A culinary guest post from my 10-year-old daughter, written in her own words and lightly edited by me. — Ginger
Hello, culinary people. My parents went away for a weekend, and my little sister and I stayed home with our babysitter. They left a casserole in the fridge and a note that said we could have one nice meal out. We had two. Here is my review.
Night One: A Culinary Adventure at Katsuya Brentwood
First, I told our babysitter we needed a place with ambiance, which means dark and fancy. She made a reservation at Katsuya. It was very dark, the music went thump-thump, and there were giant pictures of eyes on the walls, which was a little creepy but also art. We sat in a big white booth.
My sister pointed at the $150 Wagyu tasting. However, our babysitter said no and ordered her the Hibachi Steak with steamed rice instead. Still, my sister said it tasted like steak, which is true. She also got rice in her hair.
I ordered the Spicy Tuna on Crispy Rice, which is the dish every culinary person says you have to get at Katsuya. It is a crispy fried rice block with spicy tuna and a tiny slice of jalapeño on top. It was warm on the bottom and cold on the top, crunchy and soft, and spicy in a “wake up, tongue” way, not a “call the fire department” way. Because it was so good, I ate all four pieces.
Next, I got the Rock Shrimp Tempura Rolls, with crunchy fried shrimp inside and a creamy, spicy orange sauce on top. I asked for a fork because chopsticks are hard. Overall, these were my favorite thing of the whole weekend.
Day Two: The Cheesecake Factory in Santa Monica
The next day we drove to The Cheesecake Factory in Santa Monica. It was loud and busy, with a really high painted ceiling. Also, we waited about 20 minutes with one of those buzzing pagers. The menu is so long it is basically a book, so our babysitter ordered sliders and chicken strips to save room.
Then came the best culinary part of the weekend: one slice of the Oreo Cookie Cheesecake with three forks. It had an Oreo crust, cheesecake with big Oreo chunks inside, chocolate on top, and whipped cream. In fact, it was so huge that the three of us could not finish it.
My Culinary Verdict
- Katsuya: Go for the Rock Shrimp Tempura Rolls and the Spicy Tuna on Crispy Rice. Fancy, dark, and good for big kids. Little kids can also get the steak.
- The Cheesecake Factory: Skip a big lunch and share a slice of Oreo cheesecake. One slice is enough for three people.
In the end, ambiance is nice, but cheesecake is better.
