Katsu, simply amazing, yet again.

LTH,

Ellen and I met RevrendAndy and his (way too good for him) bride Lana, who are in town for a few days, last night at Katsu. Katsu is a favorite of both mine and Andy's, matter of fact it was Andy who first introduced me to Katsu, and is high on his must visit list of Chicago restaurants.

Katsu has been, deservedly, much discussed by me, Crazy C and Mike G, but I feel the need for a short revisit after last nights absolutely superb meal.

We got off to a flying start with thinly sliced broiled beef tongue, squeeze of lemon, dash of salt, shake of shichimi-togarashi, perfect, just perfect. The beef tongue was accompanied by piping hot panko encrusted deep fried oysters, crunchy, greaseless, pure briny sea flavored goodness.

Fresh Flounder Karaage, which is as visually interesting as it is delicious, was next on our Katsu hit parade. The flounder flesh is stripped from the fish, cut in pieces and deep-fried while the rest of the fish, head, tail, bones, are shaped into a bowl and deep-fried. The flounder pieces are served in the crisp/crunchy/delicious fish body 'bowl' along with baby greens and ponzu dipping sauce.

Last, but not least, appetizer wise, was broiled yellowtail jaw. The only way I can think to adequately describe the rich, full flavored yellowtail is luxurious, simply luxurious. A dash of salt, squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of grated daikon radish round out the flavor. Really one of my favorites.

For our main course we left it entirely in Katsu's hands. Simply said please bring us x--dollar amount of sashimi, though we did add a round of uni, absolutely pristine, and giant sweet shrimp. The shrimp are served raw accompanied by the heads, which are deep fried, what a wonderful flavor and texture contrast.

Katsu's sashimi, as always, was sheer poetry, with the toro actually bringing a tear to our eyes. ~sigh~, yes, it was that good. We accompanied our meal with Sapporo and chilled Rin sake. Lana, who is a first, about to become second, level Sommelier noticed notes of anise in the sake.

All in all a wonderful meal and even better company. I highly recommend Katsu and, if you can get Andy and Lana to join you for dinner, all the better.

On another Andy/Lana restaurant related note, later this week Chicago will be graced by the presence of Andy'sBetterBrother. Who, showing the grace and good sense that has earned him the title BetterBrother, suggested we all meet for dinner at 'Little' Three Happiness (209 W Cermak) Who am I to say no such a request.

Enjoy,
Gary

Katsu Japanese Restaurant
2651 W Peterson Ave
Chicago, IL. 60659
773-784-3383
5pm - 9:30 [Edit]
Closed Tuesday

G Wiv wrote:Katsu Japanese Restaurant
2651 W Peterson Ave
Chicago, IL. 60659
773-784-3383
5pm - Midnight, closed Tuesday

This time is not correct. When I called to confirm they were still open on a recent evening, they told me that they close the kitchen at around 9:45 p.m.

i was there for the first time on thursday, and i too fell in love with the baby yellowtail jaw. simple and perfect. my friend described it as being so tender that it was actually "fluffy" - probably not words one would associate frequently with fish. i also loved the toro (scattered with gold flakes - ever so decadent!) and i tried the sake flight, which was fun.

has anybody had katsu's matsutake mushroom soup? i was intrigued, but my dinner companion refused to share it because he doesn't like mushrooms.

LAZ wrote:This time is not correct. When I called to confirm they were still open on a recent evening, they told me that they close the kitchen at around 9:45 p.m.

Yep. I arrived at around 9:30 on Saturday with some friends and found the front door already locked, with the "CLOSED" sign in the window.

LAZ wrote:This time is not correct. When I called to confirm they were still open on a recent evening, they told me that they close the kitchen at around 9:45 p.m.

LAZ,

You are absolutely correct and I have changed my post to reflect Katsu's open/close times accurately.

Thank you for pointing this out, I'd hate to have someone drive a distance, pristine toro on their mind, only to find Katsu's door locked.

Enjoy,
Gary

cindym wrote:i also loved the toro (scattered with gold flakes - ever so decadent!) and i tried the sake flight, which was fun.

has anybody had katsu's matsutake mushroom soup? i was intrigued, but my dinner companion refused to share it because he doesn't like mushrooms.

