Tonkatsu Hinata

Date went: 2024/12/12 (Apologies for the late review) It was absolutely amazing. My friends and I came to this place after a detour due to circumstances, and we heard that it's famed for its Michelin-star worthy tonkatsu. Verily, we had a very good experience there. The staff, and even the chef were very considerate of our well-being, being very attentive of whether we needed extra tea or not, for example. The chef would call the staff to help out if he sees something that needs to be addressed, so there is a vibe that they are all helping one another out, and it's a very lovely sight. The pork cutlet itself was firm yet crunchy, juicy and full of flavor. It was soft yet very filling, and I enjoyed every bite of it. The portions were actually quite large, and that was a welcome surprise. I loved the karashi (mustard) that came with it, as it was actually very nuanced, with sweet and spicy, and really complemented the pork well. I will definitely come again.

The tonkatsu here smashed it out the park! This was great. And we were lucky enough to arrive at 6:30 p.m. on a Monday and it was very quiet so we got straight in. The pork was flawless, absolutely delicious, and they were very generous with the rice and cabbage.

This was hands down the best meal my wife and I ate on our entire 2 week trip, and we think top 3 ever. We ordered the pork rib eye and the pork loin. Each dish was ~2,500 yen and came with pickled vegetables, shredded cabbage, miso soup, up to 2 bowls of rice, and some chilled tea. We waited about 15 minutes in line and ordered while waiting. Once inside we sat in front of the head chef who was so nice and accommodating. The whole restaurant seats maybe 14 people so is very small and intimate. All orders went through him and he directed accordingly for our Coke and Sapporo. He also gave my wife and I special treat of a small bowl of like wasabi infused miso soup with fresh vegetables and a chunk of pork. This alone was unreal and just prepared us for the dinner. Each element was so fresh and delicious. I saw some locals with a small plate of salt and then use a tester bottle to add olive oil. I tried it and then dipped the meat and was blown away as I combined the salty meat with sweet cabbage and rice. The pork was really high quality and cooked to perfect. My mouth is watering just writing about this meal! The whole experience was incredible, really great value considering it’s a Michelin bib gourmand restaurant and absolutely well deserved. My only regret is not coming earlier so we would have had time to go again! Absolutely amazing, do yourself a favor and go for dinner or lunch and enjoy an amazing meal and experience!

Absolutely amazing experience. Incredible quality and service, much attention paid to the ethical treatment of their food and animals. Absolutely lovely experience. Please be sure to be polite and understand that there is a great demand for their food and lots of people who want to try it. There’s always a line so please be quick but enjoy the food.

Had an amazing meal at my friend's restaurant where he's the chef—hands down the best Donkatsu I've ever had! What made it even more special was the variety of salts he paired with each cut, and trying Donkatsu with olive oil was a unique twist that really worked. No bias here just because I know the chef—this place is legit. If you're ever in Tokyo, this spot is a must-try. Check the Michelin guidebook if you don’t believe me!

I came at 11 AM and there was already a long line. Waited for about 1 hour to sit down. I ordered the lunch menu set pork loin 190g for 1500 yen. It was good. Pork was moist, tender and had a nice crunch to it. You can order 1 free extra cabbage and rice. Miso soup was good too. Although it was good, I do not think it's worth a 1-hour wait.

I love how cosy this restaurant is - there are only 14 counter seats! You can watch the chef at work, but I must admit it got a little uncomfortable as the hard chef was watching me eat too! Unlike typical tonkatsu restaurants this one offers a variety of cuts - I tried the loin with an additional order of pork neck. There was sufficient fat so the meat was not too tough or dry. This restaurant happens to be near my hotel so I didn’t hesitate to check it out. Google maps got me there without any dramas.

So good I went twice. I was in Tokyo for 10 days but ended up going nearer the end of my trip. I regret that so much because my god was it good. Crispy pork, amazingly done cabbage. Just perfect. Highly recommend. They have a cheaper menu at lunch too so definitely worth a stop. I went for the premium pork but there were some really good deals going for lunch. Don’t miss out!

What an incredible experience. Easily the best tonkatsu I've had. Came here around 10 AM to make sure we were first in line. Seeing the reviews I knew the place was popular so wanted to get there early enough. Line started forming around 10:30 and by the time we were sat at 11, there was a good 30 people behind us. Got the best cut of tonkatsu and a small curry. The restaurant itself is small, like most places in Tokyo, with only counter seating enough for a dozen people. You get to watch the chefs carefully prepare each plate and see the care they put into their craft. The tonkatsu was juicy, perfectly cooked, and just a tad pink. The chef also provided us truffle salt and suggested we drip some olive oil and dip in the salt. The flavors were divine. The truffle salt and the olive oil perfectly complimented the deliciousness of the pork and I found myself gravitating towards that more than the tonkatsu sauce. I love places like this that specialize in one thing because it really allows them to hone their craft and this is certainly the case at Hinata. Also ordered a small curry to finish off my last few pieces and it was the perfect way to end the meal. You get 1 refill of cabbage and rice, which I took full advantage of. This was such an incredible experience we went a second time before the end of our trip. Definitely run, don't walk to eat here. If you want to do dinner, I highly recommend making a reservation. I believe you can book out a couple weeks in advance. Fantastic experience. 10/10.

