Maisen Tonkatsu

There are many good tonkatsu restaurants in Tokyo, but the place that everyone seems to like is Maisen Tonkatsu. There are numerous branches across Tokyo and we headed to the main shop in Aoyama which was located in a convenient location- just a few blocks behind Omotesando Hills and within a walkable distance to Harajuku.  It is located near Omotesando station and on exiting the station, there were signs specifically directing us towards Maisen restaurant.

Tonkatsu is deep-fried breaded pork cutlet which originated in Japan in the 19th century. There are two main types, hire (fillet) and loin (with a higher fat-content), often served with shredded cabbage. To be very honest, I have never been a fan of tonkatsu and I could never understand the hype about it in all my years.

We reached there at around 1130am and thankfully got seated without having to wait for our seats. Their signature cut was Korubuta Loin pork cutlet set (2600 yen, approx. S$30) which we had to try. True enough, the pork cutlet did not disappoint. It was revolutionary and I will never see Tonkatsu in the same light again. The batter was light and crispy on the outside, while the meat was very juicy on the inside. The meat was so tender that it falls apart beautifully with each bite and leaves me wanting for more. I wished the Tonkatsus back in Singapore taste half as divine.

We also tried the non-Korubuta flllet pork cutlet set as a comparison (1800yen, approx. S$20) which was also very good. The difference between both cutlets is that Korubuta pork is juicier and more tender and hence, it was a winner in my book. Personally, I feel that the difference in the texture of the meat well justified the price difference between them and I would highly recommend ordering the Korubuta pork cutlet instead.

Maison also have specially reared breeds such as Amai-Yuwaku and Tokyo-X, available in limited quantities per day. So, this will mean you will have to get there earlier to secure your share. 

This place leaves such a lasting impression that we just had to come back on another day to try their deep fried potato croquette and creamy crab croquette. A good value set that I would recommend would be the grand mix set ( 1790 yen, approx. $S20)- consisting of korubuta bite size pork fillet cutlet, deep fried tiger prawn and creamy crab croquette. We also ordered potato croquette as a side.  Two items worth mentioning would be the creamy crab croquette and the  potato croquette and is definitely a must try! The bite sized korubuta fillet and the tiger prawns were pales in comparison and you can skip that altogether.

If you are not someone who enjoys waiting in the queue for their food, there is a takeaway counter just outside of the restaurant. The potato croquettes were so good, I bought another to go at the takeaway counter. I didn't enjoy it as much as the ones served in the restaurant. The batter was light and crispy but the croquettes was not as hot as those that I had inside. 

A definite must-try in Tokyo. Don't miss out! 

4.7/5. A class of its own.

Maisen Tonkatsu
4-8-5 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku
Tokyo, Japan
Tel: +81 (0) 3 3470 0071

Words by Miss XS