40 Years of Tonkatsu.

by Tokyo Terrace on May 31, 2009

Who would want to make Tonkatsu for 40 years, you might ask?

This guy…

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And he’s darn good at it.

Tonight, Brad and I went to a Tonkatsu restaurant in Yoga. Tonkatsu is basically breaded and fried pork drizzled with a delicious sauce and served with a side of fresh cabbage. It is SO delicious.

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The surprising thing is the amount of care that can be put into such a simple meal. I took many more pictures than I was able to fit here, but I tried to pick the best ones.

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Out of their modest restaurant, the man and his wife make some of the best tonkatsu around. The fanciest piece of equipment they use is a grinder for sesame seeds. Everything else remains traditional.

We ordered our meals: katsudon and tonkatsu. Katsudon is tonkatsu, sliced, cooked in sauce and egg.

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Every step of the process is carefully executed. From pounding the meat on the wooden stump (the same one he’s used for 40 years), to coating the pork cutlets with bread crumbs, gently pressing them into the meat in the exact same way for each order.

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I could have watched him make tonkatsu for hours. His shy face never faced the camera, but you can see in the deep dimples in his cheeks and crows feet at the corners of his eyes that he loves his work.

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These experiences are what I love about Japan. It’s like watching my Grandma Smith make fried chicken or when my Grandpa Smith used to make gravy and biscuits. Simple. Delicious. Worthy of pride.

More to come on this experience…

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  • http://thesophisticatedgourmet.blogspot.com/ Kamran Siddiqi (The Sophistica

    The tokatsu looks great! I wish I had some now… Also, the pictures are phenomenal! Great job. Thanks for sharing!

  • http://thesophisticatedgourmet.blogspot.com/ Kamran Siddiqi (The Sophisticated Gourmet)

    The tokatsu looks great! I wish I had some now… Also, the pictures are phenomenal! Great job. Thanks for sharing!

  • vicariousmom

    I want tokatsu! Looks delicious!
    The cabbage looks beautiful and tasty.
    A celebration of textures.
    Great photos and commentary.
    The reference to your sweet, southern grandparents was a nice personalization.

  • vicariousmom

    I want tokatsu! Looks delicious!
    The cabbage looks beautiful and tasty.
    A celebration of textures.
    Great photos and commentary.
    The reference to your sweet, southern grandparents was a nice personalization.

  • http://www.minnesotaimage.com/ Jenn

    Great blog post! I live the photos. (Especially the one with all the equipment.) I had tokatsu from the place by where you had band practice. It was Yummy! You’re blog makes me hungry for it again.

  • http://www.minnesotaimage.com Jenn

    Great blog post! I live the photos. (Especially the one with all the equipment.) I had tokatsu from the place by where you had band practice. It was Yummy! You’re blog makes me hungry for it again.

  • Rebecca

    Tell us about the cabbage side! Is it dressed with anything? How, exactly, do you make the cabbage so tiny and eatable? I know you said you’d write more on this meal … but inquiring minds want to know!

    I’m making peach sorbet on this beautiful, summery, Minnesota day. It’s gonna be tasty! Woot woot!

  • Rebecca

    Tell us about the cabbage side! Is it dressed with anything? How, exactly, do you make the cabbage so tiny and eatable? I know you said you’d write more on this meal … but inquiring minds want to know!

    I’m making peach sorbet on this beautiful, summery, Minnesota day. It’s gonna be tasty! Woot woot!

  • kissmyspatula

    this looks absolutely amazing! i want to be there RIGHT NOW!!

  • kissmyspatula

    this looks absolutely amazing! i want to be there RIGHT NOW!!

  • Aunt J in Hendersonville

    Tokatsu sounds and looks declicious!
    Terrific post, the photography just gets better
    & better…
    Loved the reference to Mom & Daddy. Made me
    smile. I have pics of them preparing those dishes
    but pics aren’t necessary; the images are clear in
    my head – most especially their hands…
    Your blog is a joy, a delicious treat I’ve come to look forward to.

  • Aunt J in Hendersonville

    Tokatsu sounds and looks declicious!
    Terrific post, the photography just gets better
    & better…
    Loved the reference to Mom & Daddy. Made me
    smile. I have pics of them preparing those dishes
    but pics aren’t necessary; the images are clear in
    my head – most especially their hands…
    Your blog is a joy, a delicious treat I’ve come to look forward to.

  • http://spiritedmiuflavor.blogspot.com/ Spirited Miu Flavor

    I am very impressed with his concentration on his work… Thank you for sharing, now we can see his effort instead of just the picture of a dish :) Well, not to say food-only pictures are bad. It’s just… they’re more beautiful with humans I guess. This inspired me for further posts

  • http://spiritedmiuflavor.blogspot.com Spirited Miu Flavor

    I am very impressed with his concentration on his work… Thank you for sharing, now we can see his effort instead of just the picture of a dish :) Well, not to say food-only pictures are bad. It’s just… they’re more beautiful with humans I guess. This inspired me for further posts

  • http://livetheblife.com/ Kori (All Things B.)

    Awesome photos Rachael! The shot of the sauce is so lovely.

  • http://livetheblife.com Kori (All Things B.)

    Awesome photos Rachael! The shot of the sauce is so lovely.

  • tokyoterrace

    Kori: Thanks! The photos were so much fun to take- I think I left with about 200 photos at the end of the night!

