I couldn't get the thick pork chop during the previous holiday, but to my surprise, I could come here on a weekday without much of a wait. The pork chop is super large and satisfying; it's highly recommended if you're a meat lover. Towards the end, it gets a bit greasy, so it's just right to pair it with some side dishes and drinks to cut through the richness. The meat is tender and not dry, and the fat is very flavorful. It's rare to find such thick meat. The only regret is that they only open during dinner hours, so if you want to come and try the limited thick cuts, you might need to plan your time to arrive early on weekdays or holidays.
🔅Actual dining date: 2024/10/14
Spent the afternoon taking photos of the Tokyo Tower 🗼 and then visited Azabudai Hills, which just opened last year. We decided on the spot to have dinner nearby and found this relatively new restaurant (there are few Google reviews).
We visited around 16:30 and waited in line for a little while. The staff noticed we were foreigners and handed us a menu with pictures and English translations.
▪️Special Pork Fillet Tonkatsu ¥3000
(Deep fried pork fillet cutlet set, 120g)
The picture looked impressive, and the price was higher, so we decided to try it. I checked what it was called in English—it’s the fillet part—and though it seemed tender, it was actually quite firm when eaten, yet the coating was crispy, which made the texture enjoyable.
▪️Mixed Tonkatsu two ¥2600
(Deep fried pork loin & fillet cutlet set)
Loin 120g & Fillet 2 pieces
I was considering what else to order and chose this popular dish, a combination of loin and fillet. The loin combines layers of lean and fatty meat, which create a nice flavor when eaten together, and I didn't find it too greasy. The fillet doesn't have layers, crispy outside and soft inside. No wonder it's popular because you get two types of cuts at once.
All sets come with rice and shredded cabbage (refillable once), miso soup with simple radish that tasted great, and you can help yourself to pork cutlet and cabbage sauce, pickles, and wasabi (the pork cutlet also comes with yellow mustard that pairs well).
Overall, this place is simple and has a very Japanese atmosphere, it's foreigner-friendly. Although I wouldn't specifically revisit, I would recommend it to friends nearby, so I give it more than 3 stars.
Hello everyone, I am a little frog 🐸
<Mu Le Japanese-style Fried Pork Cutlet> is one of the well-known family restaurants in Hualien. The whole place is mainly decorated in wood tones, and upon entering, you can smell a faint aroma of cypress wood, creating a very comfortable environment～
The menu is a combination of wooden panels and blackboards. You just need to place the round magnets into the empty slots, making it clear and reusable, which is very eco-friendly ♻️👍
After being seated, you are served a glass of lemon orange water and a glass of plum juice, both of which can be refilled!
⭐️ Loin Croquette Set $340
Two pieces of stick-shaped croquettes + three pieces of loin pork cutlet. The croquettes have a crispy outside and a creamy inside, with cheese inside; you can hear the crunchy sound when you take a bite of the pork cutlet, which retains its juices and is very tender. It's paired with homemade ground sesame sauce for the pork cutlet, which is really delicious 😋
The meal comes with shredded cabbage, side dishes, and miso soup～
On the table, there is a sweet and sour vinegar sauce that, when paired with shredded cabbage, is refreshing and helps cut through the greasiness. The miso soup is a simple version with seaweed, tofu, and green onions.
The side dishes include yuzu radish and tofu; although the portions are small, they are very tasty～
🌟 Shredded cabbage and white rice can be refilled!
(The rice grains are distinct and very chewy, which is my favorite type of rice.)
⭐️ Large Loin Pork Cutlet Set $310
This is what my friend ordered; the overall configuration is quite similar, but his loin pork cutlet has four large pieces.
‼️ Conclusion:
A dining service charge of 10% is applied for dine-in!
Overall, it is a delicious fried pork cutlet restaurant. Although the location is a bit far, it is a place I would consider going to when craving fried pork cutlet～
This time in Akihabara, Tokyo, I went on an anime pilgrimage and bought some figurines. Feeling hungry, I found this place called "Marugo Fried Pork Cutlet" on Google Maps. I waited about 20 minutes to get in; the business seemed quite good. As soon as I walked in, I could feel that the pork cutlet was indeed worth the wait. I ordered the fried pork loin cutlet set, priced at 2400 yen. The pork cutlet had a crispy outer layer, and the meat was tender and juicy, especially the lean part inside. Although it didn’t have much fat, it had a very soft texture and wasn’t dry at all. Paired with white rice and miso soup, the overall flavor was rich and balanced, making for a very satisfying meal.
