It is a sad truth that Hawaii, with all its Japanese culture and people, is lacking when it comes to tonkatsu specialty restaurants. Save for a few establishments, we do not have the selection of delicious tonkatsu you can find in Japan. Cafe Imperial is one of the few tonkatsu specialty restaurants you’ll find right here in Honolulu that serves up great tasting food.

Located on the bottom level of the Imperial Plaza, Cafe Imperial is a small restaurant seating perhaps two dozen patrons at any one time. Parking for the restaurant is validated in the Imperial Plaza parking garage. Enter the garage from Kawaiahao street and be sure to get a dashboard sign for your vehicle. Cafe Imperial will gladly validate the parking ticket for you.

Upon entering the restaurant we were kindly greeted by the employees. After being seated we turned our attention to the menu, which featured a selection of “katsu” and “donburi” dishes. The first time I had dined at Cafe Imperial I decided to try the Combination Katsu plate, which proved to be a lot of food. I would recommend the Combination Katsu plate to anyone looking to sample a wide variety of different deep fried “katsu.”

Katsu Curry

Cafe Imperial’s katsu curry is prepared in the very traditional Japanese style. Unlike Curry House’s thin and spicy curry, Cafe Imperial serves a much thicker and sweeter tasting curry mix. Personally I enjoy both types of curry, especially with “katsu.” The sweet flavors of the curry blend well with the salty taste of the tonkatsu, which makes any combo like this delicious.

Tonkatsu

Tonkatsu Sauce

For my order I decided to get the traditional tonkatsu. Cafe Imperial serves its “katsu” dishes with potato salad and shredded cabbage. A lemon wedge comes with the plate, and is meant to be squeezed over the tonkatsu and the vegetables to taste. After squeezing the lemon I turned my attention to the pot of tonkatsu sauce which sits at each table. I used the wooden scoop to pour a generous helping of sauce over my tonkatsu.

The sour taste of lemon juice combined with the tangy taste of the tonkatsu sauce gives a very sharp contrast to the salty taste of the tonkatsu. Eating the tonkatsu with the shredded cabbage or sliced cucumbers leaves a fresh taste on the palate. For a dish that is so simple it packs a lot of flavor, and is very enjoyable to eat.

Final thoughts: Cafe Imperial offers a quick and delicious lunch at relatively fair prices. Although descending from the parking lot to the restaurant can be a bit tricky at times, it is very nice that the restaurant will validate for you. Service was fast and friendly, and did a good job of tending to our table. All-in-all Cafe Imperial is a good place to catch a fast lunch highlighting various “katsu” dishes. If you have a hankering for something a little different from your typical “plate lunch katsu”, then Cafe Imperial is certainly a good choice.

Cafe Imperial
725 Kapiolani Blvd, Honolulu, HI 96813
Phone: 808.593.2626