A 32-seat Japanese restaurant overlooking Lincoln Square is serving katsu donburi by day and Osakan-style kushikatsu by night.

Atsu, named after the Japanese word for “heat”, opened in Carlton. The venue took over the former Leonie Upstairs space and is part of Clove Group and Tsunagu Project’s portfolio.

The restaurant was developed after a conversation between chef Reki Reinantha and Kantaro Okada about katsu and highballs. Three months later, the idea became a dining room focused on fried Japanese dishes, rice bowls, skewers and drinks.

Chef Patron Jin Oon leads the kitchen, where katsu is the centre of the menu. Each protein is brined, dried, coated and fried to order, with different styles of panko used depending on the ingredient.

The menu uses produce including Otway pork, Bannockburn chicken and Australian Wagyu MB9+ striploin.

Katsu At Lunch, Kushikatsu At Dinner

Lunch is built around katsu donburi bowls, where katsu is served over rice with a soft egg and onion cooked in a light dashi broth.

The lunch menu includes Menchi Wagyu, Atsu’s signature katsu don with a Japanese-style wagyu and pork mince cutlet and melted cheese. Other options include Ton with Otway pork Scotch katsu and tonkatsu sauce, Tori with Bannockburn chicken thigh katsu and hatcho miso sauce, Salmon with Atlantic salmon katsu and namban sauce, Wagyu with Australian Wagyu MB9+ striploin cooked medium-rare, and Yasai with seasonal vegetable katsu.

In the evening, the menu shifts to kushikatsu, the Osaka-style dish of skewered ingredients coated in crumb and fried. Atsu’s skewers include tsukune with shichimi, wagyu and leek with onion jam, and menchi katsu Scotch egg.

Guests can also sit at the counter for an omakase-style kushikatsu service, with skewers served one at a time.

The kitchen also serves sides and snacks, including shio kombu cabbage salad, potato and kingfish.

The drinks list has been created by Clove Group’s Head of Beverage, Willy Lozen. Highballs lead the bar menu, with each available in alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions.

Options include the Dirty Martini Hi, Vieux Carré Hi, Strawberry Cheesecake Hi, Matcha Ginger Hi, OG Lemon Hi and Lychee-Mikan Hi. The drinks list also includes beer, wine, spirits and more than 30 sakes.

Inside, Atsu has booth seating, side tables and counter seats. The dining room overlooks Lincoln Square and uses paper lantern lights, white brick walls, pine tables and blonde timber beams.

Atsu is located at Level 1/15-17 Lincoln Square S, Carlton.
Lunch runs Monday to Saturday from 11:30am to 2:30pm.
Dinner runs daily from 5:30pm to 9:30pm.