Katsushige

Tucked away in the backstreets of Sendagaya, Katsushige offers a warm, inviting setting for anyone in search of unpretentious deep-fried dishes and comforting homestyle set meals. Stepping inside reveals counter and table seating alongside raised tatami spaces at the rear, accommodating solo diners stopping by for lunch just as comfortably as companions enjoying a casual drink.

One of the signature offerings is the loin katsu set meal, featuring a light, golden-fried cutlet coated in rich, subtly sweet demi-glace sauce. The savory meat and sweet-savory sauce make a natural pairing with steamed rice, grounded by the gentle, simple comfort of the accompanying bowl of miso soup.

For heartier appetites, the katsu curry is a reliable staple, generously combining a thick cutlet with deep, savory curry roux. Diners are spoiled for choice with a wide lineup of fried items, from combination platters serving fillet katsu, fried prawns, and crab cream croquettes all at once, to hefty, juicy menchi-katsu (minced meat cutlet) set meals.

Slender paper menu strips lining the walls display an affordable selection of Japanese and Western-style small plates, ranging from skewered katsu and fried horse mackerel to nikujaga (meat and potato stew) and mackerel simmered in miso. Sipping a cold draft beer or Hoppy while grazing on an assorted pickle plate and freshly fried bites makes for an easygoing, pleasant visit.