About Kato
Jonathan Yao opened Kato in 2016 in a Sawtelle strip mall — an act of confidence so casual it could only come from a chef who knew exactly what he was doing. The restaurant earned a Michelin star, became a fixture on the LA Times 101 Best list, and eventually outgrew its original home. Kato relocated in 2022 to ROW DTLA at 777 Alameda Street, where it now operates in a setting more proportional to its reputation.
The ten-course tasting menu draws on Yao's Taiwanese background and translates it through a Southern California lens. This is not fusion in the sense of mixing traditions for novelty — it is a genuine exploration of what Taiwanese culinary instincts produce when they encounter the produce, the fish, and the cultural complexity of Los Angeles. A course might present XO sauce in a context that makes you understand it as if for the first time, or apply the precision of Japanese knife technique to an ingredient you would not expect to find in that register.
The drinks program at Kato has become its own source of acclaim. The bar tasting menu at $185 per person offers a slightly abbreviated version of the experience, and the beverage pairings — wine, cocktails, non-alcoholic — are among the most thoughtfully composed in the city. The ROW DTLA setting shares the address with Hayato, placing two of LA's most celebrated kitchens within a five-minute walk of each other.
Kato ranked 26th on North America's 50 Best Restaurants 2025 list, alongside Providence at 13th and Holbox at 42nd — three Los Angeles restaurants in a field that has historically been dominated by New York and San Francisco. This is the current state of LA dining, and Kato is its most articulate representative.
