On October 3, 2022 (Monday), I went to see the Broadway musical "Kinky Boots" at the Tokyu Theatre Orb. I was able to watch the first day as October 1 and 2 were preview performances. In 2019, this show was the most moving and impressive musical for me. I was happy that despite the change in the role of Lola, the rest of the cast remained the same for this revival. I watched the show from the center of the second floor and experienced a sense of unity between the stage and the audience. I had planned to have a meal at Shibuya Hikarie before heading home. I took the escalator down from the Theatre Orb and entered the restaurant area, where I spotted Mai Sosho and headed straight there. While I often buy their discounted Katsu sandwiches at the supermarket, this was my first time dining in at their store. Although I tend to mix up Mai Sosho with Iizumi Honten, I believe they are related somehow. Despite it being 30 minutes before the last order, I was able to get a seat. The staff informed me that they offer a complimentary soft drink to those who show their theater tickets, so I showed them mine. I decided to have a ginger ale but also wanted to try the premium malt beer for 680 yen. I ordered the Satsuma Chabimu Pork Loin Set for 1850 yen. The set came with rice, miso soup, and unlimited cabbage. The Satsuma Chabimu Pork is a brand of pork originating from Kagoshima, raised on feed containing catechin found in green tea, corn, sweet potatoes, barley, and more, which helps maintain good health. The set also came with pickles. I started by dressing the cabbage with the sweet sauce and enjoyed its crispy texture. I prefer not to pour sauce directly on the tonkatsu to maintain its crispy texture. The pork was juicy and tender with a sweet flavor. I chose the pork loin cutlet because it was 130g, which was more than other menu items. It was the right choice! There was a "Mai Sosho Spice Salt" on the table, a seasoning developed to enhance the taste of shredded cabbage, an essential side dish for tonkatsu. I accidentally spilled the spice salt, but I enjoyed the cabbage with extra dressing. I tried the tonkatsu with salt and mustard. I usually enjoy tonkatsu sandwiches, but freshly fried tonkatsu is the best.

Established in 1965! Located on the 6th floor of Shibuya Hikarie, this shop offers casual modern cuisine in a bright atmosphere. They sell freshly fried and freshly made bento boxes. Refills for cabbage, rice, and miso soup are free, which is very much appreciated. They also offer tea as a drink option, which I personally like. I was very satisfied and definitely want to go back! The main store is apparently located in Aoyama. I highly recommend this place for friends or solo diners. Menu includes: Hire Hito Kuchi Katsu Set Meal (¥1,100) - rice, hire katsu, miso soup, pickles.

Mai Izumi is a place I feel like visiting regularly. I went during lunchtime and had to wait in line, but I was in tonkatsu mode so I didn't mind waiting. I ordered the lunch set with pork cutlet and it was delicious. The meat was tender with a hint of sweetness, and it paired perfectly with the sauce. The breading was also tasty and crispy. I enjoyed eating the cabbage with a mix of sauce and dressing. Overall, it was a very satisfying lunch.

I often come here for lunch. I usually have curry, but this time I tried the okonomiyaki. It was fried but not too heavy, and everything was delicious. You can get refills of cabbage and rice. I got a refill of cabbage. Even though there is usually a line, the turnover is fast and I was able to get a seat quickly. Don't give up, it's worth the wait.

Tonkatsu Maisen at Shibuya Hikarie 6F offers delicious pork cutlets and asparagus wrapped in pork. The pork cutlets (80g for loin or 70g for fillet) are crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, perfectly paired with a sweet sauce. Even as a woman, I found the portion size just right and finished it all in no time! The asparagus wrapped in pork is refreshing and not greasy, with the juicy freshness of the asparagus perfectly complementing the pork. The fluffy cabbage on the side is also plentiful, making the meal very satisfying. You can also get free refills of rice, miso soup, and cabbage, making the dining experience at Maisen very enjoyable. Their COVID-19 measures are thorough, and the spacing between tables allowed for a relaxed dining experience.

My wife finished work early, so we decided to meet in Shibuya for dinner. She wanted something rich in flavor, so I suggested tonkatsu. She happily agreed, so we went to Mai-sen. When we arrived, I was asked to wear a mask, which was a bit disappointing as I'm not used to wearing one. However, I complied and we were seated. Surprisingly, no one else in the restaurant was wearing a mask except when entering. After ordering, we were served the famous Hirekatsu Sandwich, which was freshly made and incredibly delicious. It was crispy and satisfying. The Hirekatsu was also amazing, with almost no fat and delicious sauce. Overall, Mai-sen was a hidden gem for dining out. Check it out!

