Domo Arigato

There is one restaurant in Los Angeles that my dd and I love far and away above any other -- a Japanese restaurant called Katsuya. I've known the Katsuya secret for years, as I started lunching there a long time ago when it was a tiny, uncrowded, ill-appointed place in a mini-mall near my office. The chef was eventually noticed for his innovative cuisine, and with some financial backing, he opened a fancy place called Koi in a trendy area. Koi was quickly frequented by all kinds of celebs -- Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Jennifer Lopez, you name it -- and then mentioned almost daily in the tabloids. (Remember Michael Vartan, the cute guy from "Alias"? He was at the table next to me at Koi once and I stared at him all night! Thank God I was dining with a girlfriend and not my husband!) Suddenly Katsuya became hot too, since word got out that it had virtually the same menu for lower prices, and now there are Katsuyas springing up all over the place.

Last night, having scored a coveted reservation, we went to Katsuya to celebrate my brother coming in from NYC for a brief visit and the beginning of Summer. If you order the special albacore sashimi with fresh white truffles, the chef will come to your table and grate the truffle in front of your eyes. (See above.) It was dee-lish!