Kato

<h2>A Warehouse, A Heritage, A Menu That Earns Both</h2><p>The LA Terminal Mart on South Alameda has been moving produce through Downtown Los Angeles since the early twentieth century. Its redevelopment into Row DTLA, a mixed-use complex of studios, retailers, and restaurants, preserved the bones of that industrial past: concrete floors, wide spans of wood, ceilings that remember freight rather than flatware. Walking into Kato's space inside Building 1, the atmosphere reads as considered restraint rather than designed minimalism. Striking artworks punctuate the room, several inherited from Jon Yao's grandfather, and an open kitchen faces the dining area with the same directness. This is not a room that performs intimacy. It earns it through seriousness of purpose.</p><p>For context on how far the project has traveled: Kato began in 2016 as a strip-mall lunchbox operation in West LA, a family business that Yao reshaped into a tasting-menu format before relocating to its current address in 2022. That trajectory matters because it sets the terms for how to read the cooking. This is not a chef who arrived at Taiwanese-American fine dining from a European culinary school and worked backward toward heritage. The direction of travel ran the other way.</p><h2>What Taiwanese-American Cooking Means in This Room</h2><p>The conversation around Asian-American fine dining in the United States has expanded significantly over the last decade, with New York venues like <a href="https://www.enprimeurclub.com/restaurants/atomix">Atomix</a> drawing international attention to the Korean tasting-menu format and a small number of West Coast restaurants beginning to hold similar positions within their own culinary traditions. Kato sits in that emerging tier but operates from a specifically Californian reference point. The San Gabriel Valley, east of Downtown LA, is one of the most concentrated and diverse Chinese and Taiwanese dining environments in North America. Hot pot restaurants, Sichuan specialists, Taiwanese beef noodle soup counters, dim sum houses drawing weekend crowds from across the region: this is the culinary environment that shaped Yao's palate before he converted it into a fine-dining vocabulary.</p><p>The 10-course tasting menu works by recognizing a familiar dish or flavor reference, then reconfiguring it structurally. Beef noodle soup, a staple of Taiwanese home cooking and street food culture, becomes the raw material for a course that preserves the flavor logic while rethinking the form. Basil and clams, a canonical Taiwanese stir-fry combination, reappears built around sablefish rather than the expected shellfish. The technique is precise, the presentations architectural, and the sourcing reflects the kind of attention common to the top tier of American fine dining. What distinguishes the approach is that the cultural memory is treated as content rather than decoration. The flavors are not garnishes on a European-format menu. They are the menu's organizing principle.</p><p>LA Times placed Kato at number one in its 101 Best Restaurants list for 2024, the second consecutive year in that position, and the review noted that the cooking carries what the writer called an only-in-LA spirit. That phrase is more precise than it sounds. Los Angeles has the ingredient infrastructure, the ethnic neighborhood density, and the cultural permission to build a cuisine that is genuinely local without being parochial. Kato is among the clearest expressions of what that possibility looks like at high technique and high intention.