Katsuya: Japanese pork cutlets in Coquitlam
Katsuya is a Japanese restaurant located in Coquitlam near Lougheed (K-town). They specialize in tonkatsu, deep-fried pork cutlets.
This review is based on an in-dining experience prior to covid-19. They are open for takeout and delivery through skip the dishes, door dash and Uber eats.
Interior
The interior is kind of an awkward shape but it’s spacious enough. Seats are standard wooden chairs and their overall colour scheme is wood and black. Generally, it looks quite trendy.
They have a really cool wall map that shows all the Katsuya locations across Canada. It’s brightly lit inside.
Food
We order their signature tonkatsu as well as a few appetizers that seemed interesting.
Fries with honey butter ($6)
This item caught my eye because I love fries but I have never tried honey butter fries. I was surprised at its appearance because they look like regular fries to me. Specifically, regular frozen french fries that I can cook in my own oven.
The magic with these fries is the powder they have sprinkled over these fries. I originally thought it would be some kind of a liquid, not a powder but they strangely do taste like honey butter.
So recap of this item is that the fries itself are pretty below average, but the powder they use is quite unique.
Cheese crabmeat croquette ($7)
This item caught my boyfriend’s eye so we order it as well. There are 5 little croquette balls topped with a tartare sauce.
The inside is a burst of crab flavour but not enough cheese so don’t expect any cheesy pulls. The croquettes were super hot too when we bite in so it was fried fresh.
Carbonara udon ($14)
Another interesting menu item (their menu has some very unique variations) – the carbonara udon. Their carbonara sauce uses fresh cream, shrimp, squid, bacon, and vegetables.
The taste is surprisingly a little spicy even though we did not order the red carbonara (spicy version). I find it was a little too sweet and overwhelming as they put a lot of carbonara sauce in this dish (almost like a soup). After trying a few bites, I decide not to waste my stomach room on this dish.
One thing to add is that they offer different types of carbonara katsu, which I assume they would use the same sauce.
Original pork loin katsu ($16)
Katsuya has a huge selection of pork cutlets. I’m talking pork cutlets, chicken cutlets, fish cutlets, sweet potato cutlets – all here! I’m also talking about curry cutlets, carbonara cutlets, cheese cutlets, garlic, spicy – you name it, also all here.
But since it’s our first time here, we have to try their original pork loin katsu. This is usually how we compare it against competitors.
Like many other tonkatsu restaurants, it comes with unlimited miso soup and cabbage if you order a tonkatsu set. The portions are big for the price and they have their own in-house tonkatsu sauce made with over 5 seasonal fruits, 10 vegetables, and 6 organic herbs.
I really do like the sauce as it is savoury and light. The deep-fried texture of the tonkatsu is not as lightly fried as Saku or Mr. Tonkatsu, but it is still quite delicious. I do find near the end that the deep-fried skin started separating from the meat though.
Final thoughts
Katsuya is a great tonkatsu addition to Coquitlam. Their menu is extensive and unique with a choice for anyone. I also think their menu empowers their kitchen to be quite efficient as they use the same ingredients and sauces over a variation of different cuts of meat.
Service was good and the food arrived quickly upon ordering. Prices are reasonable and portion sizes are large.
In comparison to other tonkatsu joints in the Greater Vancouver area, Katsuya is slightly above average but not at the premium levels of Saku or Mr. Tonkatsu.
Sincerely, Loewe