Scott Pierce serves Japanese-style katsu and Asian dishes at his King Katsu pop-up | Food and drink | Gambit Weekly

Scott Pierce commenced his King Katsu pop-up throughout the pandemic. He has operated a handful of pop-ups since moving to New Orleans 6 a long time back, and he resolved to concentration on Japanese and Asian dishes. His interest in Asian cuisines created from a enjoy of spicy Sichuan cooking and Filipino foods expanding up in New Jersey, and he acquired about Hawaiian and Japanese meals when cooking in Portland, Oregon. For facts about King Katsu, pay a visit to facebook.com/kingkatsu99. His up coming pop-up is June 13 at Bar Redux.

Gambit: How did you make a decision to target on katsu?

Scott Pierce: 6 a long time ago, I began a pop-up named Another Pop-up at Bud Rip’s in Bywater. I was accomplishing Hawaiian things, I was doing Japanese food. I was new to the sport and did not know what course I was going. Then I place katsu on the menu, because it’s a little something that is extremely swift. Above time, I recognized my greatest-selling issue was katsu, so I made the decision to go in that path. I experienced two customers and buddies that would arrive to each and every one particular, and they’d say, “You’re the katsu king.” I tried using to determine out a spin on that and arrived up with King Katsu. I experienced a close friend in Pittsburgh draw up a emblem for me.

Katsu was driving the business enterprise, so that’s what I made a decision to concentration on. Tonkatsu is usually pork. I have carried out hen katsu in the past. There is anything termed menchi katsu, which is floor beef or pork — it’s like a burger but breaded and fried with seasonings. I have completed tofu katsu. I have been kicking all-around the idea of katsu croquettes, which would be mashed potato patties stuffed with cheese. You can katsu nearly anything. It is a breading system.

Gambit: Why did you get started a pop-up?

Pierce: I have labored in dining places for about 20 yrs. I have completed it all: I waited tables and bartended and dishwashed. I worked in good dining. I worked in the entrance of the dwelling for a prolonged time and obtained burned out on that, so I pursued back of the house.

I have been here for 6 many years now. I have bopped all over a very little bit listed here. When I to start with arrived down, I labored at the counter at Pizza Scrumptious.

No one’s been in a position to get me absolutely into the kitchen area here. I wanted to do my pop-ups and do it the way I required. I want to be in a position to demand what I want to demand. I believe all people from all walks of lifetime must have good reasonably priced food. My overhead is minimal, so I can continue to keep my rates at a sure point.

I really do not want to do far more than 4 or 5 menu objects. It enables me to funds. It also will help with velocity. I have been to pop-ups in the town where by I am ready 20-30 minutes, and I have an understanding of that they’re occupied, but this is a pop-up. People today want to just take their food stuff and go. I want to hold tickets to 9 to 15 minutes when I am occupied.

I want to start out a pantry — bottling and offering my katsu sauce and my kimchi mayo. I am kicking all-around the plan of generating meat pies ahead of time and freezing them. I want to offer my kimchi and other things like that.

Gambit: What do you like to place on the menu of King Katsu?

Pierce: The katsu is often heading to be on the menu. I normally have a few of staples and some specials. I employed to have a Spam sandwich that I have taken off, but I am trying to carry it again. There’s just so numerous points I want to place on the menu that I haven’t performed in a although, like 5 spice sticky ribs. I developed a monster with the meat pies. I set them on as a unique months back and people today went bonkers above them. I never think I’ll ever be in a position to get them off. It is boneless, skinless rooster thighs that I ground myself. It’s Japanese curry (in a meat pie).

I like to have one thing that is stewed or geared up so I can throw it more than rice, and it’s not likely to be compromised by staying held (very hot). Seasonally, it is getting scorching, so I may possibly place some salads on. I do a Hawaiian dish named lomi lomi salmon, which is swift remedied salmon with tomatoes and sweet Vidalia onions. You get rid of it for a day and blend it up with black vinegar and some sesame oil and green onions and continue to keep it cold. You can provide it by alone or in excess of rice.

Pork humba is a Filipino dish. It is a variant of adobo, which is their nationwide dish. There’s no correct or erroneous way to make it. They use pork belly. I enjoy pork tummy, but I obtain that a good deal of people really do not try to eat it, for the reason that it is truly fatty and prosperous. I desired a thing leaner, so I use pork shoulder and split it down. I skim a good deal of the excess fat off.

Humba has interesting elements. There is no ginger in it, which is a staple of adobo and plenty of Filipino dishes. You have your black pepper, bay leaf, garlic and ginger — that’s their staples. Humba has acquired pineapple in it. There is salted black beans and it has this this molasses taste on the again conclusion. It’s a massive lovely melody. I dislike when foods is just just one or two notes. I want to be capable to decide out flavors. There really should be issues that occur jointly and do not perform in opposition to just about every other.