Minoya

At Minoya, the tonkatsu is deliberately coated in a thin crumb designed to keep the focus squarely on the pork. The coating itself carries its own seasoning, so a first bite taken plain reveals a crisp, aromatic crunch alongside the natural savour of the meat. Lunchtime cutlet sets include house-crafted sauce, allowing diners to work through their meal at their own pace—whether tossing it into shredded cabbage to highlight its sweetness or dabbing small amounts onto the cutlet to vary the flavour.

Beyond the classic cutlet, the simmered katsu bowls warrant equal attention. Options such as the Ni-Katsu Don Teishoku and the Okkasan no Ni-Katsu Don offer an unusual profile: cutlets simmered in a secret sweet sauce, tucked over shredded cabbage and rice, and crowned with house tartar sauce. The interplay between rich sweet-savoury glaze and creamy tartar yields a distinctly hearty dish. Diners who prefer traditional profiles can opt for the Tamago Katsu Don, gently bound with dashi broth and onion, making it easy to tailor the bowl to the day's mood.

The kitchen's reach extends well past pork loin. The roster includes gently fried hire-katsu tenderloin, plump fried prawns, and seasonal seafood such as daggertooth pike conger (hamo) or oysters. Ordering à la carte fried morsels—like lotus root stuffed with minced meat or fried scallops—alongside a glass of beer or sake also makes the room comfortable for an izakaya-style drink.

In addition to eat-in set meals, Minoya prepares various fried items and bento boxes for takeout, serving as a dependable stop for daily lunches or dinners at home. Looked after by the owner and his mother, it is a hospitable neighbourhood spot to take one's time over unpretentious, generously portioned fried dishes.