Where to Find The Best Katsu Dishes in Tokyo!

Tokyo is a culinary paradise for katsu lovers, from classic tonkatsu to hearty katsu rice bowls and juicy beef katsu. This guide highlights some of the city’s best spots to enjoy these crispy, flavorful delights that have become a worldwide beloved dish!

The ultimate Tonkatsu with perfect sauce in Roppongi: Butagumi Shokudou

Located in Roppongi, “Butagumi Shokudou” is a tonkatsu restaurant that has become incredibly popular among international diners. It’s easy to see why. In pursuit of making the ultimate tonkatsu, Butagumi Shokudou changes their meticulously curated pork brands on a daily basis. The tonkatsu at Butagumi Shokudou is substantially thick, and customers can enjoy the perfect fat-to-lean ratio. On different days, varying pork brands may be used, offering a new flavor experience with every visit.

For example, on a given day, you could enjoy Hakkiton from Iwate Prefecture, known for its chewy texture and subtle sweetness that spreads across the palate. Or on another day, you could sample Nattokuton from Gifu prefecture. This breed has a diet of mugwort and nattō (fermented soybeans) resulting in tender, light-textured meat with a pleasantly rich umami flavor.

When the Umami bites editorial team visited, we tried the highly recommended “Rosukatsu (loin cutlet).” This selection features substantially thick-cut slices of pork, fried at the optimum time of 10 minutes, so that residual heat can finish naturally cooking the pork.

The result is a tender and succulent serving of tonkatsu that releases umami in every bite!

While you may want to try a small sprinkle of rock salt to enjoy the tonkatsu’s natural flavor, don’t miss out on Butagumi Shokudou’s special blend of tonkatsu sauce. It’s blended to a perfect balance of sweetness and tartness to not overpower the pork. The restaurant recommends dipping your tonkatsu in it as opposed to pouring over for the best combination of texture and flavor.

Butagumi Shokudou in Roppongi offers a chance to savor some of the best pork brands in Japan with your tonkatsu, and an irresistible sauce as a bonus!

Delicious double katsudon rice bowls in Shibuya: Ebiyama

“Ebiyama” in Shibuya is famous for their fried shrimp, but their katsudon (katsu rice bowl) is a must-try item on the menu. The restaurant’s popular “Double Katsu Bowl” really lives up to its name. Unlike katsudon that has the katsu topped with egg, this hearty katsudon features two generous portions of crispy and juicy pork cutlets, layered on top of egg, rice, and sauce.

The rich taste of the pork fat blends perfectly with the sweet and savory sauce, and when paired with the bedding of soft-boiled egg, creates an outstanding flavor combination.

Because of the unique layering of ingredients under the tonkatsu, reaching the bottom of the bowl is a reward in itself. The rice absorbs the pork’s umami and the bold flavor of the sauce.

For a hearty katsudon that will leave you impressed, don’t miss Ebiyama in Shibuya.

Discover delicious beef katsu in Akihabara: Gyūkatsu Ichinisan

Katsu isn’t limited to just pork. Beef cutlets, known as gyūkatsu, have become quite popular in Japan. At “Gyūkatsu Ichinisan” in Akihabara, long lines to get in form throughout the day. However, it’s well-worth it, as you can not only grill gyukatsu to your own liking, you can try it with many different delicious seasonings and condiments!

It’s recommended to order the “Gyukatsu Set” pictured above. This comes with a heated stone slab, on which customers can grill their gyukatsu to their preferred doneness. The restaurant recommends a simple sear of about 10 seconds on each side.

Feel free to enjoy these sweet and umami-packed cutlets on their own, but the wasabi and soy sauce, mountain wasabi (horseradish) sauce, and rock salt included in the set provide a variety of different flavor combinations. Each complements the gyukatsu perfectly, so try them all!

If you’re looking to try the beefier side of Japanese katsu, Gyūkatsu Ichinisan in Akihabara is a fantastic place to start!

Enjoy tonkatsu in an all new way as ochazuke: Suzuya Shinjukuhonten

Tonkatsu may have a reputation as a hearty dish, but “Suzuya Shinjukuhonten” in Shinjuku allows customers to enjoy it in a very unique way. That’s because the restaurant combines tonkatsu with ochazuke (a dish where green tea or dashi is poured over rice), a light and refreshing dish.

The “Tonkatsu Chazuke” comes with pork tenderloin katsu served on a sizzling hot iron plate. It’s recommended to savor it on its own, as well as with your choice of sauce. Once you’ve gotten about three pieces of katsu remaining, however, it’s time for the ochazuke grand finale.

