The Malaysian Insider :: Food

Posted: 02 Sep 2011 05:37 PM PDT

Hire Katsu and Ebi Furai Zen of pork fillet and prawns ... a must-try. — Picture by Eu Hooi Khaw

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 3 — A few years ago, on a trip to Tokyo, I was taken to a tonkatsu restaurant that was well-known for these deepfried, crumbed pork cutlets.

It was kurobuta pork, no less, and I got a history lesson from JT on how Japan and Taiwan are the only two countries in the Far East where the Portuguese brought the black pigs, and there they stayed and multiplied.

The restaurant was run by a family, and the father held on tight to his recipe and way of cooking, allowing his wife and daughter to only cut the fresh, sweet cabbage and serve the customers.

Buta Kakuni or braised pork is flavourful here. — Picture by Eu Hooi Khaw

But then he produced the most fantastic tonkatsu, with the breadcrumb coating thin and crispy, the meat tender and succulent, and it being kurobuta pork, brought the flavour, aroma and texture several notches higher.

So it was with this still in my mind that I came to Tonkatsu by Wa Kitchen at the Pavilion Kuala Lumpur.

We zoomed in on the Double-boiled Pork Soup, the Set 2 of Rosu Katsu Zen which is breaded pork loin cutlet with sliced cabbage, tofu, pickles, miso soup and rice, Buta Kakuni or braised pork, Hire Katsu (pork fillet) and Ebi Furai Zen (deepfried breaded prawns). Later, Buta Kushi Yai or pork slices on a skewer was added on.

Before we started on our meal, we had to make our own sauce for the tonkatsu in a small bowl which had deep grooves along the inside and a wooden pestle. We ground roasted sesame seeds in this, which released a wonderful fragrant aroma. Into this was poured a dark sauce of apple cider combined with honey.

The tonkatsu lived up to my expectations. There was this crispy crunch of the coating of golden crumbed pork loin as my teeth sank into succulent, tender pork.

Dipped into the piquant, delicious sauce, it doubled the pleasure. I also liked the cabbage drizzled with this sauce.

We had ordered the deepfried pork fillet of Hire Katsu and Ebi Furai (prawns). It's a good mix for those who want a taste of both. The prawns were smooth, sweet and springy, not overdone, and came with a mayonnaise dip.

Making your own sauce here is fun. — Picture by Eu Hooi Khaw

The Double-Boiled Soup of pork belly, shiitake and shimeji mushrooms and leek was sweet and lovely, and had the natural essence of all these ingredients.

It was the first time I had double-boiled soup in a Japanese restaurant, and I would have this again on my next trip here.

The Buta Kakuni is like our Chinese Tung Po Yook. The chunks of braised belly pork layered with fat were so tender they melted at the bite. I loved the well-balanced sweet sauce the meat was bathed in.

Buta Kushi Yaki is thin pork slices alternating with fat threaded on a stick, as in yakitori, and barbecued.

The meat tasted so good as it was: it had a delicious aroma from the grilling. Have a bite of the juicy spring onion head with this to balance its richness.

There is a wide range of ice-cream for dessert – from macha and sesame to lavender, mango and yoghurt. I had a yoghurt ice-cream which was light and tart and was the perfect ending to a satisfying lunch.

The food is reasonably priced at Tonkatsu, which is good for repeat visits. The Rosu Katsu Zen is RM27, the Hire Katsu and Ebi Furai Zen is RM29. The Pork Soup is RM16, Buta Kakuni RM18, Buta Kushiyaki RM15 (two skewers).

Tonkatsu is located at Lot 6.12 Level 6, Pavilion KL, Jalan Bukit Bintang. Tel: 03-2144 2292.

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

Jumaat, 2 September 2011

The Malaysian Insider :: Food

The Malaysian Insider :: Food

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