Niigata Katsudon Tarekatsu (Shibuya Store)

Tonkatsu is one of those meals that I always look forward to while visiting Japan, but surprisingly enough, I haven’t actually decided on where to go for this trip. After wandering around Shibuya for the day, I came across this shop specializing in Tarekatsudon – a specialty dish from Niigata Prefecture.

I’ve been wanting to try out some Tonkatsu variations for a while now, so with that alongside my desire for some good katsu this trip, I figured “looks interesting enough. Let’s have a go at it.” So, here we are. Time to find out what Niigata-style Katsudon is all about. Let’s get to it. How Good is Tarekatsu Actually?

–Menu–
–Double Layer Katsudon–
–Flavor Profile–
–“The Other Two Katsu Pieces”–
–Spices & Seasonings–
–Extra Orders–
–Verdict–
–Getting There–

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📋 Menu 📋

Tarekatsu’s menu is a relatively simple one, basically their different Katsus (Pork, Pork Fillet, Prawn, and Vegetable), a combination bowl, and some katsu curry rice. Nothing too complicated, so go for whatever choice you feel like getting today.

You can always order extras later.

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🍱 Double Layer Pork Katsudon – (¥1,300) (6pcs.) 🍱

I’ve been craving for some Tonkatsu this trip, so naturally I went for the largest available bowl, the Double Layer Katsudon. Presentation-wise, it’s a bowl of rice topped with some Tare-coated Katsudon, served in a ceramic bowl with a side of veggies and miso soup.

Compared to a standard Tonkatsu, the Tarekatsu cutlets are cut slightly thinner (closer to 1cm), and once breaded and fried, are dipped in a sweet/salty Tare sauce before serving on some rice.

Oh, and the Double Layer Katsudon is served with a lid on top. So if you need a place to put your other katsu pieces while you’re enjoying the meal, the lid comes in real handy.

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🍱 Flavor Profile 🍱

You see, I was just expecting a good bowl of Katsu for dinner today, but oh man… I was not prepared for something this delicious.

Starting off with the Tonkatsu. I went for the standard cut of pork today, and while it’s thinner than your usual Tonkatsu, the pork still had a nice juiciness to it. The katsu itself has a light flavor profile, which pairs up really well to the comparatively heavier Tare sauce.

As for the sauce? The cutlets are dipped in a soy sauce-based Tare sauce right before serving. Full of savory notes and aromatics, the sweet/salty Tare adds so much to the dish, rounding off the flavors without the need for any additional seasonings. (Seriously, the flavors here are really so simple, yet oddly complex.)

Now the breadcrumbs. How did they do after the quick dip in the Tare? There’s a decrease in crispiness, of course (kinda unavoidable with sauce-based katsu dishes,) but given how airy Japanese-style breadcrumbs are, there’s still a pretty good amount of crunch to the cutlets, and does its job in providing some texture contrast to the katsudon.

And for the rice? Pretty good stuff. It holds on to the sauce drippings quite well, while also bringing its own bright, fragrant notes to the dish. I heard that they prepare their rice with a little less water for some added firmness. I wasn’t aware of that when I visited the shop, but I did notice then that the rice kept its individual grain shape, and did not break apart while I picked it up with chopsticks.

It’s a really simple dish – all things considered – just some Tonkatsu, Tare Sauce, and Rice. But the combination of it all just works wonders together, and there’s not much to complain about.

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🍱 “The Other Two Katsu Pieces” 🍱

At this point, you’re looking at the photos and are probably wondering… “Where’s the other two pieces of Katsu?” Well, you aren’t alone on that. In fact, I had to ask the staff to make sure I received the correct order.

It turns out that this dish does indeed have 6 pieces of katsu – 4 pieces served the usual way, and 2 served underneath a layer of rice. (I see why it’s called “Two-Tiered Katsudon” in Japanese now.) Sounds like a random detail at first, but the flavor profile of the two serving styles is actually quite different, despite the exact same ingredients.

Since the other two cutlets were served under some rice, the katsu takes on some of the moisture from the rice around it – essentially steaming it while you eat the top serving. My immediate thought was that the cutlets would’ve gotten soggy by the time you reach them, but interestingly enough, they still had quite the crispiness to it.

Is it less crispy than the ones on top? Definitely. But it still retains the light texture from the breadcrumbs, and the steam from the rice made for a much more tender cutlet.

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🧂 Spices and Seasonings 🧂

The Tonkatsu comes with its own Tare sauce, and it’s already really good as is. But if you wanna add some extra spice to the dish, here’s what you can find at the table. There’s some Karashi hot mustard if you like a good kick with your Tonkatsu. And for spices, you have the option of Shichimi Chili Pepper for some warmth, or some Sansho Pepper for some tingly, slightly citrusy notes to the dish.

What’s my preferred combination? Usually, I’d say the simple Tonkatsu + Tare Sauce is already the perfect combination, but I’ve really been enjoying some Sansho Pepper this trip, so my vote today would be for that. Spice or no spice, experiment around and see what’s your favorite combination.

Oh, and for a little bit of sweetness and acidity between your pieces of katsu, there’s also some picked Gari ginger right by the table.

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🗒 Extra Orders 🗒

If what you ordered wasn’t enough, or wanna sample some of their other items, you can grab several add-ons and sides here, including extras of your pork, pork fillet, or prawn katsus, as well as some grated yam or soft-boiled egg as toppings.

As for the price of ordering the add-ons individually VS getting it in a set? Assuming you price the rice at ¥220, ordering the 4-piece Katsudon bowl plus 2 extra Tonkatsu later on will cost you the exact same as getting the 6-piece Katsudon right away (¥1,300), so there’s no cost penalty for trying out a smaller portion first before upgrading later on. So if you want a bowl with every single katsu, start off with any bowl, and then order as many other toppings as you wish!

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⭐VERDICT⭐

So how good is Tarekatsu actually? I’m just gonna get straight to it… this place is wildly good!

This was one of those meals where everything was so well-rounded, it’s difficult to highlight what I specifically like about it without going through everything good about it. The pork cutlet, breadcrumbs, rice, and the Tare sauce – everything just works together so well for a quick, easy, and extremely satisfying meal – at a really good price point, too! So if you’re around Shibuya (or any of their other locations) and want to grab some great Katsudon, Tarekatsu has my recommendation!

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🚗HOW TO GET THERE 🚗

My visit to Tarekatsu today was at their Shibuya Store. To get here, the closest station would be Shibuya Station (Yamanote, Ginza, and a bunch of other subway lines.) Navigating through Shibuya Station can be one confusing mess, but if you want to walk in the station area to the store, you can navigate your way to the Keio Line, and exit out through the Shibuya Mark City mall (West Exit.) From there, it’s a quick minute walk across the street to the shop.

If you’re coming to the store after exploring Shibuya, Tarekatsu isn’t too far out from the Shibuya Crossing. Just head southwest from the crossing to around Tokyu Plaza Shibuya, and the shop should be right around the corner.

Tarekatsu also has several other stores around Tokyo, as well as one in Osaka and Kyoto, so check those ones out if there’s one near your place.