🚀 go-pugleaf

I went to Cafe Katsu last Tuesday evening on the recommendations of
several people.  It is on Sawtelle in West L.A. between Olympic and
Santa Monica.

My companion and I were seated at 7 pm, per the reservation.  The
restaurant was about half full at that point (there are about 10-12
tables altogether).  The hostess seemed particularly quiet, bordering
on impolite, but she seated the two of us at a table for four in the
back, which suited me fine.  

We waited 10 minutes before the hostess asked if we wanted anything to
drink.  I ordered a Pelligrino...I was informed the supply was
exhausted.  I ordered the Calistoga Lemonade; my date had the regular
water (which is filtered, according to the menu).

Another 15 minutes went by before the waiter arrived at our table to
inform us of the special and take our orders.  This felt like a very
long time.  Monkfish with angelhair pasta and a lobster sauce with
shrimp was the special, which we both ordered.  There were at least 2
other fish selections on the menu, which made me happy as I don't eat
meat.  

The food showed up about 5 minutes later --fast! made me suspect
microwaving, but the texture did not bespeak 'waving, and the plates
were very hot ( and I think that usually means *not* 'waved ).  The
fish was excellent, the pasta very good, and the sauce very tasty.
Portions were copious; neither of us could finish our orders, this
without having eaten any appetizers.  The bread was very unremarkable,
thinly sliced baguette that could have been from the supermarket, and
definitely microwaved --the texture was quite spongy.  I think the
microwaving of bread should be outlawed.

With tip, I spent $52.00.

This was a first date, and one of my criteria for the restaurant was a
quiet atmosphere; Katsu was so noisy when it filled up (at about 7:30)
that we could not hear one another in normal conversation, though we
were sitting fairly close to each other.  I much prefer a quiet
atmosphere while dining, and abhor the trend toward noisier ambience
and hard-surface decorating that defines a current, trendy restaurant
nowadays.

Oh well.  The fish was quite good, just everything else was not.  She
did agree to see me again, and I will attempt to cook dinner (a very
great risk).

--Rob

-- 
Rob Lingelbach KB6CUN | 2660 Hollyridge Dr LA CA 90068 213 464 6266 (voice) 
rob@xyzoom.info.com   | "I care not much for a man's religion whose dog or 
robl@netcom.com       |  cat are not the better for it."  --Abraham Lincoln