How to eat tonkatsu | Grind your own sesame sauce, but what do you do with the mortar?
“Tonkatsu” (breaded and fried pork cutlet) is a beloved dish throughout Japan. There are actually a great variety of ways to enjoy this classic favorite. We were particularly fascinated by a specialty restaurant that serves tonkatsu with a surigoma (ground sesame) sauce, and we’ve asked about their recommended methods to enjoy this dish.
【Advised by】Tonkatsu Shinjuku Saboten（とんかつ新宿さぼてん）
Table of Contents
Make your surigoma (ground sesame) sauce
After ordering tonkatsu, make your surigoma (ground sesame) sauce while you wait for your dish to arrive. The mortar contains white sesame seeds. Grind with the pestle until about 70% of the sesame seeds are crushed.
Once the sesame becomes fragrant, pour in sauce to fill the mortar about 30% of the way.
Enjoy the cabbage before the tonkatsu
After making your sauce, help yourself to the shredded cabbage. By eating the cabbage before the tonkatsu, the dietary fiber will help to control absorption of fat.
Top the cabbage with your preference of the provided dressings, such as yuzu (an aromatic citrus) or sesame. And of course, you can also use tonkatsu sauce.
First, try the tonkatsu as it comes
When your tonkatsu arrives, first, carefully observe the breading. Golden brown, spiky projections are called kendachi, which literally means “standing sword”. The presence of kendachi is a sign of perfectly fried tonkatsu.
First, try the tonkatsu without any salt or sauce. Enjoy the texture of your first hearty bite, and savor the mellow, rich flavor of the pork together with the sweetness of the fat. As the end pieces are fattier, we recommend starting from the middle.
Enjoy a variety of flavors!
After appreciating the flavor of the tonkatsu by itself, let’s try a variety of ways to season it. Lately, many tonkatsu restaurants provide rock salt. Squeeze on some of the included lemon and add a dash of rock salt to create a light, fresh counterpoint to the rich pork.
At long last, the ground sesame sauce comes into play. Instead of pouring the sauce over, it’s best to dip pieces of tonkatsu into the mortar. The subtle fragrance of white sesame and the mild sweetness of the sauce are a perfect combination.
Try topping a slice of tonkatsu with a mound of daikon oroshi (ground daikon radish), a scattering of konegi (minced spring onion shoots), and a splash of ponzu (citrus-based sauce) for an elegant, light bite.
Enjoy with rice
Slices of tonkatsu dipped into ground sesame sauce simply must be accompanied by steamed white rice. As the fat from the pork melts into the sauce, each bite is perfectly matched by fluffy rice. Don’t miss this harmonious combination next time you try tonkatsu.
* The published information is current as of August 2022. Prices and other details are subject to change.
Established 1966, this Tonkatsu specialty restaurant has expanded throughout Japan and even overseas. Saboten is said to be the originator of pairing tonkatsu with ground sesame sauce. Their wide range of popular dishes feature pork brands such as Kenbi Pork, Sangen Pork, and even their own proprietary brand, “SaboRED”.
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