2016.12.01
KAMIOKA

5 Recommended Misokatsu Restaurants in Nagoya

Nagoya
Food

Misokatsu, which is tonkatsu (breaded deep-fried pork cutlet) with a unique sauce made by adding dried bonito stock, sugar and other ingredients to miso, is a dish that originated around Nagoya in Aichi. It is considered one of the most famous dishes of the region, a cuisine called "Nagoyameshi." When people think of tonkatsu in Nagoya, they think of misokatsu. Here are five misokatsu shops in Nagoya that you should definitely check out if you go there.

Index

1. Yabaton Nagoya Station Esca Branch
2. Futaba
3. Hirono
4. Tonpachi
5. Kitchen Nagoya

See all

1. Yabaton Nagoya Station Esca Branch

Yabaton, said to be the driving force behind making misokatsu as Nagoya’s specialty dish, is a famous restaurant where customers line up just to get inside. Their brown miso sauce is so smooth that the sauce isn't just spread on top of the tonkatsu, it looks more like the tonkatsu is soaked in the sauce. This restaurant’s misokatsu has a relatively lighter taste compared to the other kinds of misokatsu in the area, so even those who are not used to eating miso will find it easier to eat. Recommended here is Waraji Tonkatsu (1,296 JPY). Waraji refers to sandals made of straw, and Waraji Tonkatsu is a dish that comes in a huge serving that is almost as big as a waraji. You can also enjoy the misokatsu with half miso sauce and half plain sauce, and all you need to do is ask the staff when you order.

*Image is for illustration purposes

1. Yabaton Nagoya Station Esca Branch

Esca Underground Shopping Center, 6-9 Tsubakicho, Nakamura-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi

2. Futaba

Futaba, a restaurant that mainly serves set meals, boasts of a huge fan base for its unique sweet miso sauce since it opened. This restaurant’s most popular set is the Misokatsu Teishoku (1,300 JPY). In this set, the pork that was carefully prepared before cooking is lightly fried and then covered with a black and thick sweet sauce with a robust taste. Misokatsu comes in virtually all set meals here, even in the non-tonkatsu courses, so this restaurant is recommended to those who want to eat misokatsu, but are also curious about other dishes.

*Image is for illustration purposes

2. Futaba

Esca Underground Shopping Center, 6-9 Tsubakicho, Nakamura-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi

3. Hirono

Hirono is located in a residential area, but it so popular that even those from faraway come here just for a taste of its food. It is inside a quaint building with a retro vibe that was opened in 1977, and customers have a great time as they get to see the chefs in action from the counter seats. When you order, the crispy tonkatsu will be served without sauce on top, as you get to decide what to put on your food from the rock salt, special sauce, and special miso sauce on the table. You have three ways to enjoy your tonkatsu, so you definitely won’t get bored while eating. Further, the set meals come with bottomless rice, akadashi (miso soup made with red miso), and cabbage. The tonkatsu, which is cooked to the core with the residual heat under the watch of chefs who carefully assess it to perfection, is fluffy, soft and juicy. Visit this restaurant and enjoy their Tonkatsu Teishoku that highlights the skills of the chefs.

*Image is for illustration purposes

3. Hirono

116 Yamahana-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi

Next page: 4. Tonpachi

4. Tonpachi

Tonpachi is a famous restaurant that takes pride in its miso sauce that continuously improves over time. The No. 1 favorite of customers here is the Miso Tonkatsu Teishoku (1,400 JPY). You will be surprised to see that the shiny, thick and sweet miso sauce completely hides the tonkatsu. You would think that it’s a thick sauce, but when you actually take a bite, you will find out that it’s sweet and has a mild and light taste. This miso sauce does not use any kind of chemical additives and condiments. Now, you have to line up in order to get in, but you won’t regret waiting when you taste their misokatsu.

*Image is for illustration purposes

4. Tonpachi

3-17-15 Chiyoda, Naka-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi

5. Kitchen Nagoya

Kitchen Nagoya boasts of superior accessibility as it is located in Umaimondori inside Nagoya Station. The Kinshachi Teishoku (1,600 JPY (incl. tax)), which contains miso katsu and fried prawns that look like gold shachihoko (the gold statues on the roof of Nagoya Castle), is the most famous set. You won’t be able to get enough of their salty-sweet miso sauce that covers the crispy rosukatsu (loin cut), and you'll end up eating a lot of white rice and cabbage. Don’t fret! You can eat as much cabbage, rice and miso soup here. Kitchen Nagoya is recommended to those who want to eat to their heart’s content.

Gurunavi, Inc.

5. Kitchen Nagoya

JR Nagoya Station Nagoya Umaimondori, 1-1-4 Meieki, Nakamura-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi

Gurunavi
Map

Detail

The restaurants in this list all serve misokatsu, but they have their own distinct tastes and arrangements. Try misokatsu once and you will surely be hooked. How about challenging yourself to eat and compare the misokatsu each restaurant has to offer?

*Please note that the information in this article is from the time of writing or publication and may differ from the latest information.