When Nara Katsu opened nine months ago in the former NongBu space just off Whyte Avenue, it brought continuity to a room that had already served solid Korean food for a decade. Much of the interior remains unchanged — cement walls, simple wood tables and chairs, a big screen quietly playing Korean shows. Each table is fixed with a service buzzer, and their branding (a cartoon pig giving a chicken a ride) signals exactly what to expect: tonkatsu (fried breaded pork cutlets) and Korean fried chicken, served in a relaxed space.
At 23 years old, owner Eddie Yang is building on his family’s west-end restaurant, Nara Chicken and Tonkatsu, run by his parents and aunt. This version is more modern and geared toward a younger crowd, but it’s still all about that comfort food. The menu sticks to the classics, save for a handful of fusion experiments like bulgogi pasta, cheese curry katsu and a couple new takes on Korean fried chicken — what both locations are best known for.
The menu lists seven options, including traditional flavours soy garlic and yangyum (made with gochujang). Each is marinated in a house spice blend developed by Yang’s father (a food scientist) for 12 hours and twice-fried to a crisp strong enough to survive the drizzle of sauce without losing crunch.
I ordered the gochu mayo chicken, generously dressed in a tangy, creamy jalapeño sauce. The warm creaminess of the sauce balanced the heat and clung to every satisfyingly crunchy piece of chicken. I spooned the extra sauce into my bulgogi bibimbap bowl, mixing it with the rice, well-seasoned ground beef, mushrooms, carrots and an over-easy egg. It was fresh, flavourful and deeply satisfying.
I also tried the japchae, a classic stir-fry of glass noodles with mushrooms, spinach and vegetables. It was sweet, savoury and pleasantly chewy — exactly the kind of homey side dish that rounds out a heavy meal.
As a modern but humble successor to NongBu, Nara Katsu is a reliable go-to for anyone in craving a familiar lineup of comforting favourites, cooked with care, in a casual room.
Nara Katsu
Strathcona Junction | 8115 104 Street NW, Edmonton | 780.989.0997 | narakatsu.com
