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Categories: Japanese, Ethnic Food
Neighborhood: Midtown East47-50th Sts-Rockefeller Center (B, D, F, V)
42nd St-5th Ave-6th Ave (7, B, D, F, V)
5th Ave-53rd St (E, V)
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I ordered the Pork Loin Katsu and I thought it was pretty good. Like above average but nothing spectacular. However! When I got home that night and burped... that was the most delicious burp I ever had!
Suddenly I realized that pork katsu curry was thick and savory like a hearty gravy over fatty delicious pork!
I am SO going to come here again!
I'm not really a fan of fried Japanese food, but the katsu meats are an exception. In Japan, I had some very good fried pork cutlets smothered in brown gravy. It took me awhile to realize I could get that here. They call it curry though. It doesn't taste anything like the East Asian and South Asian curries I know of. Go figure. A friend and I tried this place recently and although the food was good, the restaurant vibe was definitely weird.
We took our time perusing the menu and the waiter got visibly frustrated with us. We then got another waiter and she was brusque a la peak time in Chinatown, despite the fact that we were her only customers at the time. Then the first waiter came back and started mopping the floor near us with that strong ammonia smell that can easily kill an appetite. Ugh. Like I said. Weird.
Onto the food. We ordered the poke and croquettes as appetizers. The poke was not prepared the way they do it in Hawaii, from which the dish originates. Similar to ceviche, poke is raw fish marinated in something like lemon juice or soy sauce with plenty of seaweed. I expected the same preparation here, but the raw tuna chunks, although perfectly acceptable, were not marinated. There were two sad lemon slices to the side. The croquettes were also just ok. There were three in this dish- potato with veggie, curry potato, and pumpkin. Pumpkin was the best, although frankly, I could have skipped this appetizer altogether.
I had the pork tenderloin katsu in brown gravy. Excuse me. CURRY. My friend had the chicken with sweet soy sauce vinaigrette. We both liked what we got. We shared pumpkin pudding with green tea and red bean ice cream for dessert. That was pretty good. Overall, the food here doesn't try to impress, but it was good enough to come back for another try. However, I'm not looking forward to interacting with the weird staff. Having said this, I hope they don't post my pic up and spit in my food the next time I show my face.
There's some novelty behind Katsu-Hama but ultimately I wasn't that impressed. You need to walk through a sushi place to get to the restaurant, where you can grind your own sesame, make your own katsu sauce, pour as much dressing on your heap of cabbage as you like, and feel reeaaal cool. If you're like me, though, you'll probably be completely confused as to what each jar holds, and have no clue what to do with the mini mortar-and-pestle that sits in front of you...
I heard so many good things both about the katsu and the sauce, so maybe the key to Katsu-Hama is coming sans expectations. Minced meat katsu, what was I thinking? Though our waiter recommended it, this was just strange. The pork tenderloin also failed to impress. Though it was a thick cutlet, it was too dry and pretty oily on the outside. You could kind of tell that these were higher-quality cuts of meat than, say, Sapporo, but the execution just wasn't there and I'd prefer the unhealthy, enormous, and most importantly tasty katsu curry at Sapporo any day.
Love this place -- the shrimp and pork loin katsu lunch set is amazing on a cold day, and the dressing for the cabbage salad is so good that I've often been tempted to slip the bottle into my purse to take home.
It's crowded on Friday afternoons.
Still have no idea what the sesame seeds are for.
Great katsu!! Nice enough decor, their lunch katsu meal is $11 and $16 for the super size portion. fried to perfection, and satisfying. The cabbage salad is endless, and the dressing is solid. The miso soup is nothing special though. All in all a good eating experience and pretty filling.
they turn over quickly, wait isn't bad.
not much variety, just varying katsus. they have a takeout area in the front though.
Finally ordered the curry (kare) here. It's taken me months to go back to try it. It is not as yellowish and sweet as some bad Japanese kare you'd get, I'd say my chicken kare was quite enjoyable. Kare was very fragrant. The rice was moist and sticky. The free-range chicken was tender and juicy. Pickles looks kinda sad.
