Hidden away on the first floor inside Ueno JR Station is a Tonkatsu favorite of many tokyoites – Tonkyu!
It is a no-frills, yet elegant spacious and bright restaurant with a Japanese touch and it is pretty straightforward there is one item on the menu: Tonkatsu. Fried pork cuttles are served along with mountains of shredded cabbage and condiments. With different variations of meat to choose from, including fillet or roast the concept is easy to understand.
As Tonkyu is well known by locals for its great food, service, and value, it can get quite busy around lunch and dinner time. However, it is easy to get a table if you arrive after 1 pm, so a great place for late lunch. It is worth the wait should there be a queue though.
The Experience at Tonkyu
As you walk in, the waiters will guide you to your seat, offer you a delicious cup of tea (cold in the summer and hot in the winter) and let you browse through their options. They have great lunch sets and you can customize your order, more meat, bigger rice, toppings ect.
Before your fish of choice arrives, a small grinding bowl filled with sesame seeds is served. You can grind them to the consistency of your liking and once your food arrives add them either as sprinkles on top of the shredded cabbage or mix them in with the Tonkatsu sauce for both texture and flavor.
Once your food arrives, you will find perfectly breaded slices of pork, cooked to perfection with the center still being slightly translucent. This is exactly how it is meant to be, however, if you do prefer it a little more cocked you can let the waiter know when ordering.
What makes this Tonkatsu a Tokyo Favorite?
For one it’s the quality of the meat and then the coating. Perfectly crisp, yet not greasy at all. The sauce is sweet and rich and the shredded cabbage brings the perfect relief and will help with digestion.
Meals can also be customized, more rice, more meat and toppings and they have great seasonal dishes, like the Tonkatsu we ordered today which was compared to a juicy Daiginjo sake. Was it like a Daiginjo? It was certainly juicy, succulent, and aromatic, so we let the description pass.
Our Verdict?
This is one of our go-to places when our Tonkatsu cravings hit and with its location right inside Ueno station a great place to have on your list when traveling around Tokyo and Japan. With Ueno being a major Shinkansen hub, Tonkyu is perfect if you are looking for a bite to eat while waiting on your train or before heading to your hotel.
Definitely on the list of great places to eat in Tokyo!
Web
Address
〒110-0005 Tokyo, Taito City, Ueno, 7 Chome−1−1 アトレ上野EAST 2階
Opening Hours
| Saturday | 11AM–9:40PM |
| Sunday | 11AM–9PM |
| Monday | 11AM–9:40PM |
| Tuesday | 11AM–9:40PM |
| Wednesday | 11AM–9:40PM |
| Thursday | 11AM–9:40PM |
| Friday | 11AM–9:40PM |
Suggest new hours
