I saw this place open on my way to Barnes and Noble and decided to check it out. This place is amazing! My family got the jumbo katsu (and it absolutely lives up to its name, see pic) My mom got the Zaru noodle and my dad got the Kitsune noodle. Although I didn't try them, I'm sure they're just as good. They're currently soft opened so their menu isn't full yet but I'm looking forward to the proper opening. As I was saying - the jumbo katsu is so big, we barely finished! On the other hand, the Kitsune noodle could have been bigger. The decor is modern, and very marble-like. The service is informative and kind. Very much looking forward to the grand opening and all the new things! Tell me to come anytime, I'd be happy about it. read more

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Food came real fast. Food tasted good. Wish there were a but more option for sides maybe but its all good just a little suggestion. Would and def love to come back again. Cute little place. read more

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Their katsu is exceptionally good! When they first opened, their katsu was alright to be honest but I think now it's one of the best katsu place. Crisp is just right and especially their cheese katsu got really good! Ive been looking for a good place for cheese katsu after i20 ramen and katsu was gone from this same location. If you're looking for a good katsu, not just cheese katsu, I would recommend this place to go and try! It's a friendly place to go eat for all range of ages. The service is really good here too. Servers are really nice and they are really quick. The atmosphere is just like a regular katsu place. read more

Dropped in to 88 Katsu on a Sunday around 7:30pm and we sat down right away! We ordered quickly through the tablet, and the menu was very clear and simple. The food came at a normal speed! The katsu was great but I do think the flavor of the curry could've been stronger. Overall ambiance and service was good' read more

88 Katsu - Jumbo 88 Katsu - Japanese Near Me - Fullerton, California

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Good food and service. Food comes out fairly fast after placing your order in the kiosk. They tell you on their recommendation on how to eat which is salt first. Katsu is well seasoned and wished they have mustard instead of wasabi. Katsu sauce is mediocre and the Korean style katsu sauce is a bit too thick for my taste. I will try the cheese katsu next time as it was sold out this time. Soba was good but wished they rinsed it more thoroughly in ice cold water as some part of the noodles waere very very warm. Their suntory beer was also very very good! I recommend giving it a try! read more

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The food is delicious!!! I love my Jumbo Katsu with special sauce. My daughter loved her cheese Katsu!! The service was great! Inside is very modern and chic! I would totally recommend to friends and family. read more

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delicious katsu in fullerton! for the price it didn't come with toooo much but it was still a decent meal. i didn't like the sauce too much but the actually katstu was very tasty. it was cool they had an xl option too haha read more

88 Katsu - chicken katsu - Japanese Near Me - Fullerton, California

It's hard to find a really good fried pork or chicken cutlet place. This one is actually pretty decent. read more

88 Katsu - Japanese Near Me - Fullerton, California

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I ordered takeout. My food was ready within 15 minutes and the whole process from ordering to paying/picking up was hassle free. I wasn't expecting the pieces to be so thin, but that made them extra crispy. I wish they included more sauce and jalapeños because I ran out of sauce halfway through the katsu and there were only three pieces of jalapeños in the container. Nothing about the meal stood out, but I'll be open to giving it another try once they expand their menu a bit. read more

88 Katsu - 88 Jumbo Tonkatsu to go - Japanese Near Me - Fullerton, California

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I've been here twice so far: first time during their soft opening dine-in, and recent visit as a take out. They've definitely upgraded their vibe of the restaurant with vintage Korean vibe, but clean and enough tables to fit as much as possible is a medium sized restaurant (but not crowded). They have been consistent with their food and you can really tell by the number of people that continues to come here. As much as I'd like to try other food here, I always end up with the 88 pork katsu. From the side dishes to the salad, the soup (dine in only) to the actual entree dish, I think this place is the best in town for tonkatsu. I love how you can try dip in two different sauces and salt to dip in (my personal favorite and also give for dine in only). Their packaging for takeout is also so presentable and well made. I wish I had taken photos for them (maybe I'll try to update the photos again next time I visit) but we were so hungry I didn't take any food photos recently. Can't wait to come back the next time I'm craving katsu. read more