If you know something Chinese medicine, you will know what I mean by "this place has a lot of 'heat'". Everytime I go, I get a sore throat right after I leave.
The katsu curry was delcious! It was stick to your ribs good - LOVED it. A good portion for lunch although maybe 1 or 2 more pieces of katsu would be good :) The cabage salad I found kind of funny. A heaping mound of cabage with their salad dressing was a bit odd to me being served before my order...but I still enjoyed it anyway.
The only thing negative I'd have to say is that our waitress ( short Indian lady) was unpleasant and forgot a round of water for the table. Hopefully you'll get another waiter to serve you who won't throw your green tea to the table.
I was so full afterwards, I wanted to roll up in a ball and go to sleep. I'd definitely go back again - Kudos to no wait during lunch hours, either!
yum yum yum. Great prices, great food! The donkatsu is very good and you get to grind your own sesame seeds for the donkatsu sauce which is kind of interesting. They offer you endless salad and the portion is pretty large. I had the agedashi tofu as an appetizer and that was delicious too! I would definitely recommend this place to anyone..
I went to Katsu-Hama with my mom and sister tonight after we had a serious hankering of katsu curry. I'm glad to say that the katsu curry was THE BOMB, and that other curry/katsu entrees the customers ordered looked delicious when I looked around. Yes, I am a snoop, but I don't blatantly stare. More like peer through while in my katsu curry heaven. :)
There's something almost buttery about the curry that is rich, flavorful. It's got a hint of spice-- not Indian-food spicy, but a slight kick that gives it oomph and doesn't fall flat. The rice is home-style, and the katsu.... Would delectable even begin? It's tender and moist, with a breaded and crusty exterior that is soft but doesn't fall apart when you cut through it with a spoon or chopsticks. Their shredded cabbage and house dressing are also delicious--balanced and nuanced, without overpowering one another.
Despite such heavenly food, I need to go down to earth and dock a star for one thing: they fail at giving water to customers. I'm a pretty laid-back person overall-- shit happens. But when it comes to water, I'm getting it. After a tortorous encounter at Yeah Shang Hai Deluxe Corp where it took 20 minutes to get water, I have put my foot down that all joints should at least give water and keep pouring them when they see empty glasses. Granted, if you ask here, it looks like they'll give it to you without a problem, but that slow response is a peeve of mine.
Nevertheless, generally friendly waitstaff, excellent food, great ambience and decor while rocking the yellow/orange walls that I'll go with small groups or a friend. Probably better for up to five people, but any bigger then that and you'll have to call for reservations.
ordered pork katsu with curry at lunch.
funny thing is, my favorite thing about the meal was the RICE. cooked perfectly tender, had just the right amount of stickiness and chew. i really appreciated this touch.
that said, the pork katsu was just okay. for a restaurant that has katsu in their name, i thought that it'd be more impressive. crisp, but the meat is not particularly juicy or tasty. the curry sauce was disappointing as well, i found it very sweet and bland, uninteresting.
so-so quality doesn't justify the price here.
Pork loin katsu ... go get some now!
Kinda interesting that they use so much cabbage here-- including in the miso soup.
The salad dressing is excellent in both taste and in its capability to repel women. Your breath will be kickin' but your tastebuds will be overjoyed.
Add a frosted glass filled with Kirin Draft and you're set.
I shared the porkloin katsu curry and the tenderloin katsu don with my friend. I would recommend both, but if you had to choose one, go for the katsu curry---it was delicious! The bread crumbs and the pickled things in it made the difference. The white rice was cooked to perfection (keep in mind I like it on the softer side). Each dish was $11. The katsu don came with miso and katsu curry didn't.
I'd definitely come back!
The katsu curry is the best that I have had. The pork was crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside. The curry sauce was amazing and I loved mixing my rice an cabbage with it. And the little pickles...sooooo good!
Service was pretty good at lunch time and there was almost no wait for our meals.
