Out & About #309 | Katsuya + Soul Cafe (Round 2)

It's not uncommon to find a brief expansion of Koreatown just north of Finch. Rather, the North York/Thornhill area houses quite a number of unique (and significantly more economic) traditional and fusion options than slightly south of TTC's northmost subway station.

Throughout my eating excursions, I've discovered that fusion dishes can be a hit or miss, with the latter being the more prominent result. Katsuya prides themselves with the title of "Japanese Fusion Tonkatsu" on their storefront; a bold red outline of a kurobuta-like silhouette make up half of their simplistic logo design.

The Korean-operated restaurant took a no-frills approach to their name: "katsu" in Japanese means a deep-fried cutlet while "ya" generally refers to a house or some form of compact eatery. Their menu ranged from cheesy, panko-crusted creations to appetizers such as karaage to katsu accompanied by their housemade fruits-veggies sauce. Further expanding on the existing number of flavour choices, each was offered in six protein types: Pork Loin, Pork Tender, Chicken, Cheese, Double Cheese, and Fish, which varied in price accordingly. It was a rather interesting approach to the Japanese rendition, which exclusively served Tonkatsu in a rice and cabbage slaw set. One of their more recent additions included Terri Mayo Katsu, a style adopting an okonomiyaki-esque appeal, and Carbonara Katsu, a creamy and impossibly indulgent take on the casual dish.

​We pulled into the small plaza approximately quarter after noon. With the exception of Mr. Meat, a space-needy Halal butcher shop, Katsuya was the only other occupant of the area. Yet, out of the fourteen already-cramped parking spots, all had been reserved for clients of Mr. Meat, leaving a meager three spots for Katsuya customers. To enhance parking complications, all three of these spots were situated adjacent to the entrace of the plaza too.
I suppose it was by sheer fortune that one of these spaces emptied a few minutes after our arrival; others were spotted parking elsewhere and braving the frigid trek to the restaurant.

​Katsuya consisted of seven 4-person tables and a series of six bar seats along the eastward facing window pane. It was largely peaceful during the first half hour of our entry, but during evening periods and times of high traffic though, it can be anticipated that the seats will fill up rapidly.

Despite its size as viewed from the outside, the dining area was, in fact, very roomy. High ceilings boast room for intricate cage-like lighting; short planks of design-embossed wood posed for superb contrast against matte black walls. An amusing finish was the implementation of rustic faucet handles as coat hooks for backless booth and bar seats. And as someone who never travels light, the the fact that their hollow rectangular stools provided extra space for bags and personal belongings was much appreciated.

​From the lofty chalkboard wall installation for doodles to the unlacquered toilet paper holder of a pipe to the widespread usage of wooden furnishings, this industrial vibe resonated throughout the remainder of the restaurant.

​Flipping through the laminated sheets of the menu, two items in particular caught our attention: the Original Japanese Katsu and Katsuya Original. After much discussion, we settled for an appetizer of Tako Wasabi and the two aforementioned katsu dishes. Shortly after placing our order, we were served hot water in mugs assuming a ribbed but uniformly black exterior as well as piping bowls of miso soup.

Anime played silently on a screen above the kitchen as cheerful banter took place amongst the customers below.

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Tako Wasabi - a personal favourite that initially discovered via MeNami's tapas list - was served in a similar format to the Sanuki udon-specialized shop: a small bowl contained the horseradish-marinated raw octopus bits while strips of seaweed surrounded it. The dish retained similar aromas, but was dissimilar in that there was an underlying layer of wakame salad. The seaweed strips had evidently been roasted beforehand, seeing that they possessed perfect crunchiness while being devoid of fragility. Katsuya had also taken to slathering the well-seasoned seafood bites with a plentiful portion of wasabi - an amount that packed a powerful punch even for wasabi-lovers such as myself.

The Original Japanese tonkatsu and fish Katsuya Original arrived almost immediately after, both shocking us with their tremendous size. (Each meal set spanned almost two feet!)

