Tonkatsu Hasegawa — Restaurant in Tokyo

Before coming to Hasegawa all I knew about tonkatsu was the batter heavy and often dry pieces from my local Hawaiian places. After Hasegawa I now understand what tonkatsu should taste like, and it is something special. I never knew pork could be so soft, tender, and juicy; it had rewritten in my brain how delicious pork could be.

I came on a Sunday evening around 8pm for a party of 3 without reservations. We stepped off from Ryogoku Station and was at the restaurant in a couple of minutes. We had to wait about 15 minutes to be seated. They gave us menus (English is available) to look at while we waited. There even was a little heater in the waiting area for those cold winter nights!

There are multiple cuts available. The highest quality cuts sell out so if you want to try the best of the best, you should come early! The rice, soup, and lettuce can all be refilled for free. Overall Tonkatsu Hasegawa is an amazing shop, that I highly...

I came by just about 30 minutes before closing and there was a short line to get in, so I was worried I might not be served, but luckily it moved somewhat quickly and I was seated with a little time to spare before last call. I was disappointed to be told that the first three options were sold out (makes sense though given the late hour) and that only their normal pork loin was available.

I kind of expected something…normal because of that. But what I got blew my mind and my expectations out of the water. One of the juiciest, most succulent pieces of pork I’ve ever had. No pomp, no show, no extra fanciness - just fried pork with rice and some shredded cabbage or lettuce. Some sauces if you want. And it was insanely delicious every bite of the way.

Makes me wonder what I missed out on with the three options that are supposedly better than the...

Went for lunch with my husband who actually found this place for us. Just as other reviews say and as rated favorably, their tonkatsu was soft and the fat...the part that gets me every time...the fat was actually light, to my surprise. When you look at it, there's about 2-3cm of fat in every slice, and that's why I tonkatsu's don't attract me too much, but this one makes you forget about the 2-3cm of it. Really surprising.

Since it was our first time, my husband ordered the special tonkatsu's (220g) and I ordered their house-branded Hasegawa tonkatsu (180g). Both were great, mine was tonkatsu with garlic, cheese, and shiso inside.

Looking at their menu and after experiencing the whole 180g lunch set, I think I will be happy with their 120g tonkatsu next time and for the cost of 1,000jpy!!! So reasonable. I would...