Katsu-ya

Being that this is my favorite restaurant in LA, it's a little surprising that I didn't blog on Katsu-ya first. In fact, I could probably keep an entire blog on Katsu-ya and their franchises with their magically delicious cuisine. With new Katsu-ya locations popping up everywhere, it's important to note their distinctions. The original Katsu-ya lives in a strip mall in Studio City and has a sister store down Ventura in Encino. Their red-headed step-sisters are the Brent Bolthouse owned, Philipe Starck designed locations in Brentwood and Hollywood (with more locations to come). The Michael Jackson of the group is Izakaya in mid-city. Why is Izakaya the best you ask, because it takes the ideas, philosophies, and menu from the original location in its entirety and adds on, without becoming pretentious, a la $15 valet at the Hollywood location. The Encino and Studio City locations are the most low-key with the Brentwood and Hollywood locations being really glitzy (think glam rock sushi) and Izakaya living somewhere in the middle. No matter which location you fancy, fan favorites span the franchise. First and foremost is the sushi crack, the crispy rice with spicy tuna. It's that little hashbrown looking thing that EVERYONE around you has ordered. And the crispy rice does taste a bit like a hashbrown, only with spicy tuna and jalapeno on top. There's no sauce, but it's a little greasy, so you don't really need any. Next up, cut baked crab roll. They offer this in a hand roll as well, but it's not nearly as good as the cut. This one is served warm (naturally because it's baked) with real shredded crab and rice wrapped in soy paper. This comes with no sauce on it, but it's good with just regular old soy sauce. Third, you've got to get the crispy sesame tuna, which somewhat resembles tuna tartare with avocado on a crispy chip all topped with a creamy sauce. Unfortunately there's only two to an order, but it's definitely worth everyone at the table getting at least one. Other popular favorites include the yuzu peppers (only about 1 in 10 is spicy), spicy albacore with crispy onions (seared albacore under fried onions with ponzu on top, what more can you ask for?), fried mozzarella tempura, creamy rock shrimp tempura (the last two are great for people who don't like sushi, and both are served hot). The traditional rolls are good too, but that's not why people come back in droves. If you have a hankering for a more traditional sushi experience, go for the yellowtail sashimi tasting, the red snapper sashimi with yuzu, the albacore sushi (melts in your mouth), and the Robert roll (tuna, crab, and shrimp roll - very popular, and delicious!). Katsu-ya is a great place to try to coax people who say they don't like sushi into liking it. Most items are cooked, so there's no being weirded out by raw fish. At the Hollywood and Brentwood locations the menu also includes a robata grill. Izakaya's menu boasts some unique extras like Katsu-ya fries served with 3 different kinds of ketchup and mayonnaise. If you don't have a reservation expect to wait at least 30 minutes at any location and don't plan on leaving without fishing out about $30 a person - AT LEAST. Proof that the great things in life aren't free. Valet is the best parking option for any location, and they all get their fair share of celebrities, if that kind of thing is important to you.

http://www.sushikatsu-ya.com/home.html