TBA
Kato
The last time I was at Kato, they were in a dinky strip mall at the edge of Santa Monica and had just gotten their first Michelin star. Food ranged from good to amazing. Fast forward seven years later to 2026, they are now at a much more fashionable location at ROW DTLA, they received their second Michelin star barely two months ago, and the amberjack is still delicious.
With their expanded space, their wine cellar is now supposedly best-in-class in Los Angeles at over 3,500 bottles, their spirits and liquers along with their non-alcoholic drinks are also extensive, and they have a partnership with Taiwan's Kavalan for an old fashioned tasting if that is what suits you. We both splurged on the non-alcoholic tasting pairing, which was not only tasty but surprisingly varied in terms of blends of tea and fruits (for the most part). Thought it would be an excessive splurge (and indeed it was), but it was still an excellent addition.
Splurged on both tasting menu upgrades as well, adding on the yeow teow/uni/ham/caviar as well as the jin sha (Maine lobster, salted egg, scotch bonnet, lime leaf). Those I had more mixed feelings about, the glaze of the yeow teow seemed to overwhelm the uni stuffed inside, and neither the ham nor the uni on top helped any-- too much going on. The Maine lobster was excellent and pretty, but maybe not quite the value-add unless lobster is your thing.
The opener was the baobing (wu wei zi (five flavor berry), almond grenadine, Beijing yogurt) over shaved ice, which was both tasty and quite interesting, and would set the tone for the drinks the rest of the night. Not too sweet, not amazing, but very good, especially when paired with the amuse bouche of amberjack (hamachi) sashimi over a bed of pickled vegetables. Next dish was the aforementioned yeow teow, paired with tieguanyin (Fujian oolong tea), carrot, rhubarb that was extremely tasty, followed by the bai mudan (bitter melon (ku gua) and cucumber) mocktail that Rebecca quite enjoyed. This was paired with a smoked trout in fish/vegetable broth that was a perfect smoked without the American saltiness.
Gui hua (osmanthus), white peach, kelp mocktail wasn't quite as good as the tieguanyin, but it was somewhat sweet and still very tasty, paired with dry-aged sablefish smoked over binchotan and served over squid. Perhaps the most conventional dish on the menu, but still, execution raised to a high level. Could have imaged this served in a portion five times the size at a more normal (yet still nice) restaurant, although I don't know if smoking a larger piece would work so well. This was followed by bao zhong oolong tea/white pepper/strawberry, a combination that worked superbly well as a mocktail. Who knew? Paired with the aforementioned very pretty Maine lobster upgrade...
Hongzao (red dates)/mandarin orange/ginseng/honey/ginger served in a beautiful teapot followed, perhaps one of the more intense flavors in the mocktails tonight. It was paired with the quail, which was one of the most impressive quail dishes I've had. Stopped by the kitchen later and saw a rack full of perfectly roasted quails just coming out of the oven; they must have that down to an art form here. The chayote and bok choy underneath were perfectly cooked as well.
Wuxiang fen/plum/lapsang (cinnamon, star anise, fennel, clove, Sichuan pepper, all steeped in a blend of Syrah, Grenache, and Mourverdre) was perhaps the most intense drink of the night, and quite good. It paired well with the fancy milk bread and dry aged duck, which, like the quail, was some of the best duck around. Not quite as convinced by the duck confit-stuffed sesame ball or what seemed to be like a duck pate; they recommended the latter be spread on the bread, but honestly the bread, so light and fluff, glazed with glazed with kelp, lettuce, honey, garlic, really didn't need to be served with anything else.
I had no idea a single-vintage verjus was a thing, but the 2025 Kato x Cole Ranch riesling verjus (grape juice) was the last drink of the night. It's hard to imagine any grape juice qualifying as amazing, but I imagine this is about as close as one can get. It paired with an all-watermelon dessert (sorbet, jelly, soda, etc.) that was quite refresing and not overly sweet, which oddly blended very well with the verjus. Second dessert was a peach thing supposedly inspired by mango sticky rice, but to me was more peach/fortune cookie-ish; quite good as well, with just the right sweetness in the crust/cookie.
Final course of the night was actually three tiny ones. Cream puff, oolong tea and coffee creme frache. Sesame cookie, mochi potato. Cordial grapes (Murray Farms) with ginger and white chocolate truffle. The last was much too sweet, the others were good and delicate, as you'd expect from a Michelin starred restaurant. The brute force approach of a more normal sized cream puff or cookie honestly would have been fine, but at this point we were so full that small was just right.
Verdict: an excellent if very pricey meal. Hard to say it's better than n/naka, especially when you consider the price difference in the equation, which, contrary to popular belief, is still something to consider when it comes to Michelin star dining. But still delicious, and a worthwhile splurge if you have the budget and the desire to treat yourself.
Menu:
Amberjack, sesame sauce, jelly, pickles, onion.
Yeow teow stuffed with Hokkaido uni, topped with caviar and with South Carolina Lady Edison ham.
Smoked trout, scallop, smoked fish bone broth with fermented napa cabbage and beans.
Dry aged sable fish grilled over bitong charcoal. With Monterey squid, basil clam sauce, cilantro.
Maine lobster, salted egg relish, caramelized lobster head fat, roasted lime.
Quail (Brentwood Farms in Vacaville), Sacramento koshihikari rice, bok choy, chayote, herbal sesame oil broth.
Liberty Farms dry aged duck, duck confit sesame ball, duck liver passionfruit jelly, duck jus. With milk bread, glazed with kelp lettuce honey garlic.
Watermelon sherbet, watermelon juice, watermelon piece, watermelon soda (seemed like all watermelon).
Peach dessert, mango sticky rice inspired (all peach).
Cordial grapes (Murray Farms) with ginger and white chocolate truffle. Sesame cookie, mochi potato. Cream puff, oolong tea and coffee creme frache.
Oolong tea gift.
Drink menu:
Baobing: wu wei zi (five flavor berry), almond grenadine, Beijing yogurt.
Tieguanyin (Fujian oolong tea), carrot, rhubarb.
Bai mudan, bitter melon (ku gua), cucumber.
Gui hua (osmanthus), white peach, kelp.
Bao zhong oolong tea, white pepper, strawberry.
Hongzao (red dates), mandarin, ginseng, honey, ginger.
Wuxiang fen, plum, lapsang (cinnamon, star anise, fennel, clove, Sichuan pepper, steeped in a blend of Syrah, Grenache, and Mourverdre).
2025 Kato x Cole Ranch riesling verjus (grape juice).