01 / ABOUT THE PLACE
About this place
Several diners say that eating loin cutlet with salt opened their eyes to a new way of enjoying tonkatsu. Start with rock salt to appreciate the flavour of the meat, then try the house sauce and mustard to find your preferred combination. The lunch loin cutlet set is presented as a chance to savour the rich flavour of Japanese-brand Mochibuta pork and the sweetness of its fat. The menu recommends rock salt, and one diner recalled how memorable the loin’s sweet fat tasted with salt.
If you are choosing by cut, the leaner tenderloin and the thick-cut shoulder loin offer a contrast. Tenderloin is described as a rare cut, with only two blocks available from each pig. The lunch menu also features tenderloin head cutlet, a cut said to combine deep flavour with a springy tenderness. One diner who ordered it found it large yet tender, with just the right amount of bounce. Another, choosing shoulder loin, tried it first with lemon and then salt, and recalled that it was satisfying despite having less fat.
The sides add another layer of enjoyment to a set meal. Diners have remembered the pork miso soup for its ginger-forward flavour and generous ingredients; one person was surprised by how hot it was, so let it cool a little before taking a sip. Rice and pickles provide a pause between bites of cutlet. For a change from a meal centred on fried food, consider the Masamune katsu curry, made with a house-blended mix of spices. The lunch menu lists it with homemade potato salad, bringing cutlet and curry together on one plate.
At lunch, set meals built around loin and tenderloin take centre stage; in the evening, cutlets are also available à la carte, alongside alcoholic drinks. The evening-only special loin cutlet has been praised by a diner for its thickness and meaty texture, and they tried it first with salt, then with sauce. You can come for a set meal or pair fried food with a drink. Counter seating makes the restaurant suitable for solo diners, though lunchtime can involve a wait. Diners have reported queuing before opening and being asked for their order before taking a seat. Allow time for the food to be fried, too. The restaurant is listed as cash-only. In Akasaka, a meal here can be a chance to decide how to enjoy each bite of tonkatsu: salt for the first, sauce for the next.
