MANILA, Philippines - A new Japanese pork cutlet restaurant has come to the country and is seeking to get a sizable portion of the "good [Philippine] market."
Kimukatsu Philippines has opened its first restaurant at the Shangri-La Plaza in Mandaluyong City and is planning to put up four more stores within three years.
"The second restaurant will be in Century City in Makati . We are always looking for premier locations," said Kenji Komuro, Kimukatsu Philippines Director of Public Relations.
The Bonifacio Global City in Taguig is another location that the restaurant is eyeing.
"Our target market is the 'A' and 'B'," he added.
Komuro said the Philippine branch is the fifth international restaurant of Kimukatsu, which has a branch in Hawaii, US; two branches in Los Angeles,US; and one in Seoul, South Korea. In Japan, Kimukatsu has 19 restaurant branches.
Although Komuro conceded that Kimukatsu is late in coming in to the Philippine market, he said they're confident that they offer better pork cutlet than those served by the competition.
For one, Komuro said Kimukatsu is banking on its specialty - crispy, texture-rich batter surrounding a flavorful 25-layered select pork cutlet. The Japanese chef also esnures that all their pork are of highest quality.
Another is that the restaurant offers eight varieties of pork cutlet - plain, garlic, black pepper, cheese, negi shio (marinated spring onion), yuzu kosho (yuzu fruits and green chili pepper) and Ume Shiso (Japanese sour plum and shiso leaf katsu).