Obihiro’s Pork Cutlet is Unmissable: 9 Best Tonkatsu Spots in the Land of Pork Culture【2025 Edition】

Obihiro is widely known as the birthplace of Butadon (grilled pork rice bowl).
But when locals want to treat themselves, they head out for thick-cut, juicy tonkatsu.
From a butcher-run institution to a Michelin-listed gem and a bold newcomer serving 5 cm slabs—
we personally tasted and verified every dish on this list.
If you’re not sure where to go for your next lunch—start with one of these 9!

Kiyotake Tonkatsu ─ A Beloved Classic for Over 30 Years

A Plate-Sized Pork Loin and the Grace of the Owner Fill You Up

Kiyotake is a local favorite that fills up almost immediately at its 11:00 AM opening. The frying oil is a blend of plant-based and animal fats to achieve the perfect balance of lightness and richness. Their signature Special Loin Cutlet Set features over 240g of pork, slow-cooked at low heat and finished with a high-heat flash fry for a perfectly crisp crust.
When split with chopsticks, juices ooze between the fibers and soak into the crust, delivering alternating waves of pork sweetness and savory lard. The cabbage is local spring cabbage, finely shredded and soaked in ice water to give it a fresh crunch—the owner’s personal touch. The miso soup uses Rausu kelp dashi made fresh that morning. “To maintain flavor even after cooling, we use a blend of two types of miso,” explains the third-generation chef.
Their takeout bento (starting at 900 yen) is also popular, with phone orders flooding in from nearby offices at lunchtime.

Regular Customer

“The crust is thin and the meat is sweet. It completely changed my view of tonkatsu as ‘too heavy’.”

Tokachi Pork Dining Yutaku ─ Discover the True Flavor of Aged Pork

Butcher-Owned Shop Where Dry Aging Doubles the Umami

From butchering to aging, the entire process is done in-house at the adjoining meat plant. The pork is dry-aged for 14 days at 0–2°C to minimize drippings and maximize amino acids. Their 200g loin cutlet is coated in homemade fresh breadcrumbs and fried at 165°C to 180°C for five minutes. The crust is paper-thin, while the fat melts like white honey.
At the table, compare three types of rock salt—Ikeda Wine Salt, Okinawan Nuchimaasu, and Himalayan Pink Salt—for different flavor profiles. Tokachi-grown Yumepirika rice gently balances the pork fat. Many regulars stop by the shop after their meal to buy the same loin cut (100g / ¥260) and recreate the experience at home.

Tonkatsu Miyabi ─ Michelin-Recognized Loin You Can Cut with Chopsticks

Triple-Aged Breadcrumbs and Dual-Fry Technique Deliver Ultra-Crisp Bite

Just a 10-minute walk from the station, look for the white noren curtain with the kanji for “Miyabi.” Breadcrumbs are made in-house from bread aged 72 hours, with two grain sizes—0.9 mm and 1.2 mm—blended for optimal crunch and texture. The result is a crust that crackles and then disappears.
The 180g Loin Cutlet Set (¥1,180) features cream-like fat. Low-heat cooking locks in juices, and a final high-heat burst causes the crust to puff from steam in a dramatic finish. The pork comes from a designated farm in Fushimi-cho and is known for its sweet fat and clean finish. The sauce is fruit-forward with extra chutney. A dab of horseradish soy sauce makes the sweetness pop even more.

Tourist A

“The meat was so tender it melted without chewing. A Michelin stop in Obihiro is a must!”

Tonkatsu Toaji ─ 1cm Thick Cuts, a Family’s Daily Feast

Child Seats and Blankets—Freshly Fried with Family Warmth

To mark their 10th anniversary, the restaurant refreshed its name. The father handles the frying, while the mother and daughter manage the floor together. The Loin Cutlet Set uses 10mm thick Tokachi pork, fried in 70% lard, releasing a rich, jelly-like fat that spreads across the tongue with each bite.
At lunchtime, homemade skewered cutlets are sometimes offered as a surprise extra, which keeps regulars coming back for their “lucky draw.” The tatami seating area comes with picture books for kids, and reservations are available—making it a great option even for out-of-town visitors. The “Melting Cutlet Set” (¥2,000, limited to 5 daily) uses shoulder and belly meat, first slow-cooked confit-style, then deep-fried for a rich finish.

