Agezuki is a tonkatsu restaurant in Kagurazaka, an upscale area of Shinjuku-ward. The restaurant uses a rare breed of pork known as Minami-no-Shima from Miyazaki Prefecture. Minami-no-Shima is often referred to as the Iberico pork of Japan because of its high-quality meat. This pork is so rare that it is currently only distributed to a small number of high-end restaurants.
In Kagurazaka one can find restaurants that combine the best of old-style Japanese atmosphere with a French touch. Kagurazaka is home to a large concentration of French restaurants, patisseries and bakeries, alongside trendy and upscale Japanese restaurants. With its wide variety of cuisines from different cultures, Kagurazaka has many restaurants listed in the Michelin Guide. Agezuki is one of those highly rated restaurants.
Agezuki is accessible from Iidabashi Station on the Tokyo Metro, Toei Oedo, and JR lines, or from Ushigome-Kagurazaka Station on the Toei Oedo line. Agezuki is located on Kagurazaka-dori, a pedestrianized main shopping street of Kagurazaka. When you arrive at the restaurant, you will probably see a line leading from the basement entrance to the outside. As Agezuki accepts reservations, which is rare for tonkatsu restaurants, we recommend you make one in order to avoid the line.
The interior of the restaurant, with its Edo-style atmosphere, has the warmth and calmness of a quaint Japanese house. The restaurant consists of five table seats as well as counter seating where you can see the chef cooking in front of you.
The typical aging period for pork is said to be about three to five days while Minami-no-Shima takes a longer period. The lean meat of Minami-no-Shima is characterized by its elegant fat and rich umami flavor. To bring out the umami flavor, the pork is first fried at a comparatively low temperature for about 15-minutes; then, in high temperature for a few minutes; and, lastly, steamed with the residual heat. The tonkatsu has a distinctive white coating and the meat has a tantalizing tinge of pink.
On the table are cabbage dressing, tonkatsu sauce, two kinds of pickles, and iwashio (rock salt). If you eat the tonkatsu with iwashio, you will find that the umami flavor of the meat is brought out more.
神楽坂にある希少な宮崎県産「南の島豚」のとんかつが食べられる行列店。じっくり丁寧に揚げるので時間は掛かるが、待った甲斐は十二分にある。 Quote from Google Map Review
