Tasting Menu $275/person +A5 Wagyu +$55 + Drinks around $450 per person Michelin Asian fusion chef Yao is from Taiwan. The Chinese cuisine in his menu is very Chinese/Taiwanese unique style. When you look at the menu, you will think it is very Chinese, but every dish is surprisingly really good and tastes better than I thought However, every dish is quite small Personally, I don't recommend adding $55 for the A5 Wagyu. The Wagyu is thick-cut and a bit greasy for me. It's seasonal menu so might be different just FYI. I would highly recommend this place to my friends and family! Would love to try different menu next time read more

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Cuisine was immaculate. Pairing dishes with the wine flight was supreme. Service was astute and proper. Environment was quite cozy, conversations flowed, drinks poured over. An absolute delight. read more

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Food is exceptional. Chef Jon is very creative. Except for two dishes, we enjoyed every bite. The savory dish we didn't care for was the dumplings. It was too rich and the sweetness of the squash did not go well with the coconut milk. We love all the other savory dishes. But, the ones we love most are: -the fish over a bed of crispy rice -the lobster over fried milk bread -the bread that was served with the lamb -the egg custard with crab meat & caviar. The service alone deserves another Michelin star. Great ambiance. Easy parking. We highly recommend this restaurant if you are looking for a nice place to celebrate a special occasion. read more

Kato - Taiwanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Gonna keep this review nice and simple. Usually I complain about the price when there isn't too much food, but wow, Kato was one of the best dining experiences I've had in my LIFE. Yes, I ordered tacos on the way home to fill my stomach, but each dish's attention to detail and unique flavor gave me a meal to remember. This was by far one of the best tasting menus I've ever had and it was pleasure to dine here. My wallet was sad, but my stomach was thrilled. Amazing food. read more

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I'm so glad I got to try Kato for the first time which is located in Downtown Los Angeles. This place has really tasty food that is an omakase restaurant that features a Taiwanese and American-inspired flair. Came here with four people and left with being so happy that we all good to try it. The food is unique and stylish with every food photo looking amazing and tasting good. You can also add a wine pairing with the meal if you would like. But since I don't drink wine we didn't do it. Each dish that came out was explained what was inside the dish and if you have any allergies you can let them know when you make reservations. I think if you do come to this place you won't be disappointed in any of the dishes. read more

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Kato has been in my books for a little while now but they were in the process of moving locations. Once I found out they opened we immediately booked an experience. Greeted by the little Michelin man himself and a hostess of course, you walk into a very modern, basic yet immaculately elegant restaurant. The aesthetics are quite pleasing with wood logs, concrete and dried blooms. As you are seated, they bring out the menu with an extensive wine list, cocktail list and so on. They of course have a wine flight to accompany their set menu, however we skipped that this time. It did look great however. We instead went for a couple cocktails, and some spirit free options as well. All of which were refreshing. Each dish had beautiful presentation, not only with the food itself but also with the cutlery, the plating...all of it was 10/10. Suddenly I want to re-do my kitchenware. To start, I would like to say everything was not only sophisticated but each bite took you to a new world. As the set menu started, we were presented with what they called 'snacks' which for us this time around was prawns, kanpachi, and wagyu tartare. We each had our preferences, but all agreed the wagyu took first place, I was stuck between the prawns and kanpachi for second as I LOVE shiso and it was so tasty. The prawns though, they melted in your mouth and were so flavorful. We were then presented with some milk bread that was to be quite frank, some of the best milk bread we have ever had. It came with a cup of Dungeness crab and caviar. This was to be had alone, then with some bread, then to dip the bread in... a stunning dish. We then had an adorable little egg shaped dish come... as we opened the top it was a soup, with egg custard, peas and abalone. It was very warm, and pleasantly good. I love abalone so I enjoyed this a lot and the egg custard was just the great combination. Those who didn't enjoy it as much only complained that the abalone was chewy but the overall flavor of the dish was great. Then came the one..... We were presented with a puff pastry it seemed... although it was probably the least presentable in terms of uniqueness, this stood out in taste like no other... I want to come and have this everyday, for the rest of my life. A puff pastry with sea urchin, and Jamón on top. The SECOND it touches your lips, you are presented with all the flavors, and each second is another experience... remarkable. The Cod with broth was very delicious and the rice with sea kelp was the perfect touch. I think it is my new favorite way to have rice! Who knew. But truly, the combination of the fish broth, the vegetables, fish and sea kelp rice fit in with each other just right. The fried scallop came next. Very lightly fried, but the sauce had some spice and some warmth and enjoyable. Next was the duck which was my second favorite dish, seared with fennel seeds, with a side that looked like a dolma (aka wrapped in grape leaf) but it was duck leg sausage inside. So much flavor in both, it was amazing. You're hooked on this dish the second they place the plate in front of you with the fennel aromas. We added the a5 wagyu so an extra dish, though admittedly we were all very full this was the one dish that was underwhelming. Nothing special to note other than a nice piece of wagyu. The desserts were snow cones with some delightful sauce at the end. Everyone received strawberry and enjoyed theirs.. I had a lemon mandarin due to allergies and it was surprisingly wonderful and a nice refresher. The second dessert almost stole the show though. Key word, almost as that sea urchin puff is still on a very high pedestal.... The second dessert was a jujube sorbet with some crisps and each bite was not only refreshing but filled with many different kinds of flavor. An absolute treat! Service/Staff was very friendly, however I feel the staff has some kinks they need to figure out. Such as placing plates accordingly within a small space, maneuvering around guests..but all small hiccups that can be addressed. They were all friendly and it is a more casual approach than an extremely formal one. We did let them know prior that there are allergies and dietary restrictions and they accommodated the allergy. One of our party members had restrictions to poultry, but they claimed duck fell under game and was not considered poultry. Maybe something to consider. If you've come this far in the review but haven't already booked the earliest reservation available at Kato...you're doing something wrong. It is a must try, see you there! read more

