Tarutaru Numa

⚠️ Tarutaru Numa closed on 22nd December due to lease expiration.

Tarutaru Numa (タルタルNUMA)

⭐⭐⭐

Katsu / 📍 Shibuya

📓 Visits: 1

A restaurant where you can get a taste of the number-one ranked tonkatsu in Tokyo at less than half the cost, without having to make the slog to Minami-Asagaya and where you can just walk in?  Your prayers have been answered with the opening of "Tarutaru Numa" (Tartar Numa) last week in Shibuya.  It's been years since I visited Tonkatsu Narikura and as I mentioned in my roundup of tonkatsu restaurants here, I don't intend to go again.  Numa is overseen by Narikura.  The batter and style of frying is similar - thick but light and pale panko, fried at low temperature.  But whereas Narikura is a tonkatsu restaurant that has a limited menu of additional items, the sets at Numa are not just about the tonkatsu.

	ebi	aji	chicken	pork	ikura	kaki	Price (¥)
Set A	✅	✅	✅	❌	❌	❌	1,800
Set B	✅	✅	❌	✅	❌	❌	2,100
Set C	✅	✅	✅	❌	✅	❌	2,200
Set D	✅	✅	❌	✅	✅	❌	2,500
Extra (¥)	500	350	400	700	❌	350	-

You order on a touch screen at your seat.  The interface is multilingual but the menu items are in Japanese-only.  Everything is pictured on-screen and I've summarized what's on offer above.  There are quite a few staff so if you're really stuck there's probably someone who can speak some English.

The set comes with the usual items.  Refills of rice and miso soup are free.  Each refill of cabbage is charged at 100 yen.  There are a few sauces to choose from to season your food and these were all excellent.  The 'Tartar' in Tartar Numa refers to the sundae glass of tartar sauce that comes with the meal.  This is vegan, i.e. no egg.  It definitely lacked the richness you'd get from a real tartar sauce but it tasted much more fresh than the artificial stuff you get in cheap places and with that massive portion you didn't have the usual problem of running out and/or having to pay for more.

If you're wondering what happened to the katsu, don't panic!  You receive each item of katsu one-by-one on a drainer built into the counter rather than being delivered all together.  So each piece is served in the best condition: crispy and hot, but rested enough so you don't burn yourself and at no risk of all going cold and soggy.  I chose Set B with an extra item of chicken.  Everything was fried to perfection.  The flavour from the shrimp and aji were fairly standard.  The chicken didn't have much flavour at all - I would not have it again and wouldn't recommend it.  The pork fillet was superb: served rare, super juicy, deep flavour and up there with the best I've had in Tokyo.  The batter worked well with the other items but again I thought it was a little thick and heavy for the pork.  So for me, Tonta still has the edge.

The first item arrived within 8 minutes.  I ordered the chicken after I'd had the three items in the set as it wasn't enough.  That took a little time to arrive and I wasn't eating in a hurry so I was in the restaurant for the best part of an hour.  You could be out in less time if you stick to the set.

It's a large restaurant by tonkatsu standards with two U-shaped counters that seat a total of 39, reminiscent of Hikiniku to Come, just a few minutes away, both in terms of the layout and serving style.  Mercifully there are no epic queues (at least for now).  I arrived at the start time for dinner service on a weekday and was the first of no more than 10 people I observed during my visit.  I waited until their second week before visiting and service ran like clockwork.  Of course it would be too much to expect any warmth in service in a high-turnover restaurant in Tokyo.  You scan the receipt they give you at a machine on your way out and can pay by QR code, credit card or cash (Suica not currently accepted).  That machine is fully multilingual (priorities :)

If I was in Shibuya and I could just have the pork I would probably go back but Set B with an additional serving of pork would be nearly 3K and contain too much 'meh'.  So I don't foresee a repeat.  There are better and cheaper alternatives for tonkatsu and better and cheaper places for katsu.  But as I said at the beginning, if you want a taste of Narikura without the hassle I'd recommend a visit.

📌 https://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1303/A130301/13268704/

❓ My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ 3.75 (pork: 4.8)

📱 Booking: 🟩 You can book by TableCheck or phone for dinner.  On my visit there were plenty of free seats.

📍 Location: 

2F 30-1 Udagawacho.  2F multi-tenant building.  Take the lift to the right of the entrance to the burger shop.  2 mins walk North West from Shibuya Station A3b Exit.
Map data ©2022 Google

📅  Visit April 2022

Set B 2100
+Cabbage refill 100
+Chicken 400

💴  Damage: 2600
⏱️  Time taken: 50m