I came to this restaurant because it was selected as one of the top 100 tonkatsu restaurants on Tabelog. When I arrived, I found out that it was also featured in the Michelin Guide. I arrived at 1 pm on a weekday and had to wait for 10 minutes. The restaurant has 5 counter seats and 2 tables. My friend and I were seated at a table. The other customers seemed to be locals or people working nearby. I ordered the recommended hirekatsu set. The balance of meat and fat was excellent. The fatty part was juicy and the meat was deliciously meaty. The mustard and tonkatsu sauce on the table had just the right amount of sweetness and umami. The set came with rice, cabbage, miso soup, and pickles. The rice and cabbage were free for the first serving, and 100 yen for refills. Since it was winter, we also shared an order of oyster fry, which was also delicious as it was fried to a crispy white color. The portion was generous, perfect for two people.

A popular tonkatsu restaurant in Ueno, even among the many tonkatsu shops in the area. It is quietly tucked away in a small alley called Tanuki Koji in Ueno. They only open for lunch. It has been selected as a Michelin Bib Gourmand. The pork loin is said to be more popular. The tonkatsu is pounded after receiving the order and fried slowly at a low temperature, resulting in a thick and satisfying tonkatsu. You can taste the deliciousness of the fat. The rice, miso soup, and pickles complement the tonkatsu well. The family-run atmosphere and the warm hospitality make this place feel nostalgic, despite being in the city. Many long-time fans visit this restaurant. Due to the limited seating, the turnover is slow. It often fills up as soon as it opens, so be prepared for a wait if you have to line up.

Entering a narrow alley in Ueno, there was a long line. Surprisingly, it was mostly Japanese people. Inside the restaurant, as expected, it was small with a counter and several table seats. I sat at the counter and ordered a pork cutlet set and a shrimp fry set. While waiting for the pork cutlet, I could hear the quiet sound of oil frying. They were probably frying it slowly at a low temperature. When the pork cutlet arrived, it was thicker and larger than I expected. And true to the low-temperature frying, the meat was tender and the coating was white. There were sauces, soy sauce, and rock salt on the table, allowing you to enjoy different flavors. It was unexpectedly delicious.

After finishing a health checkup and feeling quite hungry, I headed to Tonhachi, a tonkatsu restaurant located in Ueno Hirokoji. It's just a short walk from the intersection at Ueno Hirokoji, along a narrow alley to the east, so be careful not to get lost. Make sure to arrive early to ensure you can eat on your first attempt. The wait is about 5 people 20 minutes before opening, and around 10 people 10 minutes before. At 5 minutes before opening, the curtain is raised and you are guided inside to the counter seats. There are 4 counter seats and 10 table seats, so it's not a large restaurant. I ordered the recommended loin katsu set. By the way, you can get free refills of rice and cabbage once. After waiting for about 10 minutes, a beautifully fried loin katsu with a white crispy coating is served. I tried it first with rock salt for a simple taste. The edges have a good fatty taste and a melting texture. As you move towards the center, the meat becomes leaner and the texture becomes stronger, but not tough. I also tried it with sauce after the rock salt, but I preferred the rock salt and went back to that. The miso soup that came later had a rich broth, and the pickles were delicious, too. It might just be my luck, but the central part could have been a bit more tender.

Around 1:00 PM on Sunday, there were 7 people waiting. Fillet was sold out, so I had the loin instead. I waited for about 40 minutes before getting a table. The meat was moist and tender, with a satisfying texture. I tried it with salt, soy sauce, and tonkatsu sauce, and I think salt was the best. The rice, miso soup, and pickles were all very carefully prepared and delicious.

I ordered the recommended pork cutlet set meal. It comes with rice, miso soup, and pickles. I was surprised by how thick the meat was! The breading wasn't too heavy, and it didn't overpower the flavor of the pork. I tried both salt and tonkatsu sauce for seasoning, but mainly enjoyed it with salt. They provided condiments like tonkatsu sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt, mustard, shichimi chili pepper, and ketchup on the table. You can get free refills of cabbage and rice once, and miso soup costs 100 yen. Just a heads up, they only accept cash and your clothes might smell like oil afterwards. Please be mindful of your attire and plans after dining there.

