Kanpeki Tonkatsu — Restaurant in Johns Creek

I’ve eaten here a few times, and frankly, there are several problems.

First, in Japan, shredded cabbage at a tonkatsu restaurant is cut extremely fine. Here, it’s thickly shredded. Considering that American cabbage is already tougher than Japanese cabbage, cutting it thick makes the texture unpleasantly coarse.

It seems the cabbage here is being served as a salad substitute, but in proper tonkatsu dining, it’s simply a side to complement the main dish—not a salad course. I understand costs are high these days, but replacing a salad with cabbage is a questionable choice.

The white, creamy dressing served with the cabbage is overly sweet and heavy—possibly sesame-based—and clashes badly with the tonkatsu. If you eat the cabbage with this dressing first, the tonkatsu ends up tasting flat and dull. A ginger dressing would pair far better.

As for the tonkatsu itself, the frying is passable, but the seasoning is underwhelming. It lacks punch, depth, or character, resulting in a flavor that feels bland. Combined with the overpowering dressing on the cabbage, the overall enjoyment is cut in half.

Cabbage is traditionally served with tonkatsu for four reasons: health, digestion, flavor balance, and visual appeal. I strongly suggest studying Japanese culinary traditions more closely before finalizing your concept.

After posting my original review, I learned something troubling from a friend who had dined here: customers who left a 5-star Google review were being rewarded with a free dessert.

Earning good ratings should come from delivering better food and service that genuinely meet customer expectations—not from bribing them. Offering freebies in exchange for high ratings is the same cheap tactic used by shady Chinese Amazon sellers.

Using social media advertising is fine, but hearing this kind of story is disappointing and frankly disillusioning. I had been told the owner was Japanese, which made this even more of a letdown.

If you truly want to compete on taste and service, then stand tall and run your business with integrity. Otherwise, this place will remain nothing more than a...

A Katsu Revelation in a Familiar Space; what was once a ramen spot has transformed into a katsu house—and what a transformation it is. On arrival, the shift feels immediately intentional: a sleek interplay of cool gray tones and warm wood accents creates an atmosphere that is both polished and inviting, giving the room a contemporary yet understated elegance. The welcome is as warm as the interior is chic. Service begins the moment you step in, attentive without being hurried. The two servers who guided our evening embodied the art of hospitality—soft smiles, genuine engagement, and a rhythm of care that felt neither scripted nor intrusive. Over the course of the meal, they checked in with a perfect cadence, ensuring that nothing was overlooked. The menu delivers with equal finesse. I chose the classic katsu combo: a plate that arrives as a complete experience, with crisp salad, soothing soup, fragrant rice, and the star—katsu fried to a delicate golden crunch. My niece selected the shrimp katsu, each bite tender and satisfying. Both dishes balanced comfort with refinement, leaving us full yet wanting to linger over each flavor. An avocado appetizer proved an unexpected highlight. Creamy, subtle, and almost indulgent in its simplicity, it was the sort of dish that compels you to savor every last trace—yes, even with fingers. As if that weren’t enough, the meal concluded with a complimentary Japanese pudding, a gesture of goodwill offered in exchange for a review, though the five stars were already earned. This restaurant has not simply changed its cuisine; it has elevated its entire identity. With food that delights, service that comforts, and an ambiance that feels quietly luxurious, it is a destination worth seeking...

The thing that made us try this place was the option for chicken katsu. My husband has been dreaming of Coco Ichiban back in Okinawa since he left the military. He said there were similarites. Enough to reminisce, but not quite take you there.

The only thing I can compare it to is sushi yoko's katsu curry and this cannot hold even a match stick flame to it. The curry was just the sauce, no meat, no potato, no carrots, no substance. The salad was cabbage, impressively thinly sliced, but not the ginger dressing salad at sushi yoko.

They have matcha salt... who even thought of that? Matcha is for ceremonial use and they put it in salt. The chili oil was good but didn't make anything spicier, at least not to me.

We ordered fries as an appetizer. I know, odd as we went to eat japanese, but in our minds we were thinking Okiburo seaweed flaked fries. It was not it. The fries were soft on the inside and crispy on the outside, but that was it. Served with ketchup and yum yum sauce, very unimpressive and they charged 8 bucks.

Price!! Sushi yoko's katsu curry with meat in the curry is $14! Theirs is $19. Most likely not coming back when there's better food else where. I'll wait for sushi yoko to finish their move.

As I sit here writing this, there was only one other booth. The poor kid at the next table had his hand raised waiting for someone to come check on them for 5 minutes. If you employ front of the house, there should probably be one FOH staff at any time or at least someone checking once in a while.

Also...