Katana LA

Best Dishes Eater LA Editors Ate This Week: February 18 | Eater LA

"Matthew Kang (lead editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest) describes a dimly lit dining room with a Vegas-style industrial look, “like a repurposed set from Blade but without the vampires running around,” and says he finally warmed to the place on a rainy day. A tableside presentation includes grilled A5 wagyu placed over a hot stone (a gimmick that didn’t appeal to him until this preparation), where a cast iron skillet contains a mild flame at the table for more than a few seconds; the meat was “delicious, not so fatty that you couldn’t actually taste the profound beefy flavor,” and portioned enough for two to share without feeling heavy-laden. A side of wood-grilled king crab worked as a sweet, briny complement to the beef. Kang notes its longevity—opened in 2002—and recalls critic Merrill Shindler telling the Los Angeles Times that the restaurant (with its sisters) would bring along a hype that could help it last “for five years on the buzz alone,” making its endurance of 23 years “very respectable.”" - Eater Staff