Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu One Holland Village

For dinner, we headed to Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu at One Holland Village, a Japanese restaurant that specialises in gyukatsu instead of the usual pork or chicken katsu. This unique concept immediately caught our attention, as premium beef takes centre stage here. Each cutlet is lightly coated with a crisp golden crust while keeping the beef tender and juicy inside, offering a refreshing twist on the traditional Japanese katsu experience.

Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu

Stepping into Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu, we were immediately greeted by a vibrant mural that stretches across the back wall of the restaurant. Filled with colourful illustrations inspired by Japanese culture and Kyoto landmarks, it adds a lively touch to the otherwise minimalist interior. Combined with the warm wooden furnishings and cosy seating, the restaurant offers a welcoming atmosphere that makes it an enjoyable place to relax and savour a satisfying Japanese meal.

Interior of Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu One Holland Village

The restaurant embraces a contemporary Japanese aesthetic with warm wooden furnishings and clean, minimalist décor. Soft lantern lighting creates a cosy ambience, while the spacious seating layout ensures a comfortable dining experience even during busy meal periods. The combination of traditional Japanese design elements and modern touches gives the restaurant an inviting atmosphere, making it an ideal spot for casual meals with family and friends.

Modern Japanese Interior at Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu

What sets Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu apart is its meticulous preparation of the beef cutlet. Each cutlet is quickly fried at a high temperature to achieve a crispy golden crust while preserving the beef's natural flavours and juicy, medium rare centre. To further enhance the experience, every set comes with a selection of sauces and condiments, allowing diners to customise each bite with different flavour profiles. It's this attention to detail and commitment to quality that makes their signature gyukatsu the restaurant's pride and joy.

Signature Medium Rare Gyukatsu Beef Cutlet

As an additional dish, we ordered the Wagyu Gyukatsu, and it was well worth it. The beautifully marbled Wagyu beef featured a light, crispy coating while remaining wonderfully tender and medium rare on the inside. Every bite delivered the rich, buttery flavour and melt-in-your-mouth texture that Wagyu is renowned for. Served with grated daikon in ponzu sauce and a touch of wasabi, the accompaniments enhanced the beef's natural sweetness without overpowering its delicate flavour. This is a must-order for anyone looking to indulge in a premium gyukatsu experience.

Wagyu

We ordered the Sirloin and Tenderloin Gyukatsu Zen, a hearty set meal that lets you enjoy two premium cuts of beef in one serving. The lightly breaded beef cutlets were perfectly crisp on the outside while remaining tender and juicy with a medium rare centre. The set was accompanied by Japanese rice, miso soup, a rich umami onsen egg, freshly shredded cabbage, fresh wasabi, and citrus sauce with grated Japanese radish.

Sirloin & Tenderloin

To customise every bite, the meal also came with a selection of condiments, including dashi soy sauce, sansho pepper salt, and the restaurant's signature gyukatsu sauce. Each pairing brought out a different dimension of the beef, making every mouthful a unique and enjoyable experience.

Sirloin and Tenderloin GYUKATSU ZEN - $29

The Sirloin and Beef Tongue Gyukatsu Zen is perfect for those looking to try something different. Although I was initially hesitant about the beef tongue, it turned out to be surprisingly tender with a pleasant bite. Paired with the juicy sirloin, it made for an enjoyable and unique meal.

Sirloin and Beef Tongue GYUKATSU ZEN - $32

If you're looking for something beyond the usual pork or chicken katsu, Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu is well worth a visit. The perfectly crisp yet juicy beef cutlets, variety of premium cuts, and assortment of dipping sauces make every bite enjoyable. Whether you're a first-timer or a beef lover, this is a satisfying Japanese dining experience that I'd happily return for.

Our Meal

Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu One Holland Village
Location: 7 Holland Vlg Wy, #02-46 One Holland Village, Singapore 275748
Website

Lo Hey HK Seafood

At the beginning of the month, my friend mentioned going to Lo Hey HK Seafood and I had mistakenly thought we were heading there for a Lo Hei session at a Hong Kong seafood restaurant. I only realised my misunderstanding when I reconfirmed the location!

