This place is in a strip mall in Palm desert. Parking is easy as there is a large parking lot. The restaurant specializes in tonkatsu but has some sushi rolls and sushi. It also has some Korean food which suggests the owners might be Korean. Nonetheless the food here is good. The chicken katsu and the pork tonkatsu were juicy and flavorful. The spicy tuna roll we ordered was ok but we have had better. The ambience is decent for a casual restaurant. The service is good and the staff are attentive. read more

Katsuyama - Chicken Katsu meal. - Izakaya Near Me - Palm Desert, California

Food was amazing, service was good, and the place was very clean. I'm giving a 3 star review due to the fact that I was shorted my change when I paid. It was ironic that the server also had the extra $20 I was shorted on the spot. Other that that everything was great. If paying with cash, just count your change before giving the tip. I would come back either way because the food was great. read more

The owner denied me and my service dog from dining, saying a service dog "ID" is needed. Clearly the owner is not aware of service dog laws and there is no "ID" required by law nor are there any legitimate government agencies that generate a "service dog ID". They should also change their status on yelp from "dogs allowed" to dogs NOT ALLOWED if they are going to deny a service dog (which is illegal by law by the way) read more

Food 5/5 - Everything was clean, fresh, and portions were perfect. I highly recommend you order the gyeranjjim! It was fluffy and yummy. My fiancé and I both ordered the chicken Katsu! He order the side of curry and that was a nice addition :) the yellow mustard paste mixed with the mayo sauce was delicious with the katsu. Drinks 5/5 - They carry high end soju's that I haven't seen from other Korean restaurants. Make sure to ask them about it! Service 5/5 - Service was AMAZING! The owner greeted and held the door open for us as we walked in. We were checked up on often and everyone gave off a friendly vibe. read more

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The service was good and the aesthetics are great inside - clean area and doesn't have a weird smell. The ramen is basic. Nothing too fancy. If I had to choose between the chicken or the pork - hands down the chicken is more tender and juicier. I think the pork was over cooked and it was hard to chew. I would give them a try but I would stick to the plate and not the ramen. read more

Katsuyama - Drink menu 2/1/24 - Izakaya Near Me - Palm Desert, California

The service was top notch, the owner, chef greeted us 3 times asked how we were doing and how did we like our food. I got the nasu-katsu (eggplant katsu) it was light crunchy and crisp. It was delicious, my husband got the honey garlic bulgogi. The best bulgogi I ever had, it was flavorful and the meat was soft and crispy at the same time. I don't live here but it's a must whenever I am in this area. read more

Katsuyama - Nasu-Katsu Set (eggplant) - Izakaya Near Me - Palm Desert, California

Ambiance is great. It is a very classy restaurant. They have oversized light bulbs which are aesthetically pleasing, books from Japan on random wall shelves, etc. Very high class look and feel to the place. The server was not very friendly. I don't know why. He was all business. The food was pretty good, but the food was not all served at the same time. I have had this done intentionally before at some sushi restaurants, and that's fine, but this time there was just too much of a time gap in between items. First got spicy tuna roll, cucumber salad, and edamame. Then came the yellowtail sashimi. We continued waiting for quite a while for the albacore & our California roll. Turned out, they didn't have the albacore sashimi we had ordered actually on our order, and it was not being prepared to be served. Once alerted to that, a female (who was not our server) corrected the order. Finally, but much later, we got our last two items. Unfortunately, it was so long in between that I had lost my appetite a bit, by the time we got it. Yellow tail was much better (imho) than the albacore if you would like to choose one over the other. Diet Coke served in a cold can w/a glass of ice. There are only about 11 tables in the restaurant, yet you cannot call ahead for a reservation (I tried). If you are walking in for dinner, they do recommend you arrive early to have your best chance of securing a table. read more

Great food, no fuzz casual place and it's close to us so it's nice to have them nearby Love the tonkatsu! read more

We had dinner here this evening. The place was well decorated, clean and welcoming. The owner/chef came to our table a few times to make sure everything was just right and it was. We will be back for sure. I do wish there were some more low carb options on the menu, but they are not yet fully staffed and the menu is not complete yet. read more

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This place is Amazing! Love the ambiance. The food was delicious. The staff were attentive and friendly. I'll definitely be coming back with friends. read more

