Tonki, Tonkatsu – Meguro

One of the most memorable things about the restaurant is the long wooden counter made from Japanese Cypress.  The ground floor is all counter seating with about 35 seats, with each seat having a view of the open-plan kitchen. From here you are able to view the chefs at work frying the Tonkatsu and going about their own individual tasks, including one of the master chefs in charge of taking off the excess fried pieces of hot batter with his bare hands, which can be mesmerising. The restaurant is a large space and generally always busy. There is usually always a queue though it passes quickly and you can expect to be seated within 15-20 minutes.        

The menu itself consists of only 2 choices, written up on a board, either hire (fillet-no fat) or rohsu (loin-with fat). Both are delicious. The first time I ordered rohsu and the second time I tried hire, personally I prefer the hire (fillet) as it is not as filling.

The set menu comes with shredded cabbage, steamed white rice, miso soup and pickles with unlimited re-fills of both rice and cabbage available.  The tonkatsu itself is beautiful, crisp, succulent and light, large in size but not greasy at all.

Meguro is a lively area, on the Yamanote line making it a convenient stop-over as you head out of the city, with many restaurants and shops.

You will be hard-pressed to find a bad review on Tonki. It’s simplicity and fresh ingredients make it a choice for anyone looking to enjoy Tonkatsu. Set menu with tea, JPY 1,800 per person.  “Take-out” is also available. Japanese menu only though not really an issue as you can simply say “Hire/ Rohsu”. Reservations not available.

• Tel: 3491-9928
  Open: 4pm-10:45pm
• Closed: Tuesday and 3rd Monday of the month