Location: Shibuya-ku, Sendagaya 5-24-2 Shinjuku Times Square Building 14th Floor, Tokyo, Japan
Opening Hours: 11:00am – 10pm Daily
Facebook: Katsukura Kyoto
I was very hungry after doing last minute shopping at Tokyu Hands and Samantha Thavasa so I took the opportunity of visiting Takashimaya’s line of restaurants at 12th, 13th and 14th Floors.
I don’t understand why they would line at Din Tai Fung. Come on, this is Tokyo! You have to do better than Xiao Long Bao’s!
I spotted several Italian restaurants and Irish pubs that really didn’t interest me. It was either I end up at Din Tai Fung or at ABC store that’s going to teach you how to cook before you eat! No way, I don’t like testing my culinary skills in an empty stomach.
And then there’s this artificially glazed Tempura Don set that my stomach is calling me but no one was eating inside. So I was a bit hesitant to try out this place.
So I stared at a long long line of people waiting for a vacant table at Katsukura Tonkatsu. Turns out, Katsukura Tonkatsu is a Tonkatsu restaurant chain that originated in Kyoto. English translation for their menu was available. I guess this place must be highly recommended for tourists.
I settled for simple Sirloin Tonkatsu cutlet set at 90g that is reasonably priced at 1500 yen.
The meal started off with some cold tofu dish that’s refreshing to the palette.
Then came the big guns – Miso Soup, Rice, Shredded Cabbage Salad and the glorious Tonkatsu I was expecting. Ponzu sauce are on the side and sesame seeds for you to grind, which is not present in Maisen Tonkatsu and any other Tonkatsu restaurants in Tokyo. Except, the Tonkatsu wasn’t appealing to my eyes.
Does this place really have people lining up here? Don’t they want to try out Maisen Tonkatsu?
Craving dissatisfied. This tonkatsu here resembled the ones I had here in Manila and made me disliked Tonkatsu. Sad that I had to encounter this in Tokyo.
Panko breading was heavy on my taste and the supposedly fatty Rosu wasn’t fatty at all. Just to illustrate, check out my photo above. It wasn’t juicy and it doesn’t look tender at all.
And right then and there, my affair for Tonkatsu here in Tokyo ended. Customer service here wasn’t very at par with the other restaurants where I dined, so I guess, Tokyo isn’t really perfect at all.
I know TripAdvisor is recommending this place to you guys, but skip Katsukura in your trip.
KATSUKURA TONKATSU Rating:
[usrlist “Taste and Originality: 2.5” “Customer Experience: 2” “Value for Money: 3” “Brick and Mortar: 2.5”]