I don't usually have the opportunity to eat pork cutlets, but I suddenly felt like having some after many years and stopped by Mai Izumi's Hikarie store. I was looking for something light with less fat, so I hesitated a bit before ordering the Hirekatsu set for 1850 yen. The pork is a crossbreed called Chami-ton, which has a tender texture. You can choose your sauce, and the rice, miso soup, and pickles are free refills. It was a satisfying mealtime with a nice balance. The Hirekatsu reminded me of the meat in a katsu sandwich.

On a typical evening, I finished work late due to overtime and decided to stop by Hikarie, directly connected to Shibuya Station. I remembered that I had accumulated stamps on my Mai Sawa stamp card, so I decided to use it for a 500 yen discount. Although I have visited a few times before, it had been a while since my last visit. It was already past 8 pm and the restaurant was almost full, but luckily there was a spot available at the counter so I chose to sit there. To be honest, I'm not a big fan of Mai Sawa's tonkatsu, so this time I decided to try their ginger pork instead. Even though I have accumulated stamps without eating tonkatsu, I mainly get my stamps from buying bento boxes at department store basements. I often buy a nori bento instead of a tonkatsu bento. I love the variety of side dishes in the nori bento. Now, this was my first time trying the ginger pork here. I usually have a good impression of tonkatsu restaurant's ginger pork, and they often use pork loin instead of pork belly which is nice. For my beer snack, I ordered the "Cucumber and Crab Salad (Half)". Although there isn't much crab in it, I mainly go for the cucumber so it's fine. It's just cucumber mixed with mayonnaise sauce, but I always end up ordering it because it's surprisingly delicious. Next, the ginger pork set arrived. As soon as I saw it, I thought that the sauce was unusually dark. The taste was intriguing, but I won't spoil it since I mentioned it in the title. The soy sauce flavor was quite strong, and even more so, it was extremely sweet. There was so much of the sweet sauce poured over the meat that a puddle formed on the surface. Despite the sweetness, I was looking for the taste of ginger, but it was nowhere to be found! Where's the ginger!? It was just too sweet for my liking. However, the pork was indeed delicious as expected from a tonkatsu restaurant, and the pork loin was tender and tasty. I wished I could have enjoyed this delicious meat with the ginger flavor. Even though my dream of the ginger pork was shattered, I still enjoyed having seconds of rice and miso soup, as well as a highball, and I relaxed. It might be difficult to visit again due to the disappointing ginger pork, but I will continue to support them by buying bento boxes...

Tonkatsu is always delicious without any disappointments. In addition, the service is excellent. They always refill your tea. When I called to reserve a table, they asked if I wanted to wait for the tonkatsu to be freshly fried. It's clear that they are always considerate. I would love to go back to eat there again.

Since I came all the way to Shibuya, I decided to kill time until dinner and went looking for a restaurant. Many of the places were still closed, making it quite difficult, but I explored the new Shibuya Scramble Square and Shibuya Hikarie to find a place to eat. The restaurants in Scramble Square were all crowded with waiting customers. Hikarie was a bit more manageable, so I decided to check out "Mai Izumi" where I could get in quickly. My stomach was tired from all the drinking during the year-end and New Year's, so my appetite wasn't great. Despite that, I ended up just having some light snacks instead of a full meal. Perhaps because it was the New Year, many items were sold out or unavailable. Here's what I ordered: - Potato Salad (half) 327 yen - Pork Cutlet Sandwich (3 slices) 490 yen - Fried Oysters (4 pieces) 195 yen each - Cheese Skewer 290 yen - Fried Chicken Nuggets 618 yen - The Premium Malt's (medium) 636 yen - Yaemaru (wheat beer) 454 yen The pork cutlet sandwich I had in the restaurant was delicious, with freshly fried cutlet and fluffy bread. The fried oysters were a bit overcooked, but they tasted great with tartar sauce. The staff were very attentive and the atmosphere was excellent! It would have been even better if I had visited in better health. Thank you for the meal.

Located in Hikarie, this bright and beautiful restaurant caught my eye. I was originally thinking of ordering tonkatsu, but when I saw the sweet and simmered katsudon set, I changed my mind. It consisted of a delicious combination of egg-topped katsu with a sweet broth that seeped in perfectly! It also came with a side of kinpira burdock. The miso soup, rice, and cabbage are all-you-can-eat. You can eat until you're full!

