MAiSEN

MAiSEN is a well-known Japanese brand, especially famous for its tonkatsu (breaded and deep-fried pork cutlet). The story of Maisen begins in 1965, when the first restaurant, Tonkatsu Maisen Aoyama Honten, opened in Tokyo. Located in a former public bathhouse (sento) in the Aoyama area, the restaurant quickly gained popularity for its tender pork cutlets and refined flavors.

Maisen was founded with the aim of offering tonkatsu that is not only delicious but also elegant and suitable for everyone—from children to the elderly. The pork is known for being so tender it can be cut with chopsticks. This unique approach distinguished Maisen from more casual tonkatsu restaurants.

MAiSEN was founded by Chiyoko Koide's home used to be. As expected, it was originally a pork cutlet restaurant with only counter seats. Every morning, Chiyoko would personally taste the dishes and sauces to ensure they met her standards before they were served to guests. Her meticulous attention to detail set the tone for Maisen’s legacy of excellence.

At MAiSEN, we have inherited the aspirations of our founders, always putting the customer first. This shared philosophy unites all our employees, working together to become an even better company, all for the delightful smiles of our customers.

• SAUCE – An essential factor of the MAiSEN flavour is the sauce. We produce three kinds of sauce: Amakuchi Sauce (delightfully sweet and tangy), Karakuchi Sauce (bold and savoury), and Sando Sauce (savoury and tangy). The MAiSEN founders tested out new recipes repeatedly, striving every day behind the counter at their small shop to create our delightful flavours.
• PANKO – After cutting the pork to the proper size and shape, we coat it with breadcrumbs made from our own original bread recipe using special techniques. We then fry the tonkatsu in our special oil while carefully adjusting the heat. We make our breadcrumbs with the aim of achieving the level of "kendachi" in our tonkatsu - an expression of how the breadcrumbs stand straight, often likened to the state of blossomed flowers.
• PORK – Each slice of pork used is meticulously chosen from the top 10% of the pig, then carefully cut and pounded to loosen the tendons, ensuring a tender and juicy cut of premium quality meat.

Every tonkatsu meal is served alongside refillable sauce, bowls of fragrant rice, heaps of thinly sliced fresh cabbage, and a comforting bowl of miso soup - this is the authentic way to savour the flavours of tonkatsu