Find Out The Secrets of Katsu-ya's Success

What's up, guys? Young Hollywood, about to take you behind the scenes of the latest sushi restaurant from the Katsuya Family, Washoku of LA. I am now in the kitchen with Chef Katsuya's son, Chef Ken. There are no words to describe my love for your family's food. Thank you. It's probably the best sushi in Los Angeles, in the country, globally. You have restaurants globally. What do you think makes people flock to your food? I can list a million and one things. You tell me what the secret is.

Us as chefs, we just do what we love to do. Put our heart into our food. Of course, we have our signature dishes. Crispy rice, uh, with spicy tuna, baked crab, albacore onion, uh, with crispy onions. Just to name a few things. Yeah. But, um, it's really all up to the chef and how we dedicate ourselves.

We're right now in one of your newest restaurants in Studio City. You have branches everywhere and yet it's the same special place. How do you keep it so consistent at every place? Because wherever you go, you see the sign, you know it's going to be perfect.

We try our best. We have our executive chefs running around each location. We make sure that the service, quality of the food is perfect.

What lessons have you learned from your father? He is at the helm of this empire.

To be strong. Never give up.

I was born to do this. I feel like I was born to do this with you.

Before you do, you have to put on a chef coat in my kitchen. Now you're one of us.

I'm honored. You have no idea. Teach me what you know.

All right. We call this Aji. This is a Spanish mackerel from Japan. When we make sashimi platter, uh, we use vegetables, you know, uh, like shiso leaf. This is a Japanese leaf, kind of minty, some call it Japanese basil.

Now, is this dish just for your new place or you have this now at all the restaurants?

We have it here. Uh, if customers order sashimi platter, and they ask for a chef's choice sashimi platter, I'll make something like this. Nice. Off the top of my head and ask them what they like, what they don't like and then then, you know, I adjust from there and make sashimi. This is Toro. Toro. We call this O-toro. The fattiest tuna, tuna belly. Wakame, which is seaweed.

Okay. Tuna. Tuna, and these are yellowtail. Now, tell me, what sets the menu apart here versus the other restaurants?

We try to focus on Omakase, uh, which is, uh, chef's choice. We're focused on more traditional Japanese cuisine here. You get all the shabu shabu and the Omakase sashimi.

You know what shabu shabu is? It's a delicious meal we're going to cook, later.

Yes, yes.

And where is all of this fish coming from? It's not coming from the ocean a couple miles away.

We have Aji, Spanish mackerel from, uh, Japan, salmon from Scotland, albacore from Canada. All over the world. Everything we get that day, we try to use it that day, sell it that day. You know, you don't have to worry about eating yesterday's fish here at Washoku.

Can I eat this here?

Uh, well, we can take it over to the table and, uh, I want to prepare shabu shabu for you. Yeah. And then you can have it all. First, we're going to start cooking the vegetables and then later we're going to cook the meat. These are tofu. Then we have shiitake mushrooms. These take a little bit longer to cook. So, I'm going to add these in first, along with, uh, napa cabbage. These are shimeji mushrooms, Japanese mushrooms. We call this Tokyo negi. These are green onions from Tokyo.

So when you dine here, you literally get a chef at your table doing this for you.

Yes. That's part of the customer service. Shabu shabu is like a sound effect. Shabu shabu. That's why we call it shabu shabu. Which sauce would you like to start with? Ponzu sauce or sesame? Ponzu means

Good choice. Thank you. There you go. How is it? Perfection.

Now for the vegetables, let's say like spinach or, uh, napa cabbage, I recommend ponzu sauce.

Okay. We're going in. Hmm. Is it too bold for me to say, I love you?

No. I love you, too.

This looks amazing.

We have, uh, the Japanese sea bass. You want to try that with me? Ready?

Breakfast, lunch and dinner right here. How do you inspire your customers that come back all the time, like me, to try new things and maybe get out of their comfort zone of the baked crab rolls and the crispy rice with spicy tuna?

We want customers to try new things, not just stick to the old fashion sushi. So we wanted to bring that full customer service, customer interaction, everything.

Well, on that note, I want to try the shabu shabu.

Okay, you want to try it?

With the shabu shabu. Shabu shabu, shabu shabu. I want to try the shabu shabu. Shabu shabu. Mm. I love you. Hug me. You know, bring it in.