It's okay. I'm not sure why this place is as popular as it is or why it has a longish wait, because I found the quality to be just acceptable. There was nothing particularly memorable about it. read more

Eighty Eight is a great small restaurant that offers a wide variety of katsu cuts that can fit everyone's preferences. Wait time was not long on a Saturday evening about 10 minutes too maybe. Wait for food was not long either so plus to that. You can order through the kiosk on your table so there's not much service interaction so if you're on the introverted side it won't be your worst nightmare. My only set back is the sauce that comes with the regular Katsu is definitely different than most places. It has a sweet taste that I couldn't get my finger around so if you're a big fan of curry I would suggest you just get the curry Katsu or curry on the side or if you want to try the sauce definitely order it on the side. read more

88 Katsu - Udon - Japanese Near Me - Fullerton, California

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Ordered chicken katsu, but it turned out to be chicken tenders ‍ WTH.I also ordered the curry sauce on the side, and it was pretty badDefinitely not restaurant-style curry sauce. The katsu sauce tasted more like buttery gravy. Honestly, the owner/chef doesn't seem to know the difference between chicken tenders and chicken katsu. Makes me question their business sense a bit. They really need to work on their sauces to. read more

3.5 stars Came on a sunday night. Was on waitlist for about 20 minutes before being seated. Anterior decor was cute. I asked if we could be seated at one of the two booths available as we were a party of 3 but the server said they were reserving it for a larger party and then proceeded to sit a party of 2 there. Weird, but it is what it is. As for the food, the portions were good and pretty tasty. Hako in Irvine is still the best katsu place tho. I did enjoy the pickled jalapeños this restaurant has though and they were great about refilling the side dishes. If you're to come here, definitely go with the 88 jumbo, I think the cheese tonkatsu is a pass. read more

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Yummy Katsu! I enjoy the easy process ordering off the tablet and they promptly serve your food. When I was there they had lots of to-go orders. I definitely want to go back. read more

Even though it's still in the soft opening stage, everything--from ordering to service to payment--was smooth and professional. Our family tried all three cutlet options, and each one was absolutely delicious, definitely above the standard level you'd expect. In an area with many long-established cutlet restaurants, this place truly stands out with its unique side dishes and, most of all, its Jumbo Cutlet. It felt like a refined, premium version of Korea's famous Namsan-style cutlet--crispy yet not hard, with a perfectly prepared roux-based sauce that really impressed us. The restaurant also offers two different cutlet sauces, letting you choose according to your taste, which was a thoughtful touch. Even the rice was exceptional--carefully cooked so that each grain was distinct, unlike the typical mass-cooked rice from a large cooker. You can tell there's real care and attention in every detail here. If the quality stays consistent over time, I have no doubt this will become one of my absolute favorite go-to restaurants. Highly recommended! read more

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Got an order for Chicken Katsu take-out and ate it about 10 minutes after. Pros: - Chicken Katsu was thicc and juicy with a good flaky crust, also well seasoned Cons: - Sauces in general were far below expectation in my opinion, maybe it's just not to my preference though. I just used my own bulldog tonkatsu sauce at home though :) - Salad/lettuce was not crunchy at all - Although the chicken is huge, I actually thought the ratio of chicken to breading was favored heavily to the chicken making it a little unbalanced imo TLDR: There are better Chicken Katsu options out there (Hako in Irvine). Next time I come here, I'll be trying the Tonkatsu, and I recommend you do the same read more

88 Katsu - Chicken Katsu Take-Out - Japanese Near Me - Fullerton, California

Food was good, serving size was decent. Service was ok only because you place order on an iPad. Call for the check and done. Wish there was more human interaction. read more

