Kato (Los Angeles, CA) [5]

Kato Restaurant at ROW DTLA
777 S Alameda St, Los Angeles, CA 90021
213-797-5770‬‬
www.katorestaurant.com
Fri 06/14/2024, 08:15p-12:00a





I was looking for a suitable spot for my birthday dinner this year, and decided to check out the latest developments over at Kato. The creation of Chef Jonathan Yao, Nikki Reginaldo, and Ryan Bailey, the neo-Taiwanese-American eatery opened in Downtown in February 2022, having moved from its original strip mall home in Sawtelle. I posted about an experience I had at Kato's bar back in April last year, but I knew that I needed to return for a proper meal. Since that last visit, the restaurant has successfully retained its Michelin star, landed the #1 spot on the LA Times' list of the "101 Best Restaurants in Los Angeles", and achieved the "One to Watch" award from the folks over at World's 50 Best Restaurants. Thus, it certainly seemed that things were going in the right direction for the team, so I was excited to come back.


I opted for Kato's dining room tasting menu, priced at $275 a head ($325 starting July 1st), plus 18% service, with optional supplements. The wine pairing tacks on an additional $135, or $175 for the vintage pairing, while a non-alcoholic flight is $95. There's also an abbreviated bar tasting menu at $170pp (rising to $185 in July). Pictured above is the printed menu I was given at the end of the night, signed by numerous members of the team (though not Jon Yao himself, since he'd already left for the night), which was a much-appreciated gesture. Click for a larger version.


After being seated, I was quickly provided an oshibori (or should I say shī máojīn), a very welcomed nicety.


1: LIÁNG MIÀN | amberjack, sesame, cucumber
Chef Yao has done away with canapés, so we got right into it with this riff on cold noodles. I loved the deeply savory, briny, yet nutty flavors of the amberjack belly and sesame combo, and how that coalesced with the light, bright, vegetal notes from the cucumber, pickled daikon, myoga, shiso flower, wasabi, and horseradish, the whole shebang overarched by a top layer of heat. At once familiar yet exciting, this dish made for a fantastic start to the dinner, and served as a real statement of intent.


Kato boasts a surprisingly comprehensive wine list, with particular strengths in Riesling, Champagne, and white Burgundy, varieties that tend to pair well with Yao's food. I ended up choosing the Fritz Allendorf-Georgshof, Auslese, Geisenheimer Rothenberg 1969 [$250], a library release from 2022. There were only about 20 bottles of this allocated to the US (with Kato snagging three of 'em) according to Sommelier Albert Park, who expertly handled most of my wine service tonight. In any case, the Riesling was fantastic, very likely the best I've had, and very likely my favorite wine of the year so far. On the nose, what struck me first was how well the Auslese's freshness and vivaciousness commingled with its tertiary nuances, in particularly this cheesy, almost "carpet-y" funk. On the palate, things were silky smooth, with bountiful amounts of lively stone fruits joined by honeyed, "green" notes, a palpable acidity, and darker-toned forces of mushroom and caramel. With a bit more time, I tasted that signature "petrol" character, along with floral honeysuckle and hints of pineapple. Further time witnessed the appearance of candied-yet-raisined aromas, while flavor-wise, the wine went in the direction of a greener, lighter Sauternes, with a shorter finish. Then, somehow, the tertiary elements seemingly disappeared, and I got almost pure, unmitigated fruit. At the end of the night, the bouquet became more and more overtly honeyed, and the juice was still fresh on the tongue, its flavors of orchard fruits still very much present. 55 years old, but still plenty of life left in it--I'm really glad I picked this bottle.


Supplement: YÓUTIÁO [$45.00] | sea urchin, iberico ham, caviar
A vastly reimagined Chinese donut was one of my favorite bites of the year. The first sensation was a slight sugariness from the fried dough, which quickly transitioned to the sweet salinity of the uni, and then to the salty one-two punch of jamón ibérico and Astrea caviar. Everything just came together beautifully, and despite the strong flavors at play here, the bite was almost refreshing somehow. I wouldn't have minded popping a few more of these.