I will definitely be back and might even have to say goodbye to Go Go Curry :P
So delicious and juicy, the breading didn't taste fried at all, such a light and flavorful meal. I can't speak highly enough for them letting you crush sesame seeds, add spices and make your own katsu sauce. Really fun, decent service but nothing great and the decor is a bit bland but fine. I will definitely be back for the $11 katsu lunch~
Some people want fancy tasting menus under romantic light and while that's nice occasionally, more often I want pork fried and smothered in gravy. If you're in a katsu curry mood, Katsu-Hama will surely satiate.
Little to no ambiance here, but seriously, who cares about being wedged into a table next to the heating pipe when the grub's this tasty?
Oh man do I love the katsu curry from this place: A lot of rice, freshly deep-fried breaded chicken and that great brown sweet sauce. Delicious. And enough quantity for you to feel satisfied.
I have never actually sit down I always take away and eat at my desk.
When I don't feel like having a virtual nap in the afternoon I'll get the fried tofu udon soup with a small salad. Also very good. But you know it's udon. Can't be too enthusiastic about that...
tonkatsu - one of my favorite dishes. this katsuhama is great because it has sets - unlike the one at 55th st or whatever.
i don't know where else has better katsu in NYC. i wish there were, though, because the level is definitely higher in asia for katsu.
Yay! I'm a fan!
I came here for dinner with a few friends on a Friday evening and we had to wait a little bit for a table for four (about 20 min). They seated us in the back (cushy booth seating on one side, hard chairs on the other) in the corner, so it was cozy.
The menu is pretty funny - because there is a "men's set dinner", "ladies set dinner (for women only!)" and "children's set dinner. I think I was primarily amused by the fact that the ladies dinner was only for women. Why!? I forgot to ask our server.
Anyways, I ordered the prixe fixe dinner with chicken katsu. So, for $20, I got miso soup, chicken katsu, side katsus (shrimp and crab), tofu salad, and rice. The katsu is terrific! Very well made. It came with some kind of tartar-ish sauce, and a MOUND of shredded cabbage, which I doused in their homemade salad dressing. Okay, maybe not douse, gently smothered. The tofu salad was delicious and the rice was perfect, just sticky and chewy enough. I wasn't a fan of the miso soup though, it's the first time that I've had miso soup with random mushy veggies in it. DEFINITELY not a fan. Stick with the seaweed!
My friends got donburis and they were fairly pleased with their food as well.
Service is pretty quick and the prices are okay for midtown. This place must be nuts during lunch hour. It's a pretty chill place. The lights are kind of ghetto, but I supposed it's fitting.
Anyway, I would definitely come back again!
** Downhill Alert **
My recent experience at Katsu-Hama is how I imagine my 10 year high school reunion will play out.
Chris (Grade 10): *Dreamily doodles sweet nothings about that girl from the Volleyball team on graph paper during Trig class*
Chris (10 yr Reunion): Oh look, volleyball girl put on 50 pounds. Two kids'll do that to yah. -_-;
My first several visits to Katsu-Hama elicited the fan-boyism that I usually only reserve for the latest trendy speakeasy (or banh mi dive)
In a mad lib of bragging to friends and co-workers I might gush, "(Gender Neutral Greeting)! I just (Ate/Drank) at this (Superlative) new (Restaurant/Speakeasy/Banh Mi restaurant/Katsu Join)! It was so (Expletive) good!"
Needless to say, I *WAS* a fan at one point. I'd drag co-workers, acquaintances, and any willing ear, and point out how cool it was to grind your own sesame seeds for the sauce, or professionally opine on the superiority of the panko breading of the katsu.
I let a year or so lapse, and i've gotten wiser and more jaded towards the NY dining scene. So my recent return was with high expectations, and an underwhelming delivery.
It's hard to pin my sub-par experience on any single deliverable. Was it the watered down sochu cocktail? Maybe. The fact that my beer wasn't topped off? Perhaps. The slow service? Yeah, that could be it. The formerly majestic katsu, now a remnant of its former self, slightly soggy and greasy, stale and mushy? Definitely.
