Kato Restaurant
at Row DTLA

KATO RESTAURANT

Chef Jon Yao dreams of three Michelin stars.

His original Kato in West Los Angeles garnered one Michelin star in 2019, just three years after it opened, and last year he received the Michelin Guide’s young chef award. But Yao has always set his sights for the top, and now, with Kato’s new location downtown, his three-star aspiration seems significantly more attainable.

This year, Yao and Like Water Hospitality partners Nikki Reginaldo and Ryan Bailey transported Kato from its humble Sawtelle-adjacent strip mall space to the culinary playground Row DTLA.

The new spot puts Kato in good company; neighbors include chef Brandon Go’s Michelin-lauded Hayato and the weekly Smorgasburg open-air market.

The large space has a gallery-like dining room, with wooden tables and yellow-accented chairs, and a bar, not at the previous location. Yao, dressed in black, oversees each dish in the open kitchen.

The tasting menu might start with a sea-urchin donut with Iberico ham and browned butter, then a dish of L.A.-based Astrea Caviar Kaluga caviar, geoduck, squashini and koji served with warm, pillowy-soft milk bread.

A recent meal continued with a version of suan cai yu with fermented napa cabbage and Chinese mustard relish; its delicate Chinese mustard broth, a fumet-like tisane made with fish bones and michiu, was ladled tableside. (See video)

Yao’s take on shun de yu sheng features slices of coal-seared sea bream wrapped around aromatic parcels of perilla and radish. The bundles are served with a Taiwanese “five flavor”sauce infused with perilla house-made chili oil.

Kato’s tasting menu often reflects Yao’s shaved-ice confection found in San Gabriel Valley’s Taiwanese cafes is a nostalgic nod to his childhood. The chef’s pâte de fruit and glossy chocolate truffles provide a more classic finish.

The extensive wine and spirits list spotlights white wines from the Loire Valley, red wines from Burgundy, Taiwanese whiskies and inventive cocktails. Vintage-wine and alcohol-free flights are also available.

KATO :: 777 S. Alameda St., Building 1, Suite 114, Los Angeles, CA 90021