We got in line before opening and there was a huge wave people who came after us when they opened for their dinner shift. This place specializes in katsu dishes so we definitely had to get that. Kurobuta Katsu Nabe (5/5): I always keeps my expectations for katsu places low because I alway think it's just a fried pork, but this was by far the best pork katsu I've ever had in my life. It was so tender and juicy with a delicate balance of meat and fat. I think the nabe is good when you want a big dinner. It's give a variety to try so I don't have to eat the same thing everything This was definitely one of my favorite places to go Duong my Seattle trip read more

Kobuta And Ookami - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Came here on a weekday afternoon with some friends while not too many people were seated. By the time we finished lunch, there were people waiting in line. Service was friendly and explained the menu well, which was quite extensive with different kinds of katsus and fillings. I tried their original Hire Katsu, which came with a side of miso soup and a generous portion of katsu. I loved being able to make my own fresh sauce with the grinder and sesame seeds provided. I loved the crispy and fresh chicken! Would love to come back to try one of their other katsus, including the cheesy one! read more

Kobuta And Ookami - Hire Katsu - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I think this place suffers immensely from the paradox of choice. For example, these are some of the cutlet possibilities: Hire, Iberico, Rosu, Kurobuta, Menchi, Mozzarella, Jidori Chicken, Ebi, Ume-Shiso, etc. Then, from there, you can order Oroshi, Nabe, Tomato & Cheese, Miso, Curry, etc. The result is that it's a draw of luck if your dish ends up tasting good or not, and there's just way too many ways that you can customize something that is not optimal. A lot of the cutlet options end up dry and overcooked. The sides (e.g., mountain of cabbage and miso soup) are pretty bland and act more as filler than enhancing the dish. The wait is still pretty long here (it's not unheard of to wait here for hours to eat), so staff can be kind of pushy (or at least staring at your table constantly) in order to tun over the tables, which doesn't make for a good ambiance. I've been here 3 times now - all because of a friend's suggestion and I think this is a place that has potential if it had more focus, but unfortunately just ends up being overhyped. read more

Although the prices are expensive, it is sooo worth it. The portions are massive, and very well presented; you can't pick a bad option on the menu. The meat is cooked well, being crispy on The outside and soft and juicy on the inside and the curry is delicious. I think the sides that they chose such as the lettuce and sour radish fits perfectly with the flavor. I wish I could write this a 4.7 out of 5 read more

Kobuta And Ookami - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

This spot is as authentic as they come. Fantastic place for katsu, and not surprising they are always packed. The katsu is crispy and light. They use the panko that is a larger bread crumb for flaky and light crisp. There is wide variety of high end special pork cuts to the standard pork loin. There are good options of chicken, menchi, and other choices of protein. I had the curry, and it was rich, thick, and deep flavor. The cabbage is a fresh compliment to the rich rice and katsu. They give very generous portions too. read more

See all

4.5 stars. This is traditional Japanese katsu cuisine. Very unique for restaurants in America. The menu is variable with choice. Especially for the protein choice. I got Iberico pork lion cutlet. This is premium pork from Spain. The meat piece is good. I like the katsu coating. It is very crispy coating. Crunchy taste is very good. The dish comes with grated radish, ponzu sauce, rice, cabbage and a miso soup. Portion is good and plenty to fill a person. Rice is not cheap. Side dish is great. My friend has the Japanese curry. Service is good. The wait of the table is about 30 minutes. read more

See all

Came for lunch and got the mozzarella katsu set -- 10/10 for the cheese pull alone. The outside was super crispy, the inside was all melty mozzarella, and the pickles + miso soup were clutch for cutting through the richness. It's a very filling meal. It's a small, no-frills space and the food comes out quickly, which makes it perfect for a quick but satisfying lunch. read more

Kobuta And Ookami - Mozzarella katsu - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I believe this storefront is a bit smaller than their Redmond location! We were told around 40 minutes for a table on a Friday night but were seated in 20 as the line moves quickly! The service is quick and attentive, lots of katsu options! All of the options are good, depends on what you're feeling that day! My only gripe is that there's only one shared toilet for the entire restaurant. read more

Kobuta And Ookami - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

One of the best meals I had in Seattle. We all got the Kurobuta cut of pork in different styles. They were all delicious! It was super filling and comforting. I loved how juicy the pork was and the crispy breading. I recommend trying! read more