Now that i've facedbook'ed all of my highschool classmates there's really no need to go back for a reunion. I know who got fat, who got married, and who got hot. Similarly, now that folks can Yelp Katsu-Hama, there's really no reason to pay it a visit.
I love pork katsu. I love pork katsu with curry sauce. Can't say much about the other dishes but the pork katsu with curry sauce was great.
The service was acceptable but I would have expected a bit more attention given that it was pouring outside and there weren't too many customers inside.
The price wasn't prohibitive and I definitely see myself going there regularly.
This place specializes in pork katsu... its simply a breaded pork loin thats fried to perfection. The crust on this baby is absolutely scrumptious. I had the curry Katsu and my first impression of it was damn, only one peice of pork with all that rice and curry? hmmm would it fill the void in my angry stomach? to my surprise it certainly did, it again with the concept of quality of quantity and the curry and katsu was perfect. Great lunch spot to chill with friends . . . and relatively inexpensive.
Came here after reading a review from a Chinese food magazine and saw a picture of a bowl of sesame seeds. This reminds me of the tonkatsu (fried breaded pork cutlet) I had in Kyoto/Osaka. You need to crush the sesame seeds into fine powder in a bowl and mixed with their sauce to eat with your tonkatsu.
3 stars for tonkatsu ($15) as it was very meaty and thick The taste of the meat and sauce were better in Japan.
I also ordered the sashimi appetizer ($14) and it was a mistake. It had three thin slices of three types of fish (tuna, salmon and a white fish). The taste was so so - 2 stars
My husband ordered the dinner set ($17) which includes potato salad, cabbage salad with their special salad dressing, a couple of appetizers (fried tofu and preserved cabbage??), miso soup, one piece of shrimp katsu, crabcake katsu and pork katsu and a bowl of rice. It also comes with a dessert dish with a slice of pumpkin pie and a small scoop of green tea ice cream. Very good value and taste very good - 4 stars
My daughter ordered the kid set ($9) which includes smaller portion of the dinner set (minus miso soup, pork katsu, green tea ice cream). Also very good value and she loved it. - 4 stars
We also ordered the following appetizer/dessert:
- wasabi squid tentacles ($4) - very small dish and did not expect it is served raw, definitely will not order this again
- fried soba noodle ($2) - hot and crunchy
- black sesame pudding ($4) - cold, creamy, tasted good and served in a pretty ceramic pot with cover
Bathroom is kept very clean. All waiters are non-Japanese which did not provide an authentic feel. The restaurant was pretty full on a rainy Sunday night. A lot of customers ordered the curry dishes.
A typical midtown corp lunch joint.. I met up with a friend here for lunch which he HIGHLY recommended.. To me.. the lunch specials are way too pricey maybe because you can find much cheap lunch from where I live..
Anyway.. the portion is pretty big.. good enough to feed an adult man.. to a tiny girl like me it can feed twice.. lunch and dinner.. I guess in that perspective.. the price isn't too bad..
The lunch combo was 80% of rice and 20% of meat.. which explains why I don't think it's worth it.. I don't work around this area so I don't know if this is the best midtown can offer or not..
I'm sorry my friend.. this is not the best japanese lunch place in midtown for sure =(
I stopped by Katsu-Hama to grab a katsu curry to go on the way back from the post office and I gotta say I'm mighty impressed. I used to frequent Go Go Curry when my office was down in that area but now that I'm closer to Katsu-Hama (that is if you can call 10 blocks one way "close"), it's nice to have an option when I have a Japanese curry craving again.
So let's compare... with the katsu, both places are pretty good. Go Go gives you much more meat but Katsu's is juicier and tastes better. Not that Go Go's meat is bad, Katsu's is just better.
Curry-wise, Go Go has a darker and spicier sauce. Katsu's is milder and contain onion and mushroom bits. Both are quite good but again I have to give the nod to Katsu cause I'm a sucker for onion and mushrooms. If you're more of a spice fan, you'll like Go Go's better.
