Katsuya Hollywood

I went to Katsuya in Hollywood with my friends in conjunction with DineLA Restaurant Week. I was really excited because I had heard several good things about the restaurant from some of my boyfriend's friends.We were a big group of 15, and arrived at a trickle. There is valet parking, but with it being in Hollywood, it was pricey. But because the restaurant is located just around the corner from the Pantages Theater (where Phantom of the Opera is currently playing!), it is often worth it to just take advantage of the valet. Otherwise, you will be circling around for a good 25 minutes like a couple of my guy friends had to do (because they were too cheap to valet!).I cannot, unfortunately, say anything about the bar because my friends and I did not get a drink from there. The waiting area is very trendy, however, with lighted posts that serve as bar tables and a geisha outfit painted on the ceiling. There are also some very exotic and vibrant photographs of women's eyes and lips all over the wall. I still haven't quite decided if this is sexy or stalkerish creepy. But it's artsy.There was also a standby paparazzi photographer or two just outside the doors the whole night. They basically just lurked there. Amanda Bynes arrived and blinding paparazzi lights lit up the night as she tried to make it into the restaurant with her small group.

Anyway, when we finally got seated, I almost fell into my seat. It was a little lower than normal, but as long as the tables were just as proportionally low, I was fine. I guess I should have looked how far down I was supposed to sit.

In fact, I really like sitting lower. I think it's because I'm shorter, so yay for the fact my feet touch the floor!

It was also very dim in the restaurant. It's romantic, but definitely not recommended for a large group of people. It makes it harder to see the person all the way at the very end of the table. Which ultimately means that the big group becomes separated into a bunch of small groups determined primarily by the circumference of the tiny lamp on the table.

All joking aside, my roommate and I really did enjoy the decor. It's a mix of old world romanticism and hip modernism.



As for the food and drinks, well...let's just say I was mildly disappointed after all the hype.

Cocktail: I ordered a Lychee Martini. It came out ten minutes later, and tasted a lot like liquid cotton candy. Blech. For a good Lychee Martini, I would suggest Tokyo Table or Elevate Lounge.

Sake: **I have to ask my friend what he ordered ** but it was very dry and very strong. Their sake cups were probably twice the size of a traditional one, which no doubt was the main reason for the speed-drunken-effect I felt.

DineLA Menu:

Appetizers
Choice 1	Rock Shrimp Tempura
Choice 2	Crispy Rice
Choice 3	Albacore Onion
Entrees
Choice 1	Miso Marinated Cod, Nigiri Sushi and Chef’s Choice of Rolls - comes with soup and salad
Choice 2	Beef and Mushroom Toban Yaki, Nigiri Sushi and Chef’s Choice of Rolls - comes with soup and salad
Choice 3	Salmon Cedar with Tomato Salsa, Nigiri Sushi and Chef’s Choice of Rolls - comes with soup and salad
Desserts
Choice 1	Mango Mochi Panna Cotta with Fruit
Choice 2	Strawberry Mochi Panna Cotta with Fruit
Choice 3	Vanilla Mochi Panna Cotta with Fruit

Above is a picture of the Albacore Onion.

Fabulous Albacore, but completely lost in the onion!

I chose the Crispy Rice + Miso Cod + Mango Mochi

The crispy rice is a staple favorite of mine. It was first introduced to me by Boyfriend when he took me to one of the hole-in-the-wall-sushi-chef-becomes-your-friend kind of sushi places. Since then, I jump at every opportunity to have crispy rice and spicy tuna.

The Katsuya version was good. But it was not phenomenal. After my experiences with Crispy Rice, I cannot rank it on my top five.

The Miso Cod, on the other hand, was DELICIOUS. It pretty much melted in my mouth.


The Nigiri Sushi was awesome. Toro (fatty tuna) and Salmon are fairly safe choices, but the fish was fresh and very, very good.



The Panna Cotta was awesome, too. However, I felt that the mochi tasted store-bought.


Overall, the food gets an A- for it's awesome entree and great fish.

However, service was pretty bad. Our waiter kept getting our orders mixed up. At one point, my Miso Cod came way before my salad, soup and appetizer. My friend's salmon did not arrive until after everyone else had already finished eating. Our drinks took a while, although they were very liberal in refilling our water glasses (haha!).

Thus, service is a C+.

Overall: B.