When you order tonkatsu (fried pork cutlet) in Japan, you pretty much know what to expect — a chunk of fried meat, served with a mound of shredded cabbage and a sauce or two on the side.
However, if you eat at Tonkatsu Fujiki, you’re in for a surprise, because here the tonkatsu comes with the bone included, which is something our reporter P.K. Sanjun, in all his years of eating tonkatsu, had never encountered before.
▼ Tonkatsu Fujiki has six branches in Tokyo, and the one P.K. visited is located in a quiet backstreet in Ningyocho
What’s put this restaurant on the map is its “Tomahawk Tonkatsu”, so called by customers as the bone that juts out of it makes it look like a tomahawk. On the menu, it goes by the official name of “Honetsuki Tonkatsu” (“Tonkatsu With Bone”), so that’s what P.K. ordered as soon as he was seated.
▼ The Honetsuki Tonkatsu (“骨付とんかつ”) contains 300 grams (10.6 ounces) of meat and is priced at 2,400 yen
When it arrived, it looked just as gorgeous as all the photos P.K. had seen online, and the end with the bone still attached really stood out.
The tonkatsu itself was cut thickly, and each bite was soft and juicy. There were a variety of sauces and condiments on the table for customers to add to their meals, and the sweet tonkatsu sauce that P.K. paired with the meat was absolutely delicious.
While it wasn’t the most delicious tonkatsu P.K. had ever had in his life, it was still up there in terms of texture and flavor. In terms of visual appeal, this dish was a stunner, and P.K. had to give props to the owners, who’d come up with the great idea of serving the meat on the bone to help set the restaurant apart from its competitors.
In the end, P.K. left with no complaints and a very satisfied belly. Though the tonkatsu wasn’t cheap, it certainly provided him with a dining experience to remember, and he saw a number of foreign tourists eating there too so it looks like the restaurant is gaining popularity with both locals and overseas visitors.
The customer service was commendable too, which makes P.K. think Tonkatsu Fujiko might have what it takes to expand into more locations in future. As for whether or not it has the chops to rival a top tonkatsu chain like this one, which even has an etiquette manual to help you eat there, well, time will only tell!
Restaurant information
Tonkatsu Fujiki Ningyocho / とんかつ富士㐂 人形町店
Address: Tokyo-to, Chuo-ku, Ningyocho, Nihonbashi 1-5-14
東京都中央区日本橋人形町1-5-14
Open: 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. (lunch); 5 p.m.-10 p.m. (dinner weekdays) 5 p.m.-9:30 p.m (dinner Sat, Sun, and public holidays)
Irregular holidays
Images © SoraNews24
Read more stories from SoraNews24.
-- Does Tokyo’s King of Tonkatsu live up to its name? We find out 【Taste Test】
-- Guilt-free snacking with 129-calorie bags of faux fried pork Innocent Tonkatsu
-- This triple jumbo shrimp rice bowl hides a shrimpressive surprise
- External Link
- https://soranews24.com/2023/07/27/tomahawk-tonkatsu-at-japanese-restaurant-becomes-a-hot-topic-online/
6 Comments
Login to comment
falseflagsteve
Hey, Ooona.
Better stuff than usual but do you ever eat outside of Tokyo?
Wouldnt mind trying the pork but abhor that raw cabbage, yucky wucky.
kohakuebisu
A quick google suggests the idea of calling an on-the-bone tonkatsu a "tomahawk" may have (unsurprisingly) come from the USA.
This is an LA blog for a Japanese restaurant in LA from 2018, back when tomahawk steak would have been largely unknown in Japan. It certainly makes more sense to call a big tonkatsu with a bone served unsliced a tomahawk than something already sliced up small for eating with chopsticks. The Fujiki restaurant in this story does not use the expression "トマホークとんかつ" themselves, only a less attention grabbing 骨付きとんかつ
https://ameblo.jp/la-k-town/entry-12429151932.html
餓死鬼
But that pile of cabbage and slice of lemon are the healthy bits, and less likely to lead to obesity, diabetes and a premature demise.
Roy Sophveason
I genuinely wonder why raw cabbage is not a thing in the west. From several reports I gather that it is one of the most puzzling things tourists encounter in Japan.
Personally I enjoy raw cabbage, but I feel that the variant here in Japan is sweeter, lighter tasting, easier digestible than the one in Europe. But I'm a sample size of one, and I would really like some additional opinions on that.
albaleo
I don't know about the rest of Europe, but here in the UK, it seems the nature of cabbage has changed over the years. White cabbage seemed to have become the norm at some point, and it's not so nice when eaten raw. But sweetheart cabbage is now generally available, and it's probably closer to the type used in Japan, at least in texture. It's what my wife uses when serving tonkatsu. (I'm also a sample size of one - perhaps one and a bit after eating tonkatsu.)
TrevorPeace
Looks like a different way of cooking ribs, which I do quite often, so I think I'll hit the kitchen and see what I can do with that crispy coating.