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Wow. Just wow. Hands down one of my favorite restaurants in LA and michelin starred restaurants ever. I came here for an anniversary and am already planning the next time I can come for a special occasion. As a taiwanese person who misses Taipei and grew up eating taiwanese food, I appreciated that Kato didn't just try to elevate the dishes but also did creative spins on popular taiwanese dishes I loved growing up while maintaining unique flavors. Kato is a 9 course meal and I would definitely recommend adding any additional 10th course if they offer it. When I went, we got the option for A5 wagyu and it was incredible, some of the most flavorful tender meat I've ever had with a taiwanese spin. They did classics such as mango shaved ice and char siu in the most special way. I am obsessed! read more

Though pricey, I will say this restaurant is 110% worth the price. Kato surpassed our expectations on all accounts - food, drinks, service, ambience. I would love to return (going to start saving now...). First impression, this place felt like if Muji (aesthetics), comforting Asian food, and modern dining all had a baby. It's a minimal yet tasteful vibe, and had me taking notes in terms of interior! For the food, I felt like I unlocked flavors that I haven't tasted before. I thought the dishes breathed a new life into the food I grew up with. I think the recipes were just bold enough, but didn't steer too far from the original inspiration. My favorite was the Ga Li (squash ravioli curry dish) and the Apple Tart. The same could be said for the drinks. The drinks were oh so yummy and unimaginably good. Please try some of their cocktails if you can! We were originally worried it wouldn't be enough food (my partner and I eat a lot), but we ended up being super full! At the end of our meal, they also gave us tea togo and the cumin rub they used in one of the dishes. Overall, I think the Kato team deserves so much recognition and I would definitely recommend this experience. read more

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I was really excited to try this restaurant since the first time hearing about it... ya know gotta support my Taiwanese brother I'm going to try to keep this short and useful... lol -Beautiful decor and clean -women bathroom clean and has extra stuff for those special surprise moment s#iykyk -bathroom is kinda dark... I would like it turned up a notch or two -idk what I ate, cause I was too hungry to hear but I believe this fish on perilla leaf... IT WAS SO DANG GOOD -steamed egg, blast from the past again soo good -shaved ice was so unique and refreshing, I enjoyed it although at first I was expecting snow shaved ice -duck was yummy! And I'm NOT a duck person after something that shall not be named happened -Waygu not necessary, I mean it tasted like every nice restaurant waygu- not need to pay extra for that -my drink, lemon drop was gorgeous as well as delicious! -uni donut was so good and unique! -there's some special drink that people like to try at the end but I was so full otherwise I'll try it next time (bar only) but If your dining in, I'm sure they'll bring it over. -last but not least left with a VERY flaky delicious egg custard, actually I never left with it, I ate right when they gave it to me read more

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Kato was so good I had to return. Still 5 stars, still nostalgic, and still absolutely awesome. read more

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This place is phenomenal. Talk about attention to detail on everything. From the moment you walk in to the plate and utensil they use for each dish to the rotation and movements of the staff and even the bathroom mint and ginger candies and the pen you sign the bill was well thought out. Perfection. The drinks doesn't miss a beat. We got Old fashion which has all the old fashion notes you want with all the smiles. Garden Tonic was surprisingly impressive. Refreshing drink with a subtle bitter melon flavor at the end that blossomed after each sip. Milk punch is amazing as well. The combination of the star anis and pineapple mimicked the flavor of sour plum that was quite delightful. The meal- it was quite a fun experience. Starts out the contrast of textures in the first dishes to the the melt in your mouth beef to creamy geoduck and two refreshing desserts at the end. All in all, a well orchestrated symphony read more

