Kawakyu has been frying Berkshire pork in the arcade for more than half a century and remains the benchmark for kurobuta tonkatsu in the city. The cutlet is thick, the breadcrumbs are coarse and crunchy, and the meat carries the unmistakable sweet, soft fat that makes Kagoshima pork worth its premium. The set comes with shredded cabbage, miso soup and rice, plus a stone bowl in which you grind your own sesame seeds into the dipping sauce.
Lunch sets are good value; come early or expect a short queue at peak times. The hire-katsu (a leaner cut) is the best entry point for anyone who finds standard pork cutlet too rich.