- Conclusion: This was the first time I thought tonkatsu was delicious. I used to visit the Harajuku main store, but now there are more branches and you can enjoy delicious tonkatsu anywhere. It had been a while since my last visit, but the balance of fat, breading, and meat was good, and it was still delicious. The service was also good, confirming everything without any mistakes, making it a satisfying dinner. - Impressions: I found out that there was Maisen in Hikarie for dinner in Shibuya, so I visited. There were several shops on the floor, but I immediately recognized this one by its Japanese-style appearance. The interior had a counter and seats for 4 people, making it suitable for a few people to visit. I chose the loin katsu. The carefully prepared loin was tender, and the sweet fat was not overwhelming. Overall, I felt the deliciousness. Once again, I was able to feel the craftsmanship of the historical restaurant.

This is the review of the Maisen Shibuya Hikarie branch. I ordered the black pork loin cutlet and shrimp fry set meal on this day. The pork cutlet was 80 grams and the shrimp was large, so the portion was sufficient and the taste was stable as expected from Maisen. It's not a place I would go out of my way to eat at, but it's a nice place to have nearby when you feel like having pork cutlet in your daily life. It's nice that you can have unlimited refills of rice, miso soup, and cabbage. On this day, I had refills of miso soup and cabbage. It might be just my imagination, but I feel like the main store is tastier... At the moment, the Hikarie branch has a rating of 3.18 on Tabelog, while the main store has a rating of 3.53, showing a significant difference. The main store is located in Omotesando, the next station over, so if you have time, it might be worth going there.

This is a restaurant review for Maiizumi located on the 6th floor of Shibuya Hikarie. I ordered the black pork fillet cutlet set meal. You can get unlimited refills of rice, cabbage, and miso soup. The special sauce that comes with the black pork set meal is incredibly delicious. The fillet cutlet itself was also very tasty and tender, easily cut with chopsticks. I would definitely like to visit this restaurant again.

Everyone knows about Maisen, but I had never dined in the restaurant before, only bought bento boxes from their department store section. I finally visited Maisen in March at Shibuya Hikarie, attracted by the spacious counter seating. I ordered a bottle of beer, cucumber and crab salad (half portion), and katsu curry. The salad was delicious, not too heavy on the mayonnaise. As I watched the chef prepare the curry, I noticed they were opening a package of retort curry. Despite feeling disappointed, I tried the katsu first without the curry sauce, and it was really tasty. The sauce was a bit too sweet for my liking, so having the katsu curry without it was a good choice. The curry itself was mild and suited the katsu well. Overall, it was not bad. I later found out they sell the retort curry in the store as well. I also enjoyed a highball and appreciated the timely cabbage refills. Despite my initial reservations, I ended up thoroughly enjoying the meal. I actually revisited Maisen a few weeks later and ordered the katsu curry again, finding it just as satisfying.

Jumped into Mai Izumi just in time for lunch. Couldn't decide between katsudon or rosu, but ended up choosing rosu because I was craving some crunchy cabbage. The cabbage today was fresh, sweet, and had no unpleasant smell. Had to get a refill ASAP. The rosu was delicious as always at Mai Izumi, with a good balance of fat. Thank you for the tasty cabbage. Thank you for the meal.

Lunch at Mai Izumi in Hikarie. I wonder if Mai Izumi is now a 100% subsidiary of Suntory. I had a set meal with Char-mi pork loin and shrimp fry. Free refills for rice, cabbage, and miso soup. The atmosphere of the restaurant is calm and everything is done with care, which is nice. However, the tonkatsu meat was thin. On the other hand, the thick bread crumbs coating absorbed a lot of oil and felt heavy. It wasn't bad, but it was heavy. I like the kind of eating style where you pile on the rice and pour sauce over the coating and chew it all together. The tartar sauce for the shrimp fry was also good. I wanted to have more rice refills, but my stomach was already full, so I had to stop at one refill. Um, was this the right way to eat at Mai Izumi...?

