Izziban Katsu At Lotte Market

DO NOT EAT HERE. OVERPRICED GARBAGE! I was craving some crab rangoons. What I got were stale overpriced reheated cream cheese dumplings. The box these frozen morsels came in are probably the cost of this order.

Service and atmosphere aren’t worth mentioning. Food however was terrible. The katsu was frozen and reheated—there is no way it was freshly breaded with panko then fried. No seasoning — tasted like I just went to McDonald’s and got some nuggets. Hell, at least McDonald’s doesn’t cost 22 dollars. The curry was also terrible. I mean it wasn’t even curry really. It was gelatinous in the cup it was served in, and the flavor profile was like pumpkin soup or something. Did not taste like curry at all. Also, food was served with this odd salad covered in ketchup and mayo—why even have this in the meal? It was just taking up space and did not mesh well at all. Also came with some like clear soup, not rly worth mentioning it was alright. At least the food was hot, but cmon yall—katsu is not difficult to make. Idk why we’re using literal precooked freezer chicken and charging 20 bucks. Cmon yall.

I was extremely disappointed with my experience at Izziban Katsu in Orlando. I paid almost $20 for a meal, only to be told after waiting 30 minutes that my soup was not included and that I had to pay extra. Meanwhile, I watched the attendant freely give soup to other customers without charging them. This kind of inconsistent and unfair service is unacceptable and leaves a very negative impression. Situations like this are exactly why customers stop coming back. I hope the management addresses these issues before it affects their business even more.

I finally remembered not to eat before going to the Lotte Market! I was excited to try one of the many options inside the mini food court and opted for Izziban Katsu as my first meal on the premises. I ordered the Chicken Bento Box which came with well marinated and tender bite sized pieces of thigh meat chicken over a stir fry mix of carrots, onions, and other veggies. It also came with a bite sized portion of rice, three gyoza, 1 tempura battered piece of shrimp and 2 pieces of tempura zucchini (which was so freaking good), and a small cup of miso soup with green onions. I thoroughly enjoyed my meal and found every piece really tasty. That tempura batter was light and fluffy, everything was cooked to perfection. Downside: the price was quite high, I believe it was $18. With that sticker price, I expected a bit more chicken, however - there were so many sides that I left completely full.

I like their food and when it's the women I feel safe eating. However on Sunday February 8th there were two guys working behind the counter, one dressed in light blue and the other dressed in all black, WELLLLLLL the one dressed in all black putting his fingers in his mouth, gross! And then when he came out for his break he was scratching his body as he was walking out. Do better Izziban, do better because that was absolutely DISGUSTING!

The food here is okay at Izziban Katsu. Takoyaki: It's my kids/ favorite here. Fried calamari: Good Korean corndog with mozeralla cheese. It's not made of corn flour, but rice flour, filled with a fishdog, not hotdog, and lightly sweetened mozeralla cheese. I think they charge $5 each and those are the frozen food you get in the package in the freezer section if you do like those. My son and I like this but we rather buy the frozen package than buy an individual one from here. Pork Katsu with tempura udon soup combo: This was our first time trying the katsu and we didn't like it. It tasted like old pork fried with a crisp oily texture. My kids liked the udon noodle and broth here. It's seasoned with soy sauce/salt and cooked with nappa cabbage, lots of white onions, scallions, and served with one shrimp tempura and a few pieces of fried tofu skin. We didn't like the fried tempura when soaked in the broth because it becomes mushy and makes the simple broth turns oily too. At other places I have ordered, the tempura is served on the side. Definitely not ordering this combo again. Salmon bento box - first time I ordered for my son, they cook the salmon just right, soft and tender for my kids to enjoy. The second time, it was overcooked and dry, thus ending up in my compost bin when I brought it home. This is even after I told the cashier to make sure to tell the chef not to overcook it. I'll just buy the salmon steak and cook it for my family from now on. Inconsistency with cooking the salmon means a hit or miss, whether the food was worth the money or a waste.

The food was good and timely prepared. Seating may be a issue because it's a small food court so keep that in mind especially on the weekends when it get busy at Lotte. The Korean corn dogs were delicious but felt it was a bit overpriced. Other than that... definitely good food.