Tonkatsu Fujii

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"Tonkatsu, or breaded and deep fried pork, is best known as a greasy, hearty Japanese comfort food. However, French-trained chef Fujii Kazuhiro brings nuance to the dish by incorporating patisserie technique in the batter and unusual flavors such as red wine sauce. He sources high end pork such as the Iwachu breed from Iwate and Tokyo-X, the “Rolls-Royce of pork” famed for its marbled meat. Kazuhiro also uses a careful blend of oils and cooks certain parts at higher temperatures for maximum lusciousness. Dig into tender cutlets with a touch of fat and slightly sweet meat, pink in the middle with juicy gravy, and you’ll understand why this tiny counter received a Michelin Bib Gourmand award. Must-try dish: Reserve the tonkatsu omakase course in advance to try a little bit of everything. The ever-changing set might include fillet of pork from Gunma, a deep fried kushikatsu skewer, and curry-flavored minced cutlet with sides of rice, red miso, and tonkatsu sauce (a savory-sweet blend of soy sauce, ketchup, mustard, and mirin)." - La Carmina

"The chef came over from the world of French cuisine to fry tonkatsu. Ingredients and cooking techniques are a complex mix of various elements, creating flavours found nowhere else. Wielding a blend of multiple oils, the chef lends his skills as a baker to the coating. Red wine accentuates the sauce. Experience inspires the ideas of this chef, who was indelibly impressed by the tonkatsu craftsmen of Tokyo. A chance meeting that changed a life, resulting in beautiful flavours." - Michelin Inspector

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"Fried tonkatsu by a former French cuisine chef. Continental touches such as pâtisserie technique applied to batter and sauce made with red wine create a distinctive take on this popular favourite." - MICHELIN Guide Japan