It's been a while since I visited Mai Izumi. I ordered a highball and a mix fry of black pork sausage (with pork fillet and shrimp fry). The table seats are spacious and the atmosphere is comfortable. The black pork sausage was juicy with a good texture. The pork fillet was tender, and the shrimp fry was delicious. The service was attentive, and the timing for refilling the cabbage was perfect! I couldn't help but eat a lot of cabbage. Although the menu is limited at this time, I was satisfied without any issues. Thank you for the meal♡

When I went shopping in Shibuya, I decided to eat tonkatsu at "Tonkatsu Mai-sen" in Shibuya Hikarie. There used to be two "Mai-sen" restaurant stores in Shibuya, one at Tokyu Toyoko Store and the other at Shibuya Hikarie, but with the closure of Tokyu Toyoko Store at the end of March 2020, the restaurant on the floor also closed, leaving only Shibuya Hikarie. In March, when fewer people were going out, even after 12 o'clock, it was empty and we were able to enter immediately. The restaurant has counter seats and table seats, which is rare for this kind of dining area. Since it was just my husband and I, we were seated at a table. My husband quickly chose the "Chabimai Tonkatsu Set" based on the signboard at the entrance, while I hesitated... The ladies' set with a variety of dishes looked delicious, so I decided on that. Each table had large bottles of sauce placed on it. There are two types of sauce, sweet and spicy, that you can use. Both my husband and I found the sweet sauce to be more delicious. Additionally, there was the familiar "magic salt" and yuzu dressing available. Oh, and when you order tonkatsu here, you get free shredded cabbage as a side dish! You can enjoy cabbage salad with yuzu dressing. Chabimai Tonkatsu Set (1,780 yen): My husband chose the classic tonkatsu, loin cutlet. It comes with rice, miso soup, and pickles. The beautifully browned loin cutlet looked delicious, and when I tried it, the juicy meat juices spread in my mouth, hot and crispy, freshly fried. The tonkatsu is placed on a net, which prevents the crust from getting soggy from the heat, allowing you to enjoy a crispy tonkatsu until the end. Ladies' Set (1,480 yen): I was attracted by the variety of side dishes. It comes with rice, miso soup, and pickles just like my husband's set, but it also includes warabi mochi with kinako and black syrup. The set includes two types of fry: shrimp fry and hire katsu. The straight-shaped shrimp fry with its tail spread out like a "par" was beautifully crafted. The hire katsu and shrimp fry allow you to enjoy a variety of flavors, catering to the desire to try different things. The rice is glossy, and the delicious rice is another reason why "Mai-sen" is a reliable restaurant. After the fry, there is also grated hamburger steak. The soft hamburger steak had a nostalgic taste. The other side dish is potato salad. Fry, hamburger steak, and potato salad... it's like an adult's children's lunch. (That's why I chose this menu) The shrimp fry comes with tartar sauce. The pickles also have a strong yuzu aroma. It's so delicious that it makes you want to keep eating rice. A small dessert is also included, which was a nice touch. At "Mai-sen," you can get free refills of cabbage, rice, and miso soup. While enjoying the meal and cabbage, the staff recommended a refill of cabbage at the perfect timing. Just as I was thinking about getting a refill after enjoying the cabbage, they asked, "Would you like some more?" The staff also naturally recommended refills of rice and miso soup, which was very much appreciated. The delicious food, as well as the cozy service, makes me always think that "Mai-sen" is a trustworthy restaurant. Whether I visit either store, the service is always the same, which is reassuring. Whenever I feel like eating tonkatsu, I want to visit again.

After work, I visited Shibuya Hikarie for the first time and went to a restaurant on the 6th floor, which was easy to find. The atmosphere inside was calm and clean, which was great. I ordered a set of black pork fillet cutlet and oyster fry for 1980 yen, and the food was brought to me in less than 10 minutes. They offered unlimited refills for rice, miso soup, and cabbage, and they frequently refilled my tea. They were very attentive, even noticing when I needed more cabbage. I ended up getting a second bowl of miso soup too. I think this level of service is wonderful! Thank you for the meal.

This is on the 6th floor of Shibuya Hikarie!! Established in 1965!! I love the tonkatsu at Maisen. It's been about 20 years since I first tried Maisen at the Aoyama main store. I bought a pack of three fillet cutlet sandwiches. I thought they were just inside, but they were actually vacuum packed. I bought them at night and the expiration date was 10 am the next day. I had them the next morning without reheating. The fillet cutlet was as soft as the bread! There was no problem with chewing. The sauce was sweet but not too thick or too thin, just right. It's delicious even when cold. I never thought fillet cutlet could be this good. I used to be skeptical, but now I will definitely go back for more!! Thank you for the meal.