Given the "hands-on" nature of the previous course, a moistened finger napkin was provided--a thoughtful detail.


2: YÚDÙ GĒNG | custard, caviar, fish maw
Next up was a sumptuous rendering of jīdàn gēng. The custard demonstrated an aroma that actually reminded me of tuna salad (in a good way), and I loved how wonderfully xiān and oceany it was, courtesy of all the Dungeness crab meat and crab fat in there. There was also this undercurrent of sweetness in the dish that linked up swimmingly with kaluga caviar, while that crab shell vinegar on the side imparted a tangy accent. Excellent textural play from the swim bladder, too.


3: HUǑGUŌ | scallop, sour mustard, smoked fish
In this utterly elegant presentation of hot pot, Hokkaido scallop, delightfully chewy scallop cake, and geoduck were set in a deeply-flavored smoked amberjack bone broth, one with a prickly heat and mouthwatering brine that married easily with the dish's bright, herbal notes.


VESPER [$23.00] | nikka gin, nikka vodka, forthave l'amer and noilly prat original dry vermouth stirred with purple shiso, anise hyssop and peppermint
In addition to the wine above, I also sampled a few cocktail creations from Kato's Bar Director Austin Hennelly. This Vesper martini was one of the best incarnations of the drink I've had, representing a clever amalgamation of citrusy, bittersweet, floral, herby, and lingering-boozy components in a sophisticated package. Note also the accompanying sidecar in ice, meant to keep the extra portion of the liquid chilly.


4: JIǓCÉNGTǍ CHǍO GÉ LÌ | sablefish, abalone, budding chive
A thoroughly reworked version of stir-fried clams with basil was another winner. The dish featured just about the most well-caramelized, butteriest black cod I've had, a fatty, flaky fish with a real wokhei-type depth to it. The filet was set in a nearly bracingly herbaceous sauce and a caramelized clam broth, a duo that worked seamlessly with the sablefish's sweet, savory qualities. At the same time, stewed abalone added further oomph to the dish, and I loved the brightness of those peas, too.


5: CHǍO LÓNGXIĀ | lobster, sweet pepper, black pepper
This course was an homage to the signature lobster at Newport Seafood, and it did a wonderful job capturing and evolving the essence of the classic dish. The lobster was slow-grilled over charcoal, giving it a thoroughly satisfying texture, with light touches of smoky savor. The tail matched up effortlessly with a sauce of lobster shell, black bean, Shaoxing wine, and black pepper, with the pepper relish providing the necessary lift. However, was surprised me most was that robust lobster toast, which was like an enhanced version of your classic shrimp toast made using milk bread. Familiar and nostalgic, yet undoubtedly novel.


CUBA LIBRE [$21.00] | teeda okinawan rum and amaro ciociaro carbonated with heysong sarsaparilla and lime
The Cuba libre is generally a pretty prosaic cocktail, but this was anything but. The drink possessed all the sweet-n-spicy notes I wanted from the sarsaparilla, set off by a trace of smoke and just enough bittersweetness courtesy of the amaro. You could almost think of this as the best root beer you've ever had.


6: ZĪ RÁN YÁNG | lamb, cumin, maqaw
Cumin-rubbed Cascade Creek lamb rack arrived fatty and flavorful, showcasing a mouthwatering, multifaceted peppery spice. It was joined by a wonderfully sweet-n-savory lamb sausage, as well as a shard of bacon-y cured lamb belly. The whole dish did a commendable job conveying the familiar flavors of Chinese-style BBQ skewers (chuàn), which is one of my favorite ways to enjoy lamb.


7: MIÀNBĀO | milk bread, garlic, butter
Kato's version of shokupan was superb thanks to its sweet, fluffy crumb and assertive crust. It was tasty alone, but even better when paired with a smear of that soft, salty 'n' sweet cultured butter on the side.


