TL;DR: lines at opening. The curry is really good! Try the Kabocha Fries. On the spendy side, good date night spot.Parking: very small shared lot. Expect to street park during peak hours--you may have to walk a ways.Atmosphere: cozy diner feel with bar, bar tables, booths, dining tables. Not really accommodating for extra large parties.Service: pretty popular space so expect lines to form before opening. Wait to be seated, you will be watered, menu brought to you, check brought to you, box your own leftovers upon request.Menu: two descriptive pages with minimal images. There are different cuts of pork to choose from so read the descriptions carefully before choosing which one to go with your meal. Plates are a bit on the spendy side but it is very filling.Kid Friendliness: not very accommodating in terms of entertainment for little kids, high chairs available upon request, no kids menu.Kabocha Fries: it's pumpkin-like squash slices that are breaded, fried and seasoned. Very tasty!Katsu Curry Set: the meal set comes with shredded cabbage, miso soup, and a tiny dish of pickled veggies. Oh man the curry is really good. It's not spicy at all and the pickled veggies go really well with it! Who knew dark chocolate could add so much richness?! The cabbage that it comes with goes really well with the provided dressings on the table (I like the light brown sesame dressing best). Miso soup wasn't really anything to write home about but it is a nice palate cleanser along with the shredded cabbage.Kurobuta: tasty cut of pork that isn't chewy and is not dry at all! Excellent with the curry! Love the crunch and dipping it in curry.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Kurobuta Katsu Curry
David Lee
Gotta say I was a little disappointed. Katsu is supposed to the the star of the show but it felt like a supporting role. The appetizers were the best part of our meal. The presentation is great though, the atmosphere is fun and warm and the service was excellent. Those are the reasons I didn’t give it 3 stars. Just wish the katsu was better.
Be sure to eat all kinds of pork cutlet here. I never regret it.
SY Lee
Decent food. Okay service - didn’t finish my dish and they didn’t let me have another container to separate the sauce and the katsu (so it doesn’t come home soggy).Parking was hard. Lot is small.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Mozzarella Katsu
Allie Y.
3/5 first time, 4.5/5 second time = 3.75/5 First visit: not impressed. The Mechi Katsu was bland, nothing to say about the sides, and the sauce came out in watery clumps. Second visit: very satisfied! I splurged on their Tomato Cheese Ebi Katsu, which was an amazing combination of flavors and textures. Same with the Oroshi Katsu (and the sauce was fine this time). Service both times was brusque but efficient. Main takeaway: don't bother with plain katsus and go for the dressed-up options (just prepare for a heftier check).
Ryan W.
There is limited parking for the amount of restaurants in the plaza. There is a large parking lot across the main street and is not a big issue. The restaurant is tidy and clean with table, booth, and bar seating. Walked in at around 12:45pm on Sunday. With no wait for a party of 2 at the bar. Service and food was served fast. We ordered Jidori Chicken Miso and Rosu Oroshi. The miso katsu comes with a mortar and pestle for the sesame and a miso sauce. The oroshi katsu comes with a dollop of daikon oroshi on-top of the cutlet. After taking pictures of the food, we moved the oroshi to the side to prevent the pork from getting soggy. We found the fattier cut of Rosu to be very tender. The yuzu sauce is a game changer on the daikon oroshi. We ordered different cuts and sets to try different sauces. Different options are given for those that don't eat pork. Service and food quality is great! Would definitely recommend and come here again! Service: 9/10 Ambiance: 8/10 Food: 10/10
Melissa D.