As for the cabbage, Katsu shreds them into thinner strips. Plus they include some sort of salad dressing that makes the cabbage actually palatable. Go Go gives the cabbage to you plain which I can't eat. With Katsu's dressing, I finished off every bit.
When it comes to portions, the standard Go Go fare is larger than Katsu plus you can always have Go Go add an extra portion of rice and curry for like $1 or so which then makes it much more than Katsu. For take out, Katsu compartmentalizes things into separate containers: rice w/katsu, cabbage, and sauce while Go Go just lumps everything into one styrofoam box.
Price-wise, Go Go's is cheaper (even if you add portions) but they're also in a slightly cheaper area of town. Decor-wise, Katsu's is more swanky.
Either way, if you're a fan of Japanese curry, you can't go wrong with either Katsu-hama or Go Go Curry. One's on the east side of town, the other on the west so at least there's two good choices in midtown whichever side of Broadway you happen to be on. To me, Katsu-hama's is tastier but Go Go gives you more for the buck plus allows way more extra options. Overall I'll give my nod to Katsu-hama right now but I'll have to revisit a few more times to really make sure. Can't wait. ;-)
The price is right and the portion of the katsu are good. Also, it is free refill with vegetables, rice and soap. : )
Must try
Katsuhama is a tonkatsu (Japanese pork cutlets) specialty restaurant. They offer tonkatsu under two categories, tenderloin which is lean with no fat and pork loin which is fatty. The restaurant is located behind a bento box/sushi store, so you will have to pass two doors to find your way into the restaurant.
I came here with my girlfriend for a weekend lunch and found the tonkatsu to be among the best I've ever had (and I've had a lot). I ordered the pork loin curry set and my girlfriend had the lady set (tenderloin katsu, croquette, deep fried prawn, kushi-age, salad,kobachi, rice and dessert). The breading on the tonkatsu was just right and the meat was very juice. The Curry had good texture and a good mixture of mushrooms. I highly recommend the pork loin curry. The lady set however, was not all that impressive. If you care for dessert, I recommend the caramel pumpkin pie.
Best tonkatsu around. If you are a fan of perfectly fried pork cutlets, juicy and crunchy with all the traditional accompaniments, then this is heaven. Accommodating staff. My whole family loves this place. Judging by the crowds of Japanese tourists and expats that fill the place, it is authentic.
Went here on a Saturday afternoon, so there weren't as many people as there would be on a regular weekday lunch hour. I always take it as a good sign, though, that most of the other diners were Japanese. The restaurant's setting leaves a lot to be desired, but if the food's good, fancy schmansy ambiance be damned.
On to the main event, the tonkatsu. Mind you, I've had the -good- stuff when we visited Japan, but this place isn't so bad. I ordered the pork tenderloin with the grated radish, and I thought it really hit the spot. Satisfactory Japanese food at reasonable prices -- can't complain about that!
Katsu-Hama is where I go to get my katsu curry fix. Their pork katsu is delicious - crispy on the outside, juicy and tender on the inside, and not oily or greasy. The rice is perfect - it's not too sticky or smooshy, and the perfect thing for the curry sauce. It's spendy, yes, but the portions are pretty big.
Pork chop pork chop greasy greasy...Katsu hama is easy easy...
A friend recommended this restaurant a few weeks ago, and said they served this all you can eat pork katsu...I decided to just try it for lunch and was actually surprised that I had been to this exact place a few years earlier, I just had not realized it.
This place is a very traditional midtown lunch spot, with tons of Japanese locals eating at the restaurant and a take out place right out in front. Since this place is called Katsu, I figured the best dish to get would be the pork belly katsu. They bring over this bowl of sesame seeds which you are obliged to crush with your pestle so that you can pour that Tonkatsu sauce over it. I found the tonkatsu sauce to be a little bit bland compared to the more tangy versions of this sauce I've had elsewhere, but still fairly good.
