Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu

Feeling the need to splurge?! The A5 Miyazaki Sirloin ($55) was decadent. A little too fatty for me, the marbled beef was truly melt-in-your-mouth and can come off kinda greasy in my opinion. I would suggest going for the more affordable options to get your money’s worth.

Non-beef eaters, don’t fret, cause I am happy to report that the Seafood Katsu Zen ($32) was yums. The salmon was flakey and moist - great with the tartar sauce. The jumbo ebi was well-executed; beautifully battered and the shrimp tasted fresh. Oh wow and the juicy-sweet scallops were the unanimous favourite at the table.

Bringing over their signature menu of breaded and deep-fried beef cutlets from Japan, the famed beef katsu chain, Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu has finally reached our shores. Mark your calendar for their official opening tomorrow, September 7 at the basement of Raffles City!

Starting from $25, note that each set comes with an assortment of dipping sauces, an onsen egg, Kyoto-style curry, red miso soup, and unlimited servings of rice as well as cabbage with deliciously refreshing Yuzu Shoyu dressing. From sirloin, chuck tail flap, tenderloin, tongue, to the more premium wagyu; it is pretty hard to decide so I would recommend going straight for the half-and-half option! And so we went with the Sirloin and Tenderloin ($29) as well as the Sirloin and Beef Tongue ($32) set.

I had tried gyukatsu from other stores so I would say the Sirloin offered is pretty similar to the cut you would usually get from the sets in Japan. Leaner, decently marbled, and a safe well-balanced choice - good with a quick searing. However, the option of thicker Tenderloin and succulent Beef Tongue can’t be missed. That much more satisfying to bite into, the Tenderloin needed extra minutes on the hot plate but was supple, beefy and not cloying. Similarly, the Beef Tongue was toothsome, by no means gamey and had that fun tender bite. The togarashi miso sauce with every order of tongue was also umami, not spicy. Chef’s kisses.