Tonkatsu Mitamura ─ Since 1977, Precision Timing from a Husband-Wife Duo

Frying, Plating, Soup—Crafted to the Second

As the shop opens, the husband heats the lard to his preferred temperature and stops frying when the crust turns “flaxen beige.” Listening to the sizzling sound, the wife scoops exactly 200g of freshly cooked rice and serves miso soup made from a blend of Shinshu and Tokachi miso.

The Tonkatsu Set (¥1,200) includes 170g of pork loin, with alternating layers of fat and lean meat glistening with amber-toned juices. A standout side dish is the crab cream croquette (¥380), featuring béchamel made by boiling whole swimming crab shells—the crust is crispy, while the inside flows like molten lava. Their takeout homemade meat sauce (¥500) is also a customer favorite.

Tonkatsu Tongen ─ Double Cutlet Set for a Guaranteed Full Belly

A Local Favorite Serving Cutlets, Bowls, and Seafood in a Family-Style Setting

Open from 11:00 a.m. with continuous service until 5:00 p.m. Spacious tables and floor seating accommodate families at lunch and businesspeople in the afternoon. Their Double Cutlet Set (¥1,450) features 2x 80g fillets and 1x 120g loin, with a bold, spice-rich sauce.

Their ginger pork set, grilled with leftover tonkatsu oil, and the simmered pork bowl both have many repeat customers. Free refills of shredded cabbage and upsized rice transform the meal into a photogenic feast straight from the Showa era.

Tonkatsu Takafuji ─ A Modern Craftsman’s Take on Classic Tonkatsu

Freshly Ground Black Sesame and DIY Sauce Elevate the Experience

In just one year since opening, this spot has become a line-out-the-door favorite.
Upon seating, guests receive a bowl of black sesame to grind by hand, then mix in a house-made medium-thick sauce—an interactive and aromatic delight. The Special Loin Cutlet Set features a 220g pork loin, fried at 180°C in soybean white oil for 8 minutes, then rested for 2 minutes. The crust is super crispy, and the meat is cooked to a perfect slight-pink center.

The rice, Nanatsuboshi from Hokkaido, is served slightly firm. The miso soup includes pork and root vegetables—”a full pork course,” the owner calls it. Add ¥350 for a craft beer set in the evening hours.

Meat Shop Set Meal ─ 5cm Thick, 500g Pork Cutlet Challenge

Three Sauces, Horseradish & Mustard—Flavor Twists that Never End

Directly operated by Tokachi No Foods Company. Their “Frozen Pork from the North” is cut into massive 500g, 5cm thick blocks. It’s slow-cooked at low temperature for 15 minutes, then crisped at 190°C. The cabbage is shaved fluffy, and the miso soup features chunky pork in white miso.

On the table are three sauces—sweet, spicy, and Worcestershire—plus horseradish, mustard, and garlic chips for an endless array of flavor combos. Enthusiasts smear horseradish on the cutlet’s edge and devour it rare-style with rice. Leftovers? Wrap them in foil and take them home.

Restaurant Mutou ─ A Western Cuisine Revival by a Chef from Bern

Herb Butter Aromatics and Crispy Frying—Echoes of Europe

Back in action after a 2.5-year hiatus, the restaurant draws lunchtime lines for its famed “Mutou Meals.” Their signature tonkatsu is flash-fried at 200°C using Hokkaido breadcrumbs, producing a feather-light crust that flakes apart like puff pastry. The pork fat shines with sweetness, and true to its Western roots, herb butter is tucked inside—adding thyme and rosemary notes to the finish.

For dinner, the Pork Ginger Steak (250g / ¥1,980) takes the spotlight. A white wine and light soy-based sauce—learned in Bern—brings out the spice of ginger and intensifies the meat’s rich umami. With classical music playing during lunch and jazz in the evening, this reborn institution now leads Obihiro’s tonkatsu scene with style.

Why Is Obihiro’s Tonkatsu So Good?

Obihiro’s pork culture began in 1884, when pioneering settler Benzo Yoda brought four pigs with him to develop the area.

• By the 1920s, pork had become a staple protein for locals.
• By the 1930s, the dish we now call “tonkatsu” had become widespread across Japan.

As pork farming flourished and deep-fried cuisine gained popularity, Obihiro emerged as a paradise for pork and frying oil. Knowing this history will make every bite of that crispy crust feel even more special.

Though Obihiro is known as the “city of butadon,” tonkatsu remains an everyday luxury.

Bookmark this article and search “Where to fry today?” to start your own pork cutlet pilgrimage. The sizzle, aroma, and juices in every bite will satisfy more than your hunger—it’ll nourish your frontier spirit, too.

So, for your next day off—let thickness decide your destination!