The pork comes on a dish elevated on a metal rack, I assume to try and prevent the pork from becoming soggy after cooking. The dish also came with a nice heaping dish of cabbage. The pork itself seemed to have been breaded in a very fresh panko bread crumb and was probably the best part of the texture. The pork itself was a little too greasy for my liking, probably because the cut of meat was very fatty, but also because the grease they were using could have been used once too many times.
Some of the pieces of pork were soft and chewy, while others felt like I was chewing on a piece of a leather sole. The quality was average, I was a little disappointed that my friend had recommended so highly of this place when I've had slightly better at your local sushi take out joint.
The overall service was a little long in the tooth, meaning the women were slightly old, but overall the experience was ok. I might be back if I have a business lunch that I want to spend time going to, but maybe not an out of the way place that I would care to explicitly go to when I get a hankering for katsu.
This review is extremely biased, so be forewarned.
I am of Japanese extraction and lived in Japan as a boy (~1984). I attended public school and resided in a modest suburb outside Tokyo with my family. When I recall the everyday food, I picture copious amounts of fishcake died pink and purple, pickles in equally unnatural shades, curry rice, jello, and lots of breaded, deep fried stuff.
At that time, it seemed as if their cuisine expressed a strange duality of taste. On the one hand, they were renowned lovers of unadulterated, natural ingredients but they also loved SPAM. More often than not, the SPAM palate (e.g. processed flavors) superseded the fresh and natural.
But I digress.
Getting to the review, the yelping community has painted an accurate picture of Katsu-Hama: what to eat, the ambience, the service, etc. As the reader has probably gathered, the place isn't fancy. In fact it resembles an institutional cafeteria. More accurately, it looks like the restaurants found in their provincial shopping malls.
Whenever I go to Katsu-Hama for dinner, I'm surrounded by Japanese families with small children. Presumably they dine there because it's affordable, the staff doesn't care if the kids are exuberant, and it delivers a healthy portion of comfort food that anchors them to their homeland.
To me, the food is just the right mix of processed and natural. Obviously, there's better value for money out there but there is no better representation of Japanese working class dining than Katsu-Hama. It's like my own private time capsule and for that reason I'm devoted. Taste, after all, cannot be rational all the time...especially when there's nostalgia involved.
Good katsu (Japanese style pork cutlet). It's the same good katsu you can get in Japan.
Katsuhama has NYC's best Tonkatsu (Japanese pork cutlets)
Katsuhama is a tonkatsu specialty restaurant. Their entrees are under $20 (they even have a "Lady's Set" that men cannot order from even though ladies can order the "Men's Set").
Their pork cutlets are listed under two categories, tenderlon (hire) = lean with no fat, white meat pork, and pork loin (roase) = fatty.
I personally like the pork loin better.
I actually like the curry here, and usually just stick to their Curry item #2 (Pork Loin Curry).
From the outside of the resto, you can't tell it's a restaurant b/c there's a bento box store in front to serve the Midtown lunch crowd. Katsuhama is behind this. For some reason, many of their wait staff is Indian.
Katsuhama is part of the Menchankotei / Ony / Onigashima / Menkuitei chain.
I suggest making reservations when going.
They are also open on Sundays and Sunday nights, which is a rarity for Japanese places in Midtown East.
I'd give Katsuhama a 5 if I've never been to Japan and eaten the tokatsu out there.
Food is good but the decor has gotten really tired. On top of that the almost exclusively Indian wait staff isn't very good. A bit pushy and rude.
Just have to say that if you're aching for some Japanese curry and you want the real thing... this is a great place to get it. I walked in, was out with my bowl of katsu-curry in five minutes, and have loved every bite of it.
The store has an amazing katsudon smell, too.
Katsu-hama gave me just what I needed!
A teeny bit pricy for what it is, though.
My friend told me about this place a long time ago. I always wanted to try it out and I finally did. I really enjoyed the food alot. Especially, if you like tonkatsu. The meat was very moist and tender. The curry was nice. I do agree that the decor definitely needs updating. I would definite recommend trying this place out if your in the area. Probably will go again if I get another chance.
