Deep fried crispy breaded pork cutlets and curry are the favorite orders here.
Served with miso soup, rice, pickles and finely cut cabbage, Tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet) is a favorite amongst foreign residents of Japan. Tonkatsu Tonki’s Hirose-san learned his double flour and egg batter technique in Tokyo where the dish originated. The double coating seals in the pork’s juices and sweet aroma, yet it is surprisingly thin and crispy. After 36 years Hirose was forced to close his shop in Tenjin after suffering an injury due to a fall. As word of the closure spread, long queues of loyal patrons (including Hawks coach Sadaharu Oh and Mayor Yoshida) were seen daily. His shop no longer exists, but you can enjoy these cutlets for lunch at “Daiko Ishokuya” inside the Kawabata Shopping Arcade and at “Daiko Ishokuya” in Akasaka (lunch and evening). The Hirekatsu Set uses a 150g fillet cut. Other popular dishes include Roast Shoga-yaki and Ebiton (shrimp and pork). But the second most popular dish is Katsu-kare (pork cutlet and curry). Hirose is particularly proud of the curry which is based on a chicken broth and heaps of onions. The combinations of crispy bites of cutlet on a bed of rice smothered with Hirose’s full-flavoured curry is truly satisfying!
5-108 Kamikawabata, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka
092-273-1369
Open: 11:30 ~ 15:00
Closed: Never
Prices: Tonkatsu Set 1,100 yen, Katsu Curry 980 yen, Hirekatsu Set 1,900 yen, Ebiton Set 1,500 yen
