Dishspotting: Tonkatsu

We’ll travel almost anywhere to get great ethnic food. Luckily, in New York, you don’t have to travel very far.  Hop a train to Astoria for great Greek, Flushing for Szechuan, or head to Jackson Heights’ “Little Tibet” to satisfy a momo craving. Right now, we’re obsessed with Japanese food and we’re not talking about sushi or soba.  It’s katsu that’s got our attention lately.  Truth be told, there’s nothing super unique about a breaded, deep-fried cutlet.  Almost every culture has one.  (Schnitzel and chicken parmigiana come to mind.) But what sets a Japanese cutlet, aka katsu, apart is the phenomenally crispy coating, the result of panko breading.

Japan has several kinds of katsu, some made with pork, others with fish ground beef, or chicken. And they not only differ by protein, but also by thickness.  The most popular, and for our money, the best is tonkatsu (ton means pork).  Restaurants that specialize in katsu often give you a bowl of miso soup along, a small small mortar & pestle and sesame seeds. Crush the sesame seeds, then mix into the tonkatsu sauce to create a nutty, thick sauce for your entree.  Katsu traditionally comes with shredded cabbage, rice, or curry.   There’s even a tonkatsu “cutlet sandwich” served on soft white bread.

In New York, your best bet for tonkatsu are the two Katsu-hama outposts in midtown.  This is as traditional as its gets in Manhattan and it’s ideal at lunchtime.  If you don’t have time for a sit-down meal, head to the nearest Sunrise Mart for quick-serve katsu. We’re partial to the SoHo location, which serves an excellent version of this cutlet every which way, including over soba, udon, in a donburi rice bowl, and mixed with curry sauce.  While it’s quick, the katsu proves crunch outside and moist inside.  Oh, and they nail the rice, so we recommend a donburi bowl.  And if you’re looking for a late-night fix to prevent a next day hangover, Yakitori Taisho in the East Village is a good bet.

Katsu-Hama
Address: 11 E. 47th between Madison and Fifth Aves.
Phone: 212-758-5909
Website: www.katsuhama.com

Sunrise Mart
Address: 494 Broome St. between Wooster and W. Broadway
Phone: 212-219-0033

Yakitori Taisho
Address: 5 St. Mark’s Place
Phone: (212)228-5086

RG Writer: Lauren Bloomberg