Black Tonkatsu? Try this unique pork dish at Kurobuta Tonkatsu Satsumaya Tonton in Tokyo

Many travelers visit Japan with food on their mind! In this feature, we introduce a relatively new and unique tonkatsu restaurant in Tokyo. For those who aren’t familiar, Tonkatsu consists of a breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet one to two centimeters thick; either a pork tenderloin (hire, ヒレ) or pork sirloin (rōsu, ロース) cut may be used. The meat is usually salted, peppered, dredged lightly in flour, dipped into beaten egg, and then coated with panko before being deep fried. Kurobuta Tonkatsu Satsumaya Tonton offers black tonkatsu! Wondering why it’s black? Kurobuta, or “black hog,” pork comes from the famed Berkshire pig. Literally, Kurobuta in Japanese is Kuro = Black, Buta = Pig. So the restaurant decided to create something that matches the name “Kurobuta.”

The menu of the restaurant is simple, serving a total of four dishes:

Kuro Ton Sirloin (Rosu, ロース)
Kuro Ton Tenderloin (Hire, ヒレ)
Kuro Ton Premium Sirloin (Jorosu, 上ロース)
Kuro Ton Premium Tenderloin (Johire, 上ヒレ)

You can have unlimited servings of rice, miso soup, and cabbage.

Table of Contents

The Black Tonkatsu Experience

We decided to order the Kuro Ton Tenderloin (Hire, ヒレ). Even though it may appear burned, this tonkatsu is made using bamboo charcoal powder mixed with bread flour panko, resulting in the black exterior. The taste is not affected at all by this addition of charcoal, and instead, you get health benefits from the charcoal. The pork used is from Kagoshima Prefecture, known to be the best producers of pork in Japan!

Tenderloin usually has low fat, and many people may have the impression that tonkatsu is quite tough. However, Kurobuta is tender and has a delicate sweetness to it. Cooked till it’s slightly pink, once you’ve eaten it, you’ll definitely be hooked, and you probably won’t go back to regular tonkatsu!

This is the Kuro Ton, the sirloin (rosu, ロース), with a delicious layer of fat as you can see in the photo. The sirloin is more fatty than the tenderloin. The fat from the pork blends into the crust of panko, resulting in a moist piece of meat.

Seasonings and Sides

You can eat it by dipping it with the salt provided with the dish or with the special sweet and salty tonkatsu sauce of this restaurant. If you want to add another dimension or change the flavor, there is also Hirameki (ひらめき), a simple spice mix, to add a bit of spiciness.

To get the best flavor from the tonkatsu, start by eating some cabbage. The texture of the shredded cabbage brings out the flavor of the tonkatsu even more. You also have the option to choose between the Yuzu and Onion salad dressing for the cabbage.

The miso soup is made using red miso and is full of vegetables giving it a depth of flavor. It goes extremely well with the tonkatsu.

This restaurant’s tonkatsu sauce is smooth, mellow, and is a perfect match for the moist, tender meat.

This restaurant is a 4-5 minute walk from Toritsudaigaku Station (都立大学駅) on the Toyoko line in Tokyo. If you’re a fan of pork, you don’t want to miss this unique take on a classic dish!