Designer Dodd Mitchell teamed up with the Sushi Roku group to create this Japanese-inspired spot on Sunset Strip that, like its siblings, has skipped past of-the-moment status and on into local-standard territory.

Katana is the kind of place where journalists rub elbows with studio hotshots while Hollywood starlets challenge supermodels in sushi suck-downs. The posh, tucked-away corners are pleasant, the robata and sushi bar always bustling, but the best seats are on the patio offering a bird's-eye view of the Strip. Robata grills smoke and spit; special wood charcoal from Japan imparts a distinctive smoky flavor to skewers like filet mignon-wrapped foie gras. The highlight of the sushi menu: tongue-tantalizing scallop and crab rolls. The concept here is to think small bites—Japanese tapas, if you will. The sake menu is one of the best in town. —Lesley Balla