    Sprited Miu Flavor: It is amazing to see how concentrated he was. It was so fun to watch him enjoying his work so much.

    Aunt J: He truly reminded me of Grandma and Grandpa. Not sure if it was just the sweetness in his face or the type of cooking he was doing, but something brought them into my head.

  • tokyoterrace

    Kori: Thanks! The photos were so much fun to take- I think I left with about 200 photos at the end of the night!

    Sprited Miu Flavor: It is amazing to see how concentrated he was. It was so fun to watch him enjoying his work so much.

    Aunt J: He truly reminded me of Grandma and Grandpa. Not sure if it was just the sweetness in his face or the type of cooking he was doing, but something brought them into my head.

  • tokyoterrace

    kissmyspatula: It is so good! I want to be there all the time…it’s quite addicting…

  • tokyoterrace

    kissmyspatula: It is so good! I want to be there all the time…it’s quite addicting…

  • tokyoterrace

    Jenn: I wish we would have known about this place when you were here- it was SO much better than the bento place down the street. Oh man…

  • tokyoterrace

    Jenn: I wish we would have known about this place when you were here- it was SO much better than the bento place down the street. Oh man…

  • tokyoterrace

    vicariousmom: You would love Tonkatsu. It is definitely down your alley…not so much healthy though. oh well- gotta indluge occasionally!

    Kamran: Thanks! The photos are my favorite part of the whole experience- next to eating his delicious food, that is!

  • tokyoterrace

    vicariousmom: You would love Tonkatsu. It is definitely down your alley…not so much healthy though. oh well- gotta indluge occasionally!

    Kamran: Thanks! The photos are my favorite part of the whole experience- next to eating his delicious food, that is!

  • tokyoterrace

    Rebecca: No dressing on the cabbage. I just squeeze the lemon juice over it and then maybe some sauce (I can’t get enough of the sauce). More to come…patience, sister. Patience :)

  • tokyoterrace

    Rebecca: No dressing on the cabbage. I just squeeze the lemon juice over it and then maybe some sauce (I can’t get enough of the sauce). More to come…patience, sister. Patience :)

  • tokyoterrace

    Rebecca: No dressing on the cabbage. I just squeeze the lemon juice over it and then maybe some sauce (I can’t get enough of the sauce). More to come…patience, sister. Patience :)

  • tokyoterrace

    Rebecca: No dressing on the cabbage. I just squeeze the lemon juice over it and then maybe some sauce (I can’t get enough of the sauce). More to come…patience, sister. Patience :)

  • http://www.lafujimama.com/ Fuji Mama

    Such a fabulous post. That is definitely one of the things I love and miss about Japan–how much pride and love many people put into their craft. Mmmmm, now I’m really “homesick” for some good tonkatsu!

  • http://www.lafujimama.com Fuji Mama

    Such a fabulous post. That is definitely one of the things I love and miss about Japan–how much pride and love many people put into their craft. Mmmmm, now I’m really “homesick” for some good tonkatsu!

  • http://www.pigpigscorner.com/ pigpigscorner

    Absolutely mouth-watering. He looks so careful with every step he makes.

  • http://www.pigpigscorner.com pigpigscorner

    Absolutely mouth-watering. He looks so careful with every step he makes.

  • http://imadumpling.wordpress.com/ imadumpling

    I want this now…I need to go to a japanese restaurant sometime soon. Beautiful photos, too.

  • http://imadumpling.wordpress.com imadumpling

    I want this now…I need to go to a japanese restaurant sometime soon. Beautiful photos, too.

  • http://www.lynettesnewhobby.blogspot.com/ Crazy About Cakes

    What a great blog! I really enjoyed reading this post. I will definitely be checking back.
    ~Lynette

  • http://www.lynettesnewhobby.blogspot.com Crazy About Cakes

    What a great blog! I really enjoyed reading this post. I will definitely be checking back.
    ~Lynette

  • tokyoterrace

    Lynette: Thank you for the comment! Glad you enjoyed your first visit!

  • tokyoterrace

    Lynette: Thank you for the comment! Glad you enjoyed your first visit!

  • tokyoterrace

    Yes- it is soooo good! Definitely something I will miss when we are in the states for the summer! The photos were easy to take- it was such an interesting place and love photographing everything.

  • tokyoterrace

    Yes- it is soooo good! Definitely something I will miss when we are in the states for the summer! The photos were easy to take- it was such an interesting place and love photographing everything.

  • oysterculture

    loved the pics and the story, of course I know the food had to be darn tasty. the fact that he made one thing for all that time, is I think one of the reasons I love Asian food so much, they really tend to specialize.

  • oysterculture

    loved the pics and the story, of course I know the food had to be darn tasty. the fact that he made one thing for all that time, is I think one of the reasons I love Asian food so much, they really tend to specialize.

  • mari

    I miss Tonkatsu in Japan… You can’t get a really crispy and tasty one in the US (especially in SF). Great photos… I can even hear the “saku saku” sound from your photo… I’m droolling over your photos!

  • mari

    I miss Tonkatsu in Japan… You can’t get a really crispy and tasty one in the US (especially in SF). Great photos… I can even hear the “saku saku” sound from your photo… I’m droolling over your photos!

  • http://thewhitesintokyo.wordpress.com/2009/06/07/tonkatsu/ Tonkatsu « The Whites in Tokyo

    [...] 40 Years of Tonkatsu [...]

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