Tonkatsu (2004-03-22)
Many people will undoubtedly associate shushi and sashimi with
Japan's national food. Besides these two, other
signature food has been serving Japanese appetite for many years
and a staple dish on the dinner table in many families. One of
them is tonkatsu, deep-fried breaded pork chops. "Ton" means pork
and "katsu" is borrowed from the English word cutlet. It is
very popular among Japanese salarymen at lunch time and a dish
housewives often make at home. In fact many ingredients are
breaded in panko ( bread crumbs) and deep fried, such as my
favorite fried prawns and fried scallops.
We always go to a tonkatsu franchise restaurant when we feel like having it. It is called Wako and can be found in many places such as the restaurant floor of many department stores. Their juicy and tender pork encased in a golden crispy crust fried to perfection is served on a wire rack on the plate with a mountain high of finely shredded cabbage. There are also fried prawns, oysters ( depending on the season) and chicken on their menu. The restaurant offers set meals that come with different side dishes so you can pick and choose the combination you want. They also provide unlimited refills on rice, cabbage and miso soup. At about US$7-15 a set, it really is good eat in Tokyo.
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