Kobe Gyukatsu — Restaurant in Rowland Heights

Gyukatsu is a very popular dish in Japan. It is a deep-fried beef cutlet that is traditionally made with wagyu/Kobe beef. The cutlet is seasoned and coated in breadcrumbs before it is shortly fried until crispy. It is then served sliced into bite-size pieces. In restaurants, gyukatsu is usually accompanied by various sides that may include miso soup, sliced cabbage or other vegetables, pickled vegetables, dipping sauces, wasabi, barley rice, or tororo—grated yams.

In Tokyo or any big cities in Japan, you would find restaurants in all sizes offer Gyukatsu beef, Chicken, and Pork. Sometimes you see restaurants offer half cooked Gyukatsu beef and provide customer a small coal fire stove to grill the Gyukatsu beef. I had this dish a few times when I was in Japan before the pandemic.

When I saw a Gyukatsu restaurant opened right next to LA fitnessi in Arcadia, I wanted to try it out but didn’t have a chance until now.

We ordered a Gyukatsu Beef dinner set that came with soup and brown rice as well as a salad. We also got a Gyukatsu pork dinner set with udon.

The beef was very tender and delicious. After going through grilling with the tiny stove, the beef became very flavorful. With the sauce, the beef tasted extra yummy.

On the hand, the pork Gyukatsu was a bit dry. By adding a bit of the dipping sauce, the meat then was enjoyable to eat.

The udon that came with the pork Gyukatsu was delectable. The noodle was done right. We loved this dish.

There are other foods on the menu that we wanted to try but was too full. Will be...

I was in need of a dinner place while I was around the Diamond Bar / Rowland Heights area and Yelp give me Kobe Gyukatsu on its list of possibilities. I was sold on their menu items and made my way there for a Saturday dinner right before 6pm. We must have beat the dinner rush at this sweet spot of timing as there was only a handful other tables so far. After we got settled into our meal, the entire place started filling up.

We ordered an appetizer (kushiyaki for $8.95) and two sets (beef cutlet set for $25.95 and curry pork cutlet for $18.95). The appetizer was good, but the standouts were for sure the sets we ordered. I love how I can control how done I want my beef to be. The two dipping sauces for the beef set gave it a nice kick too! The pork cutlet was crispy and lean. I enjoyed dipping the cutlet in the curry and doing the same for the beef as well! Each set had its own mini stove for cooking, which makes for a hot meal but also potential for you to hit the black surface and possibly get a slight burn. Just be careful when you are navigating the stove (or two like we were!) as you cook and reach across to grab other items.

Because of the cooking apparatus, you will smell afterwards so also plan accordingly. I was so stuffed afterwards and appreciate the large plaza that I could roam around while digesting my meal.

Parking is very easy here, lots and...

Food: 4* Service: 5* Ambiance: 4* Ease to locate: 2*

A few colleagues and I stopped by here to enjoy dinner. It was a challenge to locate, but it is right next to the Yoghurtland. I ordered the pork cutlet set, which had two full pork cutlets (huge and ample), shredded lettuce salad, miso soup, Japanese style pickled vegetables, and sauce. So for me, I asked for salt, it needed it. And the pork was good, but dry and not juicy. My colleagues ordered the Beef Gyukatsu, they loved it. It is a novelty to cook the beef to your liking. It was flavorful and crispy in all the right places. My other friend ordered the spicy ramen. He said it was good, but a little spicy for him. I tried it and loved it.

The service was impeccable. The make server, whom I assume was the son of the owner, was great. Very helpful, very attentive and just lovely. I would return just for him. He was so nice. Overall I would return, now that I know where it is.

I attempted speak Japanese to the server, but he responded in English. I know my accent isn’t bad, but I overheard them speaking Korean. So when the server came back, I thanked him in Korean and he immediately responded. No worries, but not...