Tonkatsu Tompachitei

Restaurant Details

Tokyo’s Ueno and Okachimachi districts have no shortage of good foods, but if it’s tonkatsu you’re looking for in the area, the locals have only one answer for you: the Michelin Bib Gourmand-winning Tompachitei.

And if it’s tonkatsu you’re looking for, you’re going to have to work for it. Paradoxically, Tompachitei — sometimes spelled Tonpachitei — is extremely easy to get to, being within five minutes’ walk of no less than three stations: JR Okachimachi Station, Ueno-Hirokoji Station, and Ueno-okachimachi Station. But the alley it’s in is so narrow and the facade so unassuming that guests are likely to walk right past it several times before realizing it’s there; that is, if the line of hungry diners waiting outside wasn’t enough of a clue.

Still, the search is so worth it. Tompachitei has been an Ueno tonkatsu staple — if not the Ueno tonkatsu staple — for generations, and it shows in the refinement of everything in the restaurant: the perfectly crispy batter of the cutlets, the impeccable choice of juicy pork cuts, even the balanced acidity of the pickles, which are marinated in a family recipe.

Chef Hosokawa Hidemi, the third generation chef, makes everything to order. In spite of his training in teppanyaki, he prefers to avoid the flashy display of skill associated with his former cooking style, saying little as he pounds the meat and thoroughly coats it with batter. It’s not that he doesn’t like to communicate with his customers; he simply prefers to let the food do the talking.

As Tompachitei opens only for lunch, its Michelin Bib Gourmand reputation (going on almost 10 years as of the time of writing) means there is almost always a line outside. Guests should be prepared to wait, but also be prepared for some of the best tonkatsu they might have in their life.

Michelin Guide accolades:

2016 - Bib Gourmand

Tonkatsu Tompachitei Access Info

• There are a number of ways to get to Tompachitei. It is a 2-minute walk from JR Okachimachi Station, Ueno-Hirokoji Station and Ueno-okachimachi Station. It is also a 4-minute walk from Naka-Okachimachi Station and a 5-minute walk from Yushima Station.

Tonkatsu Tompachitei Phone Number

Tonkatsu Tompachitei Business Days

Tonkatsu Tompachitei Address

4-3-4 Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-0005