It’s been 29 years since famed Japanese chef Katsuya Uechi opened his first restaurant Sushi Katsuya in Studio City and nearly as many years since he gave the world one of the most iconic Japanese dishes in the modern world: spicy tuna crispy rice (it’s been replicated a billion times over).
Ten years ago, he partnered with global hospitality group SBE to open the first Katsuya in Brentwood, and today, there are four Katsuyas in Los Angeles, one in the Bahamas, and another coming to Toronto in 2028.
That slow, but strategic expansion introduced Uechi’s signature brand of modern Japanese cuisine to a Western audience. With Katsuya’s 20th anniversary looming, culinary director Ben Dayag says the time was ripe for a fresh new idea—a new baby, if you will.
And so the name, ko, which means child in Japanese.
Katsuya Ko is designed to be a more youthful, laid-back version of the original’s trademark elegance and extravagance. And La Jolla is where it all starts—the first Katsuya Ko opens at Westfield UTC on February 5, 2026.
The 3,000-square-foot space seats 80 guests inside and 32 on the patio, with shades of peach, dark pink, burgundy, cream, and natural wood throughout for a calming, upscale, feminine vibe. The open kitchen concept allows guests to watch chefs slowly smoke food on the robata grill, toss in the wok, prepare hot stone dishes like Korean-inspired short ribs, and roll fresh sushi.
Katsuya Ko’s Asian menu falls into three general sections, all of which are mostly shareable—salads, meats, seafood, and tempura from the robata—explains Dayag.
“The third section would be [the] sushi section—sushi, sashimi, makis,” Dayang says, pointing to staples like California rolls and cucumber rolls. Classics like spicy tuna crispy rice are paired with locally-inspired specials like a salmon citrus rolls with spicy tuna in the middle, topped with fresh salmon sashimi, local orange segments, and drizzled with onion ponzu “to kind of give it that umami bomb at the end.”
“I would say, if you want to get the total experience, order a couple of dishes from each of the sections, especially coming in with a group of four people,” he suggests. “But again, you can come in by yourself and order two items, three items, and also have a great experience.”
To head Katsuya Ko’s kitchen, Dayang tapped local talent. Chef de cuisine Alex Carpio has worked at both Kimpton and Hilton hotels, as well as Ironside Fish & Oyster and Underbelly in North Park to bring a San Diego sensibility into the burgeoning new brand. Ko will also offer a full bar program, with sake, beer, wine, soju, and cocktails.
Dayang says that while they selected La Jolla for the first Ko as a jumping-off point for the concept, it’s not meant to be the last. “We’re looking nationwide,” he says, pointing to both freestanding locations as well as opportunities within sbe’s hotel ventures. “We have some in the pipeline. [I] can’t say yet, but there are some coming very soon.”
Sounds like Ko has some siblings to look forward to very soon.
Katsuya Ko opens at Westfield UTC on Level 1 near the corner of Genesee Avenue and La Jolla Village Drive on February 5, 2026. Hours will be Sunday through Thursday, noon to 9 p.m.; Friday through Saturday, noon to 10 p.m.
Photos Courtesy of Katsuya Ko
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