Cindy,

The toro with gold flecks is, what I know as, gunboat style. A little open ended barrel of nori with vinegar rice on the bottom, minced toro on top. Same way uni or roe is typically served. For a slightly different take on toro try ordering nigiri style, fish on vinegar rice, or, my preference, sashimi.

I have not had Katsu's matsutake mushroom soup, though Andy has and did not feel compelled to order it again. I do love seeing matsutake mushrooms on a menu. Gives me an opportunity to, in my best Chairman Kaga voice, intone Matsutake mushrooooooooom

Enjoy,
Gary

G Wiv wrote:The toro with gold flecks is, what I know as, gunboat style. A little open ended barrel of nori with vinegar rice on the bottom, minced toro on top. Same way uni or roe is typically served. For a slightly different take on toro try ordering nigiri style, fish on vinegar rice, or, my preference, sashimi.
Enjoy,
Gary

yes, i quite enjoyed the "gunboat-style" toro, but the toro sashimi has blown me away the past three times I've had it. Utterly amazing.

I also had the deep fried shrimp heads on my last trip (as part of a katsu-chosen sushi/sashimi platter) and they were, also, a veritable taste and texture sensation. Salty, sour, a little sweet, and as crunchy as shoestring potato sticks.

-ed

Oops, I should clarify. It was toro nigiri that was served as part of the sushi/sashimi chef's special, and the whole platter was sprinkled with gold flakes. The toro had a little mound of roe on top as well. As a newly graduated graduate student, I can tell you that I have not had a meal featuring any kind of gold anything in a long time (well, except certain sweets purchased on Devon Ave. that are wrapped in that edible silvery foil stuff) - it made me feel like J. Lo!

I'm dining at Katsu tomorrow night and am feeling pretty giddy about it. Haven't been out for a nice meal for a while (due to dull fiscal reasons that I won't go into here) and I have a good feeling about this place. Any specific recent menu recommendations from anyone?

LionRock wrote:I'm dining at Katsu tomorrow night and am feeling pretty giddy about it. Haven't been out for a nice meal for a while (due to dull fiscal reasons that I won't go into here) and I have a good feeling about this place. Any specific recent menu recommendations from anyone?

I don't think the menu changes too often, but general standouts:

ama-ebi (raw shrimp) sashimi, with fried head separate
the "super premium toro and yellowtail" sashimi plate

cooked:

grilled yellowtail jaw
duck saikyo

have a great meal and report back.

if you've got a set budget, you may want to tell whoever is waiting on you at the bar to choose for you. say "i want to spend $X and I want one cooked item" and then list anything you don't want, e.g. uni, natto, tuna, whatever. if you don't specify that you want a cooked item or two they will usually not bring you one as part of the sampling. i've done it this way and had a fantastic meal. plus, you don't have to worry about going over your budget.

Last weekend, dazed with pity and fear after seeing a performance of Kabuki Lady Macbeth, the Wife and I went to Katsu to maintain the day’s Japanese theme. We're both sushi/sashimi fans, though not aficionados.

I agree with gleam and others that the yellowtail and premium toro are magnificent; we had these first, and they were pretty much the high point of the meal. The yellowtail in particular was soft and fragrant, with a relatively mild flavor and gorgeous sandy shade. I liked the toro, which was “medium fatty,” and plenty flavorful.

Chirashi is my benchmark sashimi dish: cuts of fish in a bowl of vinegared rice, sprinkled with roe. Very simple, but I feel it shows off the fish to advantage. The sashimi in my Katsu chirashi was not entirely satisfactory. The slices of tuna, octopus, etc., were generous but, if this makes any sense, TOO generous in the sense that they were quite large and thick. Now, as I said, I like sushi/sashimi, but don’t claim to know that much about the traditions of the dish, and I thought the fish, though fresh enough, was just too damn hard to eat. Most bites did not give way without a fight, and it seems like this cannot be a good thing in sashimi/sushi.

The Wife had a “box” that she enjoyed quite a bit: a little tempura, some tuna sushi, and other stuff that I failed to focus on as I struggled with my chirashi.

For dessert, I had the veal liver in garlic chives, and it was really quite shockingly salty (and I am a major fan of salt).

Overall, I think we either came on an off night (Sunday), or perhaps I should have chosen more carefully. My recommendation would be to stick with the identified winners mentioned in the posts above.

