Imagine this: A spacious spot that is part record bar, part restaurant, and 100 percent vibes. A hangout that serves Japanese meets Creole cuisine. A place where you can kick back for brunch on a Sunday afternoon while a live DJ spins classic 90’s hip-hop records, or stop through for dinner with a side of miso mac and cheese and stay for a game night that includes spades, dominoes and Uno. Sound like heaven? Luckily for Los Angeleans living downtown, it’s heaven on earth and it’s owned by a Black woman.
TJ Johnson created Wax on Hi-Fi, a vinyl cafe and restaurant, to bring together Japanese and Creole flavors with her love of music. An Atlanta native who moved to LA to pursue dual career aspirations in DJing and software engineering, Johnson has traveled to a variety of countries. But it was her experience in Japan that left a lasting impression, so much so that she wanted to repackage the intimate experience found in their traditional vinyl bars for the City of Angels.
“It’s a very calming and peaceful experience, Tokyo record bars. The people there are very disciplined, and the employees are very exact. They wear gloves and aprons, and when they put the record on, they put on a flashlight to make sure it’s in the right groove. It’s a very technical experience,” Johnson tells ESSENCE. “And I guess when I’m thinking about bringing it back here, I’m kind of trying to fit it for the American palate a little bit because I know that when we go out to listen to music, we go out to have fun and socialize.”
Wax on Hi-Fi opened in July in a space on a block that had been “dead,” as Johnson says, for years.
“There are no other restaurants on Fifth Street for maybe 10 or 15 blocks. So the community was really in search of something to fill a space that has been empty since pre-Covid because it is a legendary kind of space,” she says. “There have been a lot of restaurants there, and the last one that was open was in 2018, and so I’m just happy to be able to provide a place where people do feel like they have a sense of community and they do feel safe and welcome.”
Quality music is as much a part of the experience at Wax as the cocktails, menu, and overall aesthetic. As a professional DJ, Johnson is well-trained in mixing music and curating playlists. So, there is a two-step approach to offering the best tunes at her establishment.
“We pre-pick our list for the day-of records, and they’re approved by staff for the evening. Then we also take requests. I have a DJ background, and one thing that I know people used to joke about with DJs is that we don’t take requests. I wanted to flip that on its head here and be a little bit proactive about it,” she says. “I encourage my bartenders, and even sometimes myself, to go up to customers and ask if there is anything they’d like to hear or if there is a particular genre or artist. We have plans to build out more of an online request system where people can look through our record collection and add their requests to their ticket.”
The same amount of thought put into the sounds emanating through Wax has gone into the food. Johnson’s mentor is professional chef Yukari Matsushita, who studied in New Orleans and San Francisco and owns the Tokyo Cooking Studio. Matsushita helped her to develop her unmatched, culturally cohesive menu, bringing guests everything from an epic tempura po boy to the pork belly jamabalya fried rice. Additional menu items include matcha pancakes, shoyu ramen, wagyu patty melts, rib eye skewers and much more.
These special touches, including a stacked drink menu with sake and soju cocktails, have made Wax on Hi-Fi a must-visit spot sure to please the ears and palates of LA’s finest — and famous out-of-town guests, too.
“I would definitely say I’m ready for a Keith Lee appearance, or any sort of food critic or review,” Johnson says confidently. “I think that me and my staff, we emphasize producing a high quality experience and making sure that customers are happy.”
