Tongkatsu

• last posted gradeGrade A · June 12, 2018
• inspection score35 pts
• critical violations4
• last inspectedMay 29, 2019 →
• address137 Rivington Street, Manhattan 10002
• cuisineJapanese
• phone2122543246

Is Tongkatsu clean?

Tongkatsu is currently listed as closed by NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), as of its inspection on May 29, 2019. That inspection scored 35 points and cited 4 critical violations. A closure means inspectors found conditions serious enough to stop service — it is not the same as a restaurant choosing to shut down, and the listing can change once the problems are fixed and re-inspected. The last grade the city posted here was A on June 12, 2018, before the closure.

What did inspectors find at Tongkatsu?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on May 29, 2019, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.

• 🛠️facility / equipment issue
  Lighting Inadequate
• 📋no certified food supervisor on dutycritical
  Food Protection Certificate not held by supervisor of food operations.
• 🌡️fridge is giving… room tempcritical
  Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation.
• 🍽️food left out / unprotectedcritical
  Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
• ⚠️The original nutritional fact labels and/or ingredient label for a cooking oil, shortening or margarine or food item sold in bulk, or acceptable manufacturer’s documentation not maintained on site.
• 🧽surfaces not properly sanitizedcritical
  Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
• 🛠️surfaces / setup not up to code
  Non-food contact surface improperly constructed. Unacceptable material used. Non-food contact surface or equipment improperly maintained and/or not properly sealed, raised, spaced or movable to allow accessibility for cleaning on all sides, above and underneath the unit.

When was Tongkatsu last inspected?

Tongkatsu has 2 inspections on record going back to June 12, 2018, averaging 24 points.

Tongkatsu vs Lower East Side

Lower East Side runs 75% clean across 194 tracked restaurants — 123 clean, 8 mid, 33 cooked.

Against the 194 spots Cooked tracks in Lower East Side, this one comes out cleaner than 0% of them.

Other spots in Lower East Side

• A The Dancer
  clean · May 13, 2025
• A Davelle
  clean · April 20, 2026
• B Kopitiam
  mid · April 22, 2025
• A Tokuyama Cafe
  clean · April 22, 2026
• A Kossar's
  clean · August 18, 2026
• A Hawa Smoothie
  clean · August 20, 2026

See every restaurant inspection in Lower East Side →

How New York grades restaurants

New York City health inspectors score violations in points, and lower is better: 0–13 points earns an A, 14–27 a B, and 28 or more a C. Every restaurant is inspected at least once a year, and the letter has to be posted in the window. A restaurant that scores 14 or more on the first inspection of a cycle does not get a letter right away — it stays “Grade Pending” until a re-inspection settles it, which is why some spots here show an hourglass instead of a letter. Cooked only ever shows a letter the city actually posted; we never infer one from a score.

Read the New York ratings guide →

Inspection findings and available history come from the authority’s published records. Cooked checks daily; publication can lag behind an inspection. Read the date on each result and check the official source for newer information.

Source: NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) via NYC Open Data. Cooked refreshes this data daily — this listing's most recent inspection is dated May 29, 2019. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.

check your own block 📸

Cooked covers 10 cities on official inspection data — see who's clean, mid, or cooked near you.