Tonkatsu

Standard
Type Tonkatsu
Restaurant name Butagumi
Location  〒106-0032 6 Chome−2−31, Minato-ku, Tōkyō-to, Roppongi Hills North Tower B1
Map link  Google Maps
Website http://www.butagumi.com/shokudo/
Write up A colleague in the office was raving about the tonkatsu place near the office so I thought I better give it a go.Essentially a breaded pork cutlet traditionally served with rice and shredded cabbage, however you can also get tonkatsu sandwiches all over Japan.

The main challenge is to decide what choice of piggy you want. From the basic entry level piggy (which lets face it is already going to be pretty amazing) to the other levels of premium pork based on what crazy luxurious lifestyles they live (some sort of royal heritage, fed gourmet food, massaged and pampered until of course they slaughtered to fill your stomach)

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Kitchen was run with military precision and incredibly without so much of a murmur between the chefs. They just knew what to do. To be fair there were two jobs – fry and cut, but they did it very well.

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So here it is. An insanely crispy but extremely light breaded coating.

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Every morsel is saliva generating as you bite through the initial light crispy layer, the teeth then hit the tender pork. Always with a nice balance of fat and meat. Not too much to make you avoid it, just enough to keep each mouthful moist and tasty and just the right amount to not feel too guilty if you have this once a month:

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Instructions for tourists/gaijin on how to eat it:IMG_0428

Unlimited shredded cabbage which you dress with a citrus soy sauce

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Pink salt. No clue why it is pink but a damn good accompaniment to the pork:

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Standard miso soup with the dipping options (Mustard and tonkatsu sauce with the salt)

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Not something to eat weekly, but definitely worth a visit if you are in town.

I went to the Roppongi branch but that original is in Nishi azabu.

They also have a Shabu Shabu only branch which is on the write up list.

Cost ¥1,000-¥3,500
 Rating Food 5/5
Service 3/5
Value for Money 4/5

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