QUALITY permeates throughout the food here so I'm not going to hate. However, don't expect gargantuan portions. Nestled further back from Sushi-Tei is this restaurant. I liked the fact that they packaged the sauce separately for take out. The katsu sauce is WATERED DOWN (MINUS ONE STAR). Don't believe the hype. Note: My friend had to order the pork tenderloin katsu ($16) to get full.
Ordered:
Chicken Curry Katsu Don ($11) - side of shredded lettuce, side of curry sauce, one chicken katsu patty over rice w/ pickled veggies on the side. Worth at most $8 for portion size. Very good overall but on the expensive side. Go Go Curry gives you at least double.
Total came out to $11.92 after everything.
Pics: http://www.meetup.com/...
After reviewing my Yelp-friend Lainy C's review of Katsu-Hama and being a fan of Katsu Curry I just had to go there and try it.
Wow! They had 2 types of Katsu Curry, $11 for the regular katsu curry and $12 for the tenderloin version. I went with the Tenderloin version of course.
I don't think I have had a pork tenderloin katsu this tender and juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside, just as Lainy had described. The japanese rice, curry and pickled vegetables with which the katsu was served was excellent. Everything was prepped and cooked just right.
I must admit that when I was served a plate of chopped cabbage I didn't know what to do with it. I glanced over to my right and I saw one of the Japanese customers (How did I know he was Japanese? Because he was reading Japanese newspaper) pour the Sesame dressing that was in the bottle on the table. Duh! It is hard to believe something so simple could be so good.
I am glad that I got there early, a about 11:40am because by 12:00pm the place was getting packed very quickly.
Actually I almost missed the restaurant as the sign on the glass was not that prominent and the location is shared with "Sushi Tei". It looks like the front portion of the location serves pre-packaged japanese food. I will have to give that a try some other time.
Anyway, I will be back probably once a week as making this a daily routine could be financially and physically problematic.
As I was sitting there and enjoying my Katsu Curry, I noticed that the clientele was mostly Japanese. Usually a good sign when eating at a Japanese restaurant.
Thanks to Lainy C. and my fellow Yelpers for the reviews of Katsu-Hama.
Now, I really hope the afternoon food coma sets in gently. ZZZzzzzzz...
Besides sushi, sashimi, and udon. Japanese cuisine is also known for Tonkatsu in pork and chicken. I'm very particular about the katsu sauce as it has to be rich and thick but Katsu-Hama dilute it with water to cater to the American palate which makes it less authentic Japanese. Thus, I rate this restaurant four stars. Having previously been with my former love who is of Japanese decent combined with a visit to Tokyo, Japan I can easily spot good quality Tonkatsu.
Indeed as per a previous review noted, the portions are not gargantuan in any format. For any leftovers to be taken home, the wait staff package the katsu sauce separately from your rice and pork/chicken which keeps the meat fresh.
If u are not a big fan of fried stuff, this place would be a 2. If you are big fan of all things fried, this place would be a 3. But if you love katsu (Japanese style breaded and fried meat/seafood), this place is a definite 4.
Food: 5 Decor:3 Service:4 Price:3
As you can guess from the name, they serve all sorts of Katsu, chicken, port, seafood etc. They are breaded just the right amount and taste like they have been fried fresh. Not that greasy and certainly very crisp. Most of the set menu comes with rice, miso soup and huge pile of shredded cabbage (almost unlimited servings...I have on different occasions ask for refills two times). They do Katsu really well, but just Katsu. So if you are not a Katsu fan, this place would be overall 3 star restaurant rather than a 4.
Decor is very basic and service is alright . Set menus are in the $15-18 range, which is ok for the quality of the food.
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Neighborhood: Lower East Side
now serving on sundays!
Neighborhood: East Village
Neighborhood: Fashion District
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Midtown East
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Midtown East
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Midtown East
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Midtown East
Category: Sushi Bars
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