Head down into the basement of Arch Walk mall in Shanghai’s Gubei area and you’ll find a treasure trove of good Japanese eats. Stop in at Shizuoka Katsu, specialists on crispy fried pork cutlets aka tonkatsu.
Tonkatsu in Shanghai
Finding good tonkatsu is pretty easy, I’m told. However, you might have to run into a few subpar restaurants before hitting the jackpot. I can say with absolute certainty that you won’t be disappointed at Shizuoka Katsu.
The pork cutlets here are a thicker cut—no thinly pounded pieces—and are plump and juicy, served with a wide range of sauces from curry to truffle cream.
There are also ones stuffed with cheese, as well as an assortment of other deep-fried items like seafood and eel.
The signature here is the Deep-Fried Kurobura Pork TORO Loin (¥113/260g set). The regular non-toro loin is ¥103 for a set. I tried both, but honestly can’t say if I noticed a difference in flavor or texture, just that both were juicy, crispy, not at all oily, and freaking delicious.
There’s also the regular thick-cut pork loin (¥95/230g), which was only subtly less tender than the other two.
Sets include rice, cabbage salad, and miso soup, which can be topped up at no added cost. There are also sets with noodles.
Condiments on the table include fermented beans, kimchi, pickled daikon, and soy-based sauces that are savory and sweet with a nice tang.
Pro-tip: order a single bowl of Japanese curry (¥10) to dip your katsu in case you don’t want a full set. There’s also a curry plate that comes with rice, soup, cutlet, and curry.
The Space
The restaurant is casual, mostly booth seats with a long bar counter, and service is fast-paced, despite the cutlets being fried to order. Good for a quick meal.
Shizuoka Katsu 静冈胜政
Address: LG2-008/9, Arch Walk mall, 179 Maotai Lu 茅台路179号金光绿庭广场LG2-008/9
Tel: 62519998
Hours: Daily, 11am-9pm
