Burn Lawsuit Hits LA Teppanyaki Venue Maison Kasai Over Table Fire

A lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court alleges that a diner suffered second-degree burns to both legs when a container of cooking oil caught fire at a chef's open-flame table on September 5 at Maison Kasai, an upscale teppanyaki restaurant in Downtown Los Angeles.

The plaintiff, Angela Ciccone, was dining with friends at the venue when the incident occurred, according to the filing. The suit states that a container of cooking oil held by the chef at her table caught fire, engulfing his arm and neck.

"When Ms. Ciccone looked towards the floor, she saw that the floor and her legs were on fire," the lawsuit reads.

Ciccone claims she rolled on the floor and patted her legs in an attempt to extinguish the flames, with a friend rushing to help. According to the complaint, the chef was taken to another room by restaurant employees — but not a single staff member came to Ciccone's aid.

Firefighters responded to a 911 call before Ciccone was taken to the emergency room, "where she arrived that evening as a trauma activation," the filing states.

What are the injuries alleged?

Emergency physicians diagnosed Ciccone with second-degree burns to both lower extremities. She received intravenous fluids, narcotics and burn dressings, according to the lawsuit.

The following day, September 6, she was transferred to a specialized burn center, where she remained until September 17 — a stay of 12 days. She underwent surgery to remove damaged tissue and received skin grafts.

"Each dressing change was excruciatingly painful as it would rip off new skin on her legs," the filing states. The lawsuit claims Ciccone will be scarred for life, and a graphic photograph submitted with the court papers shows extensive burns to her legs.

Who is being sued?

The lawsuit names Lightstone Parent LLC as a defendant and identifies the company as the restaurant's owner. Lightstone Parent LLC and Maison Kasai were both contacted for comment, according to the original report.

Maison Kasai operates at Level 8, a collection of upscale restaurants and bars on the eighth floor of the Moxy Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles. The venue bills itself as "an elevated teppanyaki restaurant blending culinary virtuosity with performance art" on its website. Its menu features luxury items including A5 Kobe beef, Maine lobster, caviar and a Wagyu beef truffle burger.

What does this change for tableside-service operators?

Japanese hibachi-style dining, also known as teppanyaki, places chefs at open-flame grills directly in front of guests, with theatrical cooking, flying utensils and culinary tricks as core elements of the format. The lawsuit spotlights the liability exposure built into that model: when cooking oil, an open flame and seated diners share the same few feet of space, a single ignition event can injure both staff and customers simultaneously.

Ciccone is seeking damages for physical pain, mental suffering, emotional distress, disfigurement, physical impairment, humiliation and loss of enjoyment of life. No damages figure has been reported, and the claims remain allegations that have not been adjudicated.

The case will test whether operators of performance-driven, open-flame dining formats — a growing segment in luxury hospitality — bear responsibility for guest injuries when tableside cooking goes wrong, and it is likely to draw attention from insurers and risk managers across the sector as it moves through the Los Angeles court system.