Tonkatsu Imai

Sumptuous, perfectly battered and fried katsu served in sets or à la carte, with generous portions and a chic upscale dining room vibe.

Tonkatsu Imai is tucked away on the second floor, up a short flight of stairs off the main street © Angelino Donnachaidh

If you’re a katsu lover looking for a nice lunch – or for a fancy dinner spot to splash out on with some drinks in a nice ambience – Tonkatsu Imai in Kitashinchi is your spot.

The swanky modern traditional Tonkatsu Imai dining room features a wood block dining counter as well as table seating, and every cut of katsu here is pitch-perfect. I especially love the kaki-furai (deep-fried oysters), which many katsu places offer but not everywhere does quite this well. The set meals are nicely balanced. I also love the unique dressing they serve with their cabbage. If there are any downsides to Imai, one is probably its high-end prices (which are justified for the quality and size of the meals). The other is that everything on the menu is so good I always struggle to choose.

It’s also worth noting that Imai is an easy recommendation for big eaters who find that usual Japanese portion sizes leave them wanting. The dinner courses and sets are certainly on the expensive side as far as katsu goes, but they’re also hearty and well-balanced meals that don’t force you to fill up on rice to make up the difference.

If you’re having a drink or two with dinner here especially, you can expect to leave pretty full. I’m a fan of the Kitashinchi Course when I’m feeling especially indulgent, but I also love the Karuizawa Combo when I’m trying to keep things a little more reasonable.

About Angelino Donnachaidh
Angelino Donnachaidh is a Mexican-American father, author, Japanese-English translator, and longtime resident of Osaka, Japan. His works include the middle grade (pre-)historical fiction novel Tamiu: A Cat’s Tale (Winner of the North Street Prize and CWA Muse Medallion), the YA post-cyberpunk heist adventure screenplay Brother (Winner of the HollywoodGenre 2025 Scifi Screenplay Competition), and the upcoming samurai scifi-fantasy action-thriller novel The Mayhem Protocols.

Check Osaka Hotel Availability

Destination

Check-in date

Check-out date

Tonkatsu Imai Information

Name in English:
Tonkatsu Imai Kitashinchi-ten

Name in Japanese:
とんかつ今井 北新地店

English address:
2nd Floor, Taniyasu Speranza Building, 1-1-39 Sonezaki-Shinchi, Kita Ward, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture

Japanese address:
大阪府大阪市北区曾根崎新地1-1-39 谷安スペランツァビル 2F

Opening hours:
11:30am-3:30pm, 6:00pm-10:00pm (Tuesday-Sunday)
Closed Mondays

Non-smoking area: Yes

Price:
¥1000-¥3000 per person (lunch)
¥5000-¥6000 per person (dinner)

Nearest transport:
3-minute walk from Kita-Shinchi Station on the JR Tozai and Gakkentoshi lines
5-minute walk from Higashi-Umeda Station on the Osaka Metro (Subway) Tanimachi Line (Exit 8)
6-minute walk from Nishi-Umeda Station on the Osaka Metro (Subway) Yotsubashi Line

Website: Instagram

Customer Reviews:
:: Read customer reviews of Kitarou Sushi on TripAdvisor.

Near To Here:
Tonkatsu Imai is located in Osaka’s Kita and Umeda district. See our complete list of things to do in the Kita and Umeda district, including places to eat, nightlife and places to stay.

Best Osaka Restaurants
See our list of the best Osaka restaurants for even more ideas about great places to eat in Osaka and our other recommended tonkatsu in Osaka.

Where Are These Places Located?

See these places on the Inside Osaka Google map:

• Open the Osaka map
• You will see the list of places on the left hand side. (Click the 3-line icon in the top left corner if not). Scroll down or use the map search (the magnifying glass icon) to find the place you want.
• Click the name of the place in the list. Its location pin will be highlighted on the map.
• Map pins are color coded - BLUE: Hotels / Ryokan / Guesthouses | VIOLET: Ryokan | PINK: Places to Eat | GREEN: Shops | YELLOW: Things to See and Do
• If you’re using the map on your phone, open the map and then search for the name of the place. The map will then zoom in on its location.

Osaka District Map

• Shin-Osaka Area
• Kita Area
• Central Osaka Area
• Minami Area
• Tennoji Area
• Osaka Castle Area
• Osaka Bay Area