Katsuyama - Crunch Roll - Izakaya Near Me - Palm Desert, California

This is a MUST VISIT. Make this a regular spot. Food - absolutely amazing, cooked to perfection. Flavor on point. Everything is thought out & delicious. It's not a complicated menu & everything was presented so beautifully. Sashimi was fresh, chicken was fried perfectly. Noodles were al dente, not soggy at all. My son put the entire bowl down. Togo is packed beautifully. I brought my husband a katsu curry, packaging is nice & everything was secured for my hour + drive home. Service - Chef Jacky & staff were fantastic. Staff checked on us to make sure we were good. Chef Jacky himself checked in on the food & was attentive to the entire floor. Customer service was some of the best I have ever experienced. Ambiance - this place is beautiful. It reminds me of the many cute cafes & restaurants in Korea. Lighting, furniture, accents, it's all a whole vibe. Credit to the Mrs. I'm wishing you visit this place for yourself. Also a clap back on behalf of some of the reviews on here - some of those need to look up what a Izakaya is. Katsuyama is perfectly in that realm. read more

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Service was no bueno. No customers in the restaurant and all of the kitchen and wait staff were all standing around in a group at the counter when I arrived. I called in a To Go and at pickup my food was cold. I requested some "house sauce" and the new waitress told me they didn't have any when they most certainly do. Another waitress kindly brought me some. The steamed egg was so so. Definitely not the same as I've had before. The chicken cutlet with my Ramen was over cooked and dry. Disappointed in the lack of ingredients: 1/2 an egg, noodles and corn. Lesson learned I will only dine in when the head chef is working. For $45 I definitely expect a better experience. read more

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Actually such great Asian food in the desert. Katsu was so yummy. Tiny spot so place fills up fast for dinner and no reservations. Definitely recommend eating here for dinner if you like ramen/katsu! read more

Clean place. Parking no issue. My favor dish beef dumpling. Service is quick. Waiting time is acceptable.

Just visited today and the interior, food, and service was AMAZING. Everything was fresh, hot, and delicious. We ordered sushi rolls, mandu, and katsu with multiple dipping sauces. The owner and servers were all so warm and attentive. It was one of the most comfortable and memorable dining experiences we've ever had as a family. Wishing them the best growth as a new restaurant!! P.S. thank you for the sake! read more

Katsuyama - Chicken katsu with curry and cheese on the side - Izakaya Near Me - Palm Desert, California

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I got the pork tonkatsu and it is a tender, juicy pork cutlet. The contrast between the crunchy exterior and the succulent meat is incredibly satisfying. It was served with tangy tonkatsu sauce, shredded cabbage, and a side of rice. Overall it's really good and reliable Japanese food! read more

Katsuyama - Izakaya Near Me - Palm Desert, California

They do not seem to understand what time they have listed as their hours they are open. They deny service well before what they have listed both online and in person. Also rude staff when communicating this. read more

Service was good and the ambiance was decent. We ordered the tonkatsu and honey garlic bulgogi with chicken. Unfortunately, the flavors didn't really stand out for me. The tonkatsu, in particular, was very dry, which made it hard to enjoy. Overall, the experience was okay, but I was hoping for more in terms of taste. read more

RUDE OWNER, POOR SERVICE Don't go to this place if you have a choice. It says they close at 3pm and we arrived before 2:30 but we were told we can't dine anymore. The owner's explanation was they are going to lunch at 3pm so they can't accommodate us... which was fine if they said it nicely. After saying why, he opened the door, indirectly telling us to leave. My husband was still trying to be nice saying he thought they close at 3 but the owner just wanted us to leave and didn't want to talk anymore. It's just simple, change the hours and put that you close at 2:30. read more

Great find for a late, last-minute dinner close to our hotel. Ramen, sushi rolls, Korean food, all very tasty in a casual atmosphere. Seemed like a locals place, too. Easy parking in a strip mall. read more

Great food, nice ambiance with warm intimate lighting. Fast and polite service. Kimchi fried rice was fantastic. I can't wait to come back to try more on the menu. read more

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The food that we tried was pretty tasty. The menu is very limited not many options. The owner very attentive and nice. Thank you.

Took some friends to try out this new spot in the valley! The establishment was so clean, ambient, and inviting! The food was off the charts! The chicken and pork were so thick and juicy with the perfect amount of breading. The chef even came over to torch my friend's cheese onto his pork which was quite the table show. I highly recommend the sake as it was a perfect pairing with the savory chicken. I can't recommend this place enough and can't wait to try out the other dishes! read more

Katsuyama - Pork Katsu - Izakaya Near Me - Palm Desert, California

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Loved this place! I got the Tori-Katsu and thought it was very good. I tried the Don-Katsu off of someone else's plate at our table too. Although both were good, I enjoyed the Tori-Katsu better. The soup that comes with it was beyond amazing. I wish I could bring a tub home with me. The inside is very modern with an upscale feel even for how small the place is. It was very busy when I went so plan accordingly. read more

Great service, very clean and the food was terrific! Everything came out hot and very good portions. I would highly recommend this restaurant read more

Everything is awesome but pricy! Honey pork bulgogi and beefbulgogi dumplings is so delicious!

