Tonkatsu Wako is the best tonkatsu in Tokyo. There, we said it!
You might remember that while we were in Kobe, we found super delicious tonkatsu there. This time, we’ve found you the BEST tonkatsu you can eat in Tokyo!
TONKATSU WAKO
There are several different Tonkatsu Wako’s in Tokyo. Tonkatsu Wako is a restaurant that prides itself on selling quality pork enshrouded with carefully selected homemade bread crumbs. The pork cutlet is fried in 100% vegetable oil and served to you with rice and soup.
Possibly, one of the most popular locations in Tokyo is the Tonkatsu Wako located on the 7th floor of the Isetan department store in Shinjuku. However, you might arrive there and see a long line waiting. If you don’t like to wait, we have a hot tip for you!
Try the Tonkatsu Wako located at the Isetan Kaikan just around the corner. This shop is located on the 1st Basement floor. The menu isn’t as extensive – such as there is no chawanmushi but it has all the classic tonkatsu cuts. There is a significantly less amount of people here. Check out this website for more details on location and hours.
Any location of Tonkatasu Wako will be fine to dine at! We just prefer quieter locations where we don’t have to wait.
There are English menus for foreigners with Korean and Chinese inside. The staff are very proficient and friendly so do not worry if you do not speak or read Japanese.
THE FOOD
I opted for the Hire Rosu set. The hire cut the nicest cut so I wanted to try that. It was 1,500 and I opted to add an extra tempura because they looked so good on the menu. You can see that the set comes with rice, some salad and miso soup. You can get a free refill of the cabbage, soup or rice. We were very mindful not to overeat but free refills would be thing for someone who’s very hungry!
The miso soup had little clams in it which gave it a very deep seafood flavor. This could be a pro or con depending on your preference. We loved the richness the clams added to the soup!
Look at that beautifully breaded ebi! It was worth every yen we paid for it. The golden color to the breading indicates to us that they use quality cooking oil. There was enough meat on the ebi that we actually shared this. Next time though, we will get our own. It’s that good!
You can see why we like Tonkatsu Wako so much in this picture! The meat just glistens because it’s not dry. You can see how well done the breading is around the cutlet. The crispy breading is what you experience first followed by the delightfully tasty pork.
OVERALL
Tonkatsu Wako offers delicious food at incredible value. We eat got a set and had the add-on ebi. Our bill was around 35,00 yen. We like that the staff take pride in their work and are prompt and efficient in their service. Great food, great service and great price? Tonkatsu Wako definitely tops our list to becoming the best tonkatsu in Tokyo.
With different locations around Tokyo, you should definitely make your way to try Tonkatsu Wako!
