My husband, however, is really good at finding really special and unique places for us to dine. Tori Katsu is a hole in the wall in Shibuya. The small 17 seat restaurant opened in 1975 and has been delighting taste buds with fried goodness ever since.
When I call it a hidden gem, I am not kidding. It is not on a major street (around the corner), in a non-descript building, on the second floor. The sign announcing the presence of the restaurant has a white background and black lettering. It would be so easy to never know it was there.
Once we finally arrived inside the restaurant, we were greeted with a bar that snaked around the room. The open kitchen was on one side while chairs were on the other. The menu was simple - pick whatever or how ever many fried items that you want. Everything came in a set with rice, miso soup, and a pile of cabbage. The prices have not changed for over 20 years, so everything is super, super cheap.
We ordered 2 sets to be shared between 2 adults and 1 child. Actually, we ordered almost everything on the menu. We wanted to try it all. Chicken, pork, eggplant, and more.
I loved watching the two older ladies making our dinner. It felt like we were at someone's house and I was chatting with the cook. The cooks were smitten with our son and giggled every time he said anything to them.
The food was really good. Not in a fancy way, but in a glorious fried feast sort of way. While the chicken katsu (fried chicken cutlet), their namesake, was divine, I think the potato croquette was the best I've had since moving to Tokyo. We all rolled our eyes as we ate bite after bite. The flavors were simple, but so very good.
Tori Katsu was a delight. It really was one of a kind. I'm so glad my husband found it and took us there.
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