Tasting menus can sometimes feel like a punishment, three hours at the table without any free will, all in order to leave with a stomach too full and a wallet too thin. Kato is here to change that. Jonathan Yao, chef and owner of this miniature restaurant, has almost no culinary experience (apart from internships at Coi and Alma) and therefore hasn’t undergone any gastronomic formatting. Here it goes: smoked hamachi with pickled cucumbers, crab and uni porridge, a warm brioche filled with burrata and fresh truffle shavings — by far the most decadent dish of 2016. At Kato, the eight-course menu is impeccable, though we regret the era when it used to be $55. A few years after writing this initial review, and with the return of the Michelin Guide to Los Angeles, Jon Yao announced that he wants to take things up a notch, upping his price and his technique. Stay tuned!
Style: Taiwanese
Address: 777 S Alameda St Building 1, Suite 114, Los Angeles, CA 90021 (Arts District)
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 5-10PM
Menu: katorestaurant.com
Price: Tasting menu $125
Reservations: (424) 535-3041