Fab Review: Katana

Katana is celebrating their one year anniversary! It is a popular Japanese restaurant, which originated in Los Angeles and opened last year here in Chicago. The kitchen is led by chef Jose Melendez and Rob Juan. The trendy, modern vibe of the restaurant really suits the River North neighborhood. Katana markets its original location in L.A. as “the place to be.” They are on the right path to accomplishing the same for Chicago as well.

Sushi is my favorite type of food so I knew I had to check Katana out. When you walk in you can just feel the cool and hip vibe. Upscale restaurants can tend to be stuffy, but Katana is approachable and laid-back.

{Ambiance}
Katana has a large multi-level space. It has an elegant ambiance while also having a relaxed atmosphere.

The space is sleek and modern with black, red, and wooden accents throughout.

There are three kitchens for their sushi, robata dishes, and chef specials. In addition to a generous amount of seating throughout the restaurant, there is also a sushi bar.

{Food}
The menu is broken down into cold dishes, hot dishes, robata grill, and sushi rolls. I sampled a bit from each to get a good variety. We began our meal with Kampachi Crudo, which was easily one of my favorite dishes.

Kampachi Crudo
The Kampachi Crudo had a creamy texture with a bold citrus flavor and was topped with pressed cherry tomatoes, lava salt, and trout roe. What made this dish unique was the hickory smoked flavor of the trout roe, which I learned was because they use Japanese oak coals to smoke it.

Sake Ringo
Another delicious cold dish I highly recommend is the Sake Ringo. Seared sake was wrapped around thin slices of Fuji apple topped with Osetra caviar. You could taste the freshness of the sake at first bite. The sauce added a touch of sweetness. I also liked that there weren’t a ton of apple slices wrapped inside because it didn’t take away from the flavor of the sake.

Robata Skewers
Next, we moved onto the robata grilled items. The large selection of robata items is perfect if you go with someone who isn’t a huge sushi fan. A trio of sauces was brought out with our skewers. The sauces included classic ponzu, a ginger sauce that was a little on the sweet side, and Karachi mustard, which had a mild wasabi flavor.

We tried the Gyu (ribeye), Wagyu Kosho (wagyu), and Suzuki (Chilean sea bass) skewers. I dipped the Gyu skewer in the Karachi mustard as the wasabi flavor in the sauce gave it an extra kick. The skewer was cooked to perfection. It was lightly crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. I tried the Wagyu Kosho next, which was marinated in black pepper sauce. The Wagyu Kosho was extremely tender and melted in your mouth. It was already so flavorful on its own that it didn’t need any of the dipping sauces. The Suzuki was my favorite out of all the skewers. It was very flavorful and seared slightly brown on the outside. While the robata skewers came with dipping sauces, the exquisite flavor of the meat and sea bass didn’t require any.

Shirobuta
I’ve never really been a fan of pork chops but Katana’s Shirobuta is the exception. It was served bone-in with a garlicky, shisho chimichurri sauce. Like with the other cuts of meat, it was seared perfectly so you could taste the enhanced flavor of the meat. Pork can sometimes be tough, but this dish was tender as they brine it for 24 hours in orange juice and garlic.

Robusuta
The Robusuta was definitely a unique preparation of lobster. A generous portion of plump, butter poached lobster was served over crispy potatoes and leeks with yuzu. The yuzu created an interesting flavor profile so if you want to try a dish with innovative flavor, I suggest the Robusuta.

Kani Maki
Once we got towards the end of our meal, we made our way to our last few dishes… sushi. We started with the Kani Maki, which was a baked lobster hand roll. The Kani Maki was different than any other sushi hand rolls I’ve tried in the past. It was simply wrapped in soy paper and topped with black and white sesame seeds. I liked that the simplicity allowed you to really focus on the fresh flavor of the lobster.

Tsukiji
My favorite sushi roll was the Tsukiji, which was wrapped in cucumber instead of traditional seaweed. I enjoyed the combination of the fresh salmon, tuna, and yellowtail. An acidic and sour mustard ponzu was served alongside it and elevated the flavor of the fish.

Carnival Cake
Last but not least, we had the Carnival Cake. If you are regularly looking at food on Instagram, you may have seen this dessert that is literally lit. Once it is brought to your table, your server sets it on fire. The Carnival Cake was encased in cotton candy, which melted away to reveal the dessert. A crunchy, chocolate brownie was topped with layers of raspberry gelée and creamy peanut butter semifreddo. It was then finished off with toasted meringue, house-made toffee, and pretzels. This dessert brought back the familiar taste of eating peanut butter and jelly growing up.

Katana’s Tropical Infusion
Also, not to be missed, was Katana’s creative cocktails. My favorite was Katana’s Tropical Infusion. The cocktail had a refreshing mix of vodka, watermelon, cantaloupe, and watermelon. It was also beautifully presented, which is always a plus for a food Instagrammer. The drink was reminiscent of a watermelon Jolly Rancher. So, if you want to feel nostalgic, I recommend this cocktail. It’s a medley of tasty fruit flavors, perfect to sip on their patio in the upcoming summer months.

FAB TIP: Happy Hour specials available during the week from 5-7 p.m.

{Experience}
Overall, I would highly recommend this restaurant to a sushi lover or anyone just looking for a trendy hot spot to have a night out on the town with friends. The plates are on the smaller side but shareable so try a wide variety of items. I arrived at Katana with the expectation that it would be a fancy spot with an uptight vibe but I was pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn’t. However, it still met my expectation of being a cool, trendy spot to go out to.

{Location}
Katana
River North || 339 N Dearborn St, Chicago, IL || P: (312) 877-5544

{Price Range}
$$$$ (Above $65)

{Fab Rating: 4.5 Fabs}

Where is your fave spot to grab sushi? Share below.

Eat, Eat, Repeat,
Lisette

Note: This meal was complimentary. However, the views and opinions expressed herein are those of the writer.