10 out of 10! They have the best katsu you can ever try. It is so crispy yet tender and juicy. Shoutout to Lydia, Chris, Ellie, and Lina! They were so friendly and helpful, my experience was great. I like the interior and the color scheme they have. Its a fresh look. Definitely recommend!! read more

88 Katsu - Cold Spicy Bibim Udon - Japanese Near Me - Fullerton, California

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This might be the best katsu I've had. Both the chicken AND the pork were perfect. Light and crispy and incredibly flavorful. Their cabbage salad is, I kid you not, one of the BEST things that I've ever had and I'm a wannabe foodie. The service is good. It could be a bit better but it's in no way bad. You order from little electronic pads so interaction with staff is minimal. The place is nice. The only complaint I have is that we were there close to the afternoon closing time and they were practically pushing us out the door like 30 minutes BEFORE they were set to close. Our server had already changed and the people were mopping all around us. I get it when they're closing in 10 minutes but 30? Felt weird. That said, I wouldn't ding them for that. Overall, the food is still delicious. Prices are slightly high but isnt everything nowadays? Epic katsu, really. Nice job, folks. read more

Service was excellent, food was even better! Katsu was delicious and very crispy and I love that you can get the sauce on the side read more

Easily the best katsu I've had in a while. 88 Katsu is legit! Cheese Tonkatsu and 88 Tonkatsu were absolutely outstanding. Cheese Tonkatsu was one of the best I've had in years. Crispy to perfection with gooey, rich cheese inside. 88 Tonkatsu was just as impressive. Crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside. The sides were carefully prepared too. Radish soup, pickled radish, plus salt, wasabi, and katsu sauce for dipping. Everything paired together really well. I'm already planning to go back tomorrow to try the other options on the menu. I can almost guarantee this place will have long lines soon. Get here before the secret's out! read more

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food is really solid, very big portions and reasonable prices. i'd definitely come back to try their curry katsu. read more

88 Katsu - Japanese Near Me - Fullerton, California

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Stopped by here with a friend the other week for our monthly dinner tradition, and this place definitely hit the mark! Though the place doesn't take reservations, we were able to be seated shortly after we walked in, but I did notice it got more crowded as the night went on. I got the standard Katsu option (sorry if I am forgetting the name at the moment), and I really loved the portion size. The pork itself was a lovely amount of crispy, but also generous in how thick the slices were. I especially loved the sauce that accompanied the meal, to the point where I asked for a second serving of it. Our service was quite attentive, and I overall had a really positive experience here. Would recommend! read more

88 Katsu - Standard Katsu - Japanese Near Me - Fullerton, California

The place was busy but the food was good. We didn't have a reservation so we waited about an hour to be seated. The area is nice so you can just walk around while you wait since it can get crowded by the door. Would recommend read more

Food was good... ordered the Curry and Spicy Katsu... will have to go back and try the rest. read more

88 Katsu - Spicy Katsu up top and Curry Katsu on the bottom - Japanese Near Me - Fullerton, California

It's OK. Minus one star for lack of service. We had to get up out of our seats and walked over to the servers standing in the back a few times to ask for water, the check, etc. A Friend recommended this place, saying the katsu is massive, so we decided to try it out. Place was empty when we arrived, but soon filled up with teenagers and 20-something's who were there to snap photos of the huge katsu. They ordered all the fried cheese too, so we didn't try that. Our food came out and the katsu is massive, but pretty bland and tasteless. We expected hot sizzling fried goodness, but the katsu was like warm, almost cold. The meat was chewy and lots of gristle... so hard to eat. We ended up packing everything to go.... and then throwing it away when we got home. read more

The food is delicious with great portions, and service is excellent. They have mini order tablets to make ordering so much easier. The ambiance is so nice and love the decor very cute and modern. I'd take a picture of my food but we ate it all--got 88 tonkatsu (huge btw) and Fishcake udon, both very delicious. (: read more

