Decide to take family here while visiting. Been here before and liked the food. Korean Comfort Food. When we went there, there was a large group of obnoxious loud college kids. Killed the mood but not restaurants fault. Just keep this in mind when you come with infants. May startle. Order Donkatsu with Curry. Huge portions. They were specially Shrimp Pops $5.95. Highly recommend. Comes with 3 pieces. Service was efficient and quick. read more

We ordered the chicken katsu udon combo and the tonkatsu cold soba combo at Wako, and honestly, my husband and I weren't even sure we could finish everything because the portions were huge. But it was SO good that we couldn't stop eating It seriously felt like the first time in a while that we had proper Japanese tonkatsu. Grinding the sesame seeds yourself and mixing them with the special tonkatsu sauce made it even better. The salad portions were generous, and even though the katsu was filling, every bite was worth it. The interior was also really cozy and relaxing, and the service was attentive without being overbearing. They made sure to take care of everything we asked for. It also seemed like they get a lot of delivery orders, which totally makes sense after trying the food. Highly recommend! read more

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The tonkatsu tasted like it had been reheated in a microwave rather than freshly prepared. It was served in under five minutes after I ordered, which felt unusually fast and raised some concerns about quality. It also seems like there may have been a change in management, as both the atmosphere and the food are noticeably different from what I remember--and not in a good way. I was also surprised by the additional charge for takeout containers, which didn't feel clearly justified. On the positive side, parking is easy and convenient. read more

Great place for donkatsu. Always consistent, never disappoints. Enjoyed the chicken cutlet combo with udon and the fish cutlet. Love grinding my own sesame seeds for the sauce. Great service, large portions. Will always go back. read more

Wako Donkatsu - Chicken Cutlet Combo - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Behind this longtime favorite is a story of grit, family, and flavor -- Owner Jane, a single mom who journeyed from South Korea in the '90s, took a chance on a sleepy neighborhood spot and turned it into a katsu haven. For decades, she's poured heart and hustle into every batch, drawing in regulars with crispy cutlets and a secret sauce that keeps folks coming back. I still miss their Wilshire location, but I'm so glad they're still around. Their katsu game remains strong -- consistently crispy, juicy, and satisfying. Lately, they've leveled up with smoky donkatsu and a late-night menu that keeps fans coming back. Food: 4/5 - Pork, chicken, and curry katsu (カツ) are still my go-to classics. - The hamburger cutlet (ハンバーグカツ) has an interesting texture -- not quite a burger patty, but definitely worth a try. Service: 3/5 Pretty average service -- food arrives quickly, but no real check-ins or follow-up after that. Parking: 3/5 (Difficult) They used to share parking with a nearby building, but that's no longer the case. Street parking is available, though it can be hit or miss depending on the time of day. read more

Wako Donkatsu - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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I came here with some friends on a Monday night, and the restuarant was about half full. Their menu selection fits on page, which already spoke to me as being quality over quantity. The restaurant itself has a calm and cozy atmosphere, with many of the tables being split wooden bars. I ordered their Pork Cutlet listed under their favorite session. Our order came out in around 10-15 minutes. I love the idea of being able to grind your own seeds so that you can later add to the dipping sauce. The meal came with shredded cabbage, miso soup, and rice, which added to the more than generous portion for the dish. The pork was crispy on the outside and not too dry on the inside, and the breading was a nice golden color. It was delicious and not too heavy! read more

Wako Donkatsu - Pork Cutlet - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Big portions and indulgent food, one of my go-to spots in LA's Koreatown! I visited this restaurant for a Sunday lunch and my experience here was great. Firstly, after you place your order and if you order one of their katsu dishes, the servers give you a small bowl of sesame seeds to grind which was a fun little activity to do while you wait for your food. When you're done, the server will come by with the katsu sauce to pour in your bowl. The tangy sauce mixed with the nutty and fragrant sesame seeds was very tasty. They also give you complimentary barley tea as their "unlimited water cup" which tasted nutty and healthy. For my meal, I ordered the Cheese Katsu and it was delicious. It came with cabbage with dressing, pickled radish and jalapeños, miso soup, and rice. The portion was big! Firstly, the cheese katsu itself was so delicious. Crispy panko breaded exterior, juicy pork interior, and stuffed with super melty cheese. Dipped into the katsu sauce, it was a flavor and indulgence explosion. It paired well with the side rice which soaked up all that richness. The salad and pickled veggies provided a fresh balance to the meal. The miso soup was also nice as well. The interior of the restaurant was nice with traditional Korean elements. Each table has a buzzer which you can press to call the servers. The servers were pretty nice and attentive. They also let us split the check evenly for our part of two. For parking, there's a free lot near the restaurant with a decent amount of parking. Overall, great experience here as always and I will keep regularly coming back. read more

