Chefs Ray Hayashi & Cynthia Hetlinger : Inspired by Kikkoman

At RYLA, this chef duo is redefining Asian fusion on their own terms.

The southern shore of Santa Monica Bay is home to some of LA County’s most beautiful beaches flanked by a string of towns with an eclectic, laid-back-hip vibe, collectively known as South Bay. In Hermosa Beach, RYLA is bringing that vibe deliciously to life.

The brainchild of husband-and-wife chef duo Ray Hayashi and Cynthia Hetlinger, RYLA is redefining the concept of Asian fusion. While the term has often come to describe menus that feature mashups of many Asian cuisines and ingredients, at RYLA, the approach is more personal—and more of a reflection of the chefs’ own backgrounds and points of view.  

Hayashi was born in the US to Japanese parents and grew up in Gardena, where his parents ran a Japanese restaurant. Born in Taipei, Hetlinger is half Taiwanese. After graduating from an international school there, she attended New York University, then moved to LA. Hetlinger became chef garde manger at the innovative seafood restaurant Fishing with Dynamite in Manhattan Beach, where she and Hayashi met. Starting in 2017, Hetlinger spent 5 years as sous chef at 2-Michelin-star Providence under acclaimed chef Michael Cimarusti, a position she held until 2022, when the couple opened RYLA in Hermosa Beach, a few miles down the coast. 

The vibe is upscale-modern izakaya (the name for a kind of Tokyo-style eating-and-drinking pub with cocktails and small plates). More than Pan-Asian, the cuisine might be called “Japan-Asian” because it’s rooted in Japanese ideas and ingredients, with creative influences from Taiwan and an overlay of European cooking techniques from the couple’s fine-dining background.  

“I would describe the cuisine at RYLA as my take on LA cooking,” says Hayashi. “It’s ingredient-driven with lots of respect for seasonal California produce. It was a privilege to grow up in a place like L.A. where you get to try many exciting flavors.”  

“I’m drawn to Japanese cooking because it’s so product-driven,” he adds. “They focus on bringing out the umami in every ingredient. The cooking method can be very simple, but the techniques bring out complicated and deep flavors. It’s also a connection to my family heritage.” 

One of the products that inspires Chefs Ray and Cynthia is Kikkoman® Soy Sauce. “I like that it has such a deep history,” Hayashi says. “And it’s the only soy sauce we ever used at my house growing up, so it reminds me of cooking with my mom and grandma.”  

  Here’s a look at a few of the many ways Kikkoman inspires Chef Ray and Chef Cynthia at RYLA every day.