Update: changing my review to 5 stars because they quickly reached out to find out what happened and addressed my concern from this review. They apologized for the misunderstanding and went out of their way to make things right and I appreciate that. They also said they're making sure to inform customers of this policy, which is great. As I mentioned before, the food was excellent and the service was good apart from the large party gratuity misunderstanding, which they've promptly addressed, earning a 5 star review update. *************** I really hesitated leaving this review but I'm really bothered by what happened and want others to be informed when dining here. We had been to this place back in December and had a great meal so when we had a family member in town visiting we decided to take her here for a nice meal. We were a party of 5 consisting of 3 adults and 2 kids. We got there before they opened for dinner service and lined up with all the other people waiting. We were the second party seated and the night started off right. Good was great and service was fine. We had an ebi katsu, 2 jidori chicken katsus, an Iberico oroshi katsu, and an Iberico katsu nabe plus the acorn squash appetizer. Not a cheap meal by any means but the food was delicious. You may be asking, "why the one star review then?" Well, when it came time to check out, the server came over with the handheld credit card machine and proceeded to read out what we ordered and then gave me the total. When I went to pay, all I saw was the total and then I tapped my card and it asked me if I want to leave a tip. I gave 23%. I thought the bill seemed high but didn't want to try to calculate it with the server standing there and because we were a party of 5 not 6, which is standard at most places, I didn't think to ask if they had already included the tip as a large party and they didn't mention it while reviewing our order. I also didn't see this policy posted or on their site. Well, after the fact, I did the calculation and it looks like they did and so they walked away with a 43% tip. The food and service were good but not that good! I feel like this was super shady and I won't be returning ever again. Buyer beware: great food, shady service but if you go in knowing that parties of 5 or more get charged the 20% tip automatically, you might be able to look past that and eat there.
Amanda N.
I ordered the miso katsu, which came with a generous portion of rice, crunchy cabbage, rich miso sauce, and tender katsu kurobuta pork. The pork was cooked to perfection, with a crispy exterior and juicy interior. The miso soup was also a delight, with a flavorful broth and perfectly cooked tofu. Things to note: The rice was a bit mushy, the restaurant does not take reservations, they require your entire party to be present before seating, and the parking lot is really small.
Bob Schumaker
Best Katsu ever. The Ebi is delicious, the Curry is amazing!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Oroshi Katsu with Iberico, Kurobuta Katsu Curry
Esther H.
Authentic Katsu and curry is finally on the eastside. The line forms 30 mins. before they open at 5pm. It is first come first serve unless you have a party of 6 or more for reservations. I have tried everything on their menu now and my favorite is the menchi curry over rice. It is made to perfection. The Kubota tempura is delicious this season special is now. Recommend to everyone to try.
No delivery! I love that. No to go! I love that too. I come in, sit down, and eat it when it's fresh and hot- the way it was intended to be enjoyed. All of the food here is great. Outstanding. Get here early otherwise it can get packed. Yes you can take leftovers home but you box it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tonkatsu, Mozzarella Katsu
Michael T.
This place slaps. Awesome decor that really transplants you out of Redmond. Warm R&B and Hip Hop tunes, the smell of fried pork, and an overflowing glass of sake bring warmth on a rainy day. This place has a serious personality, and they're nailing it. Honestly, I ordered one more beer just because I wanted to hang out in the space a little longer. Server was attentive, friendly, and gave some great recommendations. Felt very welcoming energy from the whole staff. the food was phenomenal. Had the Nagoya Style pork tenderloin Katsu and I was impressed with how light the batter tasted. Great balance with the miso (or tonkatsu) sauce, and the extra pickled lotus root was a nice place to contrast with the savory pork. I hope I get the opportunity to visit again, not to be missed when in the area!
Tommy J
I would get the most basic meal (I think it was Hire Katsu for $18).All the add-ons wasn't worth the premium you are paying.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Dorothy H.
Except for finding out that .uni (sea urchin) is not my favorite thing, I have enjoyed every meal that I have had here and have encourage friends to go as well.the service r is always friendly and fast. I also enjoyed that the staff got into the spirit of Halloween and wore costumes.
Khristina M.
Amazing Japanese katsu! This place was buzzing during the lunch hour. Although they were consistently busy the entire time I was there, the service was still very fast & friendly. So A+ there. The portion was also huge! I got the Iberico Katsu Nabe. Really cool presentation. The katsu was juicy and crispy. The only thing I didn't care for was how oily the broth was, and it needed a touch more salt. Other thing is they don't do takeout so you will have to eat it there.