Served with separate dishes of sesame seeds, tangy Worchester sauce, steamed white rice, and ponzu-drizzled cabbage slaw, the original Japanese version permitted maximum user involvement in the consumption process. Toasted sesame seeds could first be ground to the customer's liking, then added into the sauce dish in the desire proportion. The tonkatsu itself was served independently on a cooling rack.

​While I've definitely tried my share of tonkatsu dishes in the past, I had never tasted anything vaguely as extraordinary as Katsuya's. Unbelievably tender pork was coated in a thin layer of panko boasting optimum freshness. The surface was, in a way, oddly fluffy-looking, and extremely crispy at the same time. Supple strips of meat peaked through the non-greasy golden brown panko crumbs in a way that made the red meat-eschweing creature within me rejoice. (I mean, I could almost see the halo above it.)
Eaten alone, it was liberating and satisfying; accompanied with a tangy-savoury sauce, it was comforting and easy on digestion.

​The Fish Katsu, which had been cooked in an equally formidable manner, was enveloped in a slightly thicker panko coating but exhibited an identical amount of fluffiness to the original Japanese version. Flaky bits of sizzling white fish easily came apart from underneath its tan-hued exterior, as if it had been meticulously steamed as opposed to tossed into a temperature-controlled deep fryer and thoroughly drained afterwards.
Atop the sliced segements was a ladled portion of Katsuya's house sauce, which, according to the menu, had been concocted from a blend of fruits and vegetables to achieve the correct flavour blend and consistency. It is to my belief that the enzymes in particular combinations of natural produce aid in breaking down the meat even further, consequently enhancing texture. 

​All components of the meal set were warmly welcomed, even the cabbage slaw and short-grain rice. Tonkatsu is generally served with other elements that assist in cutting grease and alleviating the oily aftereffects experienced mid- and post-utilization. Suprisingly, I didn't manage to observe either properties in Katsuya's creations: neither a lingering slickness nor atrocious oily fumes were perceived in the slightest.

In addition, washroom stalls were clean and filled with ample supplies. Most importantly, service was impeccable. The pleasant deameanours and friendly attitudes of the staff members were unexpected from such a casual eatery, but greatly appreciated nonetheless. I commend them for their unwavering patience despite the chaotic lunch rush.

Rare is it that I enjoy katsu on such a profound level. As such, it can be anticipated that future visits will be made to Katsuya, even if it means attaining my end goal via public transit or by parking in some faraway lot.


A fellow K-Pop enthusiast strongly defended Soul Cafe's bingsoo after I relayed my choking concerns to her over a chocolate-filled hangout session, even comparing it to the likes of the desserts she tried while in Seoul.
I gave the rundown cafe the benefit of the doubt and decided to visit a second time to validate her claim.

This time around, a Hot Grapefruit Tea and Coffee Bingsoo were ordered.

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For a quiet mid-afternoon shift, the two girls were operating below normal levels of efficiency; the one taking my order at the cashier seemed half-awake while repeating my requested items. The condiment table hadn't been properly replenished either.

Either way, both items arrived on the countertop within an acceptable period of time. The Hot Grapefruit Tea, which I had clearly indicated for to appear in a takeout cup, was presented in a small glass mug (like the one used at Yogoberri to serve small cups of frozen yogurt).
For whatever reason the cafe chooses to tack on extra charges for iced beverages is beyond me, considering that the same absentminded girl was witnessed retrieving a plastic container of grapefruit pulp from the refrigerator and microwaving it before mixing. The resulting product tasted more of simply syrup than it did of tea, even though half the cup had been filled with pulp.

Coffee Bingsoo arrived atop a dusty plastic tray with Cheerios and corn flakes poured on in excess instead of the advertised almond slivers. Caramel and chocolate sauce acted as the finishing touches.
As with the previous visit, flavour powder/syrups had been spooned between layers of ice at varying depths, but all was drowned underneath the overwhelming amount of sugary syrups and stale cereal. It also melted quicker than I would have enjoyed. Perhaps its sole redeeming aspect was the chocolate chip-comprising coffee ice cream.

​In conclusion, Soul Cafe remains subpar to Snow Time's airy snow ice. Beverages-wise, their selection is on the pricey side with frankly unjustifiable quality.

Onto the next adventure! (After this week's quizzes, that is...)

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