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Good fine dining. A lil pricy though for a 1 Michelin star resto. I felt 75% of the dishes were hits and the rest were good but a lil lackluster. It def incorporates some TW/Japanese elements into fine dining without becoming straight up into an asian restaurant. The melona shaved ice dessert was executed well and refreshing. I generally loved the beginning dishes the most. The duck was cooked very well, much better than most some french restaurants, but in terms of creativity not much there. The most underwhelming dish was the sea urchin donut. You cant taste the sea urchin at all and there was no creaminess. The golden eye snapper was good but underwhelming compared to the other dishes. Overall, I enjoyed my dining experience here at Kato, and I think its def worth a try. read more

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It's a cool experience but not worth the money The 3 last dishes was not tasty We payed extra 55$ per person for the A5 wagyu and I couldn't eat it it felt like I eat a gum The duck dish didn't taste good I hope the dessert will be delicious but no The total experience cost more then 1000$ for 2 people For real it's not worth the money that we spend read more

Kato - Duck dish - Taiwanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

4.5 stars. Came here on the last night at West LA location, 11/20/21. The four of us sat outside celebrating our friend's birthday. The ambience is lively, the setting is definitely one of the kind, before ever experience fine dining at such unique circumstance (if ever). We were greeted by people (Nikki, Ryan and Chef Yao) who just appeared on the magazine, which inform the public about the upcoming location at Row LA. Definitely look forward to visit a venue closer to SGV where restaurants are highly competitive. Many dishes for the evening went way back when the restaurant first opened. It is celebratory for the staff and we were quite honored to be there, witness old customers return to dine, and stop by to say hello. The byob will be one thing to miss (or not?), but we'll be expecting proper glassware by then! Here are the courses (we did not add-on caviar). Tapioca, brown butter, uni 5/5 Completely blown away by this multilayered bite. There seems to have a crispy layer of parmesan (refer to as diary?). The tapioca, and uni paired to perfection, it is a really enjoyable bite. Tuna, 3 cup 4.5/5 A Japanese cuisine (tartare) infused with traditional Taiwanese 3 cup sauce. Highly innovative and really enjoyed the texture and freshness of the tuna. Amberjack, cucumber 4/5 Fish was smoked with apple wood. Black sauce in the center is made out of charred scallion (negi). Love the vinegar jelly, along with cucumber the dish is both bold and refreshing. Egg custard 5.5/5 By far my favorite dish of the evening. Chef puts in a trickery texture that I reminds me of eating shark fin soup (banned). The main ingredient is kelp, egg (obviously), black vinegar, abalone and geoduck. Bread and butter (avocado?) is served during this course. Chinese style steamed fish 3.5/5 Fish is overcooked but enjoyed presentation and liked the sauce Short rib, rice 4/5 Meat is garnished with matsutake mushrroom. There is a taste of anise seed in the dish. Missing a main sauce, the sweet-chili that is typically served with sticky rice Yogurt, pear 4/5 Jasmine flavor, chunks of pear garnish with fennel. Not greek yogurt, this is the type of digestive drink often had growing up in Taiwan. Boniato yam tapioca, fresh cheese, sable 4.5/5 Sea salt foam and sable made out of cane sugar. Similar to milk shaved ice. Definitely a dish to enjoy before all melt away! read more

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I'll have to be honest this was not what I expected for the price we paid. It seems this place is more focused on service/atmosphere and experience and not as much on the food. Which is not to say the food is bad, we enjoyed our meal - just expected more for the price we paid. It is a fixed menu which was nice not having to worry about ordering the wrong thing. I do want to highlight the wait staff was very good so this not about service at all. read more

Had no intention to use yelp to ever write a review, but if I was I was ever going to leave one it would be for Kato. Came here to celebrate an anniversary, and decided we would try our first ever coursed meal. Before entering I felt a little nervous as the ambiance felt high end fine dining but the staff quickly made me feel welcomed and relaxed. Everyone was great in explaining the dishes, menu, and extremely accommodating. I don't think we've ever experienced this level of fantastic service at any restaurant. Cocktail menu is great but if you're not much of a drinker or unable to drink alcohol, they have great non alcoholic options as well. Probably the best drink menu in La easily. Truthfully I was always skeptical of course meals as they always looked too small. After finishing the entire course I definitely don't believe that. I eat a lot, and left completely satisfied. All dishes were plated beautifully, but it's not all looks, the taste was spot on. A lot of the time I found myself thinking "wow this is probably the best food I've tasted". Overall, if you want to celebrate a special occasion or just have a some fantastic food, Kato should definitely be on top of your list. Definitely planning to come back again for another special occasion as Kato made sure our anniversary was a special one! read more

