This is a very tough review for me to write because I'm going to say at the outset that the quality of everything was amazing, but I couldn't believe how high the prices were! I'm not one to usually complain about prices and rarely do I feel sticker shock, but this was just beyond the pale.
We decided to try Katsu because we had heard from numerous sources that it was the most authentic Japanese in Chicago. So we went with our Japanese friends to make sure we could get an authentic second opinion. Katsu is kind of in the boonies on Peterson. Its exterior is very unassuming and you would guess you were entering a $15/head sushi bar. When you enter, you would probably suspect you were confirming your belief because the decor is very bland and downscale.
Then you open the menu and you are magically transported to the land of overpriced sushi. I honestly thought that the chef was trying to mimic Nobu in NY. He even had the phrase "experience the essence of Chef Katsu's cuisine," which copied the "experience the essence of Chef Matsuhisa's cuisine" from Nobu's menu. The prices seem to copy Nobu too. Thankfully, the sushi is far better than the garbage they serve at Nobu.
Like in a traditional Japanese Izakaya (a Japanese style bar serving tapas size portions of food), there was a complimentary dish to start with. The bean sprouts and seitan were highly chilled and refreshing, but left me saying, "meh".
The agedashi tofu was fantastic though and the little matsutake mushrooms and scallions were perfect with the delicious miso-sake broth. The quality of the tofu was exemplary.
The fried oysters shocked me with how delicious they were. I was worried we were going to receive standard Izakaya fried foods, but the oysters were fresh and brimming with flavor. The tartare sauce was not overwhelming and complimented the oysters with a nice tang.
The miso-basted duck was disappointing. The meat was ok, but kind of overcooked. The portion was very small (especially for $19), and the miso flavor nothing special. The Kyoto style presentation was very nice though.
Onto the sushi! The rolls were well filled with high quality fish. The super white and spicy tuna were both delicious. The octopus with shizo was a bad choice though. The shizo easily overwhelmed the subtle flavors of the octopus and proved dissatisfying. One of our Japanese friends explained to us that this combination is traditional in Japan, but also hit or miss amongst the crowd. Some people love the flavor of the shizo, others have the complaint that JF and I registered.
The Chef's special sushi and Sashimi was very beautiful and contained the freshest cuts of fish I've had the pleasure of eating in Chicago. The presentation was adorned with gold leaf and various flowers, but to be honest, it was a little much. One of my Japanese friends said "I don't need this gold, how about not using it and just lowering the price?" I couldn't agree more! $46 for a few pieces of nigiri and sashimi was just outrageous even with delicious fish. The star of the plate was the yellowtail and the sweet shrimp. Both were unbelievably fresh. The sweet shrimp came with the fried head which was delicious even if a tentacle attacked me and lodged itself in my gum. The salmon with the large salmon roe on top was very good. The super white was good, but a little mushy/liquidy - meaning it had been frozen at some point. The maguro was quite good and better than most. There was some Coi (Carp) that was decent, but nothing special. The sashimi consisted of chu-toro (medium grade fatty tuna), hamachi, and tamago. The chu-toro was ok, but the hamachi, like its nigiri counterpart, was excellent. How egg custard can make it on a plate of chef special and sea urchin cannot I may never understand.
A quick note that the wasabi was fresh grated and wonderful.
Because we were still hungry we ordered more a la carte. We had to try the sea urchin and it was very disappointing. Really a big let down. Tasted cheap and generic. It even had a little fishy flavor. The spider roll was decent, but nothing special and at $16 for 4 pieces it was a little outrageous. The unagi maki was the worst part of the meal. The roll had very little eel and the eel was overcooked to the point of being burned. And at $9 for a tiny roll, this was daylight robbery.
Katsu had some of the freshest sushi I've ever tasted this side of the pacific, but it could not justify its prices. When I compare it to my beloved Toro sushi I have to say the quality is actually, for the most part, slightly better. But a 5% increase in quality does not justify over double the prices. One piece of salmon a la carte costs $8! Compare that with two pieces of roughly equal quality salmon at Toro for $5.
Even beyond the sticker shock, there was just no creativity in the dishes. I understand this is a traditional Japanese restaurant, but I've been spoiled by the creativity we see around Chicago in general. These days, I expect more than burnt eel and cucumber roll.
Despite the quality of the fish, I left Katsu feeling very disappointed.
All in all I would grade Katsu a C+
DOES NOT MAKE THE LIST
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