposite).
Both images from The Express Way with Dulé Hill.
SUSHI PALACE
When listing ingredients for a sushi dinner, buttermilk, beet juice and burrata don’t generally come to mind. In that case, you’ve probably not been to Sushi Palace. Located at the northeast corner of Melrose and Highland on the ground floor of the Perigon at Hancock Park building, the latest culinary addition to the Hollywood Media District BID offers a unique take on premium sushi in a city where it seems as though every conceivable combination of raw fish has already been tried.
“It
Restauranter Anatolij Dejneko brings German engineering to Japanese cuisin
But menu items like fried corn with creamy tuna and dampfnudel (a German dumpling) are more than mere novelties. The unexpected flavors are a result of Sushi Palace’s unusual origins in Karlsruhe, Germany. It was there, just a few kilometers from the French border in between Frankfurt and Stuttgart, that restaurateur Anatolij Dejneko decided in 2014 that his largely landlocked nation needed an option for high-quality sushi delivery. He launched Sushi Palace as a franchise business and began setting up operations across the country. Today, there are over 35 locations throughout Germany, and Sushi Palace has won Best Local Restaurant Chain from Lieferando (the German equivalent of Door Dash) three years in a row.
turns out that buttermilk pairs surprisingly well with salmon sashimi. And why wouldn’t pickled pumpkin make a good filling for vegetarian rolls?”
Photo: Blossom Spa, 1350 N. Highland Ave.
Uni Train Roll
However, Sushi Palace’s first U.S. outpost is not a delivery service (although you can get it delivered). Rather than repeat what has already been done, Dejneko and his team have created an upscale dining experience inspired by beloved LA staples like Nobu and Catch. The decor is dark and plush, with floral accents — ideal for a romantic date night or a splashy celebration.
As we mentioned, the menu offers something unique but not gimmicky. It turns out that buttermilk pairs surprisingly well with salmon sashimi. And why wouldn’t pickled pumpkin make a good filling for vegetarian rolls? These combinations are the brainchild of executive chef Max Dahlinger, a childhood friend of Dejneko who was trained in classic German and
French cuisine before discovering his love of Asian fare.
That diverse training means the Dahlinger can cook a mean porter house as well as lovingly craft a carpaccio. Coming from a country where beef runs a far second to pork, he is thrilled by the quality meats available in California. The delight is amplified by the fact that Dahlinger never imagined he’d be living and working in Los Angeles until Dejneko shared his California dream over after work beers.
“I told him, ‘Let’s discuss this when you’re sober!’” Dahlinger laughs as he recounts Dejneko’s ambitious plan.
True to his word, Sushi Palace opened in the spring of 2024, largely thanks to the third German
on the SP team, Veton Thaqui, who oversaw construction and now manages operations. Thaqui is a partner in the SoCal location and has bold plans for more restaurants in Miami, New York and Las Vegas in the near future.
But first, the three German colleagues must convince LA to embrace their vision of German- Japanese fusion. The food is excellent and the location superb. Plus, a few A-listers have already had a taste — including a well- known actress accompanied by one of her many adopted children (hint, hint). Now would be a good time to make a reservation before the word gets out.
Red Devil Roll Salmon Sashimi
Tuna Tartare
Wagyu Nigiri
