Kato

Andrew W

We celebrated New Year’s Eve with the full tasting menu experience at Kato Restaurant in Los Angeles, and while the evening had some high points, it didn’t completely live up to its well-documented, high praise reputation. Walking in, the restaurant’s open, sleek, modern ambiance felt a bit sterile and cold, with only hard wooden chairs for seating and no cozy “booths” to add privacy or allow for intimate conversations. That said, the presentation of each dish was stunning. The tasting menu featured inventive, creative dishes inspired by Taiwanese and Asian-American roots. Highlights included the Yóutiao—a sea urchin, ham, and caviar creation served on a uni doughnut—which was indulgent, flavorful, and truly memorable. The Ji Juan—a scallop dish with ginger and baby leek—was another standout. The hint of chili oil added just the right amount of spice, enhancing the dish without overpowering its delicate flavors. The milk bread was one of our favorites: warm, pillowy, and absolutely perfect. The Sūan Cài Yú (rock cod) dish was also fantastic—the cod was flaky with a deliciously crisp crust and served in a beautifully aromatic smoked bone broth. A highlight of the evening was the nonalcoholic cocktails. We tried two: the Arnold Palmer, which was perfectly balanced, and the Amazake Swizzle, with hints of chai and coconut. While refreshing, the latter felt more suited to a warm summer day by the beach than a winter evening. Unfortunately, some of the later protein-focused dishes leaned more toward style than substance, leaving us wanting more in terms of flavor and depth. Additionally, the pacing of the meal was a downside. While the staff was attentive and courteous, there were long gaps between courses, and we found ourselves hungry. The meal stretched well over three hours—too long for the experience to feel cohesive and seamless. Another minor area for improvement was the lack of a true NYE vibe. We chose Kato specifically to avoid the typical LA alcohol-laced, wild NYE environment, but the restaurant missed an opportunity to bring some festivity to the evening. A few thoughtful touches, like decorations, party favors, or even a small countdown, would have gone a long way toward making the night feel special. Desserts were beautifully presented, but we definitely preferred the savory courses over the sweet ones. The Bảixiãng Guỗ—a dish with passion fruit, chocolate, and buttermilk accented with gold flakes—was visually stunning but fell short in flavor. The final dessert, Liúshã Bāo, a salted egg cream puff inspired by the iconic dim sum dessert “lava bun,” was a creative nod to tradition but felt overwhelming in one bite, as recommended. By that point, we were already quite full, which may have detracted from our enjoyment. At its core, Kato offers a creative and visually stunning Taiwanese fusion dining experience. However, for the price and time commitment, it missed the mark on the little details that truly define Michelin-starred restaurants. If you ask me whether it’s worth it, I’d say it is, if you go in with the right level of expectations.

Michael Chen

An absolutely lovely Taiwanese American inspired restaurant that in my opinion provides a better experience than most of the other starred restaurants I’ve been to. Kato is located in the arts district which is a beautiful, quiet area filled with furniture shops, art galleries, and restaurants. We were seated in a table for two by the window. We had the tasting menu with no modifications and got drinks a la carte. I’d suggest the a la carte drinks because the imported specialty Taiwanese beer (which you can’t find anywhere else!). Since I’m Taiwanese American this was most definitely a special touch that I’d highly recommend. Also highly recommend the table side made old fashioned cocktail. It’s made with Kavalan single malt whiskey (choice of three single malts from $45-100), Taiwanese black sugar syrup, and imported kuramoto ice. The milk punch cocktail was also great. The meal started with a lovely amuse bouche selection that really whet our appetite. My favorite dish was the quail with mantou and my partner’s favorite was the congee with abalone and uni. But all of the dishes were superb. Only gripe is that perhaps the dessert could’ve have been a bit more Taiwanese inspired for example incorporating taro balls. If you’re going to go for extras, we tried the Youtiao. Whilst it tasted more like a chinese sugar donut, the infusion with uni and Jinhua ham topping was delicious. Well worth a trip if you’re in LA! Note that this restaurant is pricey and will take 2-3 hours of your time. And if you’re not native to LA (like us), remember that the traffic is horrible and to leave ample time to get to the restaurant.

Jessica Jo

I usually don't get distracted by service when evaluating food quality. I'm more on the tip that feels food should be able to stand for itself in a vacuum. At times I feel that service can overcompensate for or overpower a dining experience. However I have to say, the service at Kato was particularly warm and genuine. Food wise, Kato is easily a new favorite restaurant. Familiar flavors in new forms and with exciting combinations and sophisticated restraint. On a more practical note, I can't recommend the additional menu options more as well as the non-alcoholic pairing. Lastly there is an 18% fair wage and operational fee already added to the bill.

Angela Song

Had an incredible meal here! We sat at the bar and our waiters were so friendly and helpful in answering our questions about the food. I appreciated the dedication to sourcing ingredients from China and Taiwan. Each dish was delicious and creative. Definitely worth the price if you’re into fine dining!

Bob Lou

1st course was a tilefish sashimi rose interlaced with radish. This was stellar and the sauce was so good--pickled pepper with lots of citrust, kind of like yuzukosho and I wanted to lick all the sauce out of the cup. They had an interesting cocktail menu with a large non-alcoholic selection. The mocktail I got had bittermelon, white peony, and cucumber. This was pretty cucumbery but I didn't get much bittermelon. 2nd course: peas and caviar and crab in a butter sauce was indulgent and I wish I could have more because it was really yummy. The peas were very firm which was nice and they tasted very grassy in a nice way. Milk bread was yummy. good butter and the thin shaved form gave it a nice airiness. Dumplings was interesting and kind of tasted like a western dish. The plating was good and the tetrahedron shape was fun. The steamed fish dish was like a very good version of steamed fish, but also mostly in line with a steamed fish flavors. It reminds of getting steak on a tasting menu: yeah its good, but i can have this flavor elsewhere too. The peanut ice cream sandwich, was also quite similar to the original, though personally i prefer the flour crepe used in the original as opposed to the bread bun used here. The boba was memorable and a reminder that cheese foam is innovative, molecular-gastronomy-esque, maybe even more so because it is scalable. The brown butter shaving tubes were amazing; they were light, salty, and buttery. The sweet potato balls were chewy and fluffy. Egg yolk pastry was solid. the crispy top on the bun was really good Overall, there's some really good takes on classic asian flavors. I think some of the takes are pretty traditional--well executed, but doesn't add that much. Some takes are truly fantastic like the boba and the pickled pepper fish that feel like a genius reinvention of a classic.