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Kato is celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival with the kind of family reunion we can get behind: one that involves two acclaimed chefs, multiple courses and absolutely no tableside drama (or cheap wine).
On September 24 and 25, the two-Michelin-starred Los Angeles restaurant will host chef Kevin Tien of Washington, D.C.’s Moon Rabbit for a two-night collaboration dinner honoring Zhongqiu Jie, the Mid-Autumn Festival, a time to celebrate family, abundance and the changing season. At Kato, that means hosting a pretty spectacular feast.
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Kato chef-owner Jon Yao and Tien will team up on a multi-course menu for the occasion, with diners choosing wine, cocktails or nonalcoholic pairings. Each guest will also leave with a baked good as a memento to savor over breakfast the next day. (Or over the kitchen sink as soon as you get home.)
Tien, who has been named a Food & Wine Best New Chef and received multiple James Beard Award finalist nominations, puts Vietnamese flavors and ingredients front and center while incorporating contemporary techniques, making his Washington, D.C. restaurant a destination in its own right.
The collaboration also continues Kato’s annual Mid-Autumn celebration, giving diners a chance to mark the holiday through food while uniting chefs from opposite coasts. And while the event is inspired by the idea of reunion, you probably don’t need to bring the entire extended family: At $345 per person, this is a dinner that works better as a very special night out.
But there’s something fitting about the splurge. Mid-Autumn Festival is all about gathering around a table to share food and celebrate abundance. This iteration just swaps the family dining room for one of L.A.’s most celebrated restaurants and replaces awkward small talk with a tasting menu.
Kato is located at 777 S. Alameda St. in Los Angeles. Tickets are $345 per person. Reservations are available through OpenTable, and given the limited seating, you’ll want to RSVP to ASAP.