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The tonkatsu was fried perfectly, crispy, not greasy, and the portion size was very generous. Definitely great value for the price. I went during the lunch rush, and even though the restaurant was quite busy, the food came out quickly. Another plus: they have parking available in the back, which makes it super convenient. read more

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When I visit koreatown, I always eat Korean food. A friend of mine suggested Wako Donkatsu for lunch. I am so happy she did because this place is delicious. Authentic tonkatsu like I had in Japan. The servers were friendly and provided super service. I forgot to take pictures of my ooroshi tonkatsu but trust me when I say it was perfection. Their portions are very generous and the tonkatsu was juicy, not dry. Please try this place the next time you are in Koreatown. I will be back again next time I visit. read more

I moved to La when I was 16. My grandma wanted me to live with my mom. She didn't want me anymore, until much later in life. But she's passed now and I miss her dearly. When I first moved to La, my mom would take me to Korean restaurants she enjoyed. This was one of them. It's been over 20 years and I still come here. The food is just so good. Sure a new tonkatsu place will pop up every now and then and I'll give it a try, but I have yet to find a place that is comparable in quality to Wako. I typically get the pork cutlet udon combo, which also comes with shrimp, a potato croquette and the cabbage salad you find at many Korean places. In addition, they give you plenty of little radish square kimchis and enough little pickled jalapeños. Before the meal comes out, you will get a Suribachi, which is a Japanese grinding bowl or mortar, alongside a pestle and in it there will be sesame seeds. As you grind them, you get a sensory experience from the smell of the seeds as they are ground down. Once your meal comes out, your server will pour a sauce over the seeds, which you can mix together to get one of the best dips you'll ever experience for tonkatsu. I really do love this place. The food here is great. It's comforting and the prices haven't really gone up too much after the pandemic. It's still affordable and is definitely quite a satisfying experience. If you want crisp, tender tonkatsu covered in a flaky panko crust, this is the only place you need to go in ktown. My least favorite thing on the menu is the curry but others love it. You can't go wrong with anything you pick here too. Plus if you opt out of the udon or soba combo, you still get a satisfying miso soup. I really like the udon here too. If you really like udon, you might be able to look at this place as a discount udon place because you get a tonkatsu in addition to an udon. Due to that, it makes it hard for me to want to get udon elsewhere because the price difference between an udon elsewhere and a tonkatsu udon combo here is just a few dollars. The service is great. Everyone is attentive. The ambience is nice as well as you get to feel you're somewhere in Asia when you're eating here. It's not decked out, but it does have a good vibe to it. I hope I can keep eating here when I'm in my late stages of life. This is truly one of the staples of KoreaTown. read more

Wako Donkatsu - Pork Cutlet Udon Combo - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

We both wanted to try donkatsu in Koreatown and enjoyed Wako Donkatsu's curry pork cutlets ($18.95) a lot. The portion was large and had me full for a long time. The curry was flavorful, and it didn't have any peanuts in it. The small side dishes (kimchi radishes and jalapeños) were a nice touch to the savory flavors. There was also a big salad next to the curry, which also tasted good. Fortunately, they had a small free parking lot, and the restaurant wasn't busy when we visited on a late Sunday afternoon. A part of the floor was very slippery near the kitchen and bathroom, so someone moving quickly could've lost their balance. Service here was quick, and there was bell that you can push to contact a server. read more

Too salty too fried, miso soup isn't authentic Japanese, I would improve the frying and the sauces

Still the best katsu in koreatown. I've been coming to Wako for 20 years now and they taste the same as when I first tried it. My go to is the chicken katsu but time to time I get the cheese. Wako always hits the spot. 4 stars because the service is always lacking a little and we never get enough side dishes read more

Wako Donkatsu - Menu 12/30/23 - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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I have a couple of good Katsu places near me, but I was in Ktown to buy something and it was about 5pm, so I stopped by. Still good, can't go wrong! read more

Wako Donkatsu - Was in the area and stopped by! - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Introduced by my boyfriend, we came the other night for dinner. I was interested to see the low star score of the place, but came with an open mind to see why the rating was low. We ordered 2 Pork Katsu plates. We were given a small bowl is white and black sesame seeds to crush and they added a katsu sauce we used to mix. I liked that small detail! The server was friendly. The plates finally arrived and I was impressed that they had a mini cooling rack where the katsu was placed - genius and loved it be side there is nothing worse then getting a fried item that gets soggy underneath. Great detail here and the food was amazing ! The only feedback I have is that our waitress did not offer to refill the small accompanied sides. We will be back soon! read more