</p><h2>The Awards Trajectory and What It Signals</h2><p>Kato holds a Michelin star as of 2025 and was named by Resy as One to Watch in the World's 50 Best Restaurants program in 2024, an acknowledgment that moved the restaurant from strong domestic reputation into international visibility. Opinionated About Dining, a data-driven ranking system with weight among serious food travelers, placed Kato at number 14 in North America in 2023, number 17 in 2024, and number 25 in 2025. Jon Yao received the James Beard Award for Leading Chef: California in 2025, one of the most closely watched regional categories in American dining given the state's competitive depth. Pearl has also listed it as a recommended restaurant in 2025.</p><p>For comparative positioning: Kato's Michelin rating of one star places it alongside <a href="https://www.enprimeurclub.com/restaurants/somni-los-angeles-restaurant">Somni</a>, <a href="https://www.enprimeurclub.com/restaurants/osteria-mozza">Osteria Mozza</a>, and <a href="https://www.enprimeurclub.com/restaurants/hayato">Hayato</a> (which holds two stars) within LA's fine-dining tier, while its James Beard and OAD rankings suggest a practical reputation that runs ahead of the single-star Michelin designation. That gap between Michelin rating and broader critical standing is not unusual in Los Angeles, a city where the guide has historically underweighted the diversity and ambition of its non-European dining formats. The peer set in meaningful critical terms sits closer to <a href="https://www.enprimeurclub.com/restaurants/providence">Providence</a> and <a href="https://www.enprimeurclub.com/restaurants/melisse-los-angeles-restaurant">Mélisse</a> on the local level, and nationally alongside the top tier of chef-driven tasting-menu restaurants: <a href="https://www.enprimeurclub.com/restaurants/lazy-bear">Lazy Bear</a> in San Francisco, <a href="https://www.enprimeurclub.com/restaurants/single-thread">Single Thread Farm</a> in Healdsburg, <a href="https://www.enprimeurclub.com/restaurants/alinea">Alinea</a> in Chicago, <a href="https://www.enprimeurclub.com/restaurants/le-bernardin">Le Bernardin</a> in New York, and <a href="https://www.enprimeurclub.com/restaurants/the-french-laundry">The French Laundry</a> in Napa. Internationally, the conversation touches programs like <a href="https://www.enprimeurclub.com/restaurants/8-12-otto-e-mezzo-bombana-hong-kong-restaurant">8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana</a> in Hong Kong and <a href="https://www.enprimeurclub.com/restaurants/emeril-s-new-orleans-restaurant">Emeril's</a> in New Orleans as reference points for how a restaurant can anchor itself in a specific culinary culture while competing at a broader level of craft.</p><h2>The Drinks Program as a Separate Argument</h2><p>American fine dining has produced a number of restaurants where the beverage program functions as a co-equal proposition to the kitchen rather than a supporting element. Kato makes that claim and has the infrastructure to back it. Co-owner and wine director Ryan Bailey, formerly of The NoMad in both New York and Los Angeles, has assembled a cellar of approximately 2,665 selections across an inventory of 11,000 bottles. The program's strengths run through California, Burgundy, Loire, and Germany. Wine pricing is categorized at the mid-level tier, with a range across price points and a corkage fee of $75 for outside bottles.