Fans of crunchy, breadcrumb-coated fried meats and cheese will have to head to the 'burbs to enjoy a platter of tonkatsu from Katsuya, which has recently shuttered its sole Vancouver restaurant location.
Katsuya, which operated at 1471 Robson St, announced on its social media its last day would be Jan. 22.
The Korean-run Japanese restaurant specializes in katsu, which is panko-crusted deep-fried pork, chicken, fish, cheese, or sweet potato, served in combination with various sauces and sides, like finely shredded cabbage.
"Don’t be sad too much!" said Katusya on Instagram. "Our Burquitlam location is still going on." In addition to that outpost at #8-555 Clarke Rd in Coquitlam, Katsuya has a Langley location "coming soon," according to its website.
Replacing Katsuya on Robson will be Pizza Maru, a Korean chain that dates back to 2006. Its first Canadian store opened in 2022 in the Toronto area.
Pizza Maru says it offers "the world['s] first well-being pizza made of patented green tea dough."
Along with standard pizza toppings like cheese, pepperoni, or all-veggies, Pizza Maru's menu includes signature items like the "Maru Five," which is a pizza loaded in striped segments with cheddar cheese, corn, beef ribs, bacon, pepperoni, mayo, chicken, potato chunks, steak sauce, and spicy sauce.
Other pizza options include the "Signature Shrimbul" made with shrimp, bulgogi (marinated Korean beef), green peppers, ranch dressing, sour cream, chopped pickles and more, as well as a "Chicken Katsu" pizza.
Maru's menu also features "topokki" (tteokbokki or rice cakes), "Chicago"-style pizzas, a variety of baked chicken dishes, and spaghetti.
No opening date for Pizza Maru on Robson has been revealed, but signage does appear to be up at the location.