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Yes, this place is the best donkatsu in the SD area. I recently came back from Korea and had one of the best tonkatsu and this comes close to that. We ordered the set with the cold soba noodles - delicious! The only qualm i have is i wish that it was a bit cheaper but i get it - quality meal comes with a price. We came right at opening and the line was starting to build so highly recommend planning your trip here unless you want to wait in line. Love the interior as it feels very japandi. read more

They have a combo special that's a pretty good deal. Comes with substantial portions! The katsu came with a very buttery potato croquette and a bit of a lackluster shrimp. The salad, dressing, and katsu sauce were good, though. I like how they give you sesame seeds to grind fresh before they pour in the sauce. The soba was ok, but I would pass on the shrimp pops because they were super bready and comprised of smaller shrimp (had one that contained 2 tiny shrimp). The biggest reason I'm giving Wako Donkatsu 4 stars is due to the service. R very attentive and kind wait staff. They also have a parking lot if you drive down 2 driveways. read more

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This place has the best pork and chicken cutlet! When you dine in, it comes with miso soup. You also get to grind your sesame seeds for your cutlet sauce. The salad has a delicious yellow dressing. Prices have gone up during the years but the portions are huge. Love this place! read more

Solid katsu spot in ktown!! The portions are HUGE - can def share a plate ~ comes with miso soup, rice and side cabbage salad. The shrimp and pork katsu were perfectly fried and crispy, and the sauce is def sweet delicious pairing. Check in on Yelp for free potato ball! Also a major plus that there's a parking lot in ktown :) read more

Wako Donkatsu - Shrimp and pork katsu plate - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Wako is one of my favorites! I would still visit sometimes even when I was still living in San Diego and Orange County. The chicken cutlet combo always hits the spot and is more than enough food. I ordered it to-go for the first time and it came in a nice, secure box. The udon broth was delicious and the my katsu was perfect. read more

Wako Donkatsu - Chicken Cutlet Combo - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

If you're ever wanting some great katsu..... this is the place!!! Never fails no matter what day time it always comes through the only bad thing to this place is that there's not enough locations. This is the only location that I know of. I wish they had one in Orange County because other Katsu places cannot compare to this one. read more

The 돈까스 is always good! And grinding the sesame seeds is very fun. It makes the waiting time for food go a lot quicker and produces a strong smell of sesame~ read more

I don't think for dontaksu and donkatsu set (soba or udon), you can't get any better than here, especially for quality and value. I think the regular donkatsu with soba is my favorite during summer. When the weather gets cooler, I enjoy the katsu set with udon or their curry donkatsu with rice. It comes with plenty of cabbage salad with a tangerine vinegrette, a tempura shrimp and mashed potato ball karage. One of my favorite thing is the Wako sauce with toasted sesame!!! The best is just their katsu method, perfectly crispy without drying out the meat (esp the pork is so juicy) and not oily. The service is always professional and efficient. Been coming here for 2 decades and hope it stays bustling and amazing for decades more to come. read more

Wako Donkatsu - Donkatsu/Tonkatsu - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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First time trying this place. I ordered the Pork Katsu with Curry. It was good. The pork was amazingly tender! The curry could have been a touch spicier, but was still enjoyable. The miso soup was above average. My wife got the Katsu Pork combo. She liked it. We also split a cold soba. It was good, but I think we added a bit to much radish to our dipping sauce. Despite that it was tasty. The service was good and they were helpful. Overall, this place was better than we expected. We will be back read more

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We came around 4 pm on a Sunday and were seated at the last open table. They have a private parking lot in the back and there were quite a lot of spaces. My sister and I shared the chicken cutlet since we weren't super hungry and heard the portions were large. And indeed they were! We were stuffed so I can't possibly imagine how one person can finish it! It came with two huge chicken filets. The chicken katsu was thick, juicy and tender and was nicely battered so it was crispy on the outside. I wasn't a super big fan of the katsu dipping sauce since it was sweeter and more tangy than I'm used to. Same goes with the sauce on the cabbage. This spot is unique since they let you grind your own sesame seeds for the dipping sauce. Service was quick and nice. read more

Wako Donkatsu - Chicken Cutlet - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Came around 4PM on a Saturday and there were a few open spots in their designated parking lot a few doors down. Heard it was a large portion so my sister and I shared the pork cutlet and man was it huge! It was fun grinding our own sesame seeds but I wasn't really a fan of how sweet and tangy the katsu sauce was. The katsu itself was great, very thick and moist! I also wasn't used to the sauce of the cabbage, but the rice and miso soup were good read more

