Katana Asian Cuisine — Restaurant in Cóbano

If it’s good enough for the President of Costa Rica, it’s good enough for us

We walked into Katanas in Santa Teresa just looking for a good dinner. Right as we pulled up, a full motorcade of blacked-out Toyota Land Cruisers rolled in. No license plates. Tinted windows. Security everywhere. We figured it was either a drug deal or a really important dinner reservation.

We sat at the bar and met Pedro and Matías, two Argentinian bartenders who took care of us like we were regulars. Drinks were cold and perfect. They were fast, friendly, and made the whole night feel effortless.

Now let’s talk food

We started with tuna tataki that was so fresh it practically swam onto the plate Then came multiple rounds of nigiri that disappeared faster than we could compliment them The pad thai had real depth, not just a sweet noodle dish, but complex and balanced Grilled bone marrow showed up and reset the evening

Then we finished with Genesis, a flourless chocolate cake with real butterscotch and house-made vanilla ice cream that felt like it should be illegal

Halfway through the meal someone leaned in and said

“You know that motorcade outside? The President of Costa Rica is here”

Of course he is It all made sense This is where you come when you know exactly what you’re doing

The vibe is alive but chill The music fits without fighting for attention The crowd is full of people who know how to eat and know how to dress The service is smooth and sharp The food and drinks are top tier

If you’re anywhere near Santa Teresa, get to Katanas Sit at the bar Let Pedro and Matías take care of the rest And keep an eye out for...

Very delicious food. They’ve just reopen after rainy season temporarily vacation. It was chaotic at the beginning. We arrived for our 7pm reservation and they were still cleaning, putting tables y lights. However they quickly direct us to our table.

The Pad Thai was delicious, one of the best I’ve eaten. The risotto was something else. For me it was delicious, a bit sour and creamy, great flavor and the shrimp were yummy. For my partner didn’t taste like risotto and he had mixed feelings about it. The smoked shrimp roll was good but didn’t tasted smoked at all.

The dessert was really good, perfect balance between the bitter from the dark chocolate, the sweet and salty from caramel and the ice cream.

The service was good, our waiter was very kind and helpful. The dishes were served quickly and we didn’t have to wait much. However everything felt rushed. As if they wanted us to leave soon. This was our first time there and we were looking carefully the menu and in less than 6 min they came 3 times to ask us if we were ready to order even when last time we told we needed more time. Also It felt like if they were looking and waiting til we put our sticks down to go and remove everything from the table.

I mean we ordered an entry, two main courses and one dessert and by one hour we were leaving. They also rush us with the bill. As if they have the table booked soon and they...

We were Placed at the top of the hill under a plastic tent. So far away from the restaurant itself that Wi-Fi couldn’t reach us, which was confirmed by the staff. So far away that the staff seemed offended they needed to come all the way up the gravel trail and take care of us. service by walking all the way to us.

The sushi itself was serviceable. However we ordered cold sake; which the first serving was adequate. The second serving was obviously 50% water. We returned it saying “it’s 1/2 water”. They sent us another serving back that was 25% water.

I asked that the manager be sent to the table. The staff told me that “they were closing and the manager wouldn’t have time to come.” She ultimately did present herself. I informed her of all these things and that I was dissatisfied. That I wouldn’t be returning and I would tell my friends. She didn’t even apologize. She did say “well we put the sake over the ice so it wouldn’t be warm”. I advised her if she didn’t have enough cold sake to serve she should advise the customers that they don’t have any, not try to sell them altered alcohol at Manhattan/Honolulu/Hongkong Prices.

I cannot recommend this restaurant. Obviously they care very little about customer service and very much about packing as many people into their tiny space as possible to make as many United States dollars...