Tonkatsu Hasegawa: a Michelin Guide-Listed Restaurant

Ryogoku is famous for its chanko-nabe, but there are many hidden foodie gems in Ryogoku. Among them, we would like to introduce Tonkatsu Hasegawa, an excellent tonkatsu restaurant that has many fans among the hotel staff. It is only a 6-minute walk from The Gate Hotel Ryogoku. The restaurant is located in Yokozuna Yokocho, where many restaurants are lined up, and is marked by a red noren curtain and lanterns.

Selected as a Bib Gourmand in the Michelin Guide for four consecutive years!

The secret of their great popularity is close attention to each and every detail.

First, for the meat for the tonkatsu, they use only Hiramaki Bark Sangenbuta pork. This meat is characterized by its fine, high-quality fat, which gives it a refreshing flavor without being greasy. The crispy batter that brings out the full flavor of the tonkatsu is an original breading created through trial and error in cooperation with a bread shop. The sauce is also handmade with the restaurant’s original blend. You can enjoy the taste of the sauce that the restaurant has been so particular about.

Thanks to these efforts, Tonkatsu Hasegawa has been selected as a Bib Gourmand in the Michelin Guide Tokyo for four consecutive years since 2018 and has also been selected as one of the 100 best tonkatsu restaurants in the “Eat Log” (2017, 2018, 2019, and 2021).

Moist and tender sangen pork wrapped in a crispy batter.

Crispy tonkatsu that will keep your chopsticks going!

This time, I had the “Shiso Hin Katsu” for 1,900 yen during dinner hours. Just one bite of the crispy and flavorful pork cutlet was enough to make my mouth water! The shiso (perilla leaves) in between the pork and the shredded pork do a great job of combining the pork flavor.

Although it is deep-fried, it does not feel heavy at all and is recommended for female customers as well. It is also fun to have it seasoned with a variety of flavors, such as salt, wasabi, sauce, and grated ponzu. I especially liked it with salt. The fluffy cabbage and rice that come with the dish can be refilled freely, which is also a nice feature. For lunch, you can enjoy the fin and loin cutlet set menus for as little as 1,100 yen.

tonkatsu-hasegawa-food — The thick tonkatsu is sure to make you crave a bite.

Although it is a tonkatsu restaurant, the shabu shabu with special broth is also a popular menu item. We will try this next time and report back.

We recommend you come early!

The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner, and depending on the time of day, there may be a line of people waiting. The restaurant has 40 seats and is spacious, but popular menu items are sometimes out of stock.

Reservations are available only for dinner, but may be closed depending on the crowd on the day of the event. If you are concerned, we recommend that you come early.

If coming by train, it is a 1-minute walk from the East Exit of Ryogoku Station on the JR Sobu Line, entering Yokozuna Yokocho, or a 7-minute walk from Exit A3 of Ryogoku Station on the Toei Oedo Line.

(This article is based on a visit in September 2020.)

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