Katsukura: Pork Tonkatsu at Kyoto Station

Katsukura inside The Cube at Kyoto Station, Japan — Katsukura inside The Cube at Kyoto Station

When I read that Katsukura, located inside the Isetan Department Store at Kyoto Station, served the best tonkatsu in Kyoto, I had to try it. The chain, which originated in Kyoto, now has locations all across Japan.

Katsukura specializes in tonkatsu, a breaded and deep-fried pork cutlet. I take tonkatsu very seriously as a foodie. It’s one of my favorite Japanese foods along with sushi, yakitori, and ramen.

While I was planning on visiting their main location near Sanjo Station, after a long day visiting Himeji, I decided to visit their Kyoto Station branch, just around the corner from my hotel.

Would Katsukura live up to the hype?

Interior of Katsukura

The interior of Katsukura was bright and inviting, which was surprising considering its location on the 11th floor of the JR Kyoto Station mall. There wasn’t any view from the restaurant, at least not that I could see at night.

The open dining room was much smaller than I was expecting. On one side, there was a row of tables, and on the other side, there was a beautiful, large wooden communal table.

The design was simple, with light wood tones, white walls, and white ceilings. On the wall near the kitchen was an interesting hand-painted mural by Kyoto artist Ki-Yan

In the background, Japanese music was lightly playing.

Cutlet Sauces

Sauces and dressing used for cutlet and cabbage

If you have eaten tonkatsu before, you might be familiar with cutlet sauces.

At Katsukura, there were two dipping sauces for cutlets, Katsukura Original Sauce and Spicy Sauce. There was also a Yuzu Salad Dressing for the sliced cabbage.

Katsukura Original Sauce: A rich cutlet sauce made with red wine, apples, and dates. The sauce was smoky, salty, and sweet.

Spicy Sauce: This cutlet sauce had eleven spices, apples, and prunes. The sauce was thick, salty, and sweet but didn’t have the kick of heat I hoped for.

Yuzu Salad Dressing: I used this oil-free dressing for the sliced cabbage. It was very light compared to the cutlet sauces. The dressing had a distinct citrus flavor, possibly with some garlic and ginger mixed in.

Mortar and Pestle

Pouring cutlet sauce into sesame seeds, Katsukura, Kyoto, Japan — Pouring cutlet sauce into sesame seeds

Grinding sesame seeds into a paste, Katsukura, Kyoto, Japan — Grinding sesame seeds into a paste

After ordering, a mortar filled with sesame seeds and a pestle was placed on the table.

Here is what you want to do if this is the first time you have seen this. First, take the pestle and grind the seeds into a paste. As you grind the seeds, they will release their oils and aromas. The smell was intoxicating.

After grinding the seeds, mix in any or all of the cutlet sauces to make your dipping sauce. If you want more heat, add some spicy mustard to the mix.

Joshu Pork Loin Cutlet Zen Set

At the recommendation of my server, I decided to order the Joshu Pork Loin Cutlet Zen Set (200g 2680 yen, 160g 2300 yen, 120g 200 yen). This set came with barley rice, miso soup, and pickled vegetables.

The Joshu selected pork, from the Gunma Prefecture, is a high quality pork breed. As this option was more expensive than the other options, my expectations were high.

I’m usually not one to judge a book by its cover, but I could tell right away that the pork was overcooked. The meat, including the fat, should be glistening under the lights.

When you pick up a piece of pork, the juices should flow out. I wasn’t getting any of this, so I was hoping that my first impression was wrong.

Joshu Pork and cabbage, Katsukura, Kyoto, Japan — Joshu Pork and cabbage

A piece of the pork,, Katsukura, Kyoto, Japan — A piece of the pork

The pork was thick and meaty. The portion size was quite generous for 160g (5.6 ounces). The pork was tender, falling apart by the seams when I picked it up with my chopsticks.

The meat wasn’t as dry as I was expecting and tasted great, but I have had better, especially for the price.

With this breed of pork, I expected the fat to melt in my mouth, but this wasn’t the case for most pieces. Some slivers of fat were unbelievably rich and delicious. There was an injection of flavor in every bite.

Other bits of fat were chewy and disappointing. While I enjoyed a good amount of fat in each piece, I felt the ratio of fat to meat was off. I know I ordered the loin over the tenderloin, but still, there was just too much fat in each bite.

I expected more for the price and the quality of the pork.

On the other hand, prepared perfectly was the golden brown panko breaded crust. It was crunchy and flaky, sticking to each piece of pork. While the breading was rich, it wasn’t too greasy or oily until the last bite.

Refillable Sides

Miso Soup, Katsukura, Kyoto, Japan — Miso Soup

Barley Rice, Katsukura, Kyoto, Japan — Barley Rice

While the barley rice was simple, I enjoyed how hearty the miso soup was, especially on a cold night. I enjoyed how it was different from your typical miso soup.

The soup included an assortment of vegetables, including sliced carrots, mushrooms, onions, lotus root, bamboo shoots, and seaweed.

I found the soup to be flavorful, light, and delicious, which complemented the rich tonkatsu.

The flavor of the pickled vegetables was interesting, with a sweet, salty, citrusy flavor. Some of the vegetables were soft, while some pieces were crunchy. Sesame seeds were mixed in with the pickled vegetables for added texture.

How to get to Katsukura

To reach Katsukura, enter the Isetan Department Store and take the elevator to the 11th floor

Finding Katsukura, located on the 11th floor of the Isetan Department Store at JR Kyoto Station, was a little tricky. The department store was located near the JR West Exit of Kyoto Station and Kyoto Tourist Information Center.

When you find the entrance, you will want to take the south elevator up to the 11th floor to The Cube Food Alley. Once on the 11th floor, continue straight to the end of the food alley to reach Katsukura on the right.

Service at Katsukura

Service at Katsukura was quick and attentive, even just before closing time. My food arrived quickly and correctly, and I felt as if the servers were always waiting for customers, ready to help.

I have come to expect attention to detail, and prompt service at restaurants in Japan, and this excellent service was no different during my visit to Katsukura.

Conclusion

The pork was flavorful, but for the price, I expected the quality of the pork to be better. There was too much fat and not enough meaty parts in each piece of the tonkatsu.

While those bits of fat can add a ton of melt-in-your-mouth flavor, much of this fat was chewy and tough to eat. Maybe I got a bad piece of pork, or since I arrived an hour before closing, I got the leftovers.

Other than that, I enjoyed the hearty miso soup and grinding sesame seeds to make my tonkatsu dipping sauce. The service was also excellent.

If I return to Kyoto again, I will visit the Katsukura main shop located near Sanjo Station and I would have to try the tenderloin. And I would visit well before closing time.