Little Katana has humble beginnings. It started as a tiny sushi counter, outside the entrance to Macy’s in the Galleria. That branch is still there—but now it has a sibling, next to Sur La Table, in the space that used to be coffee bar Torrefazione.
That’s either some smart or lucky location scouting. With Trece two doors down, this block on Travis is hot all over again. Little Katana is reaping the benefits, like the mouse that lives in the elephant’s stall.
It fits right into the neighborhood. For one thing, its Asian-fusion menu follows trends. Lots of sushi and sake, of course, but also dishes such as the “hot rock,” most famously seen at Nobu, wherein the diner gets thin slices of raw Kobe beef and a hot rock on which to sear it. Neat at first, this gets sillier every time you see it.
The menu pick was the array of bento boxes at lunch. One called bui go gi held thin slices of beef in a delicious soy marinade with a hint of sweet. Only the sushi-sashimi bento did not impress. Little Katana’s roots may lie in sushi, but the fish didn’t dazzle, nor did the less-than-taut rolls.
Each bento box had unique side items, bringing a sense of surprise: edamame on one, green salad on another, and a good version of kim chee, the fermented cabbage dish. (Owner Odes Kim is Korean.)
For dessert, it was back to another trend, in which a perfectly nice dessert—in this case, mango cheesecake—gets smooshed in a glass beyond recognition. It’s time to stop this tragic abuse of pretty desserts.
Get contact information for Little Katana.
