Chef Jason Farrish, co-owner of The Crawlspace Gastropub on Mercer Island, brings a rich tapestry of cultural influences to his culinary creations. Born and raised in Hawaii, Jason’s upbringing was steeped in diverse culinary traditions. His family established the renowned Yummy Korean BBQ in 1986, a legacy that deeply influenced his palate and cooking style. After a 25-year career in finance, Jason returned to his roots, opening The Crawlspace Gastropub with his wife, Robin, in September 2024 .
The gastropub’s menu is a testament to Jason’s heritage and experiences, blending Hawaiian, Korean, Mexican, and American flavors into a cohesive and innovative dining experience. Among the standout dishes is his Chicken Katsu—a nod to both Japanese comfort food and a Hawaiian staple. Jason’s rendition features crispy, golden-brown chicken cutlets served over rice, embodying the fusion of cultures that defines his culinary philosophy. This dish, like many others on the menu, reflects Jason’s commitment to honoring traditional flavors while introducing creative twists that resonate with a diverse clientele .
At The Crawlspace Gastropub, Jason Farrish invites diners to experience a harmonious blend of cultures, flavors, and memories, all served with a side of Aloha!
Chicken Katsu
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Panko bread crumbs
- Salt and pepper
- Cornstarch or wheat flour
- Eggs
- Vegetable oil
- Bulldog brand tonkatsu sauce
This is one of the most famous Japanese comfort foods and an absolute staple in Hawaii. Prep your chicken by tenderizing it, poke a bunch of small holes in it, using a fork, meat tenderizer, etc. The pieces should all be approximately the same width and quite a bit thinner than what you started out with. This will ensure the middles are done before our crust burns. After tenderizing season with salt and pepper and let sit uncovered in the fridge for at least 10 minutes. Your chicken should be sweating and ready for your three step breading process.
Take the chicken and cover with flour. Really get in there, bare spots are bad, and then into a beaten egg mixture. Egg wont stick well to raw chicken but it loves to stick to flour and flour loves to stick to raw chicken. Anywhere that doesn’t have egg on it wont stick to the panko and so you got to make sure your entire chicken is well coated in your beaten eggs. Place the chicken in a bed of panko, pour extra panko on top and press it into the chicken. Make sure your entire piece is well coated. Now place in the refrigerator and wait for at least 2 hours. You are ready to fry when the dried panko starts looking like fresh bread crumbs again. You can skip this step if you are in a rush but it is essential if you want the extra crispy locked in crust that we are famous for.
Get your vegetable oil into a fairly deep pan (cast iron works great) and heat to 350 degrees. Now lay each piece of chicken into your pan making sure you do not overcrowd it. Your cooking time will vary from 5-9 minutes depending on how thick you left your chicken and how well you manage your oil temperature. The biggest problem will be scorching the outside before your internal temperature hits 165 degrees. If you need to do this in batches you can keep the fried katsu in an oven at around 175 degrees until you are ready to serve. Traditionally served with rice but we have found fries are also great. Make sure to provide a generous amount of the Bulldog Tonkatsu sauce (can be found in the Asian section of most supermarkets and in literally every single Asian market) and revel in one of the best comfort foods out there.