Tonkatsu KYK - Kyoto Porta — Restaurant in Kyoto

Our visit to Tonkatsu KYK was equal parts enjoyable and frustrating.

Enjoyable: The food. I would have no problem eating here again or recommending it for the quality of food. The food was delicious and meat moist and flavourful.

Frustrating: There isn't a line, but instead a number system. When you arrive you enter how many are in your party and they give you a number. The kiosk out front provides you with where you are in the order, and the employee provided a wait time. Because not all people are there, it's hard to estimate wait times. The first HOUR we spent waiting, only 3 parties were seated in total. We finally gave up and returned to the hotel - only to find the food so overpriced that we attempted to find a third option - but that was closed. So finally at 9:30 (almost 2.5 hours after getting our ticket) we returned - just in time to be seated. We were originally told it would be 25 minute wait. 2.5 hours is a ridiculous amount of time to wait, and the lack of more reasonable estimates or communication was really frustrating. So unless there was evidence that we would be seated quickly, we wouldn't wait again (food was good - but...

We were looking for dinner options after settling down in our accommodations. Unfortunately at 8+ pm, most of the shops had already been closed. Tonkatsu KYK is a famous Tonkatsu chain and is the only one open near our area and so we went to try it out!

We just have to take a queue number from the e-kiosk. It was simple and efficient despite the short queue forming outside the shop when we reached. Within 15mins, we were promptly seated.

We ordered tonkatsu of different cuts and fried prawn. On first sight, the batter of the tonkatsu looks thick and we thought it was greasy. But we were wrong! The tonkatsu was juicy, crispy and not greasy at all. The fried prawns are big, tasted equally juicy as well, and in fact seem very fresh.

We think what impressed us most is the pork soup! It was something that we have never tasted before - an amalgamation of sweetness (from the corn) and savoury (from the pork broth). It was so good that we ordered 2 additional bowls of pork soup!

I definitely recommend eating here if you’re...

Decided to visit this place for a change after reading the reviews, long queue outside so I thought it must be good.

Ordered the slightly more expensive "Kirishima" black pork set. A little disappointed since the meat is on the dry side, nothing juicy like in the reviews. Meat portion is also on the small side.

In summary,

If you have money and time, go visit the main Katsukura store in Sanjo market. Quite possible the best katsu in Japan. Meat is really juicy and the barley rice is amazing.

If you have money and no time, visit the Katsukura store at the isetan above the main Kyoto station.

If you have time and some money, any other katsu store.

If you have no time and no money, God have mercy...