Nowhere does tonkatsu like Tonki. Of all the restaurants in Tokyo that serve those ever-popular cutlets of breaded, deep-fried pork — and they number in their thousands — nowhere stands out quite the way Tonki does.
To its legions of fans, it is an all-time classic. Others say it's an old-fashioned relic, and don't see what the fuss is about. But on whichever side of that divide you stand, there's no denying that after more than seven decades in business, Tonki is a veritable institution.
From the outside it looks simple, traditional, readily overlooked, especially now it's overshadowed by the soaring new Meguro Hilltop Walk tower. But once you slide aside the well-worn wooden doors, duck under the short indigo noren curtain and step inside, you realize it really is one of a kind.