See all

I came here because of the great reviews, and it did not disappoint! I ordered the Kurobuta pork, it was incredibly tender and juicy. The portion size was generous. I arrived around 6:30 PM and the place was busy. Since we were a party of two, we got lucky and only waited about 10 minutes for a table. The staff were lovely and attentive. The space is a bit narrow, but it adds to the atmosphere. It's worth a try read more

Kobuta And Ookami - Nabe - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Kobuta and Ookami is a fun experience. The portions are huge and the vibe at the counter makes you miss Japan. The ingredients are always fresh, but the flavors are on the bland end and they don't have the right sauces on the table to make up for it. Depending on your preference, that could be a good or bad thing. I'd still recommend coming here at least once, but not as a frequent stop for the cost value. read more

Kobuta And Ookami - Tomato sauce pork with mozerella - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Arrived a little after 5pm after the first wave and it was exactly a 45 minute wait. While waiting in line, they already took my order. Very small restaurant but the quality of everything was amazing. My husband and I were surprised with how much it tasted similar to Japan katsu. Would definitely come back and I def recommend coming by 430pm minimum! read more

See all

This will be kind of a strange review. I'll start with the pros - the ambiance inside was great, the servers were nice and attentive, the food looked picturesque, and I'm actually really excited to go back... and try some other dishes. The Nabe itself was fantastic, the broth, vegetables, egg, and other mixins were great quality and blended super nicely to create an enjoyable experience. But now to the cons - the tonkatsu. I might have too high of expectations by comparing this with the elite tonkatsu I've had in Japan, but this kurobota is not even 50% of that quality. The breading was ok but it wasn't juicy or tender and was just the definition of mediocre. Then couple that with the fact that the tonkatsu pieces became super soggy when soaked in the broth and that did not make for a pleasant experience. I got the Nabe option for tonkatsu because I thought that the broth would complement the pork in a meaningful way, but this was just not true. My friend got a rice only dish and said he really enjoyed it though, so I definitely do want to come back and try something else. One more very important thing: the wait here can be quite long for Seattle standards. We waited about 30 minutes at 7pm on a weekday. They do let you put your name on a waitlist and then leave though which is nice, unlike the only other place I know with a line always (looking at ramen danbo ). 4.2/5 read more

Kobuta And Ookami - Inside - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

Best meal we had in Seattle! Starting from the warm ambience of the restaurant, I immediately felt cozy and at home upon entering the restaurant especially with the rainy weather outside. I had the Oroshi Katsu and my husband had the Katsu Nabe and we were both so pleased with our choices. The grated radish & Ponzu sauce helped balance out the heaviness of the Katsu whereas my husband devoured the accompanying veggies, mushrooms and soup that complemented his Katsu dish. The Katsu was crisp and juicy for both dishes. The food tasted fresh and made with love and I will highly recommend this restaurant to my friends and family. read more

Kobuta And Ookami - Katsu Nabe (kurobuta) - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

Food - One of the best places to get katsu in seattle! Light and crispy breading, tender and juicy meat on the inside. Worth a try for sure. Service - Lines can get long when this restaurant is busy, expect to get there on opening or wait in line. Service in general is fast. Ambiance - windows face east, nice natural lighting and view of the street. read more

Kobuta And Ookami - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I've yet to find katsu this good in Seattle, and I've tried a lot. They serve a generous sized portion of delicious tender meat (the kurobuta pork is my favorite) with (sesame?) seeds to grind up and turn into a sauce to your own taste (with a separate sauce for the cabbage slaw). I can't praise it enough, and as generous as the portions were, I was honestly a little sad to not have more when I finished. That said, expect a 45-80 minute wait (if you're lucky and come early) as they do not take pre-reservations. Also expect the price to match the flavor, as it is quite pricey compared to other offerings in the same neighborhood. read more

Kobuta And Ookami - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

We came on a Saturday lunch and waited around 45 minutes. The menu features so many types/ styles of katsu, so i definitely took me some time to read through. Many of the katsu types per category are differentiated by the type of meat/cut you want (loin, tenderloin, breast, etc) Our group ordered a hire katsu, mozzarella kastsu, and hire katsu curry. All the katsu were perfectly fried, crispy on the outside, tender on the inside. The non-curry dishes also came with soup and salad, whereas the curry is a la carte with an option to add on the set. The mozzarella was so melty with an excellent cheese pull. On the menu, the curry was described as using dark chocolate - I didn't quite taste the chocolate itself as it was integrated with the rest of the sauce ingredients. The curry was more on the sweet side, as opposed to some of the thicker/richer Japanese curries I've had. Still very delicious! I think the wait is worth it! It's hard to find so much variety in katsu and executed so well! read more

