Sushi on Sunset Boulevard | Katana, West Hollywood, CA

Photo © GAYOT.com

By Sophie Gayot

Consistency over the years at Katana West Hollywood

West Hollywood, May 2023

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• GAYOT’s Rating: 13/20
• Cuisine: Japanese / Sushi
• Open: Dinner Sun.-Thurs. 5:30 p.m.-10 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 5:30 p.m.-midnight
• KATANA is on GAYOT’s:
– Best Los Angeles Sexy Restaurants
– Best West Hollywood Outdoor Dining Restaurants
– Best West Hollywood Romantic Restaurants
– Best Los Angeles Bars.

Katana is part of Innovative Dining Group. Back over some two decades ago, IDG was the group at the forefront of making sushi hot with Sushi Roku at the now-closed original location on LA’s Third Street. (The concept has expanded since then to other Los Angeles area locations, as well as Las Vegas and Scottsdale. ) Then came Katana, which was followed by the hip BOA Steakhouses.

During its heyday, the only way to secure a table at Katana was to be Paris Hilton or know someone from the team. With the sushi wave that swept over Los Angeles bringing so many options all over the town, it is now not a problem to snag a seat in the dining room, along the sushi bar or the robata grill. But on the terrace, it can be a different story. The outdoor sitting area is located on the second floor and literally overlooks famed Sunset Boulevard — not too many restaurants boast this setup.

The menu offers what you would expect from a restaurant serving Japanese/California influenced cuisine and sushi. Start with the Grilled Avocado, seasoned with yuzu, soy and lemon fired over bincho charcoal gril; to be followed by the Seafood Ceviche, composed with crab, shrimp and octopus served with citrus juice. Let’s make it crackling with the Popcorn Shrimp, which is rock shrimp tempura with miso glaze, mushrooms and asparagus. It is now time to order some sushi, sashimi and rolls — some twenty choices for an entr’acte before the Lobster Men (garlic always tastes yummy) and the not-to-be-missed Japanese A-5 “Wagyu” 75 New York from the robata grill.

Cocktails are part of the experience at Katana. They should be the opening act of your evening to be concluded with the Cheesecake. During the course of the dinner, how about saké?

> Scroll down the food photo gallery for the décor photos.