Mr. Tonkatsu: Dedicated to its Craft

Interiors of Mr. Tonkatsu

Have you ever had trouble deciphering the difference between tonkatsu and tonkotsu?  Well, you're in luck because Mr. Tonkatsu will set you straight.  It's a shrine that worships the Japanese fried pork cutlet (tonkatsu), not the milky broth of ramen (tonkotsu) that some, the unfaithful, would confuse it with.  Their pig mascot dressed in Japanese garb and armed with a sword is yet another subtle hint that pork clearly is their specialty, but you are welcome to choose other fried Panko-battered cutlets (or "katsus") such as chicken, beef, or fish as part of your set.

The Tonkatsu Sampler
(From left to right: pork sirloin, pork tenderloin, chicken)

The tonkatsu sampler consists of pork sirloin and tenderloin katsus as well as chicken katsu, a great set for the indecisive.  The waiter explained that the pork sirloin is the most popular katsu and also has the "softest" texture.  As expected, the pork tenderloin was "firmer" but it was still quite tender in its own right.  Regardless of preference, both cutlets were juicy.  The chicken cutlet was on the bland side but there was a sweet and sticky sauce in a teardrop vessel to remedy that.  As an added novelty, you grind your personal supply of sesame seeds with a mortar and wooden pestle to give your sauce extra flavour and aroma.

Salad Dressing and Sesame Seeds

How to Enjoy Tonkatsu

The best feature of the katsu is still the crispy and far reaching deep fried Panko batter exterior.  Admittedly, although tasty, the batter holds a good amount of oil.  It's not as light as it could be but at least the katsu sits on a metal rack to allow excess oil to drip through and to preserve it's crispiness.

Accompanying the katsu is a bowl of miso, shredded cabbage and steamed rice, sides which are all refillable.  The shredded cabbage is incredibly dry and bland, perhaps to absorb all the grease from your katsu?  It's a moot point though, because you end up drenching the cabbage with sesame oil dressing anyways.  

The Fish Katsu Set is accompanied with Tartar Sauce

Nevertheless, the wait staff are friendly and attentive.  Without even looking up, our waiter replenished our sauces by squirting them directly into our bowls!

Japanese Style Deep Fried Chicken

You can't say Mr. Tonkatsu is not dedicated to their craft but be prepared for a heavy meal.  It's a relatively good option when you have a craving for fried food but it can be off-putting otherwise as everything on menu, including the appetizers, is deep fried.  Unfortunately, the cabbage doesn't help...

Mr. Tonkatsu

520 Bloor Street West

Toronto, ON M5S 1Y3

Canada

Date Visited:  March 30, 2015

Beat the Heat with the Refreshingly Icy Mool Naengmyun at Cho Sun Ok

Cho Sun Ok Korean Restaurant

7353 Yonge Street

Thornhill, ON L3T 2B3

905-707-8426

Date visited:  July 5, 2014

Side Dishes that accompany your Meal

I can't imagine a more perfect place to eat than Cho Sun Ok on a sweltering day in Toronto. Why?  Because their signature dish Mool Naengmyun literally transports you to the heart of Alaska!

Cold, chewy and thin arrowroot noodles are served in a wondrously icy broth.  The broth itself is so complex and delicious.  It's sweet yet tangy and it has a deep beef flavour.  The homemade red pepper sauce gives it a subtle kick and the sesame seeds and oil give it an astounding aroma!  Still, the coolest thing about this slushy broth - if your not careful - is that it can give you brain freeze!  It's such a strangely unique concept (at least to me) that is fully thought out... I mean, the Mool Naengmyun is served in a stainless steel bowl so that the broth stays chilled while you consume it.

Along with a boiled egg, the Mool Naengmyun is also served with notoriously refreshing and crunchy ingredients such as slivers of cucumber, pickled daikon, and a slice of pear.  What an awesome combination of ingredients to give a contrast to those chewy noodles!  It's