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Probably one of my favorite restaurants of all time and definitely a favorite in the LA area! I don't come down here a lot so my friend and I struggled a bit to find somewhere nice to eat and I'm so glad we ended up here. It's located in the corner of a small plaza, so it was quite unsuspecting and definitely a hidden gem. Since it was during Covid, we sat outdoors but it was nice weather and we got to see the sunset as well. For the first course, the tuna and uni, I thought I'd love the uni so much more. However, the tuna was surprisingly amazing and refreshing. The next few courses (sea bream, uni chawanmushi) were great to follow and I enjoyed the cold courses for the warm day. The next few dishes were more warm and were so home-y! Reminded me of the food my parents cooked and was basically like elevated comfort food for me. The desserts were also amazing. I didn't expect to like them as much just from looking at the description, and my friend doesn't even like sweets and she loved them both as well. The sorrel and frozen yogurt were a great combination of sweet, tangy, and creamy. The boba dessert I didn't think I would like either but it was great and reminded me of my boba addiction back when I was younger. The menu also came with a small description and the server also explained it as we went through the meal. It was a great touch! Price when I went was $125 which was such a great deal, although I believe it's higher now. It was also BYOB, so we brought a bottle of white (we both prefer white) which paired well especially since there were more seafood than meat courses. Would definitely visit again if I'm in the area again! read more

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Made a reservation here for an anniversary meal. We were excited to eat here since it was a Michelin restaurant inspired by Taiwanese flavors. Every dish was familiar but reimagined in an original and creative way deserving of its Michelin star designation. Alongside the typical tasting menu, my boyfriend ordered the non alcoholic drink pairing. The carefully curated non alcoholic drink pairing was spectacular and complemented every dish perfectly. The standout items for me were the pig ear with garnishes, sweet and sour eel, and mango shaved ice (not pictured). The mango shaved ice had mochi, mango chunks, candied mango, coconut milk and was absolutely unreal. As a Michelin establishment, it was pricey as expected, and as another reviewer mentioned, for this price, one might expect more luxurious ingredients. However, the overall taste and execution spoke to the careful craft of the restaurant. Thank you for the amazing meal! read more

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I came here for dinner with a friend in mid June 2022. The parking was easy since they have a parking lot. However, validation is only good for 2 hours and we ended up having to pay $5 on top of the validation. My friend got the wine pairing while I got the alcohol free wine pairing (extra $75) - which I've never even heard of before. We also got the waygu add-on which was an extra $45. The waygu add-on was worth it but the non-alcoholic pairing was not, in my opinion. There were maybe two or three dishes where the non-alcoholic pairing was right on the money but the rest were misses for me and not worth the $75 extra. I would still recommend you try it if you can't drink alcohol just for the experience if you've never had a wine pairing before. All in all, I found the meal pretty ground breaking since I've never had Taiwanese food in a fine dining setting. Out of the 11 dishes, I liked seven of them. It was pretty pricey ($389 total for just my portion) but still very impressive. Would highly recommend. read more

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Reservations! This place gets booked up and getting a reservation is the best bet to get a seat. About 12 seats inside and about another 6-8 outside. BYOB, this is awesome, you can bring in your own alcohol! Pre-fixe menu only. When we went it was $150 for 9 dishes (Although all dishes were small bites) or $200 with an added caviar with geoduck dish. The presentation for each dish was beautiful and each dish had very unique flavors! 1. Tapioca brown butter uni - BOMB, very creamy smooth tasty uni! 2. Tuna cilantro - also good! 3. The abalone was okay, didn't have much flavor to it. 4. Tomato - never though tomatoes could be so good. The dish is mixed in with a seaweed or kelp jelly in this amazing sauce (Tastes kind of like Yuzu). 5. Egg custard prawn - Tastes similar to honey walnut shrimp, pretty tasty. 6. Steamed fish - this was my favorite! Very fresh great tasting fish and the fish broth poured on top was so flavorful! 7. American Wagyu with sticky rice - The beef was decent, more on the rougher side, but I really enjoyed the beef sauce poured on top. 8. Yogurt citrus desert - tastes like an orange dreamsicle! 9. Boniato Yam - tastes exactly like a brown sugar milk tea! Overall, great dining experience! Beautiful presentation! And great tasting food. The bites are small, so it is possible you will still leave hungry. After tax and gratuity (18% included) price came out to about $384, definitely will pay a pretty penny! read more

