On a side street in Akihabara is this sedate-looking tonkatsu restaurant. But don’t let Tonkatsu Marugo’s unassuming exterior fool you - this restaurant serves some of the area’s best tonkatsu, and has queues to match.

Tonkatsu Marugo - image © Florentyna Leow
Tender, juicy pork loins dredged in batter and deep-fried till crispy. Who could hate tonkatsu? In Japan, they elevate deep-fried meat to an art, and Tonkatsu Marugo is one fabulous place to taste the art of tonkatsu.

Tonkatsu Marugo - image © Florentyna Leow
While it’s not a hard and fast rule, it applies more in Japan than many other countries: if there’s a queue at a restaurant, it is probably a pretty good restaurant. Marugo sees queues forming at least 20 minutes before their opening hours.

Tonkatsu Marugo - image © Florentyna Leow
Tonkatsu can be a heavy and greasy dish. At Marugo, they avoid that pitfall by frying their cutlets low and slow - at lower temperatures and for longer periods of time. It sounds counterintuitive, but it makes the resulting cutlets juicier and crispier. As with other tonkatsu restaurants, you’ll get free cabbage refills if needed.

Tonkatsu Marugo - image © Florentyna Leow
When you’re in Akihabara, this is pretty much a must-visit restaurant in the area for tonkatsu. Vegetarians and pescatarians need not apply.
For more Tokyo tonkatsu choices, see our Best Tonkatsu in Tokyo page.
English name:
Tonkatsu Marugo
Japanese name:
とんかつ 丸五
English address:
1-8-14 Sotokanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 101-0021
Japanese address:
〒101-0021 東京都千代田区外神田1-8-14
Opening hours:
11:30am-3pm, 5pm-9pm
Closed Monday, and 1st, 2nd and 3rd Tuesday
Price:
Non-smoking section:
Completely Non-Smoking
Reservations:
No Reservations
Nearest Transport:
Train: 5-minute walk from the Electric Town exit of Akihabara Station on the JR Yamanote and Sobu lines.
Subway: 7-minute walk from exit A3 of Ogawamachi Station on the Toei Shinjuku line, and Awajicho Station on the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi line.
Telephone:
+81-3-3255-6595
Website:
none
Customer Reviews:
:: Read customer reviews of Tonkatsu Marugo on TripAdvisor.
Near To Here:
Tonkatsu Marugo is located in Tokyo's Akihabara, Kanda And Jimbocho districts. See our complete list of things to do in Tokyo's Akihabara, Kanda And Jimbocho districts, including places to eat, nightlife and places to stay.
More Tokyo Restaurant Recommendations:
See all tonkatsu restaurants we recommend on our Best Tonkatsu in Tokyo page and get the complete list for all cuisines on our Best Tokyo Restaurants page.

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