Juan Bowl & Tea, Redfern

Much like NBA scouts watching high school kids play, I am also obsessed with potential (gosh, that sentence could’ve gone in a million different questionable directions).

It’s what keeps me exploring. A weird alley way pop-up here, a restaurant in someone’s backyard there, a crockpot acquired through FB marketplace that had a weird two-factor authentication involving a seven step handshake and a password (the password was suede ugg boots for anyone playing at home).

The issue with this mindset is the certified bangers then lose some support. Whilst I’m out trying the new hot stuff, a guaranteed hottie is sitting on the stove hoping that it was good enough the first, second or third time to get me to come back.

Whilst I’m out there searching for another one, I forgot about the Juan sitting in Redfern, and it’s been sitting on the katsu throne this whole damn time.

Juan Bowl & Tea first opened up in Redfern back in October 2017.

Here’s a reminder of what things were like in October 2017

• LeBron James was still a Cleveland Cavalier and had just finished a historic 3-1 comeback against Steph Curry’s Golden State Warriors
• Malcolm Turnbull was PM of Australia
• Gal Gadot was coming off the first Wonder Woman movie and no one realised she couldn’t do different accents yet
• Stranger Things Season 2 was about to come out on Netflix
• I weighed 82kg (consisting of pure fun and mayonnaise).

It was a simpler time; made especially simpler because everyone knew where to go for the best tonkatsu.

It’s not just the sweet and perfectly balanced (of lean and fat) pork; nor is it the tornado scrambled egg on a bed of rice (you can go white or 12 grain). It’s the perfect symbiosis you get from every element coming together for the perfect bite of creamy, sweet, crunchy and ultimately satisfying experience.

Allow me to double click on the tonkatsu itself though, I’ve had a LOT of pork to the point where my 23 & Me test came back 1.7% swine. Plenty of places do a lean tonkatsu that makes you feel kinda healthy but mostly disappointed but nowhere else consistently picks a fatty piece of pork that isn’t JUST fat like Juan does.

They truly are Juan of Juan.

Is this that Super Bowl that Americans tend to go crazy about?

Because I definitely think this wagyu bowl is as super as an American sporting event which is more advertising than sport (I know this is ironic since I work in advertising but please let this joke slide).

Buttery soft slices of wagyu beef sauced up with gooey egg yolk from the onsen egg topping up the bed of garlic rice; perfection. Super Bowl indeed.

After a little sweet treat to top things off? You don’t even have to run over to Messina, you can just opt for this mochi number from our friends over at Juan Bowl & Tea.

The mix of gooey yet firm mochi and the just perfect amount of kuromitsu/kinako is as much a work of science as it is of culinary arts.

The reason this post is short for a place I adore is I’m ultra conservative when I visit. I take comfort in knowing that I’m about to have my favourite ever katsu everytime I visit and there is immeasurable value in having a certified banger like that.

In saying all of that, I did visit again recently and tried a couple of specials (along with my signature katsu) and you’re not going to believe this but they were absolute bangers.

The udon carbonara is rich and satisfying (kinda like Christian Grey in 50 Shades minus the BDSM) and the gyukatsu is sublime. I love that the onus is on you to heat it up slightly and get it to your desired done-ness (sort of like at Korean BBQ minus the staff members judging you if you try to cook pork immediately after beef and forget to add for a change of grills).

Juan Bowl & Tea information

Address: 94A Pitt St, Redfern NSW 2016

Opening hours

Day	Lunch	Dinner
Monday	Closed
Tuesday–Sunday	12pm–3pm	6pm–9pm

Opening hours supplied for publication on 1 September 2026. Confirm the latest hours on Google Maps ↗.