Otaku Katsu

That Fish Katsu Sando ($13) though!!!! It's been almost 2 months since I had it, wondering why I haven't gone back for it yet. Easily one of the best things I'd eaten in a while, and not sure if you can find anything like it anywhere else here in NYC. The fish is so fresh & crispy, and the cabbage/slaw ties the sandwich all together. Seaweed chips make a yummy, fun pairing.

My boyfriend had the Pork Katsu ($14) platter which came with seasoned rice, shredded cabbage and pickles. He thought it was good, until he had the other half of my fish sando - he immediately regretted getting his platter and wished he ordered a whole fish sandwich for himself. That's definitely the move for next time.

FYI:

- The space is very small and cramped, so there might be a small wait depending on the time you go. We managed to snag the last 2 seats right by the window around 2pm on a Saturday
- We had to pay 75 cents for a cup of tap water
- Don't forget to check in before you pay for the 25% off discount!

Came here on a Tuesday night, it was fairly empty at first but filled up by the end of our meal.

I had the chicken katsu with a side of curry, we also ordered a bacon steak sando.

The food took a while to come and some people who ordered after us got their order first (even though we ordered some similar items), but they looked super busy so it is understandable.

They forgot to give us the drinks we ordered until we asked (looks like a consistent issue as I saw many customers going up to the cashier to ask for their paid drinks after receiving their food)

My katsu was decent. It wasn't the best I had but it wasn't bad. I loved the cabbage slaw that came on the side with it. The rice was a little too soft for my liking. The curry looked like a vegetable curry- it has carrots and potatoes inside. Mixed it with my rice and katsu and it was really good!

I tried a bite of the bacon steak sando. It had a great smoky flavor but I personally do not like pork belly as I dont like the fatty texture.

There was a guy who was either the manager/owner- he was really nice and polite to customers but seemed to have a temper in the kitchen and to the staff. It was a open kitchen so I heard everything. Dude kept dropping f bombs and yelling at the kitchen staff, pretty sure all the customers in the small store could hear him. We found it amusing, and a little disturbing at the same time.

Tucked into the basement level of a complex, Otaku Katsu is extremely cramped and fits maybe no more than eight patrons at once. When I came here on Valentine's Day with two of my girlfriends, three people were already inside. Our only option was to take the bar table along the wall. We eventually migrated to the round table when it freed up.

The menu is not extensive but it offers a decent variety - Katsus with rice or sandwiches. I love Japanese egg salad sandwiches and it looked so good, but I didn't want to pay that much for it so I ended up getting the salmon katsu sandwich, which came with seaweed chips. I regretted going with the salmon katsu sandwich instead of the egg salad. The salmon was very dry and bland. It also really lacked sauce. But the seaweed chips are pretty good and we had extremely great service here. Frankly speaking, I would come back to try the egg salad sandwich.

I love coming to Otaku Katsu. I mean what anime nerd wouldn't love to come to a place called Otaku? And Katsu! So I had to try. And so I came back several more times because it makes me happy. And very full. But definitely satisfied.

So like a lot of places in LES: small shop with not a lot of seating for dining in but a great view for people watching. Make sure you washed your hands and went to the bathroom ahead of time because they do not have one available for your convenience, which is a big gripe for me when dining in a restaurant.

The food is worth it: large portions and very filling. You might regret eating everything in one sitting only because the fried food catches up. But overall, the katsu is nice, big, and crispy (I've tried the pork and chicken) and their katsu sandos are also crispy and delicious (salmon is my go-to but the pork was great as well, just really filling). I love their okonomiyaki fries too. These definitely have Japanese flavors similar to the likes of takoyaki.

I haven't tried their cold drinks, but I usually order their hot tea (I believe they serve genmaicha) to balance out my meal.

No bathrooms.
Accepts cash and card.
Open decently late.

Itadakimasu!

The new katsu place just opened its doors in place of the old katsu place, with some similar menu items but definitely several more unique things to try.

I just tried the classic chicken and pork, which were excellent, nice and crispy and worth trying both as sandwiches and with rice, but there are also cool things like the BEC katsu and the bacon steak if you want something different. They also have onigiri in 3 flavors for $6 each. The spam & egg is excellent; the bacon & corn maybe a little too ricey but also very tasty.

It's opening day so they're still working out kinks, like no soft serve as is usually the case, so I'll be back soon to try that.

I'm so glad this hidden gem reopened. Otaku Katsu opened recently in Tongkatsu's former spot. They still serve one of the best (if not THE best) katsus and fries that I've had in the city. I overheard the chef say that the former owner of Tongkatsu (which also happens to be his friend) left the city, so he decided to open up his own katsu spot in this very spot.

I had the pork katsu bento, which came with seasoned rice, cabbage, pickles and burnt lemon. My other friends had the chicken and fish katsus. We also split an order of their mentaiko fries and hiyayako (chilled tofu with scallions, bonito flakes and ginger.)

