CORN RIBS FTW! The katsu here is crispy fried but tender moist meat. The MVP was their corn ribs super addicting with their Japanese soy sauce and furikake flavoring!!!! Coming back again soon!

2.30PM - Located in a strip mall. Ample parking. Brick & Mortar: Quaint space and more than enough table sizes! Didn't feel crowded at all even though we have many things on the table. Everything is clean in this establishment, including baseboards and restroom. Food: Pork Loin Katsu. Perfectly fried pork loin slices. Perfectly placed in between tender and juice deep fried pork. First they gave us a small bowl of sesame seeds + etc. that we had to "smash" with a little wooden mortar. Then they came around with their jug of house sauce that they poured into that little bowl. It tasted so good, like an elevated hoisin sauce, that I don't want to ask what was in it. I just want to keep coming back to this place for that sauce. Service: Excellent! The gals were friendly and very on point! The one that took our order didn't have to write anything and she got all of our orders correct! The way these gals kept the place clean were very impressive. I feel safe to bring my kiddo to eat here. Unadon. Unagi Kabayaki + white rice and miso soup. The thick slice of this succulent fish was great. The sauce was a bit too salty but diluted when I poured in a little bit of the miso soup. The only thing that might make me not order this anymore was the present of some thin bones. I will go back for sure.

The service was fast and efficient. My party arrived about an hour before closing. We expected to wait long as the place was packed and it looked like half the people were still waiting for their food. But in the span of 30min, they were able to: seat us (we were a party of 2), collect our order, and serve our appetizers. We enjoyed all dishes that we ordered. As their name implies, order a Katsu dish. We ordered the Cheese Katsu and the Katsu Sando. The meat was soft and tender for both dishes. The Katsu meals are an average price for what they charge at other Japanese restaurants ($20~) and they do provide good side dishes. They might have added a new item to the appetizers, the Kurobuta Sausage. They serve it with mayonnaise and ketchup, which adds to a refreshing combo when eaten with the corn ribs. Would recommend going with a small group of people or another person to ensure you get seated during prime eating times.

RAMEN REVIEW ONLY - I will definitely come back for their katsu meal ($18.75) because it looked bomb especially because it came with a lot - cabbage salad, bowl of rice and a bowl of miso soup. With the ramen, the noodles were chewy and not hard, tasteful. The 2 pieces of meat were fulfilling. The half egg was just alright. You sit down and order from a QR code (place the order) and they give you your receipt when you're ready. The corn was AMAZING but it does get a little messy, and the squid was just alright...felt a little frozen. The service is great and they do check on you time to time. The wait time varies. Because the restaurant is pretty small (I counted maybe 3 rows of 2-3 tables) and the katsu is made fresh, it takes a bit time to get your food at your table, which means your wait time does get a little long. We had a table of 7 (4 adults + 3 kids) and we were very lucky because we showed up at 11:25am (they open at 11am), and once we sat down, another big group showed up at 11:40am and they ended up not waiting because the wait got too long. If you want lunch, I'd say either come early when they open or in a small group. Plenty of parking spots in their parking lot too! I would recommend it and will come back for their Pork Katsu meal set.

I've been wanting to try cheese katsu for the longest time & stumbled across this place on Yelp! The cheese katsu was breaded pork cutlets filled with melted cheese & I thought the cheese added a nice soft texture to the pork. The pork was pretty juicy & not too rough! I loved how perfectly crisp the outside was. My friend got the chicken katsu (no cheese) & I thought it was a little bit more dry/rough/less tender without the cheese. Both entrees were served with a cabbage salad, miso soup, bowl of rice, pickles, & tofu! The katsu sauce they give is also super interesting -- they gave us each a bowl of sesame seeds which we had to grind ourselves (it was a fun experience!) then they poured the katsu dressing on top. Tbh the sauce wasn't the best, I preferred the katsu on its own. Overall, super yummy & generous portion sizes, def recommend checking out!

It's ok...like a 3.5. I prob appreciate it more if it was closer to my home and I might frequent more. As other people mentioned, you do use the QR code to order but you can ask directly from them for the check. They have all the main stuff. They give you the regular pickles, tofu, miso soup, rice, and cabbage if you order a rice set. I personally wasn't full and my friend that's a light eater also finished it(well except the cabbage). So I would say it's like on the smaller amount side if you ask me...but as I said I'm a big eater. I honestly thought the Katsu wasn't crispy enough and slightly a little dry. No, I'm not even comparing it to Katsu in Japan. I think Kagura is just a lot better if you want good Japanese katsu. Staff were pretty friendly. When we went around 6ish on a Thursday, we happened to sit within 2 mins cause I guess the first round of customers were getting ready to leave. After that, the amount of customers were slowing down a bit. I'm not sure how busy it is on a weekend but seems pretty ok on a weekday night. Although my pork loin katsu wasn't bad, if I were to come back, I prob come and try their katsu-don. Not worth the drive, but if you are a local, I think it's a nice option to have.

Fantastic find in South Pasadena, with authentic style tonkatsu at fair prices Parking is easy in the small mini-mall Order after sitting down through a QR code and it sends your food choices directly to the staff Highly recommend starting off with their Corn Ribs- which are pieces of corn on the cob but nicely cooked into crispy pieces and topped with flavorful Furikake mix to tantalize your savory and salty senses Their peach green tea was special and would also highly recommend We've tried their Chicken Katsu and Tenderloin pork Katsu, both excellent and hard to get the similar quality anywhere nearby. You can also order a side of their curry which is nice but not as much of a standout as their tonkatsu. We also tried their cheese Katsu which is mostly cheese, but wrapped in a slight covering of pork to keep its shape. It's a nice change but I would stick with their standards unless you're feeling very cheesy. Overall excellent place Highly recommend

Came here on a Wednesday night, and it was only about a 15 minute wait for a table of 2. They give you a beeper so when a table is ready, the beeper would be buzzed. Me and my girlfriend got the chicken katsu set, and the portions were quite big! The chicken katsu was cooked perfectly and very juicy. The katsu sauce that is mixed with the grated sesame seeds (have to grate the sesame seeds yourself) was a great complement to the chicken katsu. We also got the fried squid leg as an appetizer and that was delicious as well. Overall, I think this is the best katsu place in the SGV/LA. Only place I like more than Katsu Jin is Tonkotsu Tamafuji, and that's all the way in Hawaii! Would definitely come to Katsu Jin again.

South pas gem! When you are craving japanese style pork katsu this is it! You dont have to go to little tokyo or ktown for this. It was very satisfying. Its a small place so the tables get filled up fast. But people eat and go.

Katsu Jin is a nice little hole in the wall in Pasadena that offers authentic Japanese style dishes such as udon and katsu! I ordered the pork katsu for 2 people, which came out to be around $40, which is super affordable! I love how they offer side dishes included with the katsu, such as radish and miso soup, which really helps elevate the flavor of the katsu and pairs it with yummy ingredients. The server was super nice and attentive! Note: I believe this place closes at 3 (early), so make sure to come in early or else you won't be able to dine in!