Hammond

So I had a wonderful first meal at Katsu on Friday. One problem - when we were seated, we waited for over 15-20 minutes to be given menus, water or any acknowledgment of our existence. To be fair, it was primetime on a friday night and they were packed. I think that all of the servers were under the impression that someone else was looking after us. I eventually managed to get the attention of the hostess, and explained our problem. She was genuinely apologetic, and after that, service was terrific.

I had just been given a pay rise, so I thought I'd splurge and get the prime Toro/Yellowtail plate. I am so glad that I did - it was the best sashimi I have ever tasted in my life. I also got the Duck Saiku, the Shrimp with crispy head and a couple of pieces of Uni - all of the favorites, in other words. All of these lived up to my expectations, which is saying something as my expectations were very high! Me and my two dining companions got a few maki rolls as well - deep fried oyster, crab and one of the house maki (I forget which one - the katsu roll, I think). They were all very good (esp. the crab) but it would be hard to beat that Toro!

As has been said before, the prices looks rather high at first glance, but the size of the pieces is also at least twice that of those found at most sushi places, and the quality so much higher that by the end of the meal it almost feels like a bargain!

I'm looking forward to returning soon, on a quieter night hopefully, and sitting at the bar - there were no seats there this time. I was a little sad about that - but at least it gives me a good excuse to go back soon.

I love sushi, but am far from an expert. In fact when I've ordered the sweet shrimp, I've thought the deep fried shrimp heads were for garnish.

Is there a technque for eating these rascals? Does one crunch through the whole thing...eat the back half (leaving the antenna/pointy mouth parts), or perhaps such the heads ala crawfish?

Hi,

There are two types of people: peelers and eaters. I eat the whole thing: head, shell and all.

A friend breaks the shrimp at the 'neck' and sucks in the goodness, then peels the body and eats it.

If you are especially lucky, your shrimp will be full of eggs which are quite a delightful bonus.

I hope this helps!

Regards,

fishie wrote:I love sushi, but am far from an expert. In fact when I've ordered the sweet shrimp, I've thought the deep fried shrimp heads were for garnish.

Is there a technque for eating these rascals? Does one crunch through the whole thing...eat the back half (leaving the antenna/pointy mouth parts), or perhaps such the heads ala crawfish?

I'm no expert either, but for what it's worth, I didn't eat the harder "back" shell (if you see what I mean) but ate everything else, including antenna/pointy mouth parts. I ate it in a manner that could be best described as "clumsy" or "undignified" but It tasted great and I'm still here 6 days later so I'll take that as good sign. The only reason I didn't eat the back shell thingy is that it didn't seem to have much "give" to it so I left it as I wasn't sure how edible it was. I'll try it next time however (thanks Cathy!)

A pretty unhelpful/unknowledgeable post. My apologies

Lionrock wrote:A pretty unhelpful/unknowledgeable post. My apologies

This is not acceptable!

You provided quite a lovely post and affirmed you are still alive despite eating something you questioned yourself over 6 days ago!

Go forth and post again with no apologies!

Regards,

LionRock wrote:I didn't eat the harder "back" shell (if you see what I mean) but ate everything else, including antenna/pointy mouth parts.

Lion Rock and Cathy,

I believe the two of you are talking about two different things. The deep-fried shrimp head at Katsu accompanies the body flesh of the shrimp, which is raw. Cathy is, and please correct me if I'm mistaken, referring to whole fried shell-on shrimp such as the Salt and Pepper shrimp at 'Little' Three Happiness.

In either case I eat the whole thing, be it deep-fried crunchy head at Katsu or head/shell/body/tail at LTH.

Both are absolutely delicious, as is the raw shrimp that accompanies the deep-fried shrimp head at Katsu. Humm, it just occurred to me that I mainly order (as it reads on Katsu's menu) Giant Sweet Shrimp (w/Fried Head) for the fried head.

Enjoy,
Gary

G Wiv wrote:Humm, it just occurred to me that I mainly order (as it reads on Katsu's menu) Giant Sweet Shrimp (w/Fried Head) for the fried head.

You're not alone.. the head is my fave part, especially with a little salt. I tend to eat the matchstick-sized antennae first, and then the head, and then the back shell.

I would imagine a lot of people like the shrimp but not the head, and they certainly must have extra heads from the steamed ebi. It seems like it should be possible to just get a head instead of head+shrimp.

For the Katsu shrimp, I do not eat the tail. The head has been cooked in a light batter and is wonderful. The tail, however, is raw, and raw shell doesn't seem too appetizing.

