Excelent tonkatsu, good flavor.

Wow, just…wow. After a long day traveling I decided to come here to eat, as I was craving tonkatsu and wanted to stay near the station. When I got there, it was empty, and the nice waitress escorted me to my seat. I didn’t wait long to eat after placing my order, and…have you ever had food that’s just, delicious? The meat was tender inside and crispy outside, the cabbage (and I say this as someone who doesn’t love veggies) was crunchy and fresh it felt genuinely so nice to eat. I am usually wary of broth, but this was savory, packed with flavour yet SO LIGHT. And the brown sauce they gave me complemented everything so well. And to have this out of body experience for 1500 yen? Absolutely insane. When I gave my compliments to the chef, through gestures and google translate, both he and the waitress were incredibly thankful and kind. If there ever was a 10/10 place for me, it’s this, peak experience

2026.8.13 My first visit. It's about a 1-minute walk from Chofu Station. The exterior has a nice, long-established feel. As soon as I entered, I heard an energetic “Welcome!” I had the 特上ロースかつ定食 (250g). It comes with rice, pickles, and red miso soup. The cutlet was thick, so I was concerned about whether it was cooked through, but there was no problem. The fat was sweet and delicious, but the lean meat was dry and tasteless. Also, there was plenty of cabbage but not much rice. They cheerfully called out “Thank you!” when I left, too, so the service was lively and good. Thank you for the meal!

+2

This is a long-established tonkatsu restaurant in Chofu that I visit occasionally. Every time, I order the hearty 特上ロースかつ定食 (1920円), with 250g of meat about 2cm thick. You can enjoy the crisp coating, the quality and savory flavor of the pork, and the sweetness of the pork fat. Above all, the substantial meatiness of the thick cut is wonderful and delicious. However, 1 thing concerns me every time: the pork is very rare (closer to raw than half-cooked). I should have taken a photo before eating, but the 3rd photo was taken partway through the meal, and the meat inside is quite red. The meat I had already eaten, which isn't shown in the photo, was also almost raw? That was how little it was cooked, and I was quite worried about food poisoning while eating. Regardless of taste, eating pork rare or medium rare generally carries a risk of food poisoning from bacteria or the hepatitis E virus, so it should be thoroughly cooked. The pork at 豚珍館 was quite rare and half-raw, so I wondered whether it would be better to cook it a little more, if possible. The owner is also getting quite old and mentioned himself that his eyesight is poor, so perhaps it has become harder for him to judge doneness by sight. Still, I think cooking the meat all the way through would remove the concern about food poisoning. That said, there is no doubt that the tonkatsu itself is extremely delicious. As long-established tonkatsu restaurants in Chofu are becoming fewer, I hope this one continues for many years, and I hope the owner takes good care of his health.

Turn left out of the east exit of Chofu Station on the Keio Line, and when you reach the street, it's diagonally to the right. There's a ramp at the boundary with the sidewalk, so it is at least accessible. Looking at the food display to the right of the entrance, then the menu inside, brought back memories from long ago. That's because it had the same menu as a tonkatsu restaurant I used to visit about 30 years ago on Tenjin-dori, the approach to “Fuda Tenjin” a little farther north. It was so long ago that I'd forgotten the restaurant's name. Feeling nostalgic, I'd gone to Tenjin-dori several times relying on my memory, but couldn't find it and wondered whether it had closed or I had the wrong street. The back of the menu explained that this was the second branch, and that the first branch on Tenjin-dori had closed in 2010 (while I was working outside the area). The dish I always ordered had a slit cut into a thick pork loin, with garlic sliced about １mm thick tucked inside. The heat from frying cooked the garlic until tender, while its aroma and savory flavor infused the meat—a dish that got me, a garlic lover, hooked. That day, I really had to avoid eating garlic, so I reluctantly gave up on the “にんにくかつ定食” and had the lunchtime “かつ定食” (990円). I'll return soon for the “にんにくかつ定食”. On a later visit, I had the “にんにくかつ定食” (1,870円). I don't remember the price 30 years ago, but there's no resisting the wave of rising prices. Previously, sliced teardrop-shaped pieces of garlic were tucked inside the thick-cut meat, but now, after slicing, they are further chopped into ２、３mm cubes before being inserted. Honestly, I don't remember the taste from 30 years ago, but the garlic fried between the thick pork loin absorbs the pork fat and becomes tender. Its flavor infuses the surrounding pork and blends with the natural savoriness of the parts without garlic flavor, giving the garlic its full effect. It's thicker than the lunchtime cutlet, and with the garlic, the flavor is in a class of its own. (※This is strictly my personal opinion.)

+3