Photo via Google, とんかつ とんき 目黒本店Tonki
- Hours
- Today: 4:00 – 9:30 PM
- Getting there
- A short walk from Meguro Station, on the JR Yamanote line
Why it’s in the log
Tonki has served tonkatsu from the same Meguro address since 1939, and the format hasn't changed much since: white-jacketed staff, an open kitchen you can watch from the counter, and a menu that's really just a choice of cut and portion.
The cutlets are hand-breaded and fried to order, served with shredded cabbage and rice — simple by design, and the reason it's stayed a fixture for over eighty years rather than a novelty. Expect a line; it moves fast because the kitchen is built for volume without cutting corners.
Sit at the counter rather than a table if you get the choice — watching the fry station work through a lunch rush is part of why people come back.
“Order the rosu, sit at the counter, and watch a system that's clearly been refined for eighty-odd years.”
What people said recently
From Google reviews · see all 2,850 ↗
“I can definitely see why this place has mixed reviews. I’m not in the position to invalidate their mastery in tonkatsu but here are my thoughts: 1. I came here knowing the batter would be different — something I haven’t tried before. They…”
“A must try in Tokyo. Absolutely not a tourist trap, so make sure you get to Meguro for this meal. We'll priced and super tasty. The pork itself was super flavourful and was not at all fatty or oily. We didn't get to sit at the bar so they…”
“I went here last November 2025 at the recommendation of my teacher. Firstly, the atmosphere was quite intimidating—the first floor consists of a wide area where the staff prepare the food and a counter surrounding the area. The second…”
