とんかつ和幸 (Tonkatsu Wako)

Tonkatsu Wako - Entrance

General Description

Rue

It's time for tonkatsu! We haven't had any since we went to Tonkatsu Sakura. I love fried food, so I'm always happy to have katsu!

Today we're at a tonkatsu chain restaurant. While the atmosphere is quite different from Sakura, Tonkatsu Wako still strives to serve delicious dishes with the best ingredients.

Although I didn't see an English menu at the restaurant, their website has an English option available.

Yue

Another tonkatsu restaurant!

As compared to Tonkatsu Sakura which we reviewed before, Wako is a more casual place. It has many branches in the eastern side of Japan. There are some in the western side as well, but not many.

The price range is similar to Sakura and I guess it is a bit higher than the average, but it is still very reasonable.

For me, Wako's service quality is better than the most average Tonkatsu chain restaurants. However, it might be depending on which branch you visit.

What we ordered

Rue

Here's my first dish. I picked the pork fillet cutlet. It's soft with a bit of a chew to it. Most of the flavour comes from the batter. It's kind of like eating a pork nugget.

The minced meat cutlet is like a super soft burger. It's full of flavour, even without the sauce. The cheese is like a nice melted mozzarella stick in the middle.

All of the katsu is nice and crispy. You can taste the oil but it's not too oily. The sauce you can add is a bit sweet but still has a savoury balance.

The miso soup is really tasty and satisfying. I don't make shellfish miso soup at home, so it's always nice to have some.

The pickled veggies are also good. They're just salty enough to be refreshing.

Now, the katsu comes with mustard, but beware! This isn't yellow mustard, but rather Japanese mustard which packs quite the punch. Take it in small doses!

Rue

Here's Yue's first order. It comes with both pork fillet and pork loin, which is nice if you want to try both.

The pork loin is a bit fatty but still soft and easy to eat. It has a light but hearty meat taste. I'm usually not a fan of pork loin, but this is nice. It kind of reminds me of turkey actually.

Yue

Pork fillet is my favorite option as it contains less fat. I usually order a simple dish which comes with only the fillet, but this time I wanted to try the other type as well.

And the choice was correct!
Wako's tonkatsu dishes are all well fried while not too oily. Even the pork loin is not too "heavy" and matches the katsu sauce very well.

Also, their miso soup is really good!
It uses freshwater clam. But eating the content of the shell is optional if you don't like the texture.
For those who have shellfish allergy, you should avoid eating the miso soup. I guess they cannot replace it with any other type of soup.

Rue

Here's Yue's second order.

As for what's new, this one comes with a creamy crab croquette. And boy is it creamy! It's delicious and hearty, like having cream crab soup.

Yue

I'm not a big fan of creamy crab croquette, but I wanted to try it and share with Rue.
It is surprisingly good.
Although I don't recommend this dish for those who visit here to try tonkatsu, it is a good alternative which gives you a fresh option.

For this dish, other than the crab croquette, you can choose one from pork fillet or pork loin.

Rue

I got the ladies' set! I'll admit, it was the inclusion of a dessert that persuaded me.

Starting off with the katsu, all of them are very good. The shrimp is big and meaty, almost like crab. It doesn't taste too "seafoody" to me, which is good for someone like me who is not to big on shrimp.

The cabbage and minced meat is yummy. The meat is soft and its taste doesn't get lost in the cabbage. It has a strong black pepper taste that isn't overpowering. The cabbage has a nice crunch, like a slaw.

The eggplant is soooo good, as eggplant usually is. It's oily and crunchy like tempura. I love it! I've already complimented the pork fillet cutlet above.

Now the side dishes! The pickled veggies are interesting. It's like a tangy salad.

The egg custard is...not for me. I'm not really big on egg soup and similar dishes. Although it's called a custard, it's a savoury food. If you like egg and are okay with the texture and presentation, then please try it. I gave mine to Yue.

On to dessert! It's a kind of mochi topped with kinako. Even though it's mochi, it's soft but not chewy, making it easy to eat. It's a bit cool, so it's quite refreshing. If you haven't had kinako, because it's made from soybean, it has an earthy taste. It's also dry, like cinnamon powder.
The sauce is similar to black sugar. It's sweet but with a bitter roasted taste. It completely changes the taste of the dessert, giving it a less sweet, more mature taste.

Overall, it's a fun set!

Review

Access

https://wako-group.co.jp/shop

Price


Lunch Average Budget for 1 person: 1300 - 1800 JPY
Dinner Average Budget for 1 person: 1500 - 2500 JPY

Service & Hospitality


The service is standard for this level of restaurant. Both times we went, our food came in about 15 minutes.

Atmosphere


We had to wait a few minutes to be seated at our first visit because there restaurant was full. The customer noise level was low despite being packed. No one was talking loudly.

The first time we came was for dinner. There was calm, wind instrumental music playing at a medium level. The second time we came was around lunch. Instrumental music was playing, but it had electric guitars. I guess the vibes are more lively for lunch time. I felt like the music was a bit louder too.

The restaurant is well lit and decorated with patterned wood panels and fake plants. It has a somewhat traditional, somewhat fancy feel to it. There's a light smell of fried tonkatsu batter.

The floor is fairly spacious. You don't need to squeeze between tables to access the booth seats. At our second visit, the partition between us and the customer beside us was a bit low, making it kinda awkward. Luckily, most of the tables are spaced out more. There are tables and single counter seats, as seen in the interior picture above.

Food


The food is very delicious as easy to eat. The set meal is satisfying. Although you get complimentary green tea, you can also ask for water. There's a nice selection to choose from; I quite like everything we tried. It's also nice that they have a kids menu available.

Overall


Looking back, I think I like Wako better than Sakura. I feel like there's a bit more variety and flavour. With Sakura, you can enjoy a more formal atmosphere. But Wako is still nice and a bit more reasonable. Although it's not cheap, the katsu is quite filling and you can get free refills with a set meal, so you'll definitely leave feeling full.

Would I come again?

Yep! I think this is a great place to go if you want to try out tonkatsu! And it's worth visiting again!


Who wrote this article?

Rue

Main editor of this website.
Responsible for reviewing food and writing articles.
Canadian, moved to Tokyo in 2019.
Loves eating foods, especially sweets.
Can eat desserts 3 times a day.

Yue

Co-editor of this website.
Responsible for design and translation (🇬🇧 to 🇯🇵).
Native Japanese speaker fluent in English.
Based in Tokyo for more than 20 years.


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