``Tonkatsu Sugida'', which I introduced last time, is the best pork cutlet in my life, but I would like to share with you three carefully selected pork cutlet shops in Tokyo that I would recommend with the same enthusiasm. For those of you who haven't read the book yet, please read the following to find out how delicious the tonkatsu at Sugita is.
Let's talk about how delicious the loin cutlet at Tonkatsu Sugida in Kuramae is.

Involuntarily correct one's living habits
A serious tonkatsu competition is here.

A restaurant that I like as much as ``Sugida'' is ``Ponta Honke.''

In other words, anyone who considers themselves a tonkatsu fan will have to correct their living habits in front of ``Ponta Honke''. Founded in 38, the first generation was a former chef at the Imperial Household Agency, and now the fourth generation. I think the store's level of determination is second to none. The seemingly inaccessible, heavy gate and the old-fashioned signboard tell us this.

When you enter the store, you will feel the most tense atmosphere of all the tonkatsu restaurants. This shows how serious he is as a craftsman. If you sit at the counter right after entering, you can see all the details of the serious competition in the kitchen.

Who is serious? For example, as is already well known, the same is true for lard. The restaurant's daily routine begins with cooking lard for about an hour using the fat from shredded pork (it is said to be extremely difficult to cook once or twice a day). The owner believes that oil determines the flavor and aroma of tonkatsu. Therefore, this is an extremely important process that cannot be left to others. This is probably the only pork cutlet shop like this in Tokyo.

The general's seriousness is definitely spreading in the actions of his employees. Not a single staff member was lethargic.

“Cutlets” that exude the seriousness of the chef
What would you do without eating ``fried oysters'', which are probably the most delicious in Japan?

Tonkatsu is a "cutlet" option on the product list. There is no difference between loin and fillet. When it comes to pork cutlet, I feel a sense of pride that tells me to eat it without even asking. Apparently only the lean part of the loin is used. At other stores, it looks like a fin. but,The texture is unmistakably that of loin. The cutlets are cut into slightly thick, bite-sized pieces, and of course are slightly pink in color. It can be said to be quite voluminous. It would be a foolish question to ask whether it tastes good or not. The way the batter clings to the pork cutlet, the softness and sweetness of the meat, and the ins and outs of the craftsmanship of tonkatsu are perfected here.

The reason I always find myself scratching my head when I sit down is because there are many other types of fried foods besides tonkatsu. The items change depending on the season, but oysters, squid, conger eel, pickles, prawns...all of them are incredibly delicious, so it's confusing. The large fried oysters will make you want to exclaim, ``This is the best in Japan!'' So no matter what, I have to add options other than cutlet (lol).

Don't forget the exquisite tongue stew

The tongue stew, which takes about three weeks to prepare, is also an exquisite dish. The richness of the sauce is layered and deep, and the meat falls apart easily. The finish is unparalleled. It's expensive, but it's worth it (the beef tongue we usually eat at Yakiniku restaurants is usually produced in the United States and not Wagyu beef. Wagyu beef tongue is too expensive. It's made with carefully selected Kuroge Wagyu beef, so it's only natural that it's expensive!

The rice, miso soup, and pickles were perfectly delicious. Takuan apparently plants 400 bottles during the winter. I want you to savor the excitement that each one of them brings.

When I wrote it while remembering the atmosphere of the store, my writing ended up being very serious (lol).

Ponta Honke

3-23-3, Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo
03－3831-2351

11:00-14:00/16:30-20:00
Closed: Mondays and Tuesdays (open if Monday is a holiday)

Cutlet 3630 yen

Pillar fry 4840 yen

Fried conger eel 3850 yen

Shrimp croquette 2750 yen

Fried prawn market price

Tongue stew 6050 yen

Number of seats: 24 seats
*Prices are subject to change, so please check

There is always a line.
Marugo's tonkatsu, representative of Japan, is still a must-try.

It's a well-known and stable restaurant that always has lines lined up day and night. Tonkatsu restaurants in the city center are now visited by foreigners in droves. Due to its location in Akihabara, there are a lot of foreign customers here. It is truly a blessing that tonkatsu has become known as one of Japan's most sophisticated dishes.

When you enter the store, you will immediately notice that it is a clean and well-maintained store. Employees are agile and feel good. On the table, in addition to sauce, soy sauce, and salt, there was a bowl of rakkyo and koume (Japanese plums) piled high. I like that it's not stingy. There's plenty of Japanese mustard in the container, which makes me very happy as I like to use a lot of mustard.

You can enjoy the sense of fulfillment of eating the loin

My favorite is the "special loin cutlet" rather than the "loin cutlet." The latter uses Hiramaki Sangen pork from Hirata Farm in Yamagata Prefecture. If you compare the two, it will definitely be the latter. I always think that it would taste even better if the slices were a little wider and a little thinner, but there is no doubt that they are delicious. It has a lot of fat, but the way the fat melts when you chew it is amazing. It's different from ``Sugita'' or ``Ponta Honke,'' and it gives you a sense of fulfillment when you eat the loin.