Wako Donkatsu - Pork Cutlet ($17) - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Super crispy and large portion for a chicken katsu! Got the chicken katsu soba combo which was great, and large enough the share between two not super hungry people. After a while it gets a bit heavy with all the fried food, but it's super well fried. Also tried the lollipop shrimp but it had a lot of batter around it, so it wasn't my favorite. Over though, the katsu and sauce (grind your own sesame) was great! read more

love the food! generous amount ambiance is nice. they served a cold tea once you sit on your table read more

Wako Donkatsu - chicken cutlet & fish cutlet - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Consistently good katsu, can't go wrong! There's never a wait whenever we go (Friday night, dinner) and the portions and quality has stayed consistently the same. I always recommend this spot for their chicken katsu combo, it's all I get there. read more

Food is excellent, i really like the pork katsu and smash potato. My favaorite restaurant! Service is good. Place is esthetic and clean. Price for the combo 23,5$(with out tax and tips) read more

Wako is a good place for large portions of katsu in Koreatown and thankfully, they have a parking lot just a door down from them. I tried their katsu combo, which comes with a shrimp tempura, potato ball, your choice of cutlet, and your choice of noodle. I opted for the pork katsu and udon. Everything tasted good and I especially enjoyed all the fried items, which were crispy and not too oily. All the fried for is heavy, so I'm not sure I needed the side udon even though I enjoyed it. Before your meal, they bring you a mortar and pestle filled with sesame seeds that you can grind yourself. This makes the sauce feel a bit fresher and is also fun to do. read more

Wako Donkatsu - Katsu combo with pork katsu and udon - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

One of my old haunts, been coming here as a kid. The original katsu is consistently good. IMO, best katsu in LA. Unassuming place, straightforward service. read more

The food was good but the service was not there one bit. A bit disappointing because I had high hopes. There was no greeting and the server looked like he didn't want to be there. read more

Wako Donkatsu - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Very disappointing experience. The tonkatsu portion was tiny for $36, and it arrived soggy instead of crispy. It also tasted like old oil was used. The soba noodles were all broken into short pieces when they arrived, which made it feel poorly prepared. For the price, I expected much better quality. Definitely not worth it. read more

Wako Donkatsu - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Favorite quick katsu spot in LA. Wako always hits the spot and I just love the casual vibe you get when you walk in here. The servers are always friendly and get straight to the point. Both chicken and pork cutlet Katsus are great (just a matter of preference). Comes with a bowl rice, miso soup, radish Kimchi, and slaw. The katsu is always so crispy and thiccc pieces of meat. If you feeling extra, you can opt for the special that lets you choose soba or udon and also gives you a katsu shrimp and potato ball. read more

Wako Donkatsu - Pork and chicken katsu - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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The katsu was crispy and I got the pork and fish katsu. I like how the combo came with a choice of udon or soba and a shrimp and potato ball. I got the sautéed pork with ginger which was alright. The food adds up and was not too memorable. There is no refill of salad. The service was average as it seemed they were busy serving food. read more

Not busy at all on a Friday night, seems to be classic Korean katsu as you already know probably. Got the combo which I didn't realize comes with a Koroke (Croquette, lol at the korean spelling), and a small breaded shrimp both of which were quite a nice addition. Semi-casual place to dine, servers were attentive and parking was in the lot a few stores down, quite convenient. I would imagine there's better choices for the wow factor, but it excels at what it's good at. Parking here is better than at the other location, actually attempted to go to the wilshire one but it was very difficult. read more

Wako Donkatsu - Korean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Good portions, not the most tasty! Ordered a curry katsu and a soba and while the portions were good for the price, the katsu was a bit tough and the meat was too thick. The curry was also pretty standard and imo could have been more tasty if seasoned better. The soba was great but wasn't handmade or anything special. I appreciated that it was cooked to the right texture and the dipping sauce had good flavor. Not my first choice for tonkatsu in ktown but a nice cozy spot with great portions! read more

This place is at the edges of Ktown, away from the chaos of Ktown. With LaSung recently opened up, I wanted to try a different Katsu to compare. We got fresh sesame to grind to mix with the katsu sauce. It was pretty fun and the freshly grinded sesame smelled sooooooo good. The portion size of this was very good! We each ordered an entree and we had same to take home. I got the combo with udon and my partner got the katsu rice. The katsu was fried very well and crispy. And the udon was okay. To be fair, they are not known for udon, so its unfair to be critical and compare them to like Marugame. I think I would come back again! read more

Definitely one of my go to katsu places and a favorite for my kids. Love that they are consistent every time!