Tonkatsu TonQ Tsukuba Honten

Tonkatsu Ton-Q Tsukuba Main Store is the flagship location of a tonkatsu restaurant chain with nine branches across Ibaraki and the wider Kanto region. Founded in 1983, it is a long-established shop where you can enjoy tonkatsu made with “”Yamato Pork,”” which has won the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award. The restaurant is particular about every element of the set meal—rice, miso soup, cabbage, pickles, and more—and pays close attention even to how the rice is cooked and the miso used in the soup. They also create a sense of seasonality by sourcing ingredients from the best regions at the best time of year. The Yamato Pork used for tonkatsu is aged in-house, the breadcrumbs are top grade, and the cutlet is fried to a perfect point—slightly pink—making it look as great as it tastes. With rich pork umami and a crispy, piping-hot finish, it’s a must-try. In addition to standard loin and fillet options, you can also choose a thick-cut version for extra volume. The restaurant has 91 seats, but it’s popular, so reserving is recommended. Access is about a 12-minute walk from Tsukuba Express “”Tsukuba Station.”