By luck, we stumbled upon Katsukichi Botaijyu Tonkatsu in Shibuya, and it turned out to be a gem!

The restaurant is located in the basement. The wooden stairs will lead you to a very traditional and cosy-looking space that will instantly give you a good feel about your meal.

In short, tonkatsu is a Japanese-style pork chop or cutlet and we are always up for a good tonkatsu meal. There are several outlets in Tokyo but here’s sharing our experience from the Shibuya one.

Katsukichi Bodaijyu’s menu specializes in tonkatsu (but of course) and while there were quite a variety, we went straight for the classic pork loin because we are always more inclined to the hire (loin) cut. There are two kinds: Extra Deluxe Deep-fried Pork 180g (¥3,000) and regular Deep-fried Pork Loin Cutlet Combo 150g (¥2,500). We got both, and it was indeed a memorable meal.

Katsukichi Botaijyu uses very fine panko (bread crumbs) to coat their pork loin, giving it a slightly different textural crunch from your usual tonkatsu. The crumbs are, however, not as fragrant but we can deal with that since the loins were perfectly fried and the meat remained tender and juicy.

The main difference between the extra deluxe and the regular pork loin is that the extra deluxe pork loin was slightly more tender though not very significant, and the fats were more evenly spread out throughout the cut. The regular was really good too, and the meat to fat ratio was palatable; it was an overall very good slab of pork loin that we would go back for.

All tonkatsu are served with a bowl of freshly-shredded cabbage, as well as a plater of 3 in-house sauces; we loved the leek sauce the best.

You can top up ¥300 for a set that comes with a miso soup, pickles and a bowl of rice (choose between plain and Shiso rice). Go for the Shiso Rice! The lovely fragrance left us lingering for more.

Katsukichi Bodaijyu
3 Chome-9-10 Shibuya
Shibuya City
Tokyo, 150-0002
Tel: +81 50-3134-5712