Katsuya fails to meet expectations

Susan Krkasharian, Staff Writer/ Magazine|November 12, 2014

Katsuya is a Japanese restaurant that is located in the Americana in Glendale. Everything from salads to edamame to sushi is offered there.

With its fancy red lanterns and ridiculously high prices, one would expect Katsuya to not only have delicious food but also superior customer service; however, I soon found out that the restaurant lacks in both areas.

Every time I went to the Glendale Americana with family and friends, I always passed by Katsuya, a sushi restaurant, but I never had the opportunity to eat there. Finally, because of my love for sushi, I decided to try out the restaurant.

Their service was not the best on the day I went. We were seated immediately, as the restaurant was almost empty, but no one approached us to take our order, and we sat waiting for 15 minutes. At that point, we were ready to leave, but eventually we were able to flag down a waiter and place our order. I decided to try their spicy edamame, California Roll and Rock Shrimp Tempura Roll.

I normally order garlic edamame, but because they only offered plain and spicy edamame, I opted for the latter. Unsure of what to expect, I waited anxiously for the server to bring it out. When ordering, our waiter explained that the spicy edamame was simply garlic edamame glazed with hot sauce. I was unsure of how that combination would taste, as I felt that the spicy taste of the hot sauce would not produce a favorable result when mixed with the savory taste of the garlic edamame.

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I was unsure of how that combination would taste, as I felt that the spicy taste of the hot sauce would not produce a favorable result when mixed with the savory taste of the garlic edamame.

— Susan Krkasharian

Thankfully, the edamame arrived in less than five minutes, and I was pleasantly surprised. It was steaming hot, which only added to the spicy effect. Interestingly, the hot sauce made the edamame taste a great deal better and more savory than plain, garlic edamame. The flavors blended together amazingly well, and I would definitely consider eating at Katsuya just for this spicy edamame.

Unfortunately, the other foods I ordered did not taste as good. The California Roll was bland. On the other hand, the Rock Shrimp Tempura Roll, which consisted of a spicy tuna roll glazed with a spicy sauce, was a bit more flavorful. The sauce was creamy, and the shrimp was cooked just right and had a crunchy texture. Still, this was definitely not the best sushi I have had, by a long shot.

I did greatly enjoy the spicy edamame from Katsuya and plan on returning to try other items and see if my experience with their service was simply an anomaly. However, I do prefer Niko Niko Sushi in Burbank, as I feel that no other restaurant can compare to not only the quality of food, but also the service that Niko Niko Sushi offers.