Eighty Eight / 88 Katsu
In Fullerton, a perfect Korean interpretation of Japanese katsu curry – plus several noodle dishes
If you’re a fan of fried chicken – and who besides vegetarians isn’t, in one form or another? – a visit to Fullerton’s Amerige Heights Town Center may leave your head spinning. From Korean fried chicken shop Dookki and a classic KFC to the musically-themed I Got My Sound Chicken and crispy chicken parmesan at Korean-Italian fusion restaurant dPlace, there’s no shortage of (overlapping) options at this shopping and dining plaza. In November 2025, that list expanded with the official grand opening of Eighty Eight, also known as 88 Katsu, a sister concept to dPlace and the mini-chain of dPot shabu shabu/KBBQ restaurants.
At Eighty Eight, the menu is tightly focused on Japanese panko-crusted, deep-fried cutlets made from chicken, pork, or cheese, run lightly through a Korean reinterpretation lens. Unlike most Korean katsu places, which refer to tonkatsu (pork cutlet) as donggasu or donkkaseu and sometimes even swap traditional panko for smaller and less texturally interesting bread crumbs, Eighty Eight offers idealized representations of Japanese cutlets. Basic pork katsus here are $17, chicken tenderloin katsu is $19, and there are options to go with wider, thinner Korean-style “jumbo” tonkatsu, cheese and pork katsu, or versions with either a curry base ($21) or spicy top sauce ($19). Most katsus include kimchi, jalapenos, onions, thin-sliced cabbage, and miso soup on the side; the curry katsu also includes rice and pickled radishes, and chicken is available as an alternative to pork for some plates as a $3 upcharge.
Should none of those options appeal to someone in your group, four noodle options are also available: a fishcake and broth Kitsune Udon soup ($14/small, $18/large), dry vegetarian Zaru-style Udon and Soba plates ($14/small, $18/large) with sweet soy broth dipping sauces, and a decidedly Korean Bibim Udon ($14/one size only) that combines bibim naengmyun-style gochujang sauce with two fistsful of udon noodles, sliced cabbage, and matchstick nori. Eighty Eight’s digital menus also include a single “side” (curry sauce) and a handful of drinks (sodas/$3, Suntory beer/$9), with nothing else as appetizers or desserts to choose from. Consequently, those seeking to customize their katsu plates with common protein alternatives or add-ons such as seafood, veggies, or gyoza will need to look elsewhere (say, CoCo Ichibanya).
On our visit, we sampled the curry tonkatsu – a thick, delicately panko crusted slice of perfectly cooked pork that was juicy inside, crispy golden brown outside, and surrounded by a pool of tasty, lightly spiced curry on all sides. By Japanese or Korean standards, this was a no notes-class plate of katsu curry, with enough umami and veggie flavor to require zero additions, while mixing effortlessly with a large scoop of white rice and several spoons worth of red pickled radish. Between the little banchan dishes, small bowl of miso soup, and side plate of sesame/dressing-topped shredded cabbage, this $20 plate was a full and excellent meal for one. Even the less katsu-enthusiastic people in our group enjoyed this dish.
The other items we ordered were three of the noodle dishes: the Zaru Soba with buckwheat noodles and soy dip, Zaru Udon with thick flour noodles and soy dip, and Bibim Udon with the same flour noodles and gochujang sauce. Though these dishes were comparatively minimalist and basic next to the curry tonkatsu, everyone enjoyed the chew of the room temperature noodles and the quality of the sauces, while appreciating mini bowls of jalapeno and celery on the sides, plus wasabi and pureed radish that can augment the Zaru sauces to taste.
There’s not much more to Eighty Eight: tablet-based ordering makes service in the clean, unfancy dining space minimal, and there aren’t many aesthetic frills beyond scattered hints that the restaurant’s name refers to the 1988 Olympics in Seoul – a pivotal moment in South Korea’s global ascendance. Though it leans on Japanese inspirations, Eighty Eight is reflective of Orange County’s diverse and excellent Korean dining scene, leveraging premium ingredients and execution to deliver high-quality, high-value dishes that are certainly worthy of future visits.
Stats
Price: $$
Service: Tablet/Table
Open Since: November 2025
Address
1941 W. Malvern Ave.
Fullerton, CA 92833
714.519.3446
Instagram: @88katsu_