'Tonkatsu by Terazawa: Wait till you try this tonkatsu'

MANILA, Philippines - As tonkatsu restaurants continue to pop up in different places in the metro, the Bistro Group- the chain of restaurants that brought TGI Fridays, Italianni's, Fish & Co., FlapJacks and eight others- brings its own to the table with Tonkatsu by Terawaza, the first Philippine franchise of the Japan-based chain.

The restaurant's delectable Japanese delights were first offered to branches in Japan, Singapore and Malaysia before making its way to the Philippines.

Tonkatsu by Terazawa, created by Japanese restarateur and chef Akinori Terazawa, takes pride in its traditional Japanese method of preparing tonkatsu, by carefully aging the meat wrapped in white cloth.

The cooks also pay attention to the quality of the breading mix which uses nama panko, or soft bread crumbs.

"Wait till you try my tonkatsu," is the restaurant's teaser, but for Chef Terazawa, it's also a promise of a memorable dining experience.

Along with a serving of the tasty pork cutlets, each meal also comes with unlimited servings of Japanese rice, shredded cabbage and a hot bowl of tonjiru, or pork-flavored miso soup.

"Dip the katsu in the house-blended tonkatsu sauce (with sesame seeds to ehance flavor and aroma), with a pinch of Japanese salt and include a good amount of shredded cabbage in between bites," Chef Terazawa said.

Among the restaurant's famous starters is the Chasoba Salad (P190), a serving of green tea-flavored noodles with lettuce, scrambled egg, thin strips of ham, tomatoes and seaweed. The combination of ingredients make for a flavorful treat.

The restaurant's signature dishes also include the Tokusen Kurobuta Rosu Katsu Set (P575), a sumptuous serving of premium, deep fried black pork loin and its fillet counterpart, Tokusen Kurobuta Ippon Hire Katsu (P575).

For seafood lovers, the Deep Fried Prawn Set (P775) is a must-try, along with the Deep Fried Oyster Set (P395) whose main ingredient is imported from Japan. The seafood sets come with tartar sauce instead of the usual tonkatsu sauce, but anyone's free to experiment.

Tonkatsu by Terazawa also features the Wafu Negioroshi Katsu Set (P425), crispy-fried pork cutlets topped with raddish and onion. The dish comes with a sauce of its own that complements very well with the vegetables and the flavor of the pork.

For desserts, one should try the Frozen Green Tea (P125), a delectable serving of thick green tea ice cream sandwiched between soft meringue and cookie crumbles.

The Bistro Group's Tonkatsu by Terazawa is located in Greenbelt 2 beside Italianni's. The restaurant is open from 11 a.m.-12 midnight on Sundays to Thursdays and 11-1 a.m. on Fridays to Saturdays.