</p><p>The most notable detail in the wine program is the collaborative Kato savagnin bottling, produced with winemaker Mike Lucia of Cole Ranch in Sonoma. Savagnin, a grape associated primarily with the Jura in France, appears infrequently in California viticulture, and a restaurant-specific bottling signals a relationship with the winemaking community that extends well beyond list-building. Bar director Austin Hennelly oversees cocktails and a non-alcoholic program that, by the account of the LA Times review, merits specific attention in its own right. The cumulative effect is a drinks offering that has its own critical standing separate from the food.</p><h2>Planning Your Visit</h2><p>Kato operates Tuesday through Saturday, 5 to 10 pm, and is closed Sunday and Monday. The tasting menu is priced in the higher fine-dining tier (cuisine pricing at $66 and above for the standard benchmark). The address is 777 S Alameda Street, Building 1, Suite 114, in the Row DTLA complex. Google reviewer rating sits at 4.5 from 355 reviews. Booking demand for multi-award tasting menus at this recognition level typically requires advance planning; checking availability several weeks ahead is advisable.</p><table><thead><tr><th>Venue</th><th>Format</th><th>Michelin</th><th>Price Tier</th><th>Notable Recognition</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Kato</td><td>Tasting menu, Taiwanese-American</td><td>1 Star</td><td>$$$$</td><td>James Beard 2025, OAD #25 NA, LA Times #1 2024</td></tr><tr><td><a href="https://www.enprimeurclub.com/restaurants/hayato">Hayato</a></td><td>Tasting menu, Japanese</td><td>2 Stars</td><td>$$$$</td><td>Michelin 2 Stars</td></tr><tr><td><a href="https://www.enprimeurclub.com/restaurants/somni-los-angeles-restaurant">Somni</a></td><td>Tasting menu, Molecular</td><td>2 Stars</td><td>$$$$</td><td>Michelin 2 Stars</td></tr><tr><td><a href="https://www.enprimeurclub.com/restaurants/providence">Providence</a></td><td>Tasting menu, Seafood</td><td>2 Stars</td><td>$$$$</td><td>Michelin 2 Stars</td></tr><tr><td><a href="https://www.enprimeurclub.com/restaurants/melisse-los-angeles-restaurant">Mélisse</a></td><td>Tasting menu, French</td><td>2 Stars</td><td>$$$$</td><td>Michelin 2 Stars</td></tr></tbody></table><p>For broader context on LA's dining, drinking, and hospitality scene, see <a href="https://www.enprimeurclub.com/restaurants/los-angeles">our full Los Angeles restaurants guide</a>, <a href="https://www.enprimeurclub.com/hotels/los-angeles">our full Los Angeles hotels guide</a>, <a href="https://www.enprimeurclub.com/bars/los-angeles">our full Los Angeles bars guide</a>, <a href="https://www.enprimeurclub.com/wineries/los-angeles">our full Los Angeles wineries guide</a>, and <a href="https://www.enprimeurclub.com/experiences/los-angeles">our full Los Angeles experiences guide</a>.</p><h2>Frequently Asked Questions</h2><h3>What should I order at Kato?</h3><p>Kato operates a set 10-course tasting menu, so there is no à la carte ordering to navigate. The format means the kitchen controls the progression entirely. Based on documented descriptions from the LA Times and award-body citations, the menu builds around Taiwanese and San Gabriel Valley flavor references, with seafood as a recurring focus and courses that rework dishes like beef noodle soup and basil-and-clam stir-fry through fine-dining technique. The non-alcoholic beverage program, overseen by bar director Austin Hennelly, has been specifically cited as worth adding to your booking alongside the wine pairing. Jon Yao holds the 2025 James Beard Award for Leading Chef: California, and the restaurant holds a Michelin star, so the kitchen's output is the primary reason to come. The drinks are worth treating as a second reason rather than an afterthought.</p>