Saute and ginger grilled dishes are also available, and in the evening, there are various menus such as kakuni, meat yose, Yamato ni, and more. It's like a general trading company for pork dishes. But I've never eaten them. I'm sure it's delicious.

Tonkatsu Marugo

1-8-14, Sotokanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
03－3255-6595

11:30-15:00/17:00-21:00
Regular holiday: Monday and Tuesday

Fillet cutlet set meal 1950 yen

Loin cutlet set meal 2200 yen

Sauteed fillet 2200 yen

Ginger roast loin 1400 yen

Kushikatsu 1500 yen

Number of seats: 34 seats
*Prices are subject to change, so please check
*No website

Visited branded pork producers across Japan
love for pork

Judging from the store's name, it is clearly new wave. When I visited, the store had just opened, so it wasn't very crowded. Nowadays, it's gaining popularity among tonkatsu lovers, so it's probably crowded.

This restaurant is filled with love for pork. In other words, the owner's passion for pigs is amazing. He visited branded pork producers all over Japan. I don't think there is anyone who knows more about Japanese pigs than I do.

Shinjuku's new store ``KATSU Prepo'' has a pretty impressive selection of products, but no other store has as much contact with as many producers as ``tonkatsu.jp Omotesando.'' a little bitStore homepageI would like you to take a look. You will be amazed at the number of brands of pork that they handle.

As a compliment...a kind of "meat pervert"

Dorobuta Schwabish Hull (Hokkaido), Iwanaka Pork (Iwate), Awayuki Pork (Gunma), Suzuki Farm Pork (Shodoshima), Kinako Pork (Miyazaki Prefecture), Saddleback Happy Pork (Kagoshima Prefecture)... There are nearly 30 types of oysters produced in Japan, from Hokkaido to Kyushu.

These pigs have a positioning map where the X axis is ``firm elasticity ⇔ soft meat quality'' and the Y axis is ``rich flavor ⇔ refreshing taste'', and when the XY axes intersect, four areas are created. Each pig is classified. This is a unique store where you can choose the pork that suits your taste from the pork that is in stock that day.

Well, I guess he's a maniac, or an otaku, or, as the owner himself says, a kind of ``meat pervert.'' However, new paths are always opened up by ``perverts''. To put it better, he is a preacher of pork. The general here wants to spread the word about how fertile the "Pig World" is.

We offer a wide range of varieties, each with its own optimal frying method.

The pork cutlets are served to customers only after they spend days studying which method of frying is best for each type of pork. Even if there are many varieties, if the most important thing, the pork cutlet, is not good, then you are missing the point. The pork cutlet here is definitely delicious. There are some amazing ones where half of the cross section is fat, so much so that when you think of pork, you think of oil. If possible, it would be even more fun if you go with two or more people and each person chooses a different pig and eats them all together.

Limited to two groups per day, there is a tasting course with three brands each of loin and fillet, a comparison course with four brands each of loin and fillet, and a Meguri Pork course (reservation required) with six dishes of three brands. It's a restaurant where you can enjoy trying a different variety each time you go. The clean and neat exterior and interior of the store are familiar to Omotesando.

tonkatsu.jp Omotesando

3-9-9-1F Kita Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo
03-6427-4910

(Weekdays): 11:30-15:30/17:30-21:00
(Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays) 11:00-15:00/17:00-21:00
Regular holidays: Please check on the homepage

Loin cutlet set meal 1890-2390 yen

Top loin cutlet set meal 2190-5490 yen

Special loin cutlet set meal 2690-6990 yen

Top loin cutlet & mini fillet cutlet set meal

3190 ~ 6990 circle

Number of seats: 13 seats
*Prices are subject to change, so please check

What does "If you don't eat this, your life is ruined" mean?

When he hears something delicious, he rushes east and west to eat it all. Rumor has it that he might be the Brillat-Savarin of Reiwa, or even the return of Furukawa Roppa. Bassey is an editor with over 40 years of food-loving experience. A heart-wrenching gourmet essay.

Author profile

Bassey is a foodie who has been eating around for over 40 years. In addition to Japan, he regularly goes to Hong Kong to eat Chinese food at his own expense, and also travels to Taiwan, Singapore, Bangkok, and Seoul for delicious food. During his time as the editor-in-chief of a travel magazine, he visited many Michelin-rated restaurants around the world, especially in Europe, and later on in the World's Best 50 restaurants. We want everyone who loves food to try ``Crab Miso Bean Paste Noodles'' from ``Tenkorou'' (Hong Kong). Actually, I like the Chinese food at this restaurant the best in the world. Another example of the best Western food is "El Seger de Can Roca" from Girona, Spain, which was ranked number one on the World's Best 50 list. Ah, I want to go there again.