TL;DR: lines at opening. The curry is really good! Try the Kabocha Fries. On the spendy side, good date night spot.Parking: very small shared lot. Expect to street park during peak hours--you may have to walk a ways.Atmosphere: cozy diner feel with bar, bar tables, booths, dining tables. Not really accommodating for extra large parties.Service: pretty popular space so expect lines to form before opening. Wait to be seated, you will be watered, menu brought to you, check brought to you, box your own leftovers upon request.Menu: two descriptive pages with minimal images. There are different cuts of pork to choose from so read the descriptions carefully before choosing which one to go with your meal. Plates are a bit on the spendy side but it is very filling.Kid Friendliness: not very accommodating in terms of entertainment for little kids, high chairs available upon request, no kids menu.Kabocha Fries: it's pumpkin-like squash slices that are breaded, fried and seasoned. Very tasty!Katsu Curry Set: the meal set comes with shredded cabbage, miso soup, and a tiny dish of pickled veggies. Oh man the curry is really good. It's not spicy at all and the pickled veggies go really well with it! Who knew dark chocolate could add so much richness?! The cabbage that it comes with goes really well with the provided dressings on the table (I like the light brown sesame dressing best). Miso soup wasn't really anything to write home about but it is a nice palate cleanser along with the shredded cabbage.Kurobuta: tasty cut of pork that isn't chewy and is not dry at all! Excellent with the curry! Love the crunch and dipping it in curry.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Kurobuta Katsu Curry
Gotta say I was a little disappointed. Katsu is supposed to the the star of the show but it felt like a supporting role. The appetizers were the best part of our meal. The presentation is great though, the atmosphere is fun and warm and the service was excellent. Those are the reasons I didn’t give it 3 stars. Just wish the katsu was better.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fried Shrimp, Cheese Tonkatsu, Mozzarella Katsu
Be sure to eat all kinds of pork cutlet here. I never regret it.
Decent food. Okay service - didn’t finish my dish and they didn’t let me have another container to separate the sauce and the katsu (so it doesn’t come home soggy).Parking was hard. Lot is small.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Mozzarella Katsu
3/5 first time, 4.5/5 second time = 3.75/5 First visit: not impressed. The Mechi Katsu was bland, nothing to say about the sides, and the sauce came out in watery clumps. Second visit: very satisfied! I splurged on their Tomato Cheese Ebi Katsu, which was an amazing combination of flavors and textures. Same with the Oroshi Katsu (and the sauce was fine this time). Service both times was brusque but efficient. Main takeaway: don't bother with plain katsus and go for the dressed-up options (just prepare for a heftier check).
There is limited parking for the amount of restaurants in the plaza. There is a large parking lot across the main street and is not a big issue. The restaurant is tidy and clean with table, booth, and bar seating. Walked in at around 12:45pm on Sunday. With no wait for a party of 2 at the bar. Service and food was served fast. We ordered Jidori Chicken Miso and Rosu Oroshi. The miso katsu comes with a mortar and pestle for the sesame and a miso sauce. The oroshi katsu comes with a dollop of daikon oroshi on-top of the cutlet. After taking pictures of the food, we moved the oroshi to the side to prevent the pork from getting soggy. We found the fattier cut of Rosu to be very tender. The yuzu sauce is a game changer on the daikon oroshi. We ordered different cuts and sets to try different sauces. Different options are given for those that don't eat pork. Service and food quality is great! Would definitely recommend and come here again! Service: 9/10 Ambiance: 8/10 Food: 10/10
Update: changing my review to 5 stars because they quickly reached out to find out what happened and addressed my concern from this review. They apologized for the misunderstanding and went out of their way to make things right and I appreciate that. They also said they're making sure to inform customers of this policy, which is great. As I mentioned before, the food was excellent and the service was good apart from the large party gratuity misunderstanding, which they've promptly addressed, earning a 5 star review update. *************** I really hesitated leaving this review but I'm really bothered by what happened and want others to be informed when dining here. We had been to this place back in December and had a great meal so when we had a family member