Went during the soft-opening and grand opening, and this place is legit. I got the chicken katsu, and the thing is huge and juicy. Hopefully they will stay the same and not change. Will be back again. read more

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Door Dashed. We ordered 3 katsu dishes and udon, which came out to over $100. Everything was tasty, especially the udon. The salad dressing was great as well. The only downside was that the cheese katsu portion felt quite small for the price, and the katsu sauce wasn't our favorite. Overall, still a good experience. read more

88 Katsu - Spicy Katsu - Japanese Near Me - Fullerton, California

The cheese tonkatsu is so big and super crispy. For a couple bucks more, you can add the curry. It comes in a small bowl (same size as the miso soup bowl). I highly recommend the curry. read more

88 Katsu - Cheese Tonkatsu $18.88 - Japanese Near Me - Fullerton, California

Rice wasn't cooked properly.. it was too hard. The sauce tasted too flour Their service grade is C Because they expedited the food to the wrong table read more

I love the simple menu! The jumbo katsu is the thinner katsu, my favorite. The regular katsu is the thick cut, my husband's favorite. Kids loved the udon, the noddles are hand made and very fresh and soft in the soup. The soba was very refreshing and dip was very tasty. This is my new favorite katsu place. read more

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Place was packed and had to wait a good 20 minutes. Ordered the jumbo katsu. Portions and size were excellent it forgot to ask to have the sauce in the side. I didn't care so much the sauce as it was in between traditional Kandi sauce and meat gravy like turkey gravy. It needed a more pungent flavor. I was not given a fork and knife so proceeded to eat it with just chopsticks. Not my favorite type but good value and fun place. read more

88 Katsu - Jumbo Katsu - Japanese Near Me - Fullerton, California

We ordered 2 88 Katsu on 4/4 around 2 PM. Our katsus had soggy bottom and one side curry was cold. My wife didn't finish the katsu but I did and I got food poisoning same night and yes this was the only meal that I had that day. Not recommended. read more

Tried the regular pork katsu here. A bit oily but it wasn't bad. Sides were pretty mid - soup had no flavor. Paid $41.56 total after tax and tip. Can't say I would come back. It's not good or bad - just mid. read more

88 Katsu - Japanese Near Me - Fullerton, California

Delicious tonkatsu! They must tenderize the meat because it is tender and juicy on the inside. The korean sides elevate the dish. Really enjoyed their soups: we ordered an Udon and my meal came with a small soup. Downed everything with a suntory beer (the best Japanese beer in my opinion). Their curry is also very good and comforting. read more

88 Katsu - 88 tonkatsu and the curry one. - Japanese Near Me - Fullerton, California

I love tonkatsu and have tried pretty much every place I can, so when 88Katsu opened near my house, I went with my family. Everything we tried jumbo tonkatsu, Japanese-style tonkatsu, cheese katsu, and udon was really good. I especially loved the jumbo tonkatsu. The meat is thicker than some other spots, so it's juicy, and the breading is nice and crispy. The sauce tastes just like the classic Korean-style tonkatsu sauce I remember from going out with my family as a kid, which was a nice nostalgia hit. The sides are good too--rice, salad, kkakdugi, braised jalapeños, and a soup. I personally wish the side dishes were a bit bigger portion, and I'm more of a miso soup fan, but that's just me. It's great to have another solid tonkatsu spot in the neighborhood. read more

The service is quick and you order off the tablet. The ambiance of the place is small and busy, the food was delicious and worth the price.

The pork katsu is very tender and the portion size was huge. I enjoyed it at the restaurant and do dinner the next night at home. The curry is not a strong curry and it looks like there is ground pork in it so more meat for the meat lovers. The sobu was fresh and the portion was just right. The udon soup was a little on the sweet side but overall good. Order directly on the table via the tablet and can pay that way also. Very convenient. It's still new and not too long to wait Friday night. read more