Jonathan Yao

Jon Yao is finally fulfilling his dream of moving his Taiwanese tasting menu restaurant Kato into a bigger space. Come early 2022, the Kato team will reopen inside San Francisco chef Melissa Perello’s former M.Georgina at Row DTLA in the Arts District, which announced last night that it would not be reopening.
Yao had always planned to move Kato to a location that would better accommodate his ambitions — a larger, more upscale space to match the intricate and beautifully plated food. Another desired improvement: Kato’s current strip mall spot has never allowed for full alcohol service, given the lack of space and permit requirements. The pandemic strained operations further, with Yao initially doing gorgeous jewelry-box sashimi bentos and then opening with a tiny alfresco area in the parking lot. Still, the restaurant pressed on serving a full $150 per person tasting menu (with more for supplements), retaining its Michelin star last month.