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I used to live just 2 blocks away from here, and would go to Monte Alban at least once a week to get their Cafe de Olla. Imagine my surprise when, after leaving the neighborhood for over 3 years, my GPS takes me back to my old neighborhood, to a little restaurant tucked away in the corner of a strip mall...right next to Monte Alban. Of course, I had to get a Cafe de Olla from Monte Alban first... Nikki greeted us upon entering. We were about 15 minutes early, but she seated us right away, and asked if we had been here before. We had not, but heard of it from friends, and with my family being Taiwanese, I was very excited about a Taiwanese-inspired tasting menu. The menu was seafood centric this time. We were first served oysters and uni on top of crispy tapioca rice. Then fish, and more fish. While yelp says this is Japanese/Taiwanese, Nikki tells us it is more Taiwanese. In fact, the evening seemed to have gotten progressively more Taiwanese. One of the dishes was like the 清蒸魚 (steamed fish) tasted like what my mom used to make. But a lot fancier. Same oil and soy sauce mix though. We also loved the abalone rice, warm and comforting. AND. One of the desserts was this reimagined boba milk tea concoction. It's made of sweet potato and some sort of cheese foam with cookie shavings on top. I wanted a huge bowl of this and eat it the next day. It was amazing. We've found that a few other tasting menu places we've been to has amazing savory foods, but disappoint at the dessert portion. Kato definitely did not disappoint, and stepped it up for a really strong finish. For drinks, they don't serve alcohol, so we got the strawberry soda and jasmine tea and some sparkling water. Nothing to write home about, although the strawberry soda was tasty. I would have preferred the tea hotter. Service is fantastic, as to be expected. Overall, great. We will be back. (From September 1, 2019...when they were still on the west side) read more

Michelin 1 star Japanese-Taiwanese Prix Fixe menu fine dining in modern simple decor near little Tokyo that I would love to return to! Was there for almost 2.5 hours. The pace of the courses was very good, not too long or short between them. Favorite memorable bites* were the 1. seasoned chilled Yellowtail tartare in a thin crispy (rice cracker?) shell and the 2. stunning delicately prepared Caviar & zucchini cones over Dungeness crab in the milky green onion emulsion. And the 3. hot milk bread! Whoa! Course 1. Starters trio: 1. Geoduck w/ shaoxing in seaweed cup 2. Yellowtail tartare in a crispy shell* 3. Scallop with yuzu kosho (fermented Thai Chile) & doubanjang 2. Sea Urchin in a donut topped with iberico ham 3. Caviar & zucchini cones over Dungeness Crab w/ green onion emulsion*; Milk Bread & butter 4. Fried Spiny Lobster w/ ginger émulsion & sudashi (Japanese lemon/lime) 5. Tilefish with crispy skin 6. 14 day dry-aged Duck Breast with Leg Sausage 7. Eel over Rice and Pickled Cucumbers 8. Dessert trio: 1. chestnut cream, 2. passion fruit panna cotta* & 3. donut with creamy yolk 9. option of a wagyu dish was available for an additional price. (Which we did not take.) Located -at SW corner of Ceter St & Dock St -5 minutes south of Little Tokyo. -technically in the fashion district but near the intersection point with Skid Row area and Arts District -1block east of LA Smorgasburg (open food market with 100 vendor ) Pairing we got and enjoyed (the greater majority of) both the Traditional flight and the non alcoholic pairings Parking a big parking garage across the street Plates love their cozy vintage dainty blue flower dishes. They even have a little one for butter. Prices Tasting Menu $225 (+$ for extra wagyu dish) Traditional Flight paring $155 Nonalcoholic Flight pairing $85 (9 drinks) Service charge added to bill 18% Reservations made for 5:15pm. Note: can only cancel more than 7days ahead but do allow for changing the date. Was out by 7:40. Service -explains each dish, bite & beverage; -give you new napkin each time you go to the restroom -gave our bday girl a nice handwritten note and an extra dessert (ice cream) with a light candle (which fell off the top when we moved the dish to take the photo so our bad not theirs) Note to Kato: only change I would recommend is to serve dessert with smaller dessert spoons and not the regular spoons that are big enough for soups. read more

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Nothing pains me more than giving a three star during the pandemic. But there was such an internal struggle when reviewing Kato. Let me start by saying that we tried making reservations for Kato several months in advance because we were very curious to dine here after seeing its rave reviews, being heralded a Michelin star, and personally following Chef Jon Yao's journey. We managed to get a reservation on a Tuesday evening at 5pm, which is something we were willing to make an exception for. At this point, we had very high expectations for the night. Both my husband and I being Taiwanese-Canadian/American, we grew up eating multi-course Chinese dinners, namely in Vancouver, BC and in Taiwan, and now in LA in our adult life, and we were very intrigued in seeing Kato's vision of Omakase-style tasting menu combined with an ode to Taiwanese flavors in the LA scene come to life. This is a very bold risk and I can respect that. We arrived for our 5pm reservation and brought our own wine as they allow BYOB with no corkage fee. We were greeted with our waitress, Nikki, who was absolutely fabulous throughout our entire dinner. Our tasting menu for the night was created by Chef Alex Magana. Beet, Wrap, Oyster, Dungeness Crab, Lobster, Carrot, Kurodai, Duck, Apricot, and Oats. There were moments of the 9-course meal where I would taste nostalgia and almost-there flavors but the dishes didn't quite take me where I wanted to go. For a instance, the duck, the lobster, and Dungeness crab -- all of which itself have incredible umami if done right, but to us, the dishes just fell short. To be frank, the dish that stood out to us the most was the Carrot dish. It had the most complex and deep flavor, which we were hoping to experience in the savory dishes. After we finished our 9-course meal, we were left wanting more... and to us, that's never a good feeling after a Michelin star meal. We feel that it wasn't an accurate rendition of what Kato has to offer. The service was outstanding and the 2000s R&B hip hop/slow jams had us vibing hard, but the food was underwhelming overall. We want to give Kato another chance as we believe that there is a lot of potential here for a very unique and nostalgic dining experience. We stand by our 3-star but hope this will change during another opportunity to dine here. read more

