Tabelog ratingTonkatsu Hajimari (とんかつ 壱) turns the breaded pork cutlet into a tasting course. At a 12-seat counter the chef fries each cut at low temperature until it is just pink and juicy. The pieces arrive one or two at a time from different named pigs, among them Gotemba Pork, Tokyo-X and Hayashi SPF. The chef tells you how to season each one: soy sauce on the fat, salt on the lean, and the rib loin dipped in onsen tamago (soft-cooked egg).
Almost every review praises how tender and juicy the meat is, and several foreign visitors call it the best meal of their trip to Japan. The rib loin is the most-cited favourite, even among people who normally avoid fat. The fillet is described as close to melting. Guests also like the light crust, the guided seasoning, the egg dip and the calm, upscale room. The giant ebi fry (fried prawn) with tomato-shrimp sauce earns repeated mentions.
The sides do not match the pork. Reviewers found the tonjiru (pork miso soup) salty or lukewarm and the cabbage watery, and two thought the ramen finisher too sweet and strong. A few Japanese diners found the Gotemba pork mild and the prices bold for the area, and some felt the cheaper course was small. The chef is quiet and sometimes stops explaining partway through. Frying smoke can sting.
Reviewers in 2025–2026 paid around ¥2,800 for the lunch Hajimari course (loin and fillet, 140g) and ¥3,900–3,980 for the Sorekara course, which adds rib loin (210g). The dinner omakase came to about ¥5,500. Add-ons included ebi fry at around ¥600, red menchi katsu (minced-meat cutlet) at ¥500–600, and meat-miso rice instead of plain rice for +¥300. One reviewer noted prices rose by about ¥400 in early 2026. Typical spend is ¥3,000–3,999 at lunch and ¥6,000–7,999 at dinner.
Most reviewers consider it good value and say the same meal would cost far more in Tokyo. The cheaper lunch course is the weakest deal, so order the three-cut Sorekara course.
- Getting there: 10 minutes on foot from JR Gotemba Station (about 770 m), close to the Gotemba outlets. It is a standalone house restaurant.
- Booking: no reservation needed at lunch, and walk-ins usually work on weekdays and off-peak. Dinner is by reservation only, with seatings at 18:00, 19:00 and 20:00. Online booking via Foodies Reserve adds a non-refundable fee of about ¥1,000 per person. Phoning the restaurant avoids it.
- Payment: cards (VISA, Master, JCB, AMEX, Diners, UnionPay), electronic money (Suica and other transport IC cards, iD, QUICPay) and QR payments (PayPay, d Barai, Rakuten Pay, au PAY, Alipay, WeChat Pay) are accepted.
- Children: welcome, including babies, and strollers are fine.
- Seating: 12 counter seats. There are no private rooms, but the whole restaurant can be booked for private use. The restaurant is wheelchair accessible.
- Smoking: non-smoking.
- Parking: 5 spaces in front of the restaurant.
- Language: an English menu is available, and the chef explains dishes in simple English.
- Atmosphere: the room is quiet and guests speak in low voices.
