HaiFry brings a savory taste of Osaka to Louisville • The Louisville Cardinal

By Roxy Osborne

The owners of Dragon King’s Daughter and Kaiju bar have welcomed a new member to their restaurant family, HaiFry. Located at 1126 Bardstown Road in the Highlands area, HaiFry sets itself apart from its restaurant siblings by focusing on Osaka-style Japanese food.

During my time there, I was consistently impressed with not only the food but also the excellence of the atmosphere. HaiFry is a passion project from Owner and Chef Toki Masabuchi, and that shines in every aspect of the dining experience.

Globe-trotting inspiration

Colin Cranston, the front-end general manager, explains what inspired Masabuchi to open a third establishment in Louisville.

“[Masabuchi] took a trip to Japan about a year and a half ago. He did some looking around, checked out a bunch of really cool places, what was near and dear to the communities there, and then brought some of it here,” said Cranston.

The Japanese restaurant space isn’t the most niche market in the city, but Cranston emphasizes that HaiFry provides its own unique flavor on a familiar style of food.

“You’re not going to find our kushikatsu at a lot of these places,” Cranston said. “When we say we’re traditional, we mean we are traditional. This is a culinary cuisine that hasn’t been explored in the marketplace before we did it. We’re really [spearheading] this deep dive into Japanese cuisine.”

HaiFry features Japanese-inspired decor. (Photo by Roxy Osborne / The Louisville Cardinal)

Stepping into Japan

The restaurant is able to do a lot with its smaller size. The walls are decorated with old Japanese advertisements that make you feel like you walked out of the Highlands and into the jumping streets of Osaka.

I appreciated the balance of traditional decor mixed with modern elements. They’re very tasteful in what they decided to keep up-to-date with today’s standards. The menus are easily navigable with slick graphic designs. Contemporary neon signs provide a good amount of lighting to accompany the warmer, cozier overhead lighting.

Biting into the best of Osaka

Atmosphere is important, but everyone knows there’s no point in looking nice if the food isn’t great. Fortunately, HaiFry is able to back up its pretty looks with equally quality food.

To drink, I ordered a Japanese alcoholic beverage called chuhai. The drink mixes soda water with shochu, a traditional Japanese distilled spirit. For people who are apprehensive to the taste of alcohol, this is the drink for you. The flavor of the shochu was distinct but not overwhelming, making for a perfect beverage to accompany the rest of the meal.

Chuhai next to a menu pamphlet. (Photo by Roxy Osborne / The Louisville Cardinal)

The appetizers were the highlight for me. HaiFry boasts it’s iconic $2 kushikatsu, which are best described as mini Japanese deep-fried kebabs. I ordered something familiar and something I had never tried before: shrimp and quail egg.

Both were excellent. Crunchy and flavorful, being deep-fried did not take away from the flavor. The mindset is that you order a variety of different ones, since they are quite small. They’re more than worth the $2 price tag.

The cheese and shiso rollups, fried oysters and kushikatsu at HaiFry. (Photo by Roxy Osborne / The Louisville Cardinal)

Along with the kushikatsu, I also ordered the cheese and shiso rollups as well as the fried oyster. The fried oyster was pretty standard, but the included tonkastsu sauce is what took it to the next level. The cheese and shiso rollups are the perfect option if you want to share with your friends.

For the entrée, I decided to give the katsu curry a try. This dish features a panko-fried pork cutlet with Japanese curry and steamed rice. This menu item set HaiFry apart from other Japanese restaurants in town. The pork was perfectly cooked, but the curry is the main appeal here. It’s a flavor you remember even after you walk out the door.

Katsu curry entrée at HaiFry. (Photo by Roxy Osborne / The Louisville Cardinal)

The perfect late-night stop

The restaurant is open 4 p.m. – 12 a.m. Monday through Friday and 12 p.m. – 12 a.m. on the weekends. HaiFry is aiming to be a hot spot destination for people looking to grab a bite later in the day.

Located by popular bars Atomic and Big Bar, I have no doubt that HaiFry will solidify itself as one of the greats in the Bardstown’s impressive repertoire of nightlife destinations. HaiFry’s entire package gives it a unique identify among not only the other restaurants in the area, but other Japanese spots in the city.

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Roxy Osborne is the Features Editor at The Louisville Cardinal. Her work includes articles covering campus events, profile stories and video games. You can reach her at raosbo03@louisville.edu.

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