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Overall, the food and service here are top notch! The chef is inspired by traditional Taiwanese flavors, and creates dishes with those flavors and high end ingredients. If you have eaten a lot of Taiwanese food, the flavors are well balanced and delicious but nothing too new. If you haven't had traditional Taiwanese food before, it prob has the WOW shock factor. Servers are too notch and can describe all the dishes and beverages to the T. We had the non alcoholic flight which I recommend, as some of the beverages are extremely hard to obtain and have unique flavors. All desserts were really good and amongst my favorite Michelin star desserts that I've had! Menu wise, it was kind of confusing. When making reservations you can book the dining room (tasting menu that changes) or bar menu. We enjoyed the tasting menu but I feel we would have enjoyed the bar menu more since it's comprised of "greatest hits". Kato should change the bar menu name because there were definitely customers who wanted the most popular creations. Tasting menu had us "just full enough" but lacked amuse bouche/bread/palate cleanser which are generally typical of Michelin tasting menus of this price point. Parking has 2 hours of free validation. read more

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what a dining experience .....excellent from the moment you walk in the door, you Are greeted with open arms, and the service is impeccable. The specialty cocktails nonalcoholic are SO Good. I went there for my birthday and I was treated like a queen I recommend Kato to all read more

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Although the food was tasty, the ambiance and service left something to be desired. There was indoor and outdoor seating as of June 2021. The restaurant is hidden in the corner of a small parking lot with free parking. The indoor decor was minimal but felt neglected and empty rather than simple and clean. The floors are cement and the ceiling is a drop ceiling and lack of artwork on the walls that have scars where tables have hit the drywall. The food was certainly characterizing the sour and seafood flavors of Taiwan with some dishes consisting of more simple flavors while others boasted the layers of flavor that intrigue me. My biggest disappointment was that the employees did not make noticeable attempts to interact or engage with us and the music was so loud that I had to request that almost everything that was said be repeated for me to understand. Furthermore, the dishes and utensils were often awkward to utilize, which detracted from the experience. For example, more than one dish was too deep to access the broth with the shallow and short spoons offered with the course. I would not recommend this as a must try, but it was a tasty meal. read more

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Decided to try this place for anniversary dinner. This review is going the be through the measurement lens of Michelin star quality restaurant. So it will be a bit more nit picky. Got seated outside. This place is located in a small plaza in the corner. Parking is limited. Tasting menus is about $150 per person. BYOB during this covid season We had the menu of uni-tapioca, cabbage/ham, abalone, walnut flavored snow crab, Dan Dan sauce sea bream, Taiwanese steamed fish, wood ear duck, oxtail rice , finishing off with orange yogurt , and tapioca balls. This is quite conflicting for me. First of all I think the quality of the ingredients are top notch. Flavor of each dish are very flavorful. With Taiwanese food it's all about flavor. So it's quite difficult to appreciate the raw fish such as uni and abalone. Another conflict is that generally for authentic Taiwanese flavor , it's not too costly to reproduce. From a Taiwanese person point of view , for the same flavor , we can prob get it from a local mom and pop store. That's just my opinion. I'm sure others that really enjoy the food will disagree. Finally there's lack of cohesiveness in all the dishes. Feels like it's kind of random. So its hard to find a smooth transition between one dish to another. The desserts were my least favorite. Felt the tapioca ball topped with the caramel flakes were a bit dry and chewy. Favorite dishes were the walnut crab and the sea bream. Both were cooked beautifully with rich flavors. I think from a Taiwanese person's tongue it's hard to truly find this place unique. But for those that love to try upscaled Taiwanese food I think this place will definitely be something for you to try. read more

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Thank you Chef Jon for a great tasting menu which definitely drew me back to some of my favorite Taiwanese childhood food memories. The location is unassuming which is fine because as my parents would always say, "it's all about the food!" Loved the variety of flavors and the freshness of the ingredients. I loved not knowing what was coming next and just letting him lead me through his culinary vision. We will definitely be back! read more