Place your katsu in a bowl of rice, and add seaweed and the restaurant’s special stir-fried cabbage to the bowl. Pickled vegetables like mustard leaf also add a pleasant kick.

Now pour a serving of tea over your bowl. The tea served is bancha, a pleasantly bitter tea from Shizuoka that transforms your tonkatsu dish into a revitalizing finish, while still letting you appreciate the flavor of the meat.

Suzuya Shinjukuhonten is the perfect place to enjoy a new take on tonkatsu, while also appreciating another traditional Japanese dish at the same time.

Legendary katsu restaurant with over 100-year history in Ueno: Ponta Honke

Located in Ueno, the venerable restaurant “Ponta Honke” is renowned for its “Cutlet,” whose endearing quality speaks for itself. The recipe has remained unchanged since the establishment’s founding in 1905! At Ponta Honke, only the finest pork loin is used, carefully selected by a fourth-generation owner.

What makes the katsu at this restaurant truly stand out is its particularly lean quality. It’s meticulously trimmed of excess fat to provide a uniquely thin but juicy and umami-rich bite. This is because the same fat that is removed in the meat is used in the oil it’s fried in.

The result is pork that maintains succulence despite having most of its fat removed, but with the taste of quality lean meat. Worcestershire sauce and karashi (spicy Japanese mustard) are on hand to add even more flavor, but be sure to try this top-tier katsu on its own first!

Ponta Honke in Ueno offers a wonderful chance to enjoy legendary katsu prepared in a deliciously unique way.

Fresh and delicious Japanese tuna katsu: Imagawa Shokudō Nishi-Shinjuku

The seafood at “Imagawa Shokudō Nishi-Shinjuku” is a must for any seafood lover traveling in Tokyo. The restaurant only uses fish sourced directly from wholesale companies, and prioritizes fish that can be mostly freshly preserved after being caught. That attention to freshness can be tasted in their unique tuna katsu dish!

The “Tuna rare cutlet” takes fresh tuna and deep-fries it after coating it in breadcrumbs. Thanks to special preparation in frying, the resulting cutlet has a crispy exterior while the tuna meat remains rare and juicy, with a distinct vibrant red color.

You can use the “Mild Sauce” at the table to add a layer of sweetness and tartness to your tuna katsu. With or without it, this dish allows you to enjoy katsu with the silky texture and pure taste of tuna!

Imagawa Shokudō Nishi-Shinjuku is a refreshing and highly recommended seafood restaurant that will help you discover a new side of both tuna and katsu!

Enjoy Japan’s famous black pork as tonkatsu: Tonkyu Ueno

Directly connected to Ueno Station, “Tonkyu Ueno” offers an opportunity to try one of Japan’s rarest and most sought-out types of premium pork, Kurobuta (black pork), in tonkatsu form.

Of all the pork produced worldwide, only a small selection can be recognized as Kurobuta. Its complete combination of texture, umami, and sweetness is apparent upon the first bite!

The restaurant provides a number of delicious condiments to enhance the great flavor of the Kurobuta. A highly recommended combination is grinding up the fragrant sesame in a bowl, and then adding the restaurant’s special tomato-based sauce to it. Dip in your tonkatsu to add an exquisite balance of fruity taste and a pleasantly mild acidity.

At Tonkyu Ueno, diners can try out one of the most renowned types of pork in the country at an affordable price, and in the form of outstanding tonkatsu.

Super thick and tender katsu: Tonkatsu Aoki Asakusabashi

Just a ten-minute walk from Akihabara Station is “Tonkatsu Aoki Asakusabashi.” At this restaurant, diners can enjoy tonkatsu that is both exceptional in size and taste!

A key feature of the restaurant is its use of Hayashi SPF Pork, which is known for a particularly tender texture and rich sweetness. At Tonkatsu Aoki Asakusabashi, the large cuts really allow you to fully savor the delightful juicy nature of this type of pork!

While the restaurant offers classic tonkatsu condiments, their selection of rock salt is highly recommended. In particular, their Kala Namak rock salt has a smooth richness that really brings out the pork’s umami.

Tonkatsu Aoki Asakusabashi is a great place for tonkatsu fans who are bringing a big appetite to Tokyo.

Whether you prefer the crispy perfection of tonkatsu, the rich flavors of beef katsu, or fresh and delicious tuna katsu, Tokyo offers something for every katsu enthusiast. With so many excellent options to choose from, you’re sure to find the perfect place to satisfy your cravings and experience this iconic Japanese dish at its best.