How it compares

• Kato

  Cuisine

  New Taiwanese, Asian

  Price

  $$$$

  Awards

  Opinionated About Dining Top Restaurants in North America Ranked #25 (2025); James Beard Award 2025 Kato has been recognized with the 2025 James Beard Award for Best Chef: California. Restaurant Details: • Location: Los Angeles, CA • Chef: Jon Yao • Cuisine: Unknown • Award Year: 2025 • Award Category: Best Chef: California This 2025 James Beard Award recognizes exceptional achievement in the culinary arts and represents one of the highest honors in American dining.; WINE: Wine Strengths: California, Burgundy, Loire, France, Germany Pricing: $$ i Wine pricing: Based on the list\'s general markup and high and low price points:$ has many bottles < $50;$$ has a range of pricing;$$$ has many $100+ bottles Corkage Fee: $75 Selections: 2,665 Inventory: 11,000 CUISINE: Cuisine Types: Asian Pricing: $$$ i Cuisine pricing: The cost of a typical two-course meal, not including tip or beverages.$ is < $40;$$ is $40–$65;$$$ is $66+. Meals: Dinner STAFF: People Ryan Bailey:Owner Wine Director: Ryan Bailey Sommelier: Matthew Fosket , Nathan Rogevich Chef: Jon Yao Owner: Ryan Bailey and Jon Yao; Refreshingly original Taiwanese American fare with elevated drinks offering Let's talk food: Chef and co-owner Jon Yao and his kitchen team turn out some of the finest and most individual plates in North America, combining elements of Yao's Taiwanese heritage with his upbringing in Southern California's San Gabriel Valley. The 10-course tasting menu features new interpretation of seemingly familiar dishes such as beef noodle soup or basil and clams stir-fry made with sablefish, imaginatively presented and backed by precise culinary technique. Beverage bonanza: While Yao's food may be the star of the show, the drinks programme – overseen by sommelier, operations director and co-owner Ryan Bailey – competes for top billing, while complementing the kitchen at every turn. Bailey, formerly of The Nomad in NYC and LA, successfully imparts his passion for wine, even collaborating with winemaker Mike Lucia of Cole Ranch in his native Sonoma to create an exclusive Kato savagnin bottling. Furthermore, there are superb cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages courtesy of bar director Austin Hennelly and his bar crew. Nothing at Kato is an afterthought, with each element explored and executed with intention, intensity and skill. The space: Since 2022, Kato has been located in the redeveloped LA Terminal Mart, a historic hub for produce sales and distribution in the region. The airy minimalist interior includes a bar space, open kitchen, main dining area and private room, punctuated with striking art pieces, many of which handed down to Yao by his grandfather. The restaurant's sophistication belies Kato's original location in a strip mall in West LA, where Yao's family originally ran a takeaway lunchbox business, which in 2016 evolved into an early iteration of the now multi-award-winning restaurant. Speaking of awards... Kato was named the Resy One To Watch as part of The World's 50 Best Restaurants in 2024, propelling it firmly into the international spotlight. More recently Yao was named Best Chef: California at the James Beard Awards 2025. While Kato's impact and reputation grows ever wider, the restaurant remains proudly synonymous its city and culture.; A Michelin-starred Taiwanese-American omakase experience in Los Angeles, blending nostalgic flavors with innovative culinary artistry.; Pearl Recommended Restaurant (2025); Michelin 1 Star (2025); Opinionated About Dining Top Restaurants in North America Ranked #17 (2024); Michelin 1 Star (2024); LA Times 101 Best Restaurants 2024 - Ranked #1. Hot pot. Stir-fried clams with basil. Newport Seafood’s famous peppery lobster. The dishes Jon Yao grew up loving in the San Gabriel Valley are the seeds from which his one-of-a-kind cuisine comes to light. A conception like smoky grilled lobster set over a buttery riff on shrimp toast, intensified with pepper relish and a fathomless black bean sauce, won’t visually resemble its source of inspiration. Yet the flavors contain not only Yao’s culinary DNA but also a collective memory of what it means to dine in Los Angeles.There is arguably no more ambitious chef in the city than Yao, who strives constantly to grow in his artistry, his grasp of technique and his insight into his own identity. During a tasting menu of a dozen or so courses, expect sculptural plates and reductions distilled from so many ingredients you’ll forget them 10 seconds after the good-hearted server rattles them off. What matters, from cured tuna scented with coriander to a final cream puff balancing salted egg yolk and brown sugar, is that they delight.Nearly three years ago Yao and his team moved into the airy, wood-and-concrete-lined space in Row DTLA. The restaurant started as a bootstrap operation in a West L.A. strip mall in 2016 and has expanded in every dimension. Managing partner Nikki Reginaldo leads an ever-more-gracious staff. Ryan Bailey, who co-owns the restaurant with Yao, has amassed a wine list of nearly 3,000 bottles — and like all the greatest sommeliers, his conversation and wit take the stress out of deciphering an overwhelming document. Bar director Austin Hennelly has my vote for the city’s greatest bartender; his non-alcoholic program alone .This is Kato’s second consecutive year in the No. 1 position. Over the last few months Jenn and I ate at hundreds of restaurants, separately and together, to narrow down our rankings. We shared a meal at Kato as the project was winding down. By dinner’s end, our bowls of peach shaved ice scraped clean, we agreed without question: For its across-the-board excellence, and the only-in-L.A. spirit that animates every detail, Kato earns the crowning slot.; Opinionated About Dining Top Restaurants in North America Ranked #14 (2023); Kato is a Michelin-starred restaurant offering a Taiwanese-American omakase-style tasting menu. The cuisine is inspired by the chef's Taiwanese heritage and childhood flavors, presented in a modern fine-dining setting. The menu is seafood-focused and changes seasonally.

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