新宿さぼてん 中野マルイ店 (Shinjuku Saboten Nakano Marui Branch)

One of the Better Served Tonkatsu Restaurants

Located on the fifth floor of the Marui department store in Nakano, Tokyo, this place is probably often visited. The staff is quite patient with all of their customers and they take care to provide you with refills when they think you need it. The lady that was serving us politely slowed down her Japanese when she caught on that my Japanese wasn't very strong, so they know how to handle foreign visitors as well. Speaking of refills, tea, rice, and cabbage are all free to refill. The tonkatsu menu is on a middle-high in terms of cost, but that is fair considering the food is actually quite good. This restaurant also serves red miso, as opposed to the white miso that is commonly found in Tokyo. You are also given a pestle and mortar to grind your own sesame for your dipping sauce, so that was a nice touch. The restaurant atmosphere is a little higher class than most tonkatsu restaurants, so it is a bit quieter and more elegant. The place is clean, and most of the furniture is wooden, giving a nice traditional feel to the dining experience.