G Wiv wrote:Both are absolutely delicious, as is the raw shrimp that accompanies the deep-fried shrimp head at Katsu. Humm, it just occurred to me that I mainly order (as it reads on Katsu's menu) Giant Sweet Shrimp (w/Fried Head) for the fried head.

Enjoy,
Gary

Yes, the fried head was one of the best things I ate at Katsu (along with the toro and the uni). Now that I think about it, although the contrast with the sweet raw shrimp was wonderful, I could have very happily have eaten the head alone.

Jonah wrote:For the Katsu shrimp, I do not eat the tail. The head has been cooked in a light batter and is wonderful. The tail, however, is raw, and raw shell doesn't seem too appetizing.

Jonah,

Right, absolutely, I knew I was forgetting something in my post. Raw shell is not appetizing in the least.

Enjoy,
Gary

Jonah wrote:For the Katsu shrimp, I do not eat the tail. The head has been cooked in a light batter and is wonderful. The tail, however, is raw, and raw shell doesn't seem too appetizing.

Ah, so I'm not crazy. I didn't think the shell seemed like it would be much fun to eat...

Why is raw shell less appetizing than cooked heads?

I judge all shrimp dishes by all parts of the whole shrimp.

I learned this in Brasil where we would go, literally, to the portugues-style dory boats that went out every morning and were back by 8:30 with their catch spread out on the sand. You had to get there early if you wanted anything specific, like big shrimp, or tiny shrimp, or especially fish of a certain type and size.

If I understand correctly (and I'm trying to learn, I'm asking my dad to take me to Katsu for a graduation great), we've got fried heads, raw shrimp (sweet shrimp? please explain) and raw tails, right?

What's the difference between a raw shrimp tail, texture-wise, and a soft-shell crab shell?

Am I just missing something here?

I must confess that when I buy shrimp I do a random sample to see if they need to be deveined. I am not confessing my standards for that laborious work.

annieb wrote:If I understand correctly (and I'm trying to learn, I'm asking my dad to take me to Katsu for a graduation great), we've got fried heads, raw shrimp (sweet shrimp? please explain) and raw tails, right?

When you order amaebi ("sweet shrimp" aka raw) sushi or sashimi at Katsu, and at a lot of other sushi bars, you get:

A deep-fried shrimp head, including shell

A piece of raw, deveined and sometimes butterflied, tail-on shrimp sashimi or nigirizushi.

I don't eat the tail at all, either, and I'm fairly sure it's not expected or encouraged. I've never had a sushi chef correct me for not eating the tail (even if they have corrected me for other mis-steps, like not eating the daikon or shiso that come with the sashimi).

Actually, at Yakko last night my finger caught on a little sharp bit of the tail. No blood drawn, but it was enough to startle me. I'm not sure I'd want to put it in my mouth..

annieb wrote:... we've got fried heads, raw shrimp (sweet shrimp? please explain) and raw tails, right?

Well, the raw shrimp is still attached to the raw tail "fin", so you get 2 things. The fried head and the raw shrimp meat with tail "fin" attached.

annieb wrote:... What's the difference between a raw shrimp tail, texture-wise, and a soft-shell crab shell?

You really are not supposed to eat the raw tail "fin". At least it will not taste good. I believe the tail "fin" is left attached for aesthetic reasons.

CrazyC wrote:
You really are not supposed to eat the raw tail "fin". At least it will not taste good. I believe the tail "fin" is left attached for aesthetic reasons.

It also makes a convenient handle to hold the shrimp by so you don't accidentally bite your fingers off.

David Hammond wrote:Chirashi is my benchmark sashimi dish: cuts of fish in a bowl of vinegared rice, sprinkled with roe. Very simple, but I feel it shows off the fish to advantage. The sashimi in my Katsu chirashi was not entirely satisfactory. The slices of tuna, octopus, etc., were generous but, if this makes any sense, TOO generous in the sense that they were quite large and thick.
<snip>
For dessert, I had the veal liver in garlic chives, and it was really quite shockingly salty (and I am a major fan of salt).

Hammond,

Katsu's sushi, sashimi are a particular style, if I'm not mistake, and I may very well be, Kyoto, whereas the cuts are slightly larger, which includes chirashi as well as nigari and sashimi.

