If you love tonkatsu, or Japanese deep-friend breaded pork cutlets, one tonkatsu place you MUST NOT MISS in Tokyo is Tonkatsu Maisen. It is probably the best tonkatsu in Tokyo, if not in the whole of Japan.
Tonkatsu is one of my favorite Japanese dishes. Part of why I like it so much is because it is so difficult to find good and affordable tonkatsu in Singapore – available options are either good but ridiculously expensive, or affordable but meh. So when I was in Japan, it was my personal mission to eat the best tonkatsu dishes in the country.
A friend recommended Tonkatsu Maisen in Tokyo, so we decided to give it a try. We went to the restaurant in Omotesando during lunch hours, and the queue was horrifyingly long. We aaaaalmost bailed, but in the end we decided to stick it out, and boy weren’t we glad we did.
Tonkatsu Maisen, Tokyo
The restaurant only had one portion of this particular fillet left at that time, so we ordered just that one to share among the six of us. I honestly don’t really remember the two being thaaat different, but even the supposedly “lower-grade” tenderloin cut was already exceptionally good. So I guess even if you don’t get the fillet cut, you won’t miss much 😉
We also ordered a roast pork dish – it was good but paled in comparison to the tonkatsu. I guess when you are at Tonkatsu Maisen, just stick to the basics!
If you don’t want to spend so much, they also have tonkatsu sets made of other types of pork that cost around JPY 1500 (~SGD 18.17). But I honestly think a splurge at Tonkatsu Maisen is worth your money.
So, final verdict.
Is Tonkatsu Maisen the best tonkatsu in Tokyo? Probably.
Is it worth you going on a detour and an extra mile to try it? (If you are a tonkatsu lover) Absolutely.
Is it worth the long queue and the hype and the price tag? Definitely.
Tonkatsu Maisen とんかつ まい泉
Address: 4-8-5 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan
〒150-0001 東京都渋谷区 神宮前4−8−5
Nearest station: Omotesando Station, exit A2
Phone: (toll-free) 0120-428-485
Opening Hours: Everyday, 11 am to 10.45 pm.
Last order at 10 pm.
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