Lo Hey

The interior turned out to be pleasantly unique, filled with strong Hong Kong vibes and colourful neon lights as part of the décor.

Chinese New Year Decor

They also have private rooms that can be divided using partitions, making the space flexible for gatherings of different group sizes.

Private Dining

Live Catch

Every corner of the restaurant carries an unmistakable Hong Kong nostalgia, from a movie ticketing counter, a mock prawning shop with gold chains hanging on the wall, old-school letter boxes, nostalgic window grilles, to a retro tea ordering counter. 

It really felt like stepping into scenes from classic Hong Kong films.

Hong Kong Ticket Counter

Cinema Posters

Huat!

Kicking off the CNY feast, we went for the Success Set 万事捞成 priced at $698, suitable for 8–10 pax, featuring the following dishes:

• Abalone Yusheng 鲍鱼捞生

• Braised Dried Seafood Soup 蟹肉海味羹

• Steamed Marble Goby with Superior Soy Sauce 港蒸笋壳鱼

• Poached Duck with Superior Soy Sauce 古法鼓油鸭

• Typhoon Shelter Style Stir-Fried Boston Lobster 避风塘波士顿龙虾

• Stir-Fried Broccoli with Scallops & Abalone Sauce 鲍汁带子西兰花

• Lotus Leaf Rice with Eight Treasures 八宝荷叶饭

• Mango Pomelo Sago 杨枝甘露

Outdoor Dining

We started with the Abalone Yusheng, a vibrant plate of colourful ingredients, each carrying an auspicious meaning. 

Abalone Yusheng 鲍鱼捞生

A cute wooden horse figurine with money on its back was placed on the platter, symbolising “马上有钱” (wealth arriving immediately). The usual ingredients were all present: lime, shredded carrot and radish, red ginger, cabbage, baby abalone and a generous sprinkle of sesame seeds.

Wooden Horse Block

As tradition goes, all of us enthusiastically tossed the ingredients high into the air while chanting auspicious phrases for prosperity, wealth and good health. 

After Tossing

Once the tossing ritual was done, we happily tucked into this festive “Chinese salad”. Of course, I made sure to scoop up some baby abalone together with my share.

Abalone

The Braised Dried Seafood Soup came served in an earthen claypot, offering a comforting and rich texture. Inside were black fungus, fish maw, crab meat and prawn meat, creating a hearty bowl packed with ingredients. 

Braised Dried Seafood Soup 蟹肉海味羹

It was a flavourful and satisfying alternative to the usual Shark’s Fin Soup.

Ingredients in the Braised Dried Seafood Soup

Up next was the Steamed Marble Goby with Superior Soy Sauce. The fish was undeniably fresh and skilfully prepared, with the meat steamed to a delicate tenderness that had us nodding in approval. The superior soy sauce further enhanced the natural sweetness of the fish, making the dish exceptionally well executed.

Steamed Marble Goby with Superior Soy Sauce 港蒸笋壳鱼

The Poached Duck with Superior Soy Sauce was a pleasant surprise. Despite dining in a Hong Kong restaurant, this dish reminded us very much of a comforting Teochew-style braised duck. The soy sauce essence had fully permeated the meat, giving it a rich, savoury depth and consistency. 

Poached Duck with Superior Soy Sauce 古法鼓油鸭

A dip into their accompanying sauce elevated the taste further though honestly, the duck was already good enough on its own without any sauce.

Yummy

No, that’s not cereal on the Boston Lobster, it’s a generous blanket of crispy fried garlic, packed with fragrance. Freshly taken from the tank, the lobster was expertly prepared in classic Typhoon Shelter style with dried chilli, spring onions and aromatic crumbs that clung onto every crevice of the shell.

No worries about getting your hands messy handling the crustacean, disposable gloves and pincers were thoughtfully provided at the table, making the whole experience fuss-free and enjoyable.

