Kawakyu - Kagoshima

I believe there is usually a line for this place. I went to queue up when the store nearly opened, but there was no line. I guess I was lucky since it’s Saturday evening. The pork was tender and tasty. It was about 1 inch thick, so it took some time to cook. The inside is a bit pink, although safe to consume. There are 3 kinds of sauce on the table. Karashi and salt can also be provided upon request.

Inside is a normal dining erea with table and chairs but also a dining erea on Tatami where you have to sit on your knees. You also know that it's good because there are only locals eating and everything is only in Japanese. Very very delicious Katsu! You also have to try the fried pork! The music was also very nice : We really liked it here!

While the pork was juicy and tender, the batter was rather plain and not so crispy. Other tonkatsu I had in Kagoshima was far better. Also, the staff at the front door ignored us and let locals cut in line in front of us. Not very welcoming.

Best kurobuta pig tonkatsu ever. Worth the wait for an hour. Order hirekatsu (filet).

Ordered the kurobuta rosu katsu (1,900JPY for 150g). I thought it would be an ordinary-tasting katsu but boy was i wrong. The meat was pink in the middle (they will ask you if you are ok with this when you place your order) and it was so, so juicy??? It was unbelievable how tender and juicy it was. And the fat was so savoury with a natural sweetness (Kurobuta is known for its sweet fat, so I’m not sure if the normal rosu katsu would taste as good). If you’re not good with fat, get the hire katsu. If you’re a big eater, you may considering going for the jyo (200g). Ive had many “premium” tonkatsus before, but this is the first that I could taste a difference, and a stark one at that. They offered 3 sauces (on the table): tonkatsu sauce, shoyu sauce, yuzu miso sauce. There was a sign on the table that said you could ask the staff for salt, karashi, mayo etc. I recommend the shoyu sauce so you can fully taste the sweetness of the meat. The price is definitely higher than your regular run-of-the-mill to katsu, but it’s not pricey for what you are getting. Definitely worth a try if your budget allows for it. They were advertising take out for 10% off at that time. Beware though, I lined up 30min before the store opened, but I was still in the second group to be let in. So in total, it was a 1hour wait for me in total. I honestly couldn’t recommend this place enough. It was 100% worth the time and wait for me.