One of the first tasty looking spot we found in Seattle was Katsu Burger. We love katsu, and we love burger, so it was marriage made in heaven. We went shortly after they opened for the day so that we can get our lunch before the rush hour.

They had a partition at the entrance with low shelfs so that customers will walk towards the ordering counter instead of going to the eating area first. They had seating right up front from the entrance, but they also had another shelf with cherry blossom acting as a patrician.

The cherry blossom is not real tree, but it is pretty and gives the soft pop of nature into the room. And the “soft” touch is all it needs, as the space is VERY colorful with vivid colors everywhere. The cartoon mural on the left wall was most impressive and really fun to look at, with cute green Godzilla going after the Katsu Burger.

They had a good amount of seating with many tables and chairs. The wall facing the street was covered with huge windows, bringing in lots of natural light into the large space.

The ordering counter is to the right, in the back, with easy to read menu. They mixed the old with the new, combining red brick wall against vibrant colored walls. I liked the funky design in here, makes this space into a really fun atmosphere.

I saw a small stove that can be used during cold months. I don’t think this stove can heat up the entire space, but I don’t think it was meant for that. It is placed near the door, so I guess it is to keep the customers who are sitting near the door warm. The most surprising decoration in here was a giant purple octopus on the ceiling. He was quietly observing everyone…

Their burger offerings looked really good, it was not easy to choose. At the end, we went with Katsu Curry ($9.25) and Ninja Deluxe ($10.25). We also ordered side of fries, Nori ($3.15) and 12 Spice Blend ($3.15).

Katsu Curry Burger ($9.25) is made with Japanese Curry Powdered Natural Pork Loin Katsu, American Cheese, Tonkatsu Sauce, and their signature Curry Mayo. It was quite big, nicely crafted. The burger actually had more ingredients than it was described in the menu.

In Japan, katsu is usually eaten with a side of shredded cabbage, and this one had a good amount of shredded cabbage on top. It added nice fresh flavor and crisp texture. The katsu was cooked nicely, lightly fried so that it was not greasy. The curry flavor was nice, not overwhelming in aroma nor flavor, but just right. It was quite tasty!

Ninja Deluxe Burger ($10.25) is made with Crispy Natural Pork Loin Katsu, Cheddar Cheese, Bacon, Tonkatsu Sauce, and Japanese Mayo. This is one of their most popular burger. It was quite impressive, well put together with again, shredded cabbage on top for extra fresh flavor.

This one was very good too, very different flavor from the curry one, but you can taste the katsu itself a bit better without the curry flavor. Mix of tonkatsu sauce and mayo were great, and it went great with the katsu. With the size, it was filling and satisfying.

Now, let’s talk about fries. They have four different flavors, and we went with Nori ($3.15) and 12 Spice Blend ($3.15). Each order comes with a choice of one dipping sauce. It is sad that the fries don’t come with the burgers, making them a bit pricy overall.

For dipping sauce, we went with Spicy Mayo which is made with Sriracha and mayo, and Wasabi Mayo. The portion of the fries were pretty good, they were not skimpy on that, which was nice. The Nori fries were coated with roasted seaweed flakes, and they were quite tasty. I really liked it. The 12 Spice Blend was slightly spicy but not that much. Both fries were delicious, not overly greasy, soft and potato-y. The dipping sauces were really nice too, we certainly ate them all up!

We had high expectations and they did delivered pretty well. We really enjoyed all the food! They made comfort Japanese food, Western style, and they did it well. I am glad this store is not in NYC, because I would be going there all the time… The burgers were high quality and delicious, and the fries were addictive and tasty. Great spot for an easy lunch!

 

Katsu Burger Capitol Hill – 1410 12th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122