BROOKLYN [$35.00] | kavalan oloroso sherry cask whisky, one year brooks cherry brandy and l'encantada xo cask strength armagnac stirred with amer picon and lustau almacenista palo cortado sherry
This next cocktail was one that I just had to try, and it didn't let me down. The nose here was somewhat Manhattan-esque, with a distinct grapiness to it, while taste-wise, I found loads of dark fruits combined with plenty of caramel and cacao, not to mention whispers of nutty, woodsy, spicy, and sherried notes.


Supplement: HÓNGSHĀO NIÚ [$55.00] | beef, tendon, broadbean
My final savory brought out Yao's take on a version of Taiwanese-style beef noodle soup that his mother used to make. What we had was a dense, sweet, well-charred, unabashedly fatty cut of Miyazaki A5 striploin, dutifully offset by fresh wasabi. More intriguing was the red-braised wagyu cheek with broad bean paste, which had that familiarity to it. The finishing touch was provided by stewed beef tendon with Espelette and nasturtium, which offered up a welcomed contrast in both taste and texture.


8: BÀOBĪNG | strawberry, yogurt, rhubarb
Desserts at Kato are largely the responsibility of Chef de Cuisine Nicholas "Nick" Picciotto, and he got us off to a strong start with this shaved ice. I loved the super jammy, in-your-face nature of the strawberry here, and how that played with rhubarb, yogurt, and the dish's herbiness. I got some nice textures, too--a great palate cleanser.


Old Fashioned [$75.00] | a choice of three cask finished kavalan whiskies stirred tableside with Taiwanese black sugar, angostura bitters and hand carved kuramoto ice
Kato now employs a roving old fashioned cart for tableside service, which I just couldn't resist for my final cocktail. A choice of three whiskies is offered, and I ended up going with the top-end Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique Single Cask Strength as my base spirit. The nose here was intense, displaying a healthy dosing of citrus intertwined with heaps of brown sugar. Taking a sip, I found a plethora of oaky, funky, fruity flavors, backed by a distinctly caramel-like depth from the hēitáng and a smidge of cacao.


9: FÈNGLÍSŪ | pineapple, black sugar, meyer lemon
Next up was a rendition of Taiwan's iconic pineapple cake, taking the form of a mille-feuille, combined with roast pineapple, Meyer lemon cream, and a ginger-laced black sugar syrup. Interestingly, the dessert had this nearly saline quality at first blush, but this sensation soon transitioned to the sweet, tangy pineapple flavors I was expecting, moderated by that buttery, flaky puff pastry.


10: LIÚSHĀ BĀO | cream puff, salted egg, brown sugar
We concluded with a salted egg yolk lava bun, my favorite of the desserts, which is quite an accomplishment given that I'm not a huge fan of xiándàn. The key here was the bite's perfect union of salty egg and sweet cream, all accented by a smidgen of brown sugar. Eminently gratifying--I could've used a few more of these guys.



To take home, along with the menu and a snazzy bag, I was given a tin of Sijichun Four Seasons, a lightly-rolled Jade oolong sourced from Mingjian Township, Nantou County, Taiwan. I enjoyed the tea a couple days later, and found it sweet and jasmine-y on the nose, while drinking light, fragrant, floral, and fruity, with a splash of lingering lychee.

It'd been a while since my last real meal at Kato, and wow, what a difference a couple of years have made. This is quite a different restaurant compared to what I experienced in 2022, and in a way, it feels more "right." Yao's definitely leaning into his Asian-American upbringing here in Southern California, resulting in food that's personal and introspective and authentic in a way that it previously wasn't. There's certainly a sense of nostalgia at play here as well, backed by top-notch technique and ingredients, along with perhaps a dash of irreverence. It all came together to make for the best meal I've had in LA thus far in 2024, and I'm eager to see how the Chef will continue to explore his identity through his cooking here.