I decided to explore Shinjuku City in the evening to see what the area offered. Among the highlights was a tonkatsu restaurant recommended by the Michelin Guide. After wandering around and checking out sights like the famous cat billboard, we went to Gyukatsu Motomura.

When we arrived at 5:30 p.m., there was already a line forming. The restaurant is located in the basement of a building, accessible via a narrow staircase. Once inside, we were greeted warmly and given menus to browse. I decided on the 1.5-cutlet combo, which came with a drink—Pepsi, in my case.

After we were seated, our drinks arrived, followed shortly by our food. Each table had a small cooker for diners to adjust the doneness of their gyukatsu if they preferred it less rare. The platter included gyukatsu beef, rice mixed with barley, finely chopped cabbage, potato salad, miso soup, pickled vegetables, a mentaiko (pollack roe), and warabi mochi for dessert. The accompanying sauces were shoyu and horseradish.

The beef was incredible—beautifully marbled, tender, and juicy. I enjoyed it as it was served and cooked more on the table grill. Pairing the meat with the horseradish sauce, shoyu, and wasabi was a game changer; the wasabi added a fantastic kick that complemented the flavours perfectly, especially when eaten with the rice. I later discovered that the rice was unlimited—something I wish I’d known earlier! The potato salad was creamy and delicious, and the cabbage paired nicely with the light Japanese dressing. The mentaiko was good, but I skipped the mochi as I suspected it might have peanut dust on top.

Overall, this was an outstanding experience. The gyukatsu beef was the show’s star, with its juicy tenderness and the option to experiment with different flavours. I would highly recommend visiting Gyukatsu Motomura if you have the chance. It does get busy, but with several locations across Japan, it’s well worth seeking out!

Website: Gyukatsu Motomura

Address: Japan, 〒160-0023 Tokyo, Shinjuku City, Nishishinjuku, 7 Chome−1−2 川安ビル B1F