However, the space inside the restaurant is not large. It's fairly clean but a bit cramped, so it might be a struggle for otaku who have already bought many large packages in Akihabara.
Overall, "Marugo Fried Pork Cutlet" is a highly recommended restaurant, especially if you're looking for a delicious meal while shopping in Akihabara. The pork cutlet here is definitely a great choice.
📍Nearby the Shulin Train Station, there’s a Japanese-style fried food rice bowl restaurant that has a good business, delicious meals, but longer preparation times. There’s a store dog inside, so those who don’t like dogs should refrain from entering.
🍽️Environment
There aren't many seats for dining in, with a bar area, a few double tables, and a kid-friendly seating area along the edge, accommodating around 16 people in total. We decided to drop by after seeing a 4.9 rating on Google, and although it was already 7:30, it was still fully booked, with a few new customers coming in. After confirming our meal, we could order and wait for our seats; the staff indicated that the meal would take about 10-15 minutes.
There’s a lazy store dog inside, but there’s no dog smell; those who are afraid of dogs or who don't like restaurants with pets should be mindful.
The air conditioning is at a comfortable temperature, and there are restrooms.
After waiting about 10 minutes, a private family area opened up, but this area requires shoes to be removed. The actual meal was served about 20 minutes later. 😅
🍚Meal
▪️Crispy Fried Pork Chop Rice Bowl $250
Since we arrived later, there weren’t many options left, so we just ordered the basic fried pork chop. The entire set includes the rice bowl itself with a half-cooked soft egg, miso soup, dessert, and a side dish. The white rice can be refilled once, and the miso soup is unlimited.
The thickness of the aged fried pork chop is sufficient, and the width is not too wide, which I personally find makes it easier to eat. The outer crust is very crispy, and the inner pork remains quite tender, with some parts having a bit of fat, which overall is above average in quality.
As for the rice, I personally found it a bit too moist, but still acceptable. The miso soup has a Taiwanese flavor, containing radish, tofu, and kelp buds; the broth isn’t too salty and pairs well with the pork chop rice!
The side dish was a normally presented pickled radish, and today’s dessert was passion fruit jelly, with a mildly sour flavor that is great for cutting through greasiness after the meal.
😁Overall, it's a tasty pork chop rice bowl. It's recommended to call in advance to make a reservation and order to shorten the waiting time on-site, but if you're a dog lover, you might find yourself spending time playing with the dog without realizing it. 🤣
If you check in with five stars, you will receive a drink, so the reviews on the landmark are not very credible.
The ordering machine only accepts cash, which is a bit inconvenient.
Environment
The fried pork cutlet specialty shop located at the intersection of Gongyi Road and Wenxin Road has a bright and spacious exterior. The interior decoration has a distinct Japanese style. Although the dining area is quite large, the number of tables can make the space feel a bit cramped, especially during peak dining hours when it can get a bit crowded. Everyone tends to gather around the self-service area, and most of the seating is for four people. The dishes here are very substantial, but the tables are relatively small, making it easy to fill the table entirely, which can lead to an impressive spread for photographs.
Food
The minimum order for dine-in is one set meal per person, which allows for unlimited access to the self-service bar for side dishes, soups, drinks, and rice.
The set meal options include fried pork cutlets, fried beef steaks, and karaage chicken. You can also upgrade to curry 🍛 for an additional 💰70 or cheese 🧀 for another 💰70. For those who prefer not to eat fried foods, there is a mackerel option available. Ordering is done through a tablet at the table, which not only lists the various items but also notes their textures and cuts.
This time, I tried two different cuts of pork cutlet 🐷 and sirloin steak 🐮, and I also upgraded to curry 🍛. I highly recommend the pork loin cutlet for its firmer texture. If you like curry, definitely add it; it is rich in flavor and includes carrots and potatoes.
The self-service bar is very abundant with a variety of drinks to choose from. The side dishes include bean sprouts, shredded cabbage, and pickled radish, while the soups include soybean paste soup and chicken white soup. Most importantly, you can add extra toppings without additional charges, such as shredded cabbage and seaweed, making it a high value for money!
Parking
There are many paid parking lots nearby, so friends driving can park their cars on Daying Street or Daguang Street. The parking price is around 💰30 for every 0.5 hours, with no maximum charge limit. For those riding scooters, there are parking spaces available near the shop, making it quite convenient.
