とんかつ はせ川 両国店

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!