Simple traditional tonkatsu restaurant. The pork loin was delicious and tender. They offer various condiments like sauce, mustard, and rock salt. Arrived at the restaurant around 1:00 PM and had to wait outside with about 7 people. We were able to enter the restaurant after a 45-minute wait. You order by directly telling the staff after being seated. Rice and cabbage can be refilled once for free. Refills for miso soup are charged.

This was my first visit to this restaurant. I arrived around 11:40 on a weekday, but the store had already opened at 11:30 and there were about 12 people waiting in line outside. I ended up waiting for about 30 minutes before being able to enter the store. The interior of the store had 4 counter seats, one 2-person table, and two 4-person tables. The recommended menu item was the pork cutlet set, but I wanted to go easy on the fat so I ordered the pork fillet cutlet set. I also added a side of simmered pork tendons. The food was served about 20 minutes after ordering. The portion of the pork fillet cutlet was average. The meat was juicy and flavorful, but the breading was relatively thin and lacked a crispy texture and fragrance, which was disappointing for me personally. I felt that the taste and satisfaction were worth the price.

Michelin Bib Gourmand featured restaurant. Entered at 2:00 PM on a Tuesday. The restaurant was full upon entering, and the curtain was lowered shortly after, indicating no more customers could enter. About half of the customers were foreigners. Ordered: - Pork cutlet set meal for ¥2,100 (rice, cabbage refill once for free) Ordered the recommended pork cutlet. The meat was thick and tender, easily chewed with teeth. The coating was cooked to a light, fluffy texture. However, the underside of the coating (touching the plate) was a bit soggy. The quality of the meat was good, and the flavor was solid, but I couldn't help but feel that the restaurant caters more towards tourists, for better or for worse. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be revisiting. Thank you for the meal.

I walked in Ameyoko in Ueno for the first time in a while, and there were mostly Chinese people around me, surprisingly few Japanese people! In the midst of this, I visited a restaurant called "Tonkatsu Tonhatei," where a certain reviewer also visited. They are open only from 11:30 to 14:30 except on Mondays. When I arrived at the restaurant, it was only 20 minutes after opening, but there were already 17 people waiting in line. After waiting for an hour, I ordered the Hire Katsu set meal for ¥2,400 (including tax) and the Rosu Katsu set meal for ¥2,100 (including tax), both with extra rice. First, I tried a bite with rock salt. Both the Hire and Rosu were lightly fried at a low temperature, making the coating easy to eat and the meat tender. The Rosu had just the right amount of fat, and it was delicious too! Next, I tried the recommended tonkatsu sauce. The slightly sweet and thick sauce made the rice go down smoothly. I finished it in no time and was satisfied. It's been a while since I've encountered delicious tonkatsu that I like. Thank you for the meal. Foodlog rating: 3.67, Number of reviews: 805, as of July 2023. Tonkatsu Hyakumeiten (2022), Michelin listing.

- I waited for about 40 minutes in this hot weather because the opening hours are short. - When it was served, the tonkatsu was directly placed on the plate, causing the back side to become soggy. - The meat lacked the sweetness found in brands like Hayashi SPF, Kurobuta, and Tokyo X, so I thought the 2,100 yen for the pork loin set meal was a bit expensive.

