From Taiwan to Los Angeles, a Personal Expression of Taiwanese Cuisine

At Kato in Los Angeles, Taiwanese-American chef Jonathan Yao draws on the flavours he knows intimately, giving them new form through a contemporary tasting menu. Taiwanese food memories, Chinese culinary traditions and California ingredients all have a place in his cooking.

Kato opened in 2016 as a small restaurant in a West Los Angeles shopping plaza. Since then, Yao has developed a style that has made it one of the city’s most distinctive dining destinations. In 2025, he received the James Beard Award for Best Chef: California, recognising the significance of his work in the region.

The tasting menu changes with the seasons and the kitchen’s ideas. A soup inspired by huo guo recalls the warmth of a shared hot pot, while ingredients such as preserved radish and youtiao bring everyday food memories into an unexpected setting. Creations featuring squab and cumin lamb offer further scope for Yao’s precise technique and confident seasoning.

What makes Kato compelling is the personal connection behind these choices. Yao gives familiar flavours the attention and ambition of fine dining, building a style that reflects both his Taiwanese heritage and his life in California. The menu invites diners to consider how food can carry a memory while becoming something new.

Selected for the 2026 Elite 12 UNITED STATES by the Chinese Restaurant Awards Taste Advisors, Kato is recognised for its distinctive interpretation of Taiwanese cuisine and its contribution to the growing range of Chinese and Taiwanese dining in America.