A family joint, Tonki is a success that never went conglomerate or added frills to what it does best: deep-fried pork cutlets, soup, raw-cabbage salad, rice, pickles, and tea. That's the standard course, and almost everybody orders it, with good reason—it's utterly delicious. Just listen to customers in line as they put in their usual orders while a server comes around to take it.

Old-school and proud, Tonki still serves tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlets) the way it did when the restaurant first opened in 1939. The brightly lit space, with its blonde-wood interior and rows of half-dome pendulum lights, was refurbished in the 70s, but not much else has changed. The restaurant features a wide-open kitchen surrounded by wooden counters on three sides, where a brigade of assiduous chefs with white caps work in assembly-line fashion.

Tonki is a hallmark of Tokyo's culinary scene and it offers an interactive dining experience that leaves visitors yearning for their return. Established in 1936, it is well-regarded as one of the best destinations for tonkatsu, a classic Japanese dish. Undoubtedly, the 50 best restaurants in Tokyo, Japan offers an unparalleled gastronomic adventure, full of unforgettable flavors and unique culinary traditions.

There are few better examples of Japanese comfort food than tonkatsu (thick cut pork breaded in panko and deep friend)—and there's nowhere better in Tokyo to sample it than at Tonki. Situated in a historical home just steps from the popular Meguro River, Tonki has been serving up tender tonkatsu for more than 80 years—try its original classic tonkatsu to see the best evidence as to why.

Just a few steps from the west exit of Meguro station, you’ll find yourself in front of Tonkatsu Tonki. With over 2,000 google reviews online, you’ll understand why this old-fashioned Tonkatsu (fried pork cutlet) restaurant is so popular once you take your first bite. Made fresh right in front of you, enjoy both a show and a meal all for the price of one.

Tonki is an institution that has been doing the exact same thing since 1939. More impressive is the queueing system that replaces a line with an old man who, against all odds, remembers who came in first and who ordered what (even if the line is over an hour long). Most impressive however, is the efficiency and scale of the tonkatsu production process.

A glorious meeting of history and fried porkThe Japanese didn’t really invent katsu, the breaded, deep-fried hunks of pork so loved across the nation – it was inspired by European cutlets. They did, however, perfect it. One of the pioneers of the katsu craze was Tonki, a much-loved Meguro institution that first slid its wooden doors open in 1939.

Tonki is a long-standing restaurant, serving deep-fried tonkatsu since the 1930s. They offer two versions of their signature dish, one with more fat and one with less, with the majority of customers preferring the more indulgent option. While their tonkatsu may be less juicy compared to others, the great environment at Tonki makes up for it.

Unlike some tonkatsu restaurants which offer all sorts of cuts and variations, Tonki is simple and straight to the point—either rosu or fillet, in other words, you choose the lean or the slightly fatty option. Both are priced at ¥1,800 for teishoku with rice, miso soup and pickles, or ¥1,250 for an ala carte portion.

One of these is Tonkatsu Tonki, a popular, easygoing restaurant with an open kitchen that specializes in tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet). The interior is bright and spacious but very simple with little to no decorations on the wall. However, the amazing smell of fried pork hits you the second you enter the restaurant.

Now on its third generation, Tonkatsu Enraku in Shinbashi is a family-owned restaurant which serves some of the best tonkatsu in Tokyo. Located in the business district between Tokyo Tower and Hamarikyu Gardens, Enraku specializes in serving glorious tonkatsu meals to working-class people, locals, and tourists.

Tonki�Great tonkatsu (big, juicy pork cutlet) is on the menu. This place is so popular you may have to wait in line a few minutes�but it's worth it. Open 4-10:45 pm, closed Tuesdays and the third Monday each month.

Tonki A casual restaurant of tonkatsu (panko-crumbed pork) on Gonnnosuke Zaka. It always makes the queue of locals and tourists being patient for the taste and even visual of masterpiece tonkatsu.

1 Chome-1-2 ShimomeguroMeguro City, Tokyo 153-0064, Japan(813) 3491-9928. Tonki has been a popular, laid-back Japanese restaurant with an open kitchen that specializes in tonkatsu since 1939.