You’ve gotta look after number one. It’s a fact of life. And that’s what Jake Riwaka is doing with Don’s Katsu, the month-long pop-up hitting a 16-seat space next door to his ramen restaurant Bones. First service is tomorrow, which is a mean feat considering he’s only had the idea for six weeks or so. The man moves quick!

“Yeah, well we haven’t had much going on, it’s been quick and easy frankly,” he laughs. That’s rare to hear in the lead up to an opening, but with a minimal fit-out, not many seats and a well-oiled kitchen nearby doing the heavy lifting, it’s possible.

The chef and restaurateur co-owns Bones with Mike Mu Sung, the owner of Ken’s Continental and Farmhouse Kings Cross, and together they’ve formed a tasty little patch in a leafy part of Bayswater Road. For Don’s, Jake is joined by his brothers Connor and Kyle Riwaka. Connor (ex-Dear Sainte Eloise, Fontana and Alberto’s Lounge) joins Jake in the kitchen, while Kyle will charm on the floor, moving over from Bones.

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“All our sauces are going to be made at Bones,” Jake tells Broadsheet. “Don’s soup will be using our seafood broth. It’s a lot of from-scratch cooking.”

But the soups and sides are all just accompaniments to the katsu, available exclusively as a set. A pork loin from Bundarra, a small, free-range producer near Victoria, is breaded with fresh nama panko and then fried till gold and crispy.

“I love katsu, very keen. And in the inner-Sydney area, there’s nowhere you can go and have a really good one,” says Jake. “No one’s really specialising, and I thought it’d be quite fun to do. So I’m sort of filling that need for myself.”

His katsu’s going to be pretty special. Jake nods to the quality of Aussie pork in general – in how its raised and butchered – as well as Bundarra specifically (the farm supplies the likes of Firedoor and Tedesca Osteria). “The price point’s going to be a bit more expensive than what people are used to [for katsu], so that’s a bit of a risk for us … I’m excited to use a small supplier.”

Completing the katsu sets – $26 for the smaller, $32 for the larger – is a fennel and cabbage salad, seasoned rice, house-made cucumber pickles, a dish of smoked chilli and grated daikon, and the broth from Bones. There’s a “secret” off-menu eggplant katsu, too. Just like in Japan, meal size is up to you based on your appetite or budget. In a couple of weeks – after they’ve tested the temp – the Riwakas will look to add more veggies.

At this stage, Don’s is only here for a month so plan your visit, stat. Word is they may extend. “We just want to see how everything goes first,” Jake says.

Don’s Katsu starts its walk-ins-only service tomorrow, October 18. We’re expecting a hit.

Don’s Katsu
59 Bayswater Road, Rushcutters Bay

Hours:
Thu to Sun 5pm–9pm
@dons.katsu