Tell us about your first impressions when you arrived.
Perched on the fifth floor of Tokyu Plaza Harajuku, Pretty Pork Factory announces its porcine obsession with pig-pink booths and playful neon swine signage. The spacious dining room, each table equipped with its own burner, balances whimsy and purpose.
What’s the crowd like?
Fashion-forward Harajuku denizens mix with pork lovers clutching flavor-profile graphs of premium varieties. The vibe skews young but remains democratic—pig appreciation transcends demographics.
What should we be drinking?
A compact selection of Japanese craft beers offers the classic pairing, while crisp sakes and shochu provide welcome alternatives that cut through the richness.
Main event: the food. Give us the lowdown—especially what not to miss.
After tasting over 100 different pork varieties across Japan, chef Chunshin Ko created the first Pretty Pork Factory, in the Kabukicho neighborhood, in 2021. The shabu-shabu sets present flights of premium cuts to swish through bubbling broth, while their Japanese take on Korean samgyupsal cleverly swaps kimchi for wasabi. But the star is the tonkatsu—rarified breeds like Tokyo X encased in shattering golden panko, served with a trio of dipping sauces that accentuate these exceptional cutlets.
And how did the front-of-house folks treat you?
Capable staff guide you through both the menu’s premium pork varieties and the proper technique for each preparation.
AloJapan.com