in town visiting we decided to take her here for a nice meal. We were a party of 5 consisting of 3 adults and 2 kids. We got there before they opened for dinner service and lined up with all the other people waiting. We were the second party seated and the night started off right. Good was great and service was fine. We had an ebi katsu, 2 jidori chicken katsus, an Iberico oroshi katsu, and an Iberico katsu nabe plus the acorn squash appetizer. Not a cheap meal by any means but the food was delicious. You may be asking, "why the one star review then?" Well, when it came time to check out, the server came over with the handheld credit card machine and proceeded to read out what we ordered and then gave me the total. When I went to pay, all I saw was the total and then I tapped my card and it asked me if I want to leave a tip. I gave 23%. I thought the bill seemed high but didn't want to try to calculate it with the server standing there and because we were a party of 5 not 6, which is standard at most places, I didn't think to ask if they had already included the tip as a large party and they didn't mention it while reviewing our order. I also didn't see this policy posted or on their site. Well, after the fact, I did the calculation and it looks like they did and so they walked away with a 43% tip. The food and service were good but not that good! I feel like this was super shady and I won't be returning ever again. Buyer beware: great food, shady service but if you go in knowing that parties of 5 or more get charged the 20% tip automatically, you might be able to look past that and eat there.
I ordered the miso katsu, which came with a generous portion of rice, crunchy cabbage, rich miso sauce, and tender katsu kurobuta pork. The pork was cooked to perfection, with a crispy exterior and juicy interior. The miso soup was also a delight, with a flavorful broth and perfectly cooked tofu. Things to note: The rice was a bit mushy, the restaurant does not take reservations, they require your entire party to be present before seating, and the parking lot is really small.
Best Katsu ever. The Ebi is delicious, the Curry is amazing!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Oroshi Katsu with Iberico, Kurobuta Katsu Curry
Authentic Katsu and curry is finally on the eastside. The line forms 30 mins. before they open at 5pm. It is first come first serve unless you have a party of 6 or more for reservations. I have tried everything on their menu now and my favorite is the menchi curry over rice. It is made to perfection. The Kubota tempura is delicious this season special is now. Recommend to everyone to try.
Restaurantji Recommends
No delivery! I love that. No to go! I love that too. I come in, sit down, and eat it when it's fresh and hot- the way it was intended to be enjoyed. All of the food here is great. Outstanding. Get here early otherwise it can get packed. Yes you can take leftovers home but you box it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tonkatsu, Mozzarella Katsu
This place slaps. Awesome decor that really transplants you out of Redmond. Warm R&B and Hip Hop tunes, the smell of fried pork, and an overflowing glass of sake bring warmth on a rainy day. This place has a serious personality, and they're nailing it. Honestly, I ordered one more beer just because I wanted to hang out in the space a little longer. Server was attentive, friendly, and gave some great recommendations. Felt very welcoming energy from the whole staff. the food was phenomenal. Had the Nagoya Style pork tenderloin Katsu and I was impressed with how light the batter tasted. Great balance with the miso (or tonkatsu) sauce, and the extra pickled lotus root was a nice place to contrast with the savory pork. I hope I get the opportunity to visit again, not to be missed when in the area!
I would get the most basic meal (I think it was Hire Katsu for $18).All the add-ons wasn't worth the premium you are paying.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Except for finding out that .uni (sea urchin) is not my favorite thing, I have enjoyed every meal that I have had here and have encourage friends to go as well.the service r is always friendly and fast. I also enjoyed that the staff got into the spirit of Halloween and wore costumes.
Amazing Japanese katsu! This place was buzzing during the lunch hour. Although they were consistently busy the entire time I was there, the service was still very fast & friendly. So A+ there. The portion was also huge! I got the Iberico Katsu Nabe. Really cool presentation. The katsu was juicy and crispy. The only thing I didn't care for was how oily the broth was, and it needed a touch more salt. Other thing is they don't do takeout so you will have to eat it there.