Maisen Shibuya Hikarie

The main location of Maisen is close by and has a to-​go stall too. This location is located in a mall, so everything was really upscale! Besides counter seating, they also had table seating. Service was amazing — the servers answered all of our questions, food came out in a timely manner, and our water cups were always filled.
Maisen definitely ruined tonkatsu for me. There is no place in America that does tonkatsu this well. The breading was perfectly fried and the meat inside was juicy. Steph had the brilliant idea of ordering two different styles — one regular at 1730 yens (~$ 15) and one with curry at 1520 yen (~$ 13). Both were so delicious!

After literally a 35k+ step day (yes that’s fitbit language), I was starving and hoping for a quick bite before we headed off for our sushi dinner. We made our through the busy streets of shibuya and found our way towards the mall and went up to the escalator to find the assortment of restaurants that existed. I am of course a fan of a plate of perfectly fried tonkatsu so decided to grab a spot here as there was no wait. They do have an English menu so no fears if you are not quite well versed in Japanese. After a quick perusal, I ordered the standard pork loin set that comes with the side salad and soup. The servers here are quick and attentive to your needs. The food did take a bit longer than I had expected but we were in no rush. When the food finally came out, there was of course my side salad, soup and the perfectly fried plate of tonkatsu.
The table has an assortment of sauces for the tonkatsu as well as salad dressing. The cabbage was fine and the dressing was fine but I wish they had a few other versions of the dressing as the one they provided was a bit plain. The soup was solid as well but this is obviously not what anyone cares about reading. The main attraction was the tonkatsu which looked quite delicious and appetizing. I lifted up a piece and took my first bite. The meat was fried well without being overly greasy or oily. The meat was tender and good quality as well. This place is a solid joint and while I enjoyed my meal, I am sad to say that I have had actually had better and oddly enough in Korea. Still a delicious meal and I would be happy to come back to this joint for a tonkatsu meal. This place is also a chain so there will be other options so keep your eyes peeled outside of only just shibuja

I think I’m ruined for tonkatsu, fried pork cutlet, too. I can never have it in the States because it won’t be as good. My family of four got to try both fillet and loin cutlets and all were great! Melt in your mouth soft, fried but not heavily oily or greasy, one curry-​style, two in the bowl. The bowls come with rice and miso soup. And the curry comes with rice, a curry gauntlet, and radishes. YUM! My parents — who are incredibly hard to please — both agreed this was one of the best meals we had in Japan. Hot tea, rice, and cabbage are bottom-​less. Even the cabbage tastes better in Japan! Crispy, icy, refreshing, and very very thinly sliced.
Even better– this place accepts credit card!

Go ahead and splurge for the «Black pork loin» which will melt in your mouth, it’s that good. Perfectly cooked with a light but crispy outside and one of the best pork loins you’ll ever eat.
Bottomless cabbage and rice will make sure you get a balanced meal and don’t go away hungry. And be sure to try all the sauces to find what suits you best. No matter which you settle on, you won’t be disappointed given the quality of the meat itself.

Very, very well done Tonkatsu. I’m far from a pork cutlet expertant but this had to be the best I’ve had and certainly beats anything I’ve had in Canada. The outer shell is very well fried yet not overly greasy. It is just thick enough to encapsulate the meat and keep it juicy. If you’re in Tokyo and am craving this very Japanese dish, stop by Maisen at one of their few locations. You won’t be disappointed.