Konban, one of my latest food endeavors, serves shareable, unique Japanese dishes that will make you want to return to try their whole menu. Having first opened in Seoul, their Chelsea location opened about a year ago. This izakaya specializes in katsu, a breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet. After discovering Konban on Instagram, my friend and I were curious to see if it would live up to the hype. Long story short, we came for the katsu, stayed for the ambiance and would return to try everything else the menu had to offer.
Konban is literally a hidden gem, considering I first walked past the discreet entrance, not knowing the restaurant was in an unassuming alleyway. Although we did go on Monday for dinner, I recommend making a reservation in advance, as it seems quite popular. Upon entering, the interior echoes a welcoming feel through the traditional Japanese wall paneling. As the friendly staff led us to our table, I noticed the restaurant went quite far back despite being small. My favorite feature was the large window, looking out onto a zen garden. The courtyard made a nice backdrop for where we were seated. The ambiance overall was casual, but the warm, inviting lighting alluded to its sophistication, which I found unique among the other Japanese restaurants I’ve tried.
We were brought complimentary yuzu juice and tomato slices in a savory vinaigrette and cream cheese as soon as we sat down. To my surprise, the citrus taste was a nice compliment to the tomato flavor, as I hesitated to try it. We then looked at the menu, which is assorted into sections of katsu, otsumami (appetizers), yaki (grilled), noodles (made in-house) and dessert. From the katsu section, we chose ebi katsu and pork loin. For appetizers, we ordered sabazushi (or mackerel sushi) and we chose mazemen noodles for the main. All the dishes were spaced out quite well, the appetizers arriving first, followed by the katsu dishes and then the noodles.
Starting with the sabazushi, this mackerel sushi was perfect for sharing, cut into six pieces. As someone who doesn’t typically eat mackerel, I questioned whether I would like this dish, but I was immediately persuaded after the first bite. Served with grated ginger, shiso (Japanese herb) and rice, this sushi is gluten-free and not fishy in taste. It was fresh and savory and perhaps my favorite and most memorable dish of the night. Not too long after, the ebi katsu arrived with three pieces. The king tiger shrimp was crispy on the outside, just as expected, and came paired with tonkatsu sauce and wasabi ranch. Of the two sauces, the wasabi ranch was my favorite for its savoriness, but the tonkatsu sauce was a sweet contrast. The dish also has a small portion of truffle salt to sprinkle on. The shrimp is a nice contrast if you want something other than pork or chicken, as I felt it was still an impressive representation of Konban’s katsu specialty.
Next, the pork loin was cut into four pieces and paired with wasabi and truffle salt. Having already been impressed with the crunchiness of the shrimp, I was eager to taste the same combination of katsu and tonkatsu sauce with the pork. The loin was juicy and perfectly fried, being simple yet undoubtedly flavorful. The combination of wasabi and tonkatsu sauce was a spicy and sweet contrast. At this point, I decided Konban’s katsu specialty was promising in every dish.
Finally, the mazemen noodles were brought out with a set of tongs for sharing purposes. This is the only spicy noodle dish, consisting of spicy pork as the maze sauce and housemade almond butter. Mixed, the distinct taste of these noodles did not compare to other Japanese noodles I’ve tried. The noodles were not too thick; I could have eaten the whole thing myself. The mazemen noodles were a close second to the mackerel sushi, which I would order during my next visit. We were tempted by the dessert, as I heard the signature corn ice cream is popular, but we decided against it.
In the near future, I will most certainly return to Konban, as there is much more I would love to try from their menu. The corn rib caught my attention, as did the truffle rice, served only at dinner. They also offer assorted sashimi and sushi sets, of which I would be interested in trying to taste a variety of their other sushi. My only gripe about Konban’s menu is the lack of rice options, a staple of Japanese meals. Although the truffle rice is an option, white rice would have paired more nicely alongside the katsu. Their lunch menu features a katsu with cabbage salad, edamame, white rice and miso soup. The noodle set comes with cabbage salad, edamame and menchi katsu. Nevertheless, it is a shame the dinner menu does not offer these side dishes despite the menus offering the majority of the same items. Finally, despite ordering multiple dishes, I felt the portions were small and still felt hungry after leaving. Konban isn’t necessarily expensive, but I could see it being pricey should you order as a large group. Nonetheless, I will always appreciate the good meal Konban gave us. Their katsu specialty is welcoming for newcomers to Japanese cuisine, as well as the limited menu that does not overwhelm them. The next time you’re in the mood for a crispy, breaded pork cutlet served in a warm, peaceful setting, Konban is your go-to.