Typhoon Shelter Style Stir Fried Boston Lobster 避风塘波士顿龙虾

Next on the menu was the Stir-Fried Broccoli with Scallops & Abalone Sauce. The presentation was eye-catching, with vibrant red tomatoes and plump scallops sitting neatly on a bed of bright green broccoli. A simple yet well-balanced vegetable dish that complemented the richer items on the table.

Stir Fried Broccoli with Scallops & Abalone Sauce 鲍汁带子西兰花

As we approached the end of the savoury dishes, the Lotus Leaf Rice with Eight Treasures arrived. True to its name, it was beautifully wrapped and served in lotus leaves. 

Lotus Leaf Rice with Eight Treasures 八宝荷叶饭 

The fragrant glutinous rice was packed with ingredients like pork and mushrooms, making every mouthful flavourful and addictive.

Utterly Delicious

Last but not least, we wrapped up the night with a bowl of Mango Pomelo Sago. Served chilled, it was refreshing and light, the perfect dessert to cool us down and end the meal on a sweet note.

Mango Pomelo Sago 杨枝甘露

An experience at Lo Hey HK Seafood tells us that we’ll definitely be back to try more of their popular dishes. 

Lo Hey HK Seafood

Location: One Holland Village, 7 Holland Vlg Wy, #03-22/23/24, Singapore 275748

VietSmith

We spotted this Vietnamese Kitchen during our first visit to One Holland Village and set my eyes on it hoping it would find back the taste similar to the defunct Pho Hoa that used to be located in Holland Village as that reason used to give me every reason to be back in Holland Village.

VietSmith

We joined the queue and waited for about half an hour before we were seated.

The Art of Pho

The Lemongrass prawn dish offers a delightful combination of savoury aromatic of typical Vietnamese Cuisine. The marinated prawns in its combination of ingredients were springy and pierced through with a lemongrass stalk. The dish was served with pickled and chilli in fish sauce.

Lemongrass Prawn 香茅虾 - $14.90

The popular and refreshing appetizer or snack, wrapped up by translucent rice wrappers filled with fresh herbs, vermicelli noodles, shrimp and other ingredients makes up the basic of Vietnamese fresh shrimp rolls. Do you like to other this light and appetizing snack too?

Fresh Shrimp Roll with Shrimp (2pcs) 鲜越南虾卷 （两条）- $7.90

Iced Homemade Lemongrass Tea 冰自制香茅茶 & Iced Coco Nut Latte - $4 & $6.90

Here's a delightful Vietnamese dish that combines the sweetness of coconut milk with the savoury taste of prawns. These mini pancakes are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, making them a perfect snack or appetizer. 

Savoury Prawn & Coconut Mini Pancake 迷你虾煎饼 - $14.90

Enjoy the flavourful prawn in the mini pancakes with some spring onions and coconut milk over them.

Do you love them too?

Dip them into the sauce

Here's the bowl of Traditional Pho in Soup. The soup was light and we felt that it still had room for improvement in its broth. 

Sliced Beef, Beef Tendon, Beef Meatball, Honeycomb Beef Tripe
牛肉片，牛筋，牛肉丸，蜂窝牛肚 - $16.90

Ingredients

While Pho is always my "to go" dish in Vietnamese Cuisine, VietSmith had their Pho up another level by giving the option of serving Wagyu Beef. I ordered the Wagyu Beef slices with Beef Meatball.

Wagyu Beef, Beef Meatball  和牛，牛肉丸 - $21.90

Despite the "upgrade" in their beef, we felt that the bowl of Pho was pretty ordinary. Perhaps what we had from the hawkers was better.

Wagyu Beef

I'm still missing a good bowl of Pho. Overall, the food was rather a standard fare. It's time to explore somewhere else.

Rating: 3 / 5

VietSmith
Location: One Holland Village, 7 Holland Village Way, #03-25/26 Singapore 275748