Tokyo Eats Part 2: Tonkatsu Tenshin: Where the locals go for Tonkatsu in Meguro
Jo Rosu Katsu (Special Pork Sirloin Tonkatsu) 1600 yen
For Tonkatsu, we made our way off the tourist route to the town of Meguro where there is a famous Tonkatsu restaurant called Tonkin. However, according to my internet research, there is a smaller restaurant which the locals favour called Tenshin which sounded more interesting to me. Rumour has it that the restaurant is run by the wife of the chef who can be quite a Food Nazi, so I might not be able to take any photos. Shudder.....
I always had the impression that Japanese society is one where the women are being subjugated but apparently this is not entirely true. One Japanese friend told us that when you walk around Tokyo during lunch time, you can see all these men in uniforms eating bowls of ramen by the streets while the women dine in restaurants. This is because everytime the man receives his pay packet, the entire amount goes to the wife and they get an allowance for their everyday needs! One thing I have noticed is that in a lot of the small eateries that I go to, it is the women that manage the restaurant while the men just prepare the food. On several occasions I got told off by the restaurant matron and commanded to stand in line, but I will talk about it more in a later post.
Anyway, when we got to the Tenshin, I was relieved to find that the Matron was not around so I was more relaxed. The chef turned out to be quite a jovial person and eventually even taught me a thing or two about making the perfect Tonkatsu.
Needless to say, this was the best Rosu Katsu I ever had and it wasn't even Kurobuta pork. Wonderfully juicy and oh so tender. It would be an exaggeration to say that you could cut it with your chopsticks, as some have claimed, but it was really tender nonetheless. 4.5/5 Contrary to expectations, there was none of that sesame grinding ritual and the Tonkatsu was just served with lots of shredded cabbage and Tonkatsu sauce.
Special English Menu for Foreigners (we were the only ones that needed it)
Now, we were feeling rather greedy that day, so after we finished our individual portions, we decided that since we came all the way from Singapore to this remote part of Tokyo, we should just order another portion to satisfy our greed.
Scallops and Pork Fillet Set 1600 yen
No regrets! The scallop tonkatsu was heavenly! It was so sweet and the taste just reminds you of the cold northern waters where the scallops were harvested! Even better than the Jo Rosu Katsu! 4.75/5
To get there you get off at Meguro station and when you exit the Station just head in the direction of Ebisu which is the next station. The best way to do this is to remember the direction of the train when you get off. I just got out of the station and headed straight down the road in front of me. There should be a 24 hour mini mart on the left side of the road followed by a hotel. Other than that it was a 10 to 15 minute walk down a dark quiet street till you hit the bright yellow signboard on your left hand side.
Conclusion
Best Tonkatsu I have had and the scallops were even better! Eating Tonkatsu in Singapore will never be the same again! Sigh.
Tonkatsu Tenshin
2-8-1 Mita, Meguro-ku
Tokyo, Japan
Open six days a week (closed Wednesdays)
Lunch: 11:30am to 3:00pm
Dinner: 17:30 pm to 9:30pm
Here is the review that recommended it
12 comments:
Wow looks and sounds fantastic. Man, I understand your pain of having comparatively poorer Tonkatsu here. On the bright side, you can go to Japan more often I guess.
sigh, you are so right...after eating in Japan, having Japanese food in Singapore is so boring.
Quite a lot of it about atitude. When you are in a restaurant where the owner is the chef as well, you can sense the difference. In Japan you lots of restaurants like Tenshin In Singapore it is harder to find a restaurant which is own and run by a Japanese chef. If you know of some, please let us know.
Hachi Rest at 23 Mohamed Ali Lane off Club St. Owner/Chef is k. Watanabe
Wonderful post and images! I am so happy to see that our reviews on Foodosophy are being read and leading to great eating experiences such as this! Thank you for the credit link back to our post on Tenshin. I so miss the great tonkatsu there. Look forward to reading more posts now that I am aware of your blog.
P.S. What's your camera setup that allows you to get such great shots?
shokutsu
http://foodosophy.wordpress.com/
Shokutsu: You can check his exif information. Canon 450D, with what should most likely be a 17-55 f2.8. No flash used, ambient lighting.
Well, thanks for the intro to Tenshin, Shokutsu. My camera setup is as tj has said. I didn't want to use the flash cos I thought I might get chased out of the restaurant. At first the chef motioned that I could not leave my camera on the table but I thought he meant that photography was not allowed. Good thing he mellowed a bit as the night went on.
beautiful pictures.. im looking forward to tokyo eat part 3..
Hi! I went to the restaurant & enjoyed it. However, your directions are not detailed enough. Besides "heading towards Ebisu", interested parties should exit by the West exit. As you walk, there are actually a lot of landmarks around. There are more than 1 convenience store, and a cluster of hotels mid-way to the place (one of them being Princess Hotel on the left side of the road). Walking down, you will pass a driving centre on your right and shortly after the driving centre is the restaurant on the left, so it's best to cross over early.
I was just back from Tokyo and visited Tonki for my tonkatsu fix. Price is about the same as Tenshin, and also located in Meguro. First class katsu they serve here, and the elderly owner is still in charge of cutting up the meat. They run a tight ship, with each person doing a specific task. Very friendly service. The soup served with the tonkatsu is filled with cubes of fat - simply divine. Ask for the rosukatsu (loin) unless you can't stand fatty pork.
Directions - from Meguro station, take the West exit, walk to the junction at your 10 o'clock. You can't miss the tall GAIA Pachinko & Slot building just down the road. Tonki is the shop with blue curtains in the side road at GAIA building.
As ieat says, tonkatsu in Singapore will never be the same again.
I haven't lived in Tokyo since 1994 but I still drool when I remember Tonki's tonkatsu. Always best in the winter months when hirekatsu and a beer took the chill out of the night. Simple, perfect food. Such good times, good times.
I ate at Maisen instead and not at the 2 Meguro joints. Maisen's tonkatsu is sublime. Loved it.
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