Humanity has long had an fondness for breaded meats. As far back as the 12th Century, breaded meat cuts appear in Milanese archives. Recipes bespeak of medieval innovations in coating meat to “seal in juices or mimic gilded dishes.” By the 19th Century, Austrian and Italian kitchens–utilizing flour, eggs, and white breadcrumbs before frying in butter or lard-began propagating techniques and ingredients. Among the foundational breaded dishes were Austrian Wiener Schnitzel. Today, whether it’s German schnitzel, Mexican milanesa, or Italian parmigiana, many of the world’s culinary traditions incorporate a dish made of thinly cut meat that is breaded and then fried to yield a contrast between a crunchy crust on the outside and tender meat on the inside. Home cooking across the fruited helped give rise to regional variations in breaded meats with such standards as Texas chicken-fried steak and the Midwestern breaded pork tenderloin sandwich.
In the 19th Century, Western influences were increasingly adopted even in the Land of the Rising Sun. Among the innovations were katsu, a Japanese dish of meat or seafood that is breaded in flaked panko crumbs and deep-fried. Instead of fine, dense western breadcrumbs, katsu involves meats breaded in light, airy Japanese panko breadcrumbs which provide an extra crunch. Katsu is traditionally plated with steamed rice, shredded cabbage (or coleslaw) and a thick, savory brown tonkatsu sauce. One dish making particular inroads, especially in Britain, is katsu curry—curry rice with a breaded meat cutlet on top. Sadly, curry wasn’t in vogue when we lived in England for three years.
Author Larry McMurty said it best, “Only a rank degenerate would drive 1,500 miles across Texas without eating a chicken fried steak.” For Texans, chicken fried steak is a religion, one they preach with great enthusiasm. You might think my friend Bruce “Sr. Plata” Silver is as Texan as they come, but he’s a proud born-and-bred Californian. He loves chicken fried steak more than anyone I’ve ever met. For several years, he and I journeyed across the Duke City metropolitan area in search of the best chicken fried steak we could find. To his dismay, when he moved to Scottsdale, he didn’t find as many restaurants proffering chicken fried steak as he had in New Mexico. He did, however, uncover many more restaurants offering katsu.
In the food court at H Mart in the Mesa Asian District, Maisen Katsu celebrates katsu by serving hearty platters of crisp, breaded meat, as well as appetizers, sides, and noodles. Maisen Katsu is not much larger than a concession stand at a high school gymnasium. The front of the store displays tantalizing photographs and short descriptions of menu items. You can’t peer into the kitchen to see your dish being prepared. The fact that it may take ten to fifteen minutes for your number to be called certainly attests that this is no fast food katsu. It’s prepared to order and it’s prepared exceptionally well. Both Sr. Plata and I agreed Maisen’s katsu may be the best we’ve ever had.
Although most of the food court’s culinary lineup is decidedly Korean, Maisen Katsu is the operation that most straddles the line between Korean and Japanese foods, serving katsu with sides such as rice, coleslaw, miso soup, and a little bit of banchan in the form of cold, pickled radish. Most appetizers are familiar favorites from Japanese-American menus: meat-filled gyoza, small vegetable egg rolls, agedashi tofu, seaweed salad, and edamame. Even the post-war Korean celebration of cheese appears in the form of fried mozzarella balls. Yes, Asian turophiles are growing in number (and probably waistline). Perhaps the most intriguing menu option is the cheese katsu. In this case, the breaded meat is topped with a layer of shredded mozzarella. Sounds good to me.
Being an avowed curry enthusiast, the dish which made most sense for me was the katsu curry available with pork or chicken. Katsu curry features a crispy, breaded meat cutlet served over steamed rice with a thick, savory curry sauce. Japanese curry is distinct from other Asian curries due to its thick, stew-like roux base, mild and sweet flavor profile, and lack of coconut milk. Unlike Indian curries built on loose spice blends or Southeast Asian curries using wet pastes and coconut milk, Japanese curry uses a flour-and-butter-based solid roux block. It resembles a glossy, thick brown gravy or Western meat stew rather than a liquid broth or sauce. Under its sheath of panko breading, the chicken cutlet is moist and thoroughly delicious, maybe the best I’ve ever had.
Sr. Plata’s choice was chicken katsu, a Japanese dish of fried chicken made with panko bread crumbs. It’s related to tonkatsu (fried pork cutlets) which my Sephardic friend does not partake in. Chicken katsu dish spread internationally and has become a common dish served at Japanese and East Asian restaurants. It’s so much better than most American fried chicken. While American fried chicken often uses bone-in, skin-on pieces such as thighs, wings, legs and breasts, chicken katsu uses boneless, skinless chicken breast pounded flat. Chicken katsu is generally less greasy and slightly healthier than traditional American fried chicken because it uses lean chicken breast, a lighter breading, and panko crumbs that absorb less oil. Sr. Plata enjoyed every morsel.
Accompanying my curry katsu was a small bowl of miso soup, the best I’ve had in quite a while. Even without small cubes of soft or silken tofu, the soup was hearty and delicious. Scallions and seaweed were visible. Maisen Katsu’s menu may be limited because it operates within the confines of a food court, but flavors are spot-on. Neighboring pods on the food court provide dessert for diners with a sweet tooth. Pastries at Paris Baguette at the front of the food court or cool dishes at Snow Time should sate that sweet tooth.
Maisen Katsu
1919 West Main Street
Mesa, Arizona
(480) 207-4566
Website |
LATEST VISIT: 30 July 2026
# OF VISITS: 1
RATING: N/R
COST: $$
BEST BET: Miso Soup, Curry Katsu, Chicken Katsu
REVIEW #1539