The Sunset Strip is scary for a Little-Tokyo adjacent heartthrob like me. Everyone is blonde and rich, the hotels have weird names, and Joe Rogan, like, probably lives there.
So Katana Robata’s fine Japanese fare was a lighthouse in the dark, a beacon of class and camaraderie.
I checked out their weekly Red Sun BBQ, which runs till Labor Day, a glamorous and gluttonous several-course meal served family-style.
It was freakin incredible.
The popcorn shrimp tacos improved my life. They were soft and crunchy, and glazed with miso. Miso, y’all. Miso. They were so satisfying and succulent.
Seafood ceviche is tough to mess up, but I’ve seen it happen! Katana Robata nailed this simple yet delicate dish. It’s got shrimp, crab, yuzu and other fixins. It’s a light and soothing starter to this decadent meal.
The smoked robata shrimp was skewered and charred and glazed with a naughty chimichurri ponzu. The taste was dense and powerful and effective and lightly tangy. In my notes I wrote “so tite,” and it was in fact that.
The words ‘Sizzling Wagyu short ribs’ excite me in a way that can only be described as ‘inappropriate.’ So when this one hit the table, my eyes exploded and my heart cried out. They were so damn good.
Spicy, savory and scrumptious, they came out piping hot and beautiful. They were peppery and perfectly-acidic, a real kicking dish that had our table nodding in agreement: this was heaven. We’d made it.
Dranks. I like em, I love em, I drink em, I am them. ‘Tropic like it’s hot’ got me on name alone, but it’s also delicious and super-duper light.
It’s rum, bitters, apricot liquor, pineapple juice and other vacation-type ingredients, presented in a very cute like, head? This drink combined with the breezy sunset strip and lively dinner conversation was almost too much goodness at once.
Dragon’s kiss is tequila, tonic, lime juice and bitters and I loved it a lot. I’m a sucker for tonic, not sure why, but I won’t fight it. This, too, was beautifully presented.
The night ended, we all cried and hugged and promised to meet here at the same time next week. I finally found true love.
