MIDTOWN, MANHATTAN

Katsu-Hama

Panko-crusted pork katsu sets and brown curry in a small Midtown tonkatsu house off Fifth Avenue.

Katsu-Hama is a small, plain tonkatsu house a few steps off Fifth Avenue, a dependable Midtown lunch. It does one thing — panko-crusted pork cutlets fried to order — and does it with care.

Order a pork katsu set: the cutlet arrives sliced, with a mound of shaved cabbage, rice, miso soup and pickles and katsu sauce. The brown curry is the other way to go, poured over the cutlet. A side of fried shrimp makes it a feast.

Editor’s tip

Get the pork katsu set with the curry on the side, plus fried shrimp to share.

Make an evening of it — beautiful stops nearby

MIDTOWN, MANHATTAN

Top of the Rock

The deck where the Empire State Building and Central Park both line up correctly.

Scenic View · $$$

~5 min on foot

Grand Central's Main Concourse with its turquoise zodiac ceiling and the opal clock on the information booth

MIDTOWN, MANHATTAN

Grand Central Terminal, Main Concourse

A backwards zodiac, an opal clock, and the landmark fight that saved the city's face.

Architectural Gem · Free

~7 min on foot

Also in the neighborhood

MIDTOWN, MANHATTAN

Ophelia Lounge

A deco supper-club rooftop in the 1928 Beekman Tower, with the Chrysler Building out one window and the river out the other.

Cocktails · Rooftop Bar · $$$

MIDTOWN, MANHATTAN

Keens Steakhouse

An 1885 chophouse with a ceiling of clay pipes and the most famous mutton chop in America.

Steakhouse · Special Occasion · $$$$

Editorial draft — core details last reviewed October 13, 2026. Confirm practical details with the official site before you go.