Service
Due to the high volume of dine-in customers, the staff might be too busy to provide immediate service. To assist with this, a service bell 🛎️ is set up on the self-service ordering tablet. My dining experience was very pleasant; I hardly needed to press the service bell, as the staff were very attentive in observing various situations and provided timely service. Overall, this dining experience was excellent!
For many years, this divine pork cutlet has been continuously recommended by Michelin Bib Gourmand and recognized as one of the top 100 restaurants on Japan's Tabelog!
While I was near the Nihonbashi area with a friend, I thought about grabbing a meal and immediately remembered this pork cutlet place that I had been wanting to visit for a long time.
This restaurant is located in the bustling Yokocho area, lined with many eateries, marked by red curtains and lanterns.
After tasting it, I truly felt it lived up to its reputation. Every detail is meticulously crafted; the pork is chosen from "Hirata Bokujo Berkshire Pork," known for its fine texture and non-greasy quality, with a delightful sweetness. They also collaborated with a bread crumb shop to develop a special crispy breading through repeated testing, and the sauce is a unique blend made in-house.
We came during dinner time and ordered the "Hasegawa Tonkatsu" for 2700 yen. It features premium pork shoulder wrapped with cheese and perilla, with a beautifully crispy exterior, perfectly cooked pork that was juicy, tender, and pleasantly sweet. This was the first time I had a pork cutlet that was so soft and juicy, and the perilla leaves added even more depth to the flavor.
Although it is fried, it doesn’t feel heavy at all. The set meal comes with yellow mustard and yuzu vinegar with grated radish, and there are also salt, sauce, and shichimi pepper available to mix. You can refill the cabbage slaw and white rice as much as you want. The accompanying miso soup was incredibly delicious, likely one of the best I have ever had in my life!
We also ordered the potato croquettes, which were refreshingly crispy as well, and the sweetness of the Baron potatoes was truly astonishing.
Fortunately, we arrived and found an available seat, but it wasn’t long before a queue started forming outside. Reservations are accepted during dinner time, so if you want to dine here, I recommend making a reservation in advance!
Use the same birthday discount🤣
The last day of July!
Download "Food Pass" to become a member
In your birthday month, you can enjoy a 20% discount coupon for the entire brand!
Brands include apricot pork chop, Kyoto Katsuragi beef, chatime Hinode chatai, Hashimura fried chicken, etc. You can use them all🤣
In addition, the app will give out coupons from time to time.
So this time, if you spend over $800, you can get free fried chicken nuggets~
(You must reach $800 after discount and service fee)
The loin pork chop is very soft and tender!
Tastes very good 🤤
I think the side dishes of pickled radish and kelp are quite delicious.
Very smooth ~ (can be continued)
You can also add unlimited amounts of shredded cabbage
Eat a bunch of fried food at the same time
You can also take in a lot of vegetable vitamin C 🤣
Fried chicken nuggets
I think the skin is super thin
Feeling full of meat
But it tastes salty
Fried squid
The taste is bland
The softness and hardness are slightly harder🤣
Tastes quite average
Curry loin pork chop
The pork chop is the same as above so I won’t go into details.
Curry is the flavor you would normally eat
Not too thin~
But if you think it’s too salty
The store also comes with water that you can add 😂
Overall, I think the main meals taste pretty good.
But the extra squid and chicken nuggets are more ordinary🤣
Must order: fried pork loin
The meat is quite delicious. The meat is very tender. The fried skin is crispy and very thin. It doesn't feel dry when you bite it. I personally like to sprinkle some salt on it, and it can also be paired with the pork chop sauce in the big white jar next to the table. For rice, you can choose white rice or wheat rice. The wheat of wheat rice is very chewy. People who like chewing will like wheat rice very much. The fried squid rings were surprisingly delicious, the squid was soft and tender and the fried skin was thin. The a la carte Tamagoyaki is also pretty good👌
What I didn’t like was the side dishes that came with the fried pork cutlet set (one dish was dark green leafy vegetables topped with mustard sauce, which tasted really strange, sour and a bit smelly). The portions of the meals are actually not large. The fried loin pork chop in the picture is a large portion for $400, but the pork chop itself is not very thick or very large.
Speaking of my favorite chain tonkatsu, apricot pork chop is my favorite!