See all

We saw this restaurant on Kenji Lopez's List of Eats in Seattle. Definitely a long wait! We got there at 6pm on Saturday for 4 people, prime time and it took 1 hour (accurate timing). We got the Jidori Chicken Miso Katsu, Hire Katsu Don, and sake. It was all perfectly panko'd, it was nice and crispy, and well seasoned. Very generous portions. My only thing was with the hire...I felt that the pork slices were SO thick. It was almost too much pork for the pork to panko ratio. It was hard for me to finish it because I was getting too much meat, which you'd think would be a good thing! The amount of cabbage that is given makes me giggles, but I did finish all of it with that yummy miso dressing! The staff was so sweet and attentive. For as busy as they are, they checked back frequently, which we appreciated it. read more

See all

I went there with a large group and they were very accommodating. We had to reserve ahead and pay a deposit that was deducted from our final bill. There is not that much seating available so I would recommend making a reservation before going. This place always seems to be packed with customers. I got their Oroshi Katsu (pork) and enjoyed it a lot. The katsu was so crispy and the pork was tender. The radish and ponzu sauce helped balance out the fattiness of the fried katsu. The sauces they give you on the side (one was a katsu sauce and the other was a dressing for the salad) were also delicious. I found it cool that you could pick what type of pork you wanted for your katsu. Their menu was very informative and easy to navigate.. read more

Kobuta And Ookami - Oroshi Katsu - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Went on a Saturday night when they opened and there was a line already. We got seated as the first group luckily but definitely come here early. The katsu itself was delicious and cooked to perfection. It was juicy on in inside and crispy on the outside. Would be better if the coating actually stocked to the pork tho as it fell apart super easily. Miso soup was pretty salty as well but loved how much cabbage they give you. read more

Kobuta And Ookami - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Kurobuta Katsu Curry Crisp, light panko crust; golden and satisfying with every bite. The cut was thick and juicy, though a few pieces slightly dry from the thickness. The curry was rich, traditional, and generously portioned. Come hungry if you're getting the katsu curry! Iberico Katsu Slightly more tender than the kurobuta cut, but not a big enough difference to justify the higher price. Still, perfectly fried and full of clean flavor. Atmosphere Tables are close together, giving it a cozy but bustling feel. A line forms before opening, so expect a bit of a wait if you arrive later. The staff are friendly and efficient, though clearly busy -- the food comes out fast once you're seated. read more

Kobuta And Ookami - Katsu Curry + Set (salad, pickled vegetables, and miso soup) - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Upon entering, there was a fifteen minute wait. It was warm and cozy inside and they offered to have us order while we waited for seating. I got the Hire Katsu Nabe and it was both huge and so good. The pot had egg, Hire, seaweed, bamboo, and veggies and was over an open flame. On the side, it came with rice and shredded cabbage. For dessert, we got the matcha tiramisu. It didn't really taste like tiramisu--like like rose cream and sake soaked cake, but it was still really good. read more

Kobuta And Ookami - Matcha tiramisu - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

Honestly, I was so pleasantly surprised with this spot. We were in the area and decided to stop in on a Friday evening. Without a reservation, the wait was only about 30 minutes. About 10 minutes left, they asked for our order so by the time we sat down, our food came out right away, which was clutch. It's a super small spot and was absolutely packed, which says a lot. The food did not disappoint. I ordered the katsudon with chicken and was amazed. The chicken was perfectly crunchy, the rice and eggs were flavorful and cooked just right. If I'm ever back in Seattle, this will definitely be a spot I come back to! read more

Kobuta And Ookami - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Came here on a Sunday night with a reservation. This place was extremely popular and we were glad we booked ahead instead of trying to walk in. Even though we arrived on time for our reservation, there was still a short wait for the previous table. The staff gave us menus to look over while we waited which helped pass the time. My friend and I shared the chicken curry katsu, and it was very filling. I was initially unsure about the chocolate ingredient in the curry, but it tasted more tomato based than sweet. Unlike other places, their karaage is made with pork, since the restaurant specializes in pork dishes. Personally, I wasn't a huge fan of it since it was a bit chewy imo but my friend liked it. Highly recommend ordering the chicken curry katsu but you can probably skip the karaage. read more

Kobuta And Ookami - Karaage - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

Yeah the regular cut and dry katsu is good too. Lots of cabbage and you grind your own sesame in a little mortar pestle thing too. read more

See all

Update- I went back again recently and it was totally fine (not dry / the breading didn't fall off that easily). So I think the last time I went was just a one off! read more

