I recently ventured out for lunch at the dramatically buzzworthy “Jukusei Tonkatsu Hasegawa”—a brand-new tonkatsu spot with Google reviews so high you’d think it was seasoned by angels.
Google claimed they opened at 11 a.m., so I waltzed up confidently at 11:50… only to be greeted by a “Closed” sign. Panic! Was the place secretly shuttered on a whim? Thankfully, a friendly staff member emerged from the culinary shadows to inform me they actually open at noon. Plot twist number one.
And just when we thought we’d made it—bam! The ticket machine was out of commission. So, we kicked it old-school and ordered from the table. The day was slipping into delightful chaos.
My wife and I decided on the mighty combo platter: a glorious fusion of both rosu (loin) and hire (fillet) cutlets. Our friend Toru went full send on the fillet-only set.
The menu unveiled the restaurant’s manifesto—a manifesto of meat mastery:
“Everyone’s into aged tonkatsu these days, but nothing ever smelled like aged beef, so we hit the books. After learning the craft from a Michelin-listed tonkatsu joint, we now serve pork so aged, it practically tells stories. Its protein has evolved into umami-rich amino acids, with a hint—just a whisper—of raw nut aroma. Our frying method is the result of trial, error, and divine inspiration. Good frying changes everything. Enjoy it with kettle-cooked rice and an ensemble of condiments. While sauce and mustard are fine, try lemon and salt on the fatty bits, and sweet soy with powdered sansho for a twist. Don’t like aged flavors? Go for the fillet. It’s not aged. Because frankly, fillet and aging just don’t vibe. Instead, we offer fillet that’s juicy enough to drown your worries.”
And the rice? Oh, darling reader, it’s cooked *individually* in a small pot for each person. A luxurious rice ritual.
And here it is—the combo platter in all its dual-cut glory!
The rosu had a slight chew—bold, meaty. But the hire? It was tender like a whispered secret. Based on the chef’s creed, I realized the fillet wasn’t aged… and yet it won my heart. Tastebuds be damned!
The miso soup came weaponized with thick slabs of pork. Honestly, I could’ve just had that and the rice and called it a banquet.
Stuffed and satisfied, we were about to waddle out… but plot twist number three: dessert arrived. All this for just ¥1900? That’s a crime against fine dining economics!
It’s red, it’s mysterious, and it’s definitely not tarako. Possibly strawberry? Possibly not. But who cares—it was sweet closure to a lunch adventure.
And with that, we conclude our aged, juicy, lemon-zested saga.
“If everything seems under control, you’re not going fast enough.”— Mario Andretti
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