My pork katsu was prepared wonderfully and was extremely flavorful. Surprisingly, none of our katsus were dry, but rather juicy. I especially liked my friend's fish katsu as it was nice and flaky. And I don't even like fish like that. I think I will be coming back in the near future soon to order an entire fish katsu for myself. The hiyayako also tasted extremely fresh.

The mentaiko fries reminded me of Shake Shack's delicious crinkly-cut fries. They went extremely well with the spicy cod roe mayo. Best of all, the portion size was humongous.

To top it all off, I had their milk tea soft-served ice cream. It brought back memories of my favorite childhood White Rabbit candy. The milk flavor was very apparent.

Overall, I had an amazing first experience here at Otaku Katsu. The staff were extremely friendly and the venue was kept clean. The food was amazing and I can't wait to try out their other offerings in the near future.

When the staff writers of Eater declared L.A. the best food city in the country, I was prepared to fight. How could anyone cite any other city than New York the culinary capital of the world? I eventually relented because when it comes to Asian cuisines in particular, our Southern Californian competitor in culinary aptitude seems to do things better. Places dedicated to katsu sandwiches are a dime a dozen over there. But we need not be jealous any longer, for we have our very own sparkling haven to katsu bliss-- enter Otaku Katsu.

The menu reads like it was ripped out of my own food fantasies. I mean, they have salmon as a katsu option!! You can have your katsu as a sandwich or a rice dish. They have okonomiyaki fries (which I recognize from the menu of Emmy Squared, where the chef/owner used to work) and onigiri. They even have ice cream served on a pretzel cone. While I was here my eyes grew so much bigger than my stomach.

Somehow, I only ordered one thing, but the portion was huge. My salmon katsu came sandwiched between slices of huge white bread, lightly toasted and dressed with kewpie mayo, katsu sauce, and shredded cabbage. A very messy meal indeed, but an immensely satisfying one. The chips were an okay side but largely forgettable. I snuck a bite of my friend's onigiri, which came torched and had a nice smoky flavor. This is a promising start for Otaku Katsu. I can't wait to return for those fries and soft serve.

Otaku Katsu is a seriously underrated Japanese katsu shop. Their menu consists of Japanese sando plates, katsu plates, onigiri, and small plates. I was instantly drawn to their Bacon Steak Katsu Sando. I ignored my instinct to choose one of the more popular sandos like the chicken or pork, and took a leap of faith.

Fast forward 10 minutes later, and I was convinced I made the right decision. My sandwich was just as pleasing to the palate as it was to the eyes. Visually, the spread of the open sandwich with its purple lettuce and thick cut slabs of juicy bacon are complemented by the colorful pickled vegetables and generous pile of aonori chips. Aonori is a type of edible green seaweed often sprinkled onto chips or rice as seasoning. You are presented with a full plate and you will leave with a full stomach.

The sandwich is everything I dreamt of. Every bite is overwhelmingly delicious with the flavor of the smoked and grilled pork belly taking the spotlight. The pork belly's crispy outer edges are well balanced by its juicy center. All the other components of the sandwich help to temper the strong flavor of the pork belly. The pickled vegetables offer a brief palate cleanser in between bites.

The adorable decor of the space made me enjoy my meal more. The walls display different versions of Maneki-Neko and Daruma dolls, along with small potted plants.

The only thing I didn't like was that the Oolong Tea I ordered came straight from a bottle.

Omg so bomb.

We got the the Pork Katsu Sando, Yuzu Salmon Onigiri and Hiyayako. The pork Katsu sando was so flavorful, tender and juicy. The bread and meat ratio was good too.

The yuzu salmon onigiri was also good, it had a lot of flavor. I would recommend both, but definitely get the pork Katsu sando!

My new go to pork Katsu sando place.

This spot - love in the time of carryout (and quarantine!). Japanese comfort food that goes the distance literally and figuratively.

My cousin ordered takeaway as I was in the midst of packing up my apartment for a move at the end of August. This food travels well, making the trek from LES to Crown Heights on weekend subway service is no small feat. All the dishes we ordered were neatly arranged, well-dressed, and accessorized. The delight (devil, god, whatever!) is in the details.

Favorite of the order was Tamago Sando: a pillow-y soft, melt-in-your-mouth savory egg Kewpie sandwich. Happy this comes with a side of both "crunch" (Ruffles sprinkled with green nori) and "zing" (pickled garlic and ginger) for contrast! Grilled onigiri was fun to try, and Bacon went well with fruity Plum. Meat dishes, I mean, what's not to love? Hit chicken wings with Soy Yuzu glaze and of course it's delicious. Katsu comes crispy and sliced for efficient eating, and grilled lemon squeeze was a brilliant touch.