oh i have the reserve too… the travel seems marked up and never a savings but i shoudl check again.
My experience with it is pretty good. It depends on the airlines.
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It was fine, but not rushing to go back.
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LOL see you at the deletion.
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deletion is 
. it’s getting ridiculous.
Damn, sorry I missed it! What is getting ridiculous?!
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I love the part where he says “I blew my entire paycheck for a meal at Saison”. 
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I did too
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“But the way I grew up eating, you balance savory things with more savory things. You season seafood with other seafood.”
So cool to think of him figuring that out. Contrasting what he sees in food vs what he knows from childhood
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I like the story and his hopes, but I don’t feel like the vibe or the food at Kato reflected something special. I went once early on when Kato started gaining hype (at the $45 (?55) price point), before the star, so maybe things are different now. The service wasn’t great, and the food was wisps of familiar
Taiwanese flavors in the tiniest portions I had ever see save at Fundamental LA. I am not a big eater, and came out of there feeling like I had touched no food at all.
Additionally, I don’t feel humility from Yao. I wish him the best in his bid for a three star Michelin place, and will probably check it out if the reports are good, but Kato was a miss for me.
I’d have to agree. I was not blown away by anything during my meal at Kato, pre-michelin star.
Hope for his continued success but won’t be returning until there are more reports of excellent dining experiences.
Just to offer a counter point here. I’ve been to Kato 15 times and counting. I went the week they opened. And I’ve been back as their menu evolved. I’ve been pre-Michelin star. Been there post. Been there as Yao accumulated a ton of awards, from being on OAD’s list to F&W, to Michelin recognition. When they recently offered the expanded 15 item menu, I’ve had that twice too. I’ve taken my entire workplace there and people still rave about it. It’s consistently one of the best food experiences I’ve ever had. I remember service not being on point in 2016, but the food was still amazing. Still, it’s unfair to compare their $45 menu from 2016 when you could add white rice for $2, to the 2020 $188 experience. On top of that, today, Nikki (the GM) is one of the friendliest and one of the best in the business.
The food blows me away every single time. If you’re into a hip place with a cool vibe, Kato isn’t for you. If you’re into the most nuanced and complex asian flavors, I’d give them another try. At least when they open back up properly.
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Did takeout from Kato. I don’t have much experience with the restaurant, having gone only once a few years ago for the initial tasting menu.
The below is 2 servings, and the dishes are in order from left to right and top down
- Smashed cucumber, celery, and lovage salad
- Enoki dan dan, Kato chili oil
- Lu rou fan (braised pork rice) with egg
- Fish fragrant eggplant
- American wagyu short rib, 3 cup style
- Steamed fish (I think seabass but need confirmation)
- Buttermilk pudding, kaya (hello!), pineapple, coffee brown butter oats
Highlights for me were the enoki dan dan and the three cup wagyu. In the dan dan, enoki were used instead of noodles, but the texture was still fairly well done, and there was a sesame paste in there. I probably should have tried to reheat a couple of the dishes a tad.
I think this was a good amount of food for us, as we are trying to reverse #COVID15, but if you walk around with a badge that says “OOE” on it, you may want to bang with some additional food.
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wat
looks good though. is it considered a bang bang if you eat 2 portions of the same meal? 
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Looks great. But the braised pork to rice ratio seems questionable. 
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Kato has always taken the saying that ‘hunger is the best seasoning’ to new levels!
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uni for scale?
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Had a great takeout dinner from kato after my shunji carmakase. It was one of the best I’ve had since the shutdown. Just like at the restaurant every dish was good to great with lots of familiar flavors executed at a high level. Unlike the restaurant, you can BYOR and pair each course with a bowl of rice, which left me quite satiated.
Will definitely be ordering again. @Chowseeker1999, @TheCookie, @attran99, @NYCtoLA, @butteredwaffles, @J_L, @CiaoBob, @Omotesando, @paranoidgarliclover
Highlights were the lu rou fan; the cabbage, which I first thought was a throw away dish but was a surprise highlight; fish fragrant eggplant was deeply flavorful; ginger scallion fish was spot on; and the beef was fatty, tender and delicious.
pro tip
don’t mistake your chili oil for your dessert topping
#uniforscale
smashed cucumber, celery and lovage salad
enoki dan dan, kato chili oil
lu rou fan - braised pork rice
garlic cabbage, dried shrimp and nueske’s bacon
fish fragrant eggplant
steamed fish, ginger, scallion
american wagyu short rib, 3 cup style
chili paste
buttermilk pudding, kaya, pineapple, coffee brown butter oats
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