Fried food doesn't sell in summer--. A tonkatsu restaurant in Jiyugaoka has developed a dish "completed by pouring ice over it" to overturn this industry norm.

Shokujidokoro GOEN (operated by Gardenia Co., Ltd.) in Jiyugaoka, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, will launch the limited-time summer product "Ruibi Pork Cold Ice Katsu-don" in July 2026.

This product was developed to challenge the long-standing issue in the food service industry: "Tonkatsu doesn't sell in summer."

Generally, tonkatsu demand is high in winter, and it's a genre where customer traffic tends to drop in the hot summer.

"Fried food is too heavy when it's hot."

This dish was completed with the aim of creating a "tonkatsu that you want to eat precisely because it's summer," overturning such fixed notions.

From "I don't eat it because it's hot" to "I want to eat it because it's hot."

In restaurants, demand shifts to cold noodles and refreshing dishes during the summer.

Summer is the toughest season of the year for tonkatsu specialty restaurants.

GOEN was no exception.

We could have thought, "It can't be helped because it's summer."

However,

"Can't we really make delicious tonkatsu even in summer?"

"Can't we create an experience that makes people want to eat it precisely because it's summer?"

The development began with these questions.

What we aimed for was:

Not just cold. Not just photogenic.

A tonkatsu where the surprise continues until the last bite.

A tonkatsu completed by pouring ice over it.

Tonkatsu made with "Ruibi Pork," a brand of pork from Shizuoka Prefecture, served over freshly cooked rice.

Rich egg yolk from Nagoya Cochin.

Tororo (grated yam).

Aromatic homemade Yamagata-style dashi.

In addition, summer-appropriate condiments such as grated ginger, stem wasabi, and simmered shiitake mushrooms are added.

And finally, it is completed by generously pouring iced dashi over it.

From this moment,

the dish begins to change its appearance little by little.

Three delicious experiences in one dish.

First,

Savor the crispy texture of the iced dashi and the natural sweetness of the Ruibi Pork.

Next,

Mix the egg yolk, tororo, and homemade Yamagata-style dashi for a rich flavor.

And finally,

the ice melts slowly, turning it into a dish like a cold ochazuke (rice with tea).

We have finished it as an "experiential tonkatsu" that changes its expression many times in one plate.

Delicious even when cold.

The secret lies in the "iced dashi."

With regular dashi, you perceive the aroma and umami when it's hot.

However, when chilled, the flavor becomes diluted.

Therefore, at GOEN,

centered on kombu, dried scallops, and shiitake mushrooms,

we have created a unique blend that allows the umami to be strongly felt even when chilled.

We designed a dashi that is delicious until the end, even when frozen, by leveraging the synergistic effect of the three umami components – glutamic acid, guanylic acid, and succinic acid – inherent in each ingredient.

The star is "Ruibi Pork," a brand of pork from Shizuoka Prefecture.

Umami of the red meat.

Sweetness of the fat.

And its melt-in-your-mouth texture.

To maximize its appeal,

it is carefully cooked at a low temperature and finished with a thickness that doesn't lose its presence even when paired with cold dashi.

GOEN aims to be a "tonkatsu restaurant that enjoys the four seasons."

At GOEN,

spring features wild vegetables.

Summer is the cold Ice Katsu-don.

Autumn is seasonal earthenware pot rice.

Winter is shabu-shabu.

We develop dishes that can only be enjoyed during specific seasons.

What we aim for is not "eating other dishes because it's summer," but a restaurant where people think, "Let's go to GOEN because it's summer."

Representative's Comment

We are a tonkatsu restaurant.

That's precisely why we didn't want to make excuses for not selling in the summer.

Instead of "people don't eat it because it's hot,"

we decided to seriously create a tonkatsu that "people will want to eat on a hot day."

The surprise at the moment the ice is poured.

The changing flavors as you eat.

An experience that can be enjoyed until the last bite.

From Jiyugaoka,

we want to transmit a new summer tonkatsu culture.

Product Overview

Product Name:

Ruibi Pork Cold Ice Katsu-don

Sales Period:

July to end of August 2026 (planned)

Price:

3,550 (tax included)

Half Size:

2,750 yen (tax included)

*Limited quantity

Store Overview:

Shokujidokoro GOEN

2-8-8 Jiyugaoka, Meguro-ku, Tokyo Le ciel bleu 202

Business Hours:

11:00 AM - 3:00 PM (L.O. 2:30 PM)

5:00 PM - 11:30 PM (L.O. 11:00 PM)

[To Media Representatives]

The most compelling aspect of this product is "the moment the iced dashi is generously poured."

We are also available for photo and video shoots, cooking scenes, development background interviews, tasting sessions, and interviews with the representative at any time.