In reference to the "Authentic Japanese Dishes" on Katsu's menu, they are a bit on the salty side as they are often used as appetizers and/or drinking food. I've downed quite a few orders of beef tongue with a squeeze of lemon, dash of salt, shake of shichimi-togarashi while drinking sake and chatting at Katsu's sushi bar. I'm also partial to the Mino/grilled beef tripe, which is both a bit chewy and salty, and the Nirareba/veal liver.

Please don't misinterpret, you've been around-the-world, have a well developed, sensitive palate, which I have a great deal of respect for and, from what I've seen, are well open to input irrespective of source. Katsu's style not being to your taste in no way delegitimizes your preference, I'm simply pointing out it's not just a matter of happenstance on their part.

Or.......someone just got carried away with the salt shaker while making the veal liver that evening.

Enjoy,
Gary

G Wiv wrote:Katsu's sushi, sashimi are a particular style, if I'm not mistake, and I may very well be, Kyoto, whereas the cuts are slightly larger, which includes chirashi as well as nigari and sashimi.

In reference to the "Authentic Japanese Dishes" on Katsu's menu, they are a bit on the salty side as they are often used as appetizers and/or drinking food. I've downed quite a few orders of beef tongue with a squeeze of lemon, dash of salt, shake of shichimi-togarashi while drinking sake and chatting at Katsu's sushi bar. I'm also partial to the Mino/grilled beef tripe, which is both a bit chewy and salty, and the Nirareba/veal liver.

Hey Gary,

You may very well be right about the "style" of Katsu's fish-cutting technique; perhaps it's just not to my preference...and perhaps I should have had the veal liver with pre-dinner sake rather than for dessert.

Of interest, I did get a PM from another Katsu customer, who told me of similar "downhill alert"-type experiences -- unlike myself, this poster wanted to go a few more times before coming to a conclusion (of course, limited data has never kept me from holding an opinion ).

Hammond

Hammond

David Hammond wrote:"downhill alert"-type experiences -- unlike myself, this poster wanted to go a few more times before coming to a conclusion (of course, limited data has never kept me from holding an opinion ).

Hammond,

Having had a solo dinner at Katsu this evening I am issuing an Up-Hill Alert, no, wait, that implies I thought they had slipped. Correction, I am issuing a Even Better Than Ever alert!

Started with, as if you can't guess, Mirareba (veal liver w/fresh garlic chives) Yes, there is a noticeable salt flavor, though I find it a nice start to a meal.


Next, as I was in an offal mood, I had Mino (grilled beef tripe w/garlic sauce) This is served with a dipping sauce of sesame oil, scallion, sea salt and black pepper, not dissimilar to what is often served with kalbi, and is a favorite. One bite and my temperament swung from offal to positively cheery.


Next up was mixed sashimi with a one Giant Sweet Shrimp nigri and two fried heads. (great idea to ask for extra head, thanks Ed F)


The Mackerel was particularly good this evening, and the fried shrimp heads, eye-popping delicious.


I asked Katsu about serving slightly larger size sashimi and nigari, his answer was not Kyoto style, Katsu style. He went on to say that many Itamae cut fish to match the width of the four fingers of their hand together, Katsu splays his fingers a bit for Katsu size pieces.

I've been going to Katsu pretty regularly for years, have had the occasional service gaff, even the occasional overcooked duck or beef, but never had anything but absolutely pristine sushi/sashimi, which what I typically focus on, menu wise.

I should also add that I quite enjoy cooked food at Katsu, in fact tonight I brought home an order of Sukiyaki for my wife. She is slightly under the weather and Sukiyaki is one of her comfort foods.

Enjoy,
Gary

annieb wrote:What's the difference between a raw shrimp tail, texture-wise, and a soft-shell crab shell? .

Annieb,

I don't quite get the comparison? No one I know, especially me, eats raw soft-shell crab shell, same for raw shrimp shell.

Just to be clear, at Katsu the preparation of Giant Sweet Shrimp w/Fried Head (see picture in my last post to this thread) the shrimp head is fried, the shrimp flesh is raw (uncooked) and the small tail attached to the raw flesh of the shrimp is uncooked as well.

Most people, including me, eat the fried shrimp head, raw/uncooked shrimp flesh and leave the uncooked tail.


My suggestion, go to Katsu and order a Giant Sweet Shrimp w/Fried Tail or two.

Enjoy,
Gary