Tonkatsu @ Suzushin, Arakicho, Shinjuku, Tokyo

 

This was nothing short of another food pilgrimage of mine. It was back in 2018 when I had my first meal in this humble but awesome family-run fried pork diner. And once I left the premises I have made a promise to return. And that return trip finally came to fruition about 4 years later. 

I have returned...

Suzushin is a family-owned and operated tonkatsu restaurant hidden in the heart of the restaurant town of Arakicho. Arakicho is famed for being known as a place of having a lot of impeccable eateries, from simple family establishments like this one, to more exquisite French brasseries, and expensive wine bars. All of those options were tempting, but I was focused in doing my return visit. If you would like to know more about the first visit, please click here as I would not be repeating some of the details. Also, it will be good that you do so as you will know why I want to do this revisit. 

I definitely remembered him!

After entering the premises, it felt as though things did not change at all. Everything seems to be the same, except for Suzuki-san's non-appearance. His son and the missus seemed to be taking the charge. As there were a few hungry patrons waiting for their meal, I left them to work uninterrupted. I would be nice to have a chat and catch up, but I felt it was not a suitable time during that evening

Yes, many times over. 

For this evening, I decided to have the tonkatsu rice set as I was thinking of getting something different. The katsudon from the previous visit was great. So lets see how things will fare this time around. But then again, it is hard to reinvent the wheel. And soon enough my golden chunk of pork arrived with the necessary companions. 

Perfection

The pork cutlet was an absolute beauty to look at. The yellowish hue of amber was a sight to behold and the crust creates a gritty yet inviting sound once you bite into it. And every bite was really good. The katsudon had the added bonus of having egg and a sauce to make it more impactful. For this one, it was pure porky goodness. It was clean and crisp, which shows the excellent frying technique. The outer crust did not interfere with the flavour and texture of the pork that it encases. It is kind of ironic that the hallmark of a good fry-up is something with little oil. 

Looks can fool you. This was good. 

With regard to the other accouterments, the star-maker was not surprisingly, the soup. It may look like bland and standard miso soup. However, with one sip you know that the base used was pretty special. There was a porky and earthy tone to it, and it was absolutely heartwarming. There were also a side of pickles and cabbage to help clean everything down. Nothing too special, but at least they balance out the meal. 

If you so fancy, you can use some sauce or chilli flakes to spice things up. 

This was again, another reminder as to why I come to such places in the first place. Simple and modest food but provides satisfaction like no other. The only difference this time was that the prices had risen a little as my meal was for 1800 yen. I did somehow remember that it was 1600 yen for the tonkatsu set, but it was literally years ago, so I digress. In any event, this is another must-visit in my book. So if you are down in the mood for some crunchy porky goodness, then Suzushin's address is as below:

〒160-0007 Tokyo, Shinjuku City, Arakicho, 10 十番館ビル1F

A gastronomical bastion in the middle of the city.