Taste of Japan: Sample succulent tonkatsu pork cutlet in Tokyo’s Oimachi District

tonkatsu (Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi)

Oimachi is an important transit hub town in the south side of Tokyo’s city center on the way to Haneda, Odaiba and Ariake.

This busy area is home to tons of casual eateries, cafés and nostalgic hideouts with countless bars and izakaya pubs, so it’s the place to be day or night.

When my family and I explored Oimachi during the holiday season, we stopped for a hearty tonkatsu lunch at Shinjuku Saboten, a chain restaurant known for its generous breaded pork cutlets. The shop is inside the Atre Shopping Mall connected to the JR Oimachi Station, making it a convenient place for a quick, inexpensive meal.

The restaurant has a clean, cozy interior made up of a combination of Japanese and Western styles with wooden and stone ceilings and walls, large wooden tables and dim lighting. The dining area can accommodate more than 30 customers at a time.

Shinjuku Saboten Oimachi Atre restaurant exterior

(Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi)

Shinjuku Saboten Oimachi Atre restaurant interior

(Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi)

(Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi)

(Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi)

After we were seated at a large table, I ordered a roosu katsu (pork loin cutlet) set with a fried oyster for 1,853 yen ($12), while my wife and daughter had hire katsu (pork filet cutlet) sets for 1,683 yen ($11) each.

After taking our order, the server brought a large plate of shredded cabbage and a bowl of sesame seeds. As we munched on the crisp, sweet cabbage, we took turns crushing the sesame seeds with a pestle to add to the dipping sauce included with our tonkatsu sets. According to the chef, the cabbage is harvested in Kanagawa Prefecture’s Miura Peninsula, famous for producing high-quality fruit and vegetables.

Within 10 minutes, our beautifully deep-fried, golden cutlets arrived with miso soup, steamed rice and pickles on the side. Our cutlets were crisp, but tender enough to cut through with chopsticks. With one bite, bursts of flavor exploded from the soft and carefully prepared cutlet.

To add even more depth to the delicious meat, choose to dip it in either soy sauce, two types of Worcestershire sauce or rock salt. My wife and daughter dipped their tonkatsu in Worcestershire sauce topped with crushed sesame seeds. I preferred the soy sauce, as it complimented the deep-fried pork and oyster rather nicely.

And if you’re really hungry, Shinjuku Saboten offers free rice and miso soup refills. A good deal for the price.

Shinjuku Saboten is a great option if you’re planning to do a lot of walking in the area. Their pork cutlet sets and other washoku meals are delicious and available for takeout if you want to enjoy a picnic at Shinagawa Central Park, only an 8-minute walk away.

Since the chain was founded in 1966 in Nishi-Shinjuku, Tokyo, there are around 400 shops throughout the nation. So, you can easily find one near your location. Check out its homepage.

Shinjuku Saboten Oimachi Atre restaurant