Reviews & Ratings for Katsu Japanese Restaurant

02/26/08

Mind Changer for Japanese Sushi/Sashimi

by nancyandjay

What a rare find! After going to several so-called sushi restaurants, this one was so authentic we felt that we experienced time-travel to Japan. The staff was cordial, the sake warmed to perfection, and the sashimi/sushi was outstanding. The egg custard addition was sweet and pleasant to the taste buds. My companion wasn't too excited about going out for Japanese sushi, but when we finished the meal.... he became an affectionado and will be coming back for more! Loves it!

Being able to park reasonably close to the restaurant and their promptness on reservation time made our evening perfect. Just hope it doesn't get too well known and lose its charm.

• Pros: Easy parking, really fresh food
• Cons: A little costly, but worth it.

02/17/08

Best Sushi / Authentic Japanese

by stellasono

Chicago doesn't have great sushi places in comparison to other cities like ny and la, but Katsu is one of the better ones...definitely very authentic. I love chawan mushi (egg custard), and they do a great job with unagi (sea eel) in it. very friendly owners/staff, and nice ambiance. very accessible parking too.

• Pros: ambience, parking, service, food
• Cons: pricier

09/08/06

the best, period.

by colinmp

TimeOut Chicago got it right. Think Tomoe in NYC, or Katsu-Ya in LA, and you've got the basic idea. I've lived in Chicago for 6 years and, being from the East Coast where the market is FAR too competitive for restaurants to survive very long on attitude, hype and absurdly inflated prices (i.e. anything besides top notch food), I have been largely disappointed. Mirai consistently undercooks their rice. Wabi is inconsistent, I think, and anyway blasts you with club music. Coast is skimpy. Tank is not as fresh as it should be. Kaze is overpriced and has ridiculously over-formal service and atmosphere (I felt underdressed; the waiter asked us if we "wanted to discuss" dessert.) I have no idea why these places score higher than Katsu on this list. And either price, portions, attitude or overinflated hype tarnishes pretty much every other place here, save maybe Matsuya.

THIS place, however, is no damn joke. It's tucked away in an area where they can (presumably) spend less on rent and more on delivering the goods. I haven't even seen wild king salmon sushi anywhere else, and Katsu's is breathtaking. Same goes for the bluefin tuna and hamachi, all of which were glistening, ocean-fresh. $4/5 a pop for nigiri is steep, but you get the kind of over-sized (but still manageable) pieces you see in more seafood-friendly cities, along with chefs (and an owner) who are a delight to talk to. Simply amazing. My East Coast snobbery is officially over.

• Pros: best in Chicago by a wide margin
• Cons: *somewhat* pricey

01/09/06

EXCELLENT ( THE BEST EVER )

by carnivore63

ex'cel-lent (-lent)adj [OF.fr L.excellens, - entis,pres. part of excellere].1. Extremely good of its kind; FIRST CLASS...

I have been to many places that serve WHAT THEY CALL sushi .. KATSU bar none is the BEST .. You can go to the Far -East and have Sushi but why when you have KATSU right here in Chicago

• Pros: Parking, Ambiance, Sushi

11/10/05

Katsu is a wonderful dining experience!

by pachi143

No hype, no flash- just an incredible, authentic Japanese sushi restaurant.The atmosphere is warm, clean, and not at all intimidating. Our service was prompt and friendly.I was dining with a Japanese-American who couldn't believe what a phenomenal find the restaurant was.The appetizers we ate were the tempura (light, tasty, not greasy) and asparagus wrapped in flank steak- they were both simpy delicious. This was followed by a really good miso soup. We ordered the chef special- it was amazing! He even came up to our table to make sure we enjoyed our meal.He was so gracious and even had a conversation with my boyfriend in Japanese!I wouldn't normally write a review, but this place is definitely a diamond in the rough (referring to the previous review). Our meal was quite expensive- but we did go all out since we were celebrating but I do believe it could be done affordably.

• Pros: FOOD!, Service, Parking

02/24/05

Best sushi in town

by rockrhee

This is realk authentic sushi. This is japanese owned, and not korean owned like most other sushi places in Chicago. This is the real deal and they have by far the best quality fish I have tasted in all of Chicago. This place is expensive but much better than sai cafe, and any other lincoln park sushi places. Its authentic and if you like the real deal, this is the place.

An unexpected oasis of sushi and Japanese specialties.

by Contributor

In Short
The setting is modest, with two dimly-lighted dining rooms and a tiny bar, but don't be fooled--this is some of the best Japanese food in the city. Winning appetizers include delicate pot stickers and paper-thin slices of grilled beef tongue. Bento boxes are large, with a standard portion of chicken or beef teriyaki and a selection of pleasant tempura shrimp and vegetables. Sushi highlights include rolls like the katsumaki roll (tuna, yellowtail, avocado, cucumber and crab) and the Philadelphia roll (smoked salmon, asparagus, lettuce and cream cheese).

• Pros: QuietUnusual menu choices