[Review] Katsu by Kyu Brings Premium Jeju Pork Tonkatsu to Singapore CBD

With a menu centred around Jeju pork, freshly milled Korean rice and a combination of Japanese and Korean techniques, Katsu by Kyu brings a Korean-inspired take to the tonkatsu scene in Singapore. It is Singapore’s first tonkatsu specialist that exclusively serves premium Jeju pork.

Located at OUE Downtown Gallery along Shenton Way, the restaurant first opened in July, with the interior taking inspiration from a Korean hanok, with wood, stone and warm lighting creating a fairly intimate setting.

The character “Kyu” translates to the pursuit of perfection, and that philosophy is evident in their meticulous preparation.

Their premium Jeju pork is dry aged for ten days before being coated in a custom panko breading that is mixed with freshly milled rice powder for extra crunch. After frying, the chefs finish the pork over rice straw charcoal to give it a light, smoky aroma.

They also take their rice incredibly seriously here. Using a special grade Korean brown rice known as Samgwang, they mill the grains fresh every morning and cook them to order in traditional Korean Gamasot pots. Every bowl is even served with a unique Rice Card documenting the variety, origin, and milling date.

We tried the Couples Set (S$98) for two, which is designed for sharing and comes with two mains, a choice of shareable, udon, curry, rice, shredded cabbage, miso soup, pickles, sauce and two drinks.

For the mains, we picked the Centre-cut Premium Jeju Loin and Panko Crusted Beef Short-rib Patty so that we could try both pork and beef.

The Centre-cut Premium Jeju Loin was the highlight for us.

The pork had a good balance of meat and fat, giving it plenty of flavour without becoming overly rich. The crust was crisp and light, while the meat inside remained juicy and tender.

We particularly enjoyed it with the rice, where the combination of the savoury pork and warm rice made for a satisfying mouthful.

The Panko Crusted Beef Short-rib Patty offered something quite different.

Rather than being a conventional beef cutlet, it is made in the style of Korean tteokgalbi, using minced short rib that is seasoned and formed into a patty before being coated and fried.

There is a noticeable Korean influence here, making it a good alternative if you want something beyond pork. We liked it particularly with the rice and sauces, although between the two mains, the Jeju pork was still the one we would return for.

For the shareable, we chose the Kadaif Prawn.

The prawn was cut tableside, which added a little theatre to the meal before we got to the eating part. The exterior was thin and crispy, while the prawn inside remained succulent and juicy.

The combination of the crunchy kadaif pastry and tender seafood worked well, providing a lighter contrast to the heavier katsu.

For the udon, we went for the Savoury Pork Belly Udon rather than the signature Cold Flat Udon because we wanted something warm.

It was comforting and made a good way to finish the meal. The pork belly and warm broth provided a softer, more comforting contrast after the fried dishes.

The curry comes as part of the Couples Set and can be used as a dipping sauce for the katsu or drizzled over the rice. We found ourselves doing both.

For drinks, we opted for the cold green tea for both of us.

There is clearly a lot of thought behind Katsu by Kyu. From the dry-aged Jeju pork and charcoal finishing to the daily milling of the Korean rice, the restaurant is trying to make the ingredients and preparation part of the experience rather than simply serving another plate of tonkatsu. The open kitchen also allows diners to see some of that preparation taking place.

At the same time, Katsu by Kyu is not an inexpensive tonkatsu option. The Couples Set at S$98 for two makes more sense if you want to sample several components in one meal, particularly when dining with someone who is happy to share. The pricing is on the higher side, although the quality and variety make the experience worthwhile for those looking for something beyond a standard tonkatsu set.

For us, the overall experience was a positive one. We liked the Jeju pork, the beef short-rib patty and especially the kadaif prawn, while the warm pork belly udon rounded things off nicely. It is a tad pricey, but we enjoyed the meal enough that we would go back again.

Katsu by Kyu

Address:
6A Shenton Way, #01-09/10,
OUE Downtown Gallery, Singapore 068815

Opening Hours:
Monday to Saturday, 11am to 3pm and 5pm to 10pm.
Closed on Sunday.

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