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Definately worth going, the ambiance is fantastic, and the service and food and plating was impeccable. My only issue at all was that the wine pairing wasn't 100%, but it was definately 85/100. I highly highly recommend coming here for deliciousness. read more

i went to the Sunday Series collab with Callie, and it was mind-blowing! every part of each dish was special, from the garlicky/buttery bread with tasty prosciutto, to the uni that had a mac&cheese profile (but of course with high quality ingredients), to the shaved ice dessert with not too sweet cream and fresh fruits. the service was great and always attentive, and they gave us a new piece of fish since our first one smelled very slightly of ammonia. the space is also really nice, almost unassuming, except for the tuna head that sat at the open kitchen bar. would love to come again for Kato's regular menu! read more

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If naming my baby Kato meant I could eat here anytime I wanted, I would! I had a ressi to come here for our last meal before I had my baby but had to cancel since the baby clearly didn't get the memo and came early... Instead we managed to get a last minute ressi to celebrate our last date night and freedom we will have for a while. Lots of new things on the menu tonight which is always super fun although to be honest I could never get bored with the dishes here! My hubby was super excited they brought back the Bluefin Tuna cup since that's always been his fave. They mixed up their supplement dish with oyster instead of geoduck but given how obsessed I am with the OG, they made an exception for us and I got my dish! The big change was Jon brought back meat! Our last course was Wagyu, Chanterelle and Red Braised Oxtail Rice. The Wagyu was served with a sauce that had tendon in it *OBSESSED* and we followed the Chef's recommendations and mixed it up with the oxtail rice. Suuupper flavourful and yummy but between us, I missed my sablefish rice. Ok I think to be honest out of all the rice variations we've had, my fave is still the tendon rice. Omg I would seriously just come here to eat a 9 course rice dish so I get both the tendon rice AND sablefish. If only! ;*)) Well I'm sure you're bored of my Kato reviews now but it'll be a while since I get to come back... read more

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Managed to get a res at their new location at The Row for a party of four. Venue was nicely done. Modern, minimalist and love the new area. First time to The Row. Promptly seated for our table of four. Server recommended 3 cocktails of which we tried all of them and they were all delish! Dinner started with the perfect amuse bouche of bluefin tuna. Japanese sea bream with the the black vinegar was a nice twist. And that sea urchin donut wrapped in jamon...oishi. Definitely some of the party's favorite dish of the night. I loved the caviar with the fresh brioche. Typically I don't love Asian dessert but the bingsoo was kinda like a version of shaved ice and the jujube was the perfect end to the dinner. Wine pairing was worth it and the sommelier did such a great job explaining all the different wines to us. Such a great experience. Will definitely go back for the spring menu! read more

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An amazing dinner - perhaps our best ever. The ambience the service paired with an incredible tasting menu. It is fine dining in a relaxed friendly hospitable setting. The savory donut filled with uni topped with iberico ham and caviar may just be the best single bite of food. The flavors were bold but not over powering. The dishes were very approachable but yet sophisticated. And did I mention the service? The service was perfect- each dish explained and the staff was knowledgeable and super friendly while being engaging throughout the our meal. Thank you for a wonderful dinner - we cannot wait to return. read more

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I so wanted to like this place, but the food was really nothing special. Am I missing something? It is pretty much a higher-end Chinese/Asian cuisine with unique ingredients. I don't think that reason alone can justify their price. Don't get me wrong, the food was good, but I can get similar food for less than 20% of their price. Sorry, I will definitely won't be going back. read more

Incredible experience. Honestly, everything was perfect, and the flavors all paired perfectly together. I also did the wine pairing, and all the wines were fantastic as well. There are just so many little details that made our experience so memorable. We were celebrating a wedding anniversary, and the staff went above and beyond to congratulate us and even gave us a handwritten card. Such a nice touch. The service was wonderful as well. Our waters were literally never empty. Well, there was one time where my husband finished his glass, but it was replenished within ONE SECOND. Also, the bathrooms use Charmin ultra soft (or another plush toilet paper brand), which seems like such a facetious thing to mention, but I really appreciated it. read more

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Such a spectacular tasting menu with beautifully curated plates! I love that the restaurant draws inspiration from classic taiwanese dishes, you can definitely taste it. Service was great as well. The only reason I didn't give this place 5 stars is because we sat outdoors. Kato is located in a small but busy lot, so being seated outside and eating next to cars backing in and out of parking spaces really detracted from the overall experience. read more

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So looked forward to dining here and it did not disappoint! Elegant decor with super friendly service, the first delectable bites set up the rest of the meal beautifully. Most memorable dish was the caviar/dungeness yummy goodness paired with the buttery soft milk bread. I'd return just to have that again! So proud of this Taiwanese establishment earning a Michelin star. Also wonderful cocktail program to boot. read more

