Tonkatsu KATSU Hana とんかつ KATSU 華 (Osaka, JAPAN) ★★★★☆

In the summer of 2023, I made myself a promise as I stepped out of Tonkatsu KATSU Hana (とんかつ KATSU 華) that I'd come back for another visit. It took me two years, but I finally kept that promise.

Two years ago, I had a really satisfying tonkatsu dinner here, although I walked away with one small regret – I failed to order from the à la carte menu featuring premium cuts of pork. Instead, I had the set menu with pork fillet from an unspecified region. Good, but not quite memorable. I knew the only way to truly savor the best of what they offered was to go à la carte. So, a return trip became a must.

This time around, I brought the whole crew along. Little nugget and I got the head start while everyone was catching their breath back at the hotel (as we have just returned from Lake Biwa!).

Big thanks to the owner's wife who took the time to walk me through their menu featuring

different grades and breeds of pork. I understand that it changes nearly daily.

Now here's the deal. Tonkatsu usually comes in two cuts, rosu-katsu (pork loin 里脊) and hire-katsu (fillet 菲力). Rosu is the regular cut and is the juicer, tastier, but fattier of the two. Hire is leaner, supposedly healthier, but pricier cut. How to choose, you ask? Well, how about getting both of them to share? 😏😏

Hire-katsu (菲力) (3,600 yen, 150g) – Made with Ise Miina pork (伊勢美稻豚) from Mie Prefecture (三重県), this pork is raised on a plant-based diet that includes wheat and feed rice. It’s prized for its subtle natural sweetness.

These fillets were noticeably leaner but still remarkably juicy and tender. A great choice if you prefer a cleaner bite.

Rosu-katsu (頂級里脊) (3,900 yen, 150g) – This premium pork loin, labeled 'Diamond Pork', came from Chiba Prefecture (千葉県).

Pork from this region is known for its rich, juicy flavor and slightly elastic, tender texture. Between the two, I personally preferred the rosu—it had just the right amount of fat to enhance the flavor of the meat.

Shrimp (海老) (380 yen each) – Lightly battered and perfectly crisp, the shrimp tempura was nicely complemented with a homemade tartare sauce.

They also serve two types of homemade tonkatsu sauce — one spicy, one savory-sweet. I went with the latter, and was pleasantly surprised by how balanced it was. Definitely not as salty as most tonkatsu sauce in the market.

The set meal came with a small bowl of miso soup.

And we got a choice between three flavors of homemade ice-cream. I ended up taking the black sesame one.

Little nugget and I had a head start over the rest of the crew so we ended up finishing early. Instead of going back to the hotel, we decided to visit a nearby Life Supermarket to stock up our supplies for the remainder of the week.

I absolutely love shopping at Japanese supermarkets. They’re so spacious, well-organized, and just fun to walk around.

This return trip to Tonkatsu KATSU Hana was long overdue, and I’m so glad we made it back. The two pork cuts we tried were well worth the wait and the experience lived up to the memory, and then some.

Food Rating: 6.8/10

Price: ￥￥￥

Address: 2-2-11 Kitakyuhojimachi, Chuo-ku, Osaka, 541-0057, Japan

Closest Metro Station: Sakaisuji Hommachi / Nagahoribashi

Tel: +81 (0)6 6226-8559

Website: www.katsuhana.jp

Opening Hours: 11:30am - 3:00pm (Sun - Tue), 6:00pm - 10:00pm (Mon, Thu, Fri)