Olympic Park tonkatsu with hire katsu curry and tiger shrimp: Riae

I was looking for somewhere to eat near Olympic Park and ended up at Riae Premium, a well-known spot famous for its long waits.

What made the tonkatsu at Riae Premium different?

What impressed me most was that the tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet) is thick but the meat is incredibly tender. Thick cutlets can end up tough, or with heavy breading, but even among all the tonkatsu I've tried, I was genuinely surprised by how soft the meat was here.

As a proper tonkatsu specialist, the menu is quite varied too. You can have tenderloin or loin on its own, or add shrimp fry, curry and so on, so you can eat however you like. That's Riae Premium, a great tonkatsu place near Olympic Park.

I sipped a cold cider while waiting and the food came out pretty quickly. I also spotted a meat freezer in front of the tables, and it looked neatly kept.

What does the Tokyo Spicy Hire Katsu Curry taste like?

Riae Premium's Tokyo Spicy Hire Katsu Curry tops thick, deeply flavored Japanese-style curry with a tenderloin cutlet, and it was better than I expected. I wondered why a tonkatsu place would serve curry, but once I saw the menu, I couldn't not order it.

The thick, rich Japanese-style curry made it a really good match with the cutlet.

The dark color of the curry whetted my appetite. It was very smooth and went well with the tonkatsu. The tenderloin wasn't dry or tough at all; it was very, very moist and soft.

Every bite cut away softly and then practically melted, tender, in my mouth. The breading isn't thick and hard but crumbles like snowflakes, which made it really delicious.

Side dishes and rice at Riae Premium

The tonkatsu comes with quite a variety of side dishes. It's not just the usual wasabi-and-salt pairing; the table was filled with all sorts of things to eat alongside, so I never got bored from bite to bite.

It's not just a lonely cutlet on its own; the whole spread is really generous.

The rice at Riae Premium is really sticky too... glossy and shiny, truly delicious rice.

How was the Special Loin and Tiger Ebi Fry half-and-half?

Riae Premium has a half-and-half menu, so it's perfect for building your own combination, like the Premium Special Loin and Tiger Ebi Fry (fried tiger shrimp).

Special loin is my personal favorite cut, and luckily it wasn't sold out, so I could order it.

Compared with tenderloin, this katsu had a deeper meaty aroma and a definitely chewy, springy texture that I liked.

The nutty richness of special loin hits first, and the more you chew, the more a clean, fatty savoriness comes up. I found special loin tastes best dipped in wasabi and salt! Haha.

How big is the Tiger Ebi Fry shrimp?

The tiger shrimp is huge... really, really big. Because of that, you can properly taste the thick flesh of the shrimp itself, and it was the springiness, freshness and luxurious feel of real, big shrimp rather than frozen ones.

Is the Gangwon-do potato croquette worth adding?

I added one Gangwon-do domestic potato croquette, and its fluffy, nutty flavor was really good.

Halfway through I thought I should have ordered one more, haha. Definitely try it.

The cabbage was fresh and the soup (jangguk) had plenty of ingredients in it, so it felt like every ingredient was used with care.

Who is Riae Premium a good fit for?

The Olympic Park Branch of Riae Premium has a warm space and plenty of seats that work for dining solo, so it felt like a comfortable place to eat in all kinds of ways.

I hear the wait is quite long on weekend lunchtimes, but when I visited on a weekday I could eat in a more relaxed way~

If you want a soft texture, meat without any gamey smell, and the fun of eating with a variety of side dishes, I think you'll like Riae Premium, a tonkatsu favorite near Olympic Park.

If you're looking for a place near Olympic Park for thick yet tender katsu, I'd say keep Riae Premium in mind.