I was craving some katsu, so I decided to look for a Gyukatsu Motomura in the Harajuku area. Sure enough, when I did a bit of research, I discovered there was one just two minutes away. Since it was only around 4 p.m., I kept wandering around Harajuku for a bit longer to check out some other interesting spots — including the hot sauce bar I’d visited earlier.

I arrived at the restaurant just after 5:30 p.m. and found a line of people already waiting to get in. The staircase down to this branch is exceptionally narrow, and I had to walk sideways down the steps thanks to my oversized feet. In the end, I waited about 30 minutes to be seated, which wasn’t too bad, especially since I knew exactly what I was getting myself into.

I ordered the one-and-a-half cut set, and when it arrived, I was initially a little disappointed. The katsu looked slightly too brown for my liking, compared to the more golden colour I’d had at other branches. However, once I started cooking the sliced cutlet on the hot plate and paired it with the barley-mixed rice, all my doubts quickly disappeared.

This is a dining experience I really enjoy because you can experiment with different sauces and seasonings. These included savoury shoyu (soy sauce), a creamy, slightly spicy mountain wasabi sauce, fresh wasabi, and, sometimes, a tangy horseradish-style sauce. My favourite by far was the mountain wasabi sauce, which had an excellent depth of flavour. The set also comes with unlimited barley rice, finely shredded cabbage, and a small serving of potato salad. I ended up getting a second medium-sized bowl of rice because it paired so well with the cutlet and the various sauces.

Overall, I really enjoy eating here. I suspect the darker colour of the katsu this time was due to older oil, but it still tasted great. The service was also excellent. The restaurant itself is pretty small, with around 30 tightly packed seats, and it made me wonder whether this compact setup is part of the brand’s design — it was precisely the same at the Shibuya branch I visited previously.

Website: Gyukatsu Motomura

Address: 〒150-0001 Tokyo, Shibuya, Jingumae, 3 Chome−23−2 青山ＮＳビル B1F