When it comes to Tokyo's Ueno, it's a fierce battleground for tonkatsu. In a bustling district like Ueno, competition is fierce for all types of restaurants, but tonkatsu seems to be especially intense. Seriously? This time, we visited "Tonhatei," a renowned restaurant among them. It's a popular spot where you're sure to wait in line. The interior is small, with only 4 counter seats. However, the space between seats is relatively wide, which is a good impression. The basic menu includes "Filet Katsu Set" (¥2,400 including tax), "Loin Katsu Set" (¥2,100 including tax), and "One Bite Katsu Set" (¥1,500 including tax). All of them are quite pricey. I chose the cheapest option, the "One Bite Katsu Set." Despite its name, you get about 2-3 bites of katsu in each of the 6 pieces. The portion size is quite good. The taste is exceptional. They fry it perfectly. Plus, the free refill of rice is a big bonus. On the other hand, miso soup incurs an extra charge from the first refill. It has a nice aroma of trefoil, but think carefully about whether you want a refill. In addition to the set meal, you also get assorted pickles. The variety includes cucumber, carrot, turnip, burdock, and the selection is surprisingly rich. Burdock pickles are quite rare, aren't they?

Ueno and Okachimachi are very crowded on weekends. If you go during lunchtime, you'll see long lines at popular restaurants. I had to give up on a restaurant I wanted to try because the line was unexpectedly long. As a last resort, I decided to try Tonhachi-Tei and luckily there were only 6 people in line 5 minutes before opening. I quickly got a seat at the counter and ordered the pork cutlet set meal. It's nice to have cold barley tea during this season. The tea was refilled promptly by the kind lady working there. The pork cutlet was served about 15 minutes after ordering, with miso soup following a bit later. The cutlet had a beautiful cross-section as always. I decided to try eating a piece with pink rock salt in the middle for a change. It really brought out the sweetness of the meat. But of course, I ended up eating the rest with sauce. The miso soup used to have mushrooms, but now it only has tofu. It was still delicious. Thank you for the meal.

Visited on Saturday afternoon. Arrived around 11:15 with a line of about 15 people. Entered on the second round. Unfortunately, the simmered pork tendon was sold out today, so I couldn't have it with a beer. The fried fugu fin was tender and delicious with rock salt. You can have a second serving of rice and cabbage, so I made sure to enjoy it. It was delicious, but once is probably enough.

■Fillet cutlet set meal ¥2,400 ■Medium bottle ¥600 ■Limited quantity simmered pork tendon ¥500 The recommended choice seems to be "pork loin," but this time I went with "fillet." The coating was crispy, maybe they used a mist sprayer? The pickled burdock was delicious. They offered free refills for rice and cabbage once, which was nice.

I went on a weekday (Wednesday) at lunchtime. I arrived a little early and waited for the opening, just managing to get in on the first round. I ordered the hirekatsu set meal. You can get one free refill of cabbage and rice. It's different from other places because it comes with pickles and potato salad. The rice portion was a bit small. The coating on the side of the cutlet on the plate was loose, which was disappointing. The meat itself was tender, but I noticed a slight gamey smell.

I visited "Tonhatei" in Ueno, Tokyo in June 2023. It was my first visit. I arrived at the restaurant at 12:50 on a weekday and there was a wait of 3 groups, 5 people. I was able to enter around 13:05. Although it is a tonkatsu restaurant, I love shrimp, so I ordered the shrimp fry set. You can also request a smaller portion of rice. The food arrived in about 15 minutes. The shrimp was crispy and the meat was firm. It was delicious. I wanted to try the tonkatsu as well, but I was satisfied with just the shrimp fry. Thank you for the meal. I would like to visit again.

I couldn't find the restaurant using the map from Tabelog and got lost. Finally found it after searching on Google. Arrived before 2 PM. The restaurant was not crowded, and I was able to enter without waiting. The interior had a cozy atmosphere with counter and table seating. It felt like dining at someone's home with the couple running the place. I ordered the recommended pork cutlet. It took some time to fry, but finally it was served. The cutlet was thick and not too fatty, with a light batter that allowed me to have seconds with rice. Rice and cabbage were free for one refill. Miso soup was an additional 100 yen for a refill. The pork cutlet had a generous portion, but surprisingly I was able to finish it thanks to its light flavor. The restaurant closed at 2:30 PM on my way out.