I came here for dinner seating on a Saturday! I arrived about 35 mins before opening and was 11th in line. It is a small restaurant - seating about 10 people so I was in the second wave of eaters. They take orders while you're in line so people ate fast, I was seated within 25 mins after opening. It was also quite windy outside and they kindly passed out hot tea to everyone in line! I ordered the choicest pork tenderloin. It comes as a set with miso, rice, pickled veggies, cabbage and the choicest meats come with truffle salt. They also have katsu sauce and salts on the side. Meat was so juicy, not dry at all, the cuts were thick with a very crispy coating and not too salty.

Going to this restaurant 'Tonkatsu Hinata' took us forever to get to from where we stayed but we had to try this place. I hear it's Michelin rated. We got lost finding this place. This place was so small with only 14 counter bar seats. You would not expect this place to be a popular place by looking at the outside. We arrived at night. I thought it was weird it was located on a dark small street within a residential area, close to Kanda River. It was in an old white brick building but inside was quite nice but tight. Since there was ten of us, we sat by small groups but eventually we all sat together. The seating is bar style so we got to see the chefs at work. It was fun to see them at work and ask questions. They spoke some English but very friendly people. This restaurant will only fit so many people. So it was good we came on a weekday. I am sure this place has long lines outside but it was close to end of their night, it was not too busy and we got to hang out a little longer than getting kicked out. These restaurants like this, you will have to eat and go; no lingering. We all basically ordered the Pork Loin which comes with miso soup, rice and cabbage. On the table, there are sauces to choose from for your cutlets. There were two small cups for two different salts which are very good with the pork. Ordered Ashahi beer. One of the chefs gave us a little side pork sauted' soup sampler that went with our beer and that was delicious!! Why we came here was the chefs or owners - Yuta kimura and Daisuke Masugi specializes in tonkatsu pork. They say it's best eaten this way. The pigs are bought whole from a special farm they special feed organic stuff. Well that is what I saw on YouTube and that is why we had to try it here. All I know is I was very entertained here and the food the good and pork was moist. They specialize in pork and nothing more so don't expect other things. Still, It was worth it! [31R,2024]

We were in the Shinjuku area and came on a Thursday for lunch. There was certainly a line. It's a VERY small restaurant. It fits probably 10 people in the entire place. Seating- we were a group of 5 and they had to split us up. We're too big of a party. Food- whether it was the prime or regular, it was the BEST tonkatsu I have ever had. The crust was fried to perfection. The pork was juicy and tender. You can pair the olive oil with the salts and dip it that way or the tonkatsu sauce was great too. They refill the rice and the shredded cabbage. You'll need to use Google translate for the menu. They don't really speak English.

The absolute best pork katsu I've had anywhere in the world. The chef makes the food in front of you. I was visiting Japan and this was my very first meal - it definitely set expectations very very high. I still think about this meal months after visiting.

I've had Hinata on my list of tonkatsu places for a while and was finally able to check it off my list. Note that they do open for dinner service at 1700 so don't show up at 1600 and expect them to serve you. We were the first ones in line and the owner/chef came out to take our order. He was super friendly and explained the different cuts of pork that were available. I ended up ordering the choice ribeye which was super marveled. Thick layers of meat and fat on the tonkatsu made this super tender. What sets this tonkatsu apart from others is the use of olive oil when it's fried. It did taste a bit lighter than your traditional tonkatsu. The owner suggested we add a few drops of olive oil and lightly dip it into the truffle salt for a unique experience. To be honest, I do prefer the tonkatsu sauce at Maisen a bit more as it's tangier and a bit more savory. We also ordered the pork neck tonkatsu to share and that was awesome. Wish they offered this with their set as it was really that good. Definitely will be back as this tonkatsu is very unique and love how the owner welcomes you in for an awesome meal.

Hinata has been one of my favorite restaurants during my entire trip to Japan! I was absolutely blown away with my dining experience. I always save my biggest indulgences for the most anticipated foods, and Hinata did not disappoint. We went to the restaurant around dinner time, and there was a long wait. We ended up waiting in line for about 40 minutes before sitting down, but the wait was well worth it. As we entered the small restaurant, we were greeted by kind staff and chefs. There is only counter-space at this establishment, so you shouldn't expect a large family to be easily seated. The restaurant is quiet, but the calmness helps set the mood to enjoy the best tonkatsu you'll have! There are a lot of options to choose from, including different cuts of pork. I choose the more fatty piece of pork, whereas my partner chose the lean version. Needless to say, they were both amazing! The meat was incredibly juicy, the crust was crispy but not hard, and the flavors hit every note that I'd want from tonkatsu! This is my favorite tonkatsu I've eaten. Food 5/5 Service 5/5 (I spilled soup - they gave us a new one right away! Chef, you a real one) Cost 4.5/5 (I would have paid more if I had to) If you weren't a fan of tonkatsu, be prepared to fall in love. I will absolutely come back.

I have been wanting to try this place and finally I brought my parents here. There was a counter and we all sat around to watch the chef prepare our tonkatsu. We chose the pork loin and the tenderloin. Each cutlet was deep fried carefully to maintained the juiciness and tenderness of the meat. With each set meal you can request for another helping of cabbage and rice for free. Another helping of the soup cost 150 yen. I'll definitely come back again!

Life changing tonkatsu. Olive oil and fried pork are a surprisingly magical combination. I've since returned to the states and entered a state of depression knowing that the katsu we have here barely hits the quality of the konbinis and 7/11s in Japan, much less a place like Tonkatsu Hinata. Highly recommend if you are in Shinjuku.