- Locale Destination - It's in a big shopping plaza, ROW DTLA, in Downtown LA. In front of a big tree w seating. Fish logo but no sign of the restaurant. Ambiance: Very roomy, modern, minimal. Service: I think everyone is kinda new?! Many people came by to our table, everyone seemed nervous, not so smooth for $$$$ settings - when they pour water, setting up silverwares etc. I'm in the industry, so it made me a bit nervous. If you can't explain every component loudly, just leave the menu. I didn't hear much of the description. Menu: tasting menu only. Everything is small, so it was enough for me, but maybe not so much for many people. Drink list is like a big fat file literally - who wants a bible?! Too expensive and too big. Parking: get a validation here. - Gluttony Expedition - French wine: decent but overpriced. Chicken liver: tasted good but it was so small and hard to enjoy the flavor of each component. Sweet shrimp: why do you season sweet shrimp that are already tasty by itself?! Seasoning it didn't give any justification on the dish. It's in an origami like seaweed case. Visually pleasing but failed dish. Scallop: pretty presentation, mayo like sauce sauce was good. Sea urchin: it had a similar texture like Okinawa's donut (sata-andergy) - outside was a bit crispy and moist inside. Uni wasn't so tasty and donut was sorta greasy, I didn't like it at all. Black throat sea perch: I don't think tomato works on this dish. Caviar: very mild caviar, it doesn't enhance Dungeness crab with mayo like sauce. Milk bread was tasty but I don't think it's appropriate for this dish. Cultured butter at "Pasjoli" is way better than this butter. Better than other dishes but it doesn't mean it was a great dish. Golden eye snapper: too much sauce and too strong sauce killer the flavor of golden eye snapper (it's so tasty fish!). I usually love the fish at sushi bar, but this one was unimpressive. Duck: literally 1 piece of aged duck was good. It's more gamy than fresh one, but not bad. Refreshing with a hint of mint. Fresh water eel: bland. They forgot to seasoning?! I've had a great shiro-yaki (grilled eel without unagi sauce. Salt), so it was disastrous for me. Bland rice bowl w/eel. I don't understand this. *** Desserts *** (3 items) Passion fruit: 3 components - panna cotta was good. Pear was interesting Cream puff w/salted egg: tasteless and awful. Hazelnut: the worst. So sweet and too many ingredients that don't make any sense. I stopped with a bite. Did you taste this and cream puff before you serve to the guests? Terrible. You should've stopped the dessert with passion fruit only. Souvenir: sesame cookie - too sweet and we left alone. - Conqueror's Deduction - Pro: Visually pleasing, small portions, yet enough as a whole Cons: 1) unbalanced course - especially for tasting menu - no unity/no theme/less consideration as a course (not a smooth transition from appetizers to desserts) on the course setting. Molecule gastronomy like cute but pretty presentation, fusion French, Korean kimchi?! Bizarre.... So confusing. 2) lacks of tasting quality: hiding the taste quality of ingredients by unimaginable sauces and techniques. Or the ingredients themselves weren't good?! 3) less value for what you get from $$$$ ($250/person, food only). I expected hell a lot more taste quality for the $. I prefer to go to "Pasjoli" (twice and happier) to this. 4) confusing theme: "Kato" is a common Japanese last name. So I assumed it was some sort of Japanese thing. But food is nothing like Japanese cuisine - except they use lots of Japanese ingredients like uni and seaweed etc. Nothing like Japanese food! Well, I expected too much. Some high notes, but the overall quality is very unsatisfactory. Nothing was wow: Food at "Pajoli" - even a garden salad wowed me. Let down. Try too hard and don't think of the course flow for $$$$. I'm not a fan. read more

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Excellent experience -- great to support an innovative talent. The meal was seasonal and delicious. I enjoyed the dish ware and the attention to detail. Wonderful & knowledgeable staff. Overall, very chill and calming vibe. read more

Hands down, one of the top five best meals of my life. My husband was lucky enough to snag a reservation less than a month away for yesterday's dinner (Wednesday). There was a wine flight, vintage flight, non-alcoholic flight, and cocktails available. I believe there was also a wine list and teas. Someone explained we had the option to add wagyu to our tasting menu; however, they do require full participation of the whole table to do so. You're allowed to share any of the flights. We added the wagyu and tried various cocktails. We really enjoyed how many of the flavors were reminiscent of many childhood comfort foods. Flavors that were then translated into a fine dining experience. Get the wagyu if you can. It was amazing. Service was attentive and on point. Everyone that served us was approachable in their demeanor, which I really appreciate in a fine dining experience. Interior had a casual elegance to it. I loved that the experience wasn't pretentious at all. Some people were dressed completely casual, others in business casual. I opted for a dress and heels and felt fine. My only complaint is that I did find the restaurant to be chilly and I regretted not bringing a sweater. I received a hand written card thanking me for celebrating my birthday with Kato and a little coffee cake and candle at the end of our meal. A thoughtful, sweet gesture. read more

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