GYUKATSU Kyoto Katsugyu Kawaramachi-Takoyakushi — Restaurant in Kyoto

A great chain restaurant that offers various and affordable ways to eat Gyukatsu. If you love beef, and you love katsu, then this will be an easy recommendation.

The menu here isn't extensive and is quite focused. If you don't eat beef then it's best to just skip this place. Really, you are coming here for Gyukatsu (breaded deep fried beef). There are several cuts to choose from and various qualities as well. Which is great because if you can't tell the difference between them then you can just pick the cheaper option and save money. There are explanations for everything provided at your seat, from the food and how to use the hot plate if you choose to.

This was my first visit to any of their locations but I knew I had to try it here in Kyoto since it is where they originated from. I decided to order the Matcha Green Tea and Sirloin Gyukatsu Set. Drink and food came out in no time. The Matcha Green Tea tasted like fresh match green tea; served with lemon, it was refreshing. To be honest, I don't know why I ordered the Sirloin. I really wanted the Premium Wagyu but for some reason I thought I'd be okay with the Sirloin. The Sirloin ended up being acceptable for what it is. The katsu outside was crispy and while the inside was juicy, the flavor was subtle. This definitely wasn't wagyu, it lacked any of the intensity and texture you get when you bite into it. Thankfully, the set comes with sauces and salt to help with the meat's short comings. It's fun just experimenting with combining all the stuff the set comes with. And the price is affordable enough that I really shouldn't complain.

The dining area is quite intimate. We are talking about a max of 20 people can fit in here, so best not bring any big bags.

I enjoyed my meal here at Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu Kawaramachi. It was affordable and satisfied a craving for gyukatsu that I had. While this chain restaurant might not be for everyone, it should be an easy choice for any beef and...

We visited this restaurant around 3 PM on April 16. It was a very disappointing experience. The three of us had just finished lunch and had a tight travel schedule, but we wanted to try the restaurant’s signature dish, so we decided to share the most expensive set meal on the menu. Perhaps because of this, the only female staff member in the restaurant (who seemed to be the owner) treated us with clear disrespect. When we were ordering, she was visibly impatient and even rolled her eyes at us, which made us feel very uncomfortable.

To make things worse, after we left, we realized we had left something behind and returned to retrieve it. She stood there coldly, watching without offering any help. I told her I had left my bag, but she didn’t respond at all or make any effort to assist.

If the restaurant has a policy against customers sharing a meal, that should have been clearly communicated when we placed the order. We would have understood and respected that. However, she said nothing at the time, and instead chose to express dissatisfaction through unprofessional and rude behavior. This kind of attitude is shocking and seriously affects the overall dining experience. It’s also unfair to the other staff members who do take their jobs seriously. I hope the restaurant addresses this issue and provides proper training, or it risks losing more customers...

The food is as good as usual, but we were very unsatisfied with the service. The worker first forgot to bring the cooking pot (the little pot on the table to roast the steak) to my friend. After we asked for it, they brought it over without even saying sorry (very very rude from my experience with Japanese customer service). Also, they didn’t even bother to ask if we know how to eat or use everything. And ironically, the worker explained everything in great detail with perfect English to a Caucasian looking guy sitting next to us, who actually came in after us. I don’t know what they were thinking and is it because I was not speaking English with my friend. It was a terrible experience and my friend felt being left out the whole time. I felt very sorry for taking her here and leaving her a terrible impression of Kyoto. I’ve been to different stores of this chain restaurant and have never been treated like this before. Would not recommend going if you do not have a Caucasian appearance. Also just for reference, we are actually from Canada and speak perfect English, and we also spoke English with them so they’d know we could...