Yummy and delicious! For dinner, definitely stop by right when it opens! It gets full fast! I love starting out with the sencha - light and refreshing! I like all of their food options! So savory! The cabbage with dressing is scrumptious! Can't go wrong here! read more

Kobuta And Ookami - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

If I had a Phuong's essential Seattle restaurant, this would be in my top 5. The food here is homey and comforting and the katsu is fried to perfection. I devour the sesame dressing on the shredded cabbage too. We always get the curry katsu set and the ebi appetizer to share and it's enough for the two of us. Service is really friendly despite how busy they are. It's hard to dine here at dinner time because it's packed so that's the only drawback. read more

See all

Fantastic. Crazy wait. Arrive early before opening and have your entire party with you, otherwise you'll lose out to other parties. Menu is simultaneously focused but also somewhat overwhelming - it's just different styles of choosing (1) what protein your katsu, and (2) how you want it served. I opted for the fancier pork tonkatsu with curry. I couldn't tell the difference in meat quality, but it tasted delicious nonetheless. It had a good combination of fattiness and lean meat mixed it, and the batter was perfectly crispy. The curry was tasty, but I've lowkey had / made more flavorful and thicker curry myself. It's more on the runny side, which makes sense since it's not the star of the show. They give you HEAPS of rice so you'll definitely get full. I would've liked a spicier curry but I don't think they offer spice adjustments. Service was fantastic - they understandably kind of rushed us to finish because there were so many people waiting, but I had enough time to finish my desired amount. It's not the best place to take your time with long conversations, but it's not their fault for being so popular. read more

Kobuta And Ookami - Tonkatsu Curry Rice - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

The iberico pork is to die for. After getting back from Japan where we'd had phenomenal katsu, we were so happy to discover this place in our own city. They have the sesame seeds you grind and put sauce on. The Iberico pork is tender and juicy. I mean, it's not Japan, but it's better than anything we've had any other non-Japan place! Get there early. There was a line before they open. read more

Kobuta And Ookami - Iberico pork katsu plate (2) and side of chicken katsu - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

i think i can definitively say this is the best katsu in seattle, hands down. not that other spots are bad, but this one is top-tier. it is on the pricier side, but i can assure you that every dollar spent is worth it. the inside of the restaurant is very clean and neat, but it's quite small. if you come with a large party, expect to wait awhile. sometimes i've gotten lucky while going with one other person and i was able to sit at the bar with no wait. but every time i've gone in, there is always a party of four to six people waiting. as far as the service goes, it's okay. however, with how busy it always is, i don't really expect anything stellar. the menu isn't complicated, i mean it's pretty much entirely just different types of katsu. my favourite so far is the unagi katsu donburi. this is probably one of the most expensive things on the menu, coming to around $27. however, it comes with five huge pieces of katsu-fried barbecue unagi over sauced rice, with cabbage salad and miso soup on the side. all the times i've had it, i wasn't able to finish the entire thing (i usually go soup first, the pieces of katsu with bites of salad and rice in between, and a little bit of rice at the end) and i'm a big eater so hopefully that speaks to how much food there is. besides the unagi, i've also tried the ebi (shrimp) katsu which was yummy. for dessert, i've also tried the matcha tiramisu and, to be honest, i think about it often. i am a huge tiramisu fan (it's probably my #1 dessert ever) and i am also a huge matcha fan... so, perfect for me. i would say it's also great for the average matcha lover as well! like i said before, this is the best katsu in seattle. it's a bit far from broadway and that "main" part of capitol hill, but it is 100% worth the uphill walk. super super super delicious. read more

See all

My boyfriend surprised me with a date here as a little throwback to when we first started dating. We went on Friday, and didn't realize they were closed for lunch due to a power outage, but we decided we'd come back for dinner. Parking was not an issue for us, we were able to find parking within getting there, and it was free after 8pm. I remember the first time we came here the wait was over an hour long for lunch, fortunate for us, it only took us around 15 mins to get a seat. The food was delicious! I love how crispy the katsu was, literally the perfect crunch and the pork was delicious. Honestly, perfect throwback date! Glad we came back for dinner and didn't choose a different restaurant. We will definitely come back more often. read more

Kobuta And Ookami - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Delicious! Staff is so kind and accommodating. I have a lot of allergies and the staff let me try one of the sauces to make sure I would not have any issues. Many stores would tell me "oh well" We got the tomato and the curry. The tomato was absolutely amazing. The chicken is so crispy. The curry had good flavor sitting over rice. You would never expect this would be so good from the outside but the inside is so clean and adorable! Must try! read more