First-time customer. Food is fantastic; although it is pricy, portions are large. Service and ambiance was good, it is a small restaurant but it did not feel cluttered. The only genuine complaint was just on the amount of time it took for my meal to arrive. The restaurant had about three other tables that were finishing up, so I don't believe they were swamped. However, the food tasted great and everything else made up for it. read more

Katsuyama - Cheesecake dessert. - Izakaya Near Me - Palm Desert, California

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Insanely expensive, even by California standards. $25 for a bowl of ramen is robbery. I wouldn't recommend going here unless you're a billionaire. read more

I would give it higher rating, except it is so loud and the music is blasting and they rushed us through our dinner so quickly It was an oil enjoyable evening. The food however was good read more

Best spicy tuna roll I've ever had! Going back. Super friendly staff too, and inviting ambiance

Great service and food! Tonkatsu was off the chart good. Would definitely go again when we come back to Palm Springs.

An amazing place that I recommend you stop in and spoil yourself. I dined during the lunch period, the staff was attentive and professional. The chef (possibly owner) stopped by to ask how our dining experience was. Really appreciated that as I was inhaling the delicious food. Items ordered: cucumber salad, kimchi rice, bulgogi chicken, and lunch chicken Katsu. Every item was tremendous, with beautiful presentation, and generous portion sizes. I ordered way too much but I like to eat a little bit everything while I dine. I will be back again to try Ramen and many other items. Thank you! read more

Katsuyama - Who this? - Izakaya Near Me - Palm Desert, California

Good food and good service. Their curry and rice is great. It's nice to have a curry spot I. The desert

Girlfriend and I love this spot. Definitely one of our favorites. The katsu plate is so good and filling. The kimchi was great! Shout out to Jacky! Also, Marghait (hopefully we didn't butcher this name too bad...) provided great service! read more

I absolutely loved this place! The Chicken Katsu was delicious and I loved how many sauces it came with. Excellent service too. All servers were extremely kind and made sure all the little details within the bento tray were perfect. It's very beautiful inside with nods to Japan present in much of the decor. Everything was extremely clean and beautiful! The only thing I didn't like about this restaurant is that there isn't one where I live! Highly recommend this place to visitors of the desert and locals alike! read more

Katsuyama - Chicken katsu - Izakaya Near Me - Palm Desert, California

This place is across from JW Marriott. It is in a nice outdoor strip mall. It looks small on the outside and is small on the inside. Nonetheless, the ambiance is very classy and elegant. It is a great date night place. The prices are date night prices- they are pretty high. I think it's high because you get a Soup, salad, rice and a protein. I got the eggplant katsu aka Nasu-katsu set. I did carry out and ate my food about 30 minutes later. The Nasu katsu was still warm and crispy. I love eggplant and this fit the bill. My husband who doesn't like eggplant, tried it and liked it. It was not mushy in the middle which can happen with eggplant. I ordered curry on the side. I'm glad I did because I love curry. The soup that came with it was surprisingly good. It was full of beef which you don't get with a side. I loved the other sauces that came with it, like katsu sauce, mayo and soya sauce. 9/10. My husband got the chicken katsu or Tori-katsu set. He did not like it. He said it was not crispy. 7/10 The food was packed and ready to go when I arrived 15 minutes after I said I would pick up. The place wasn't full. I can't speak for the service as I did take out but everything I needed was in the bag. read more

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Ordered a tonkatsu plate. Sushi plate and tonkatsu salad Plate Came with pork tonkatsu shredded cabbage steamed rice and soup. The steamed rice was barely warm and quite dry. The miso soup had some sort of meat or fish in it and was lukewarm. Plate came with two sauces....a sweet mayonnaise and a sesame sauce as well as tonkatsu sauce. I assume the mayonnaise and sesame were for the shredded cabbage and that you could use either. The tonkatsu sauce was not the traditional tasting sauce with Worcestershire sauce The tonkatsu in the salad was dry. The sushi pieces were very large and not that tasty. the fish on it did not taste as fresh as I am use to. The service was friendly and the ambiance nice. There was a steady stream of customers. read more

Obsessed with this place! The shrimp was super crispy, the sushi rolls were fresh. Everything tasted amazing. The staff was really friendly too, and the atmosphere felt super cozy. Totally coming back soon! read more

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Delicious food, great ambiance, and quick service. Everything you could ask for! I ordered the chicken katsu curry set and the pork katsu ramen. I preferred the curry way more -- the ramen was a bit bland and I didn't like that my pork katsu was sitting in hot broth. Definitely get the curry set and ask for extra curry. read more

Everything was AMAZING! A hidden gym for sure! You will not be disappointed when you get here, great music and environment! read more

Katsuyama - Everything was AMAZING! A hidden gym for sure! - Izakaya Near Me - Palm Desert, California