konban NYC
Izakaya restaurant · Chelsea ·
Pork katsu, mazemen noodles, sashimi, and unique corn dessert
Pork katsu, mazemen noodles, sashimi, and unique corn dessert
"Konban, a Japanese restaurant based in Seoul, opened in Manhattan at the end of the year, offering tonkatsu, fried pork cutlets that are marinated, dried, breaded, and deep-fried. The subterranean space has lots of high chairs, a kid-friendly menu, children’s utensils, and fast service." - Eater Staff
"At Konban, a Japanese izakaya-style restaurant in Chelsea known for multiple styles of pork katsu and social-media hits like corn ribs and trompe l’oeil corn ice cream, I was impressed by the crisp, delicate coating on the katsu (we got the fattier pork loin). The dish I keep coming back to is the mazemen ($16), made with a spicy pork and almond butter sauce, fresh noodles, and topped with a pat of butter for a silky finish; bonus: it’s incredibly kid-friendly, with high chairs and children’s utensils provided." - Eater Staff
"I noticed a similar fruit-shaped dessert crop up at Konban, a sit-down katsu spot in Chelsea, showing how the technique has spread beyond bakeries into other dining formats." - Emma Orlow
"After a series of popups within hand roll bar Domodomo, Konban, a Seoul-based katsu shop famous for their ultra-thick, rosy-pink pork cutlets, has its own restaurant in Chelsea. You can work through a few different katsu options, plus some grilled items and noodles, while looking out over a small rock garden in their alleyway. " - Will Hartman, Willa Moore
"This Japanese restaurant from Seoul first appeared in New York as a pop-up at Domodomo, showcasing their pork chop-sized katsu. And you’ll find a bunch of different katsu options, as well as a small izakaya menu, at Konban’s first US location in Chelsea. The subterranean space has a window-framed outdoor rock garden, and a semi-open kitchen, with chefs who greet you loudly when you walk in. Get the inch-thick pork loin or tenderloin katsu, which are rosy pink in the center, and good value at $16 and $14 respectively. The appetizers and larger dishes, like a black garlic-forward beef udon with tripe are satisfying too, and they have a bunch of Japanese beers, wine and sake options. The lighting here is built for your phone-eats-first friend, but we like that you can stare out at the zen garden and dissociate while they find the sharpest focus on those panko-crusted cutlets. photo credit: IDBD NYC photo credit: Laura Moss photo credit: Will Hartman Pause Unmute" - Will Hartman