See all

Such a lovely and serene place to have a meal! Warm, inviting, and modern aesthetics; it makes for such a wonderful dining experience. Warm lighting, clean wood, industrial yet comfy furniture. And they're so friendly and knowledgeable here. The menu seemed a little daunting, but they helped to explain things. I got the kurobuta katsu plate. The katsu was so delicious! Tastes very authentic; light and crispy. The pork was so juicy and tender...It just melts in your mouth! The veggies are fresh and you get to make your own katsu sauce. It was kind of fun because you grind the sesame seeds with a mini pestle and mix in the amount of sauce you want. Felt very interactive and personalized. My friend got the unagi katsu and oh my, was it to die for! Flavor bomb in your mouth! I'd love to come back here to try their other dishes. My only gripe is that the parking lot is very small. It's limited as most of the spots are reserved for the other businesses in the plaza and the available spots are kind of tight. read more

See all

This place is cute. Everything tasted pretty good and the service was good. The prices are pretty high. Id give them a chance read more

Kobuta And Ookami - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

Always a lovely time here, although the wait is something you must prepare yourself for. The food will fill you up and the service is attentive and well informed. The atmosphere inside is nice, and you can talk comfortably to your tablemates. Not a huge fan of the sake here, but I also don't exactly have refined tastes and lean hard towards sweeter variants. Can't wait to come back! read more

See all

Kobuta is a super popular place in Seattle, I always bring my guests here when they come to visit. You can only make reservations if you have a party of 6+, but it opens at 5pm for dinner, so if you can't get a reservation, I'd recommend coming a little bit before opening! (I came on a Sunday at 4:45pm and was the second party to be seated, party of 3). The restaurant isn't too big, but it is very cozy and well decorated. The food comes in big portions and is very yummy. My favorite is the tomato and cheese, but I don't think you can go wrong. The katsu doesn't feel too oily + the ratio of breading to meat is nice. I also love their sesame dressing for their cabbage salad! read more

Kobuta And Ookami - Tomato and Cheese with rosu - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This is definitely one of the best restaurants in Seattle, I've come back countless times each being just as good as the last! The katsu breading is so light and airy, with huge portions making sure you'll leave super full! They get the combination of warm rice with the cold cabbage and hot miso soup to wash it all down perfectly. Cannot recommend this place enough! Be sure to get here early, as the wait is usually around 45 min. There isn't much parking around it in the area, but they allow you to wait virtually through an online waitlist which is a huge plus. read more

Kobuta And Ookami - @snapped.by.neel on ig Oroshi Rosu Katsu - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

Having been a loyal customer of Kobuta since its soft opening, frequently visiting for both lunch and dinner, I can honestly say they've never disappointed me until my recent visit. For years, their consistency has been nothing short of remarkable, which is why I still rate them 5/5. This single experience served as a reminder that even the best restaurants are run by real people, and occasional hiccups can happen. As usual, I ordered my go-to side of ebi and hire katsu. This time, seeing the karaage and unagi bento available (i had seen from Redmond location last year), we decided to try the karaage. Unfortunately, for the very first time, my hire katsu had an unusually thick and less-than-crispy breading. The karaage portion was generous, served with refreshing cabbage salad and a truly delicious sriracha mayo dipping sauce. However, the meat itself was quite dry; chewing through some pieces, particularly those that weren't dark meat, was a bit challenging. I'll absolutely continue to visit Kobuta for my regular favorites any day, but I'm uncertain if I'll order the karaage again based on this experience. read more

See all

I've been here twice prior to this review (both during 2022) and both times I unfortunately thought their katsu meat was relatively dry. This time around is a complete 180 from that! I got here with a group of 3 around 12pm on a Sunday and there was a decent line out the door already as expected for this place. It's very compact inside here and there's both bar seating near the kitchen window and a small number of tables that mostly seat 2 people, with some seating 4 or more people. You get a menu to order off of, and they offer tons of katsu dishes, with descriptions of each kind of meat they use. I decided to order the kurobuta katsu since I got the hire katsu and mozzarella katsu before. Now from my first sentence of this review, I didn't expect much difference from my past visits, to be honest. But wow, the kurobuta is flavorful as advertised! Pair that with their katsu sauce and it was just really juicy and had a strong umami feel, probably because of the fat content of the meat. The extra side dishes provided (miso soup, shredded cabbage, pickles, etc.) were great additions to the dish. It's Cap Hill, so parking's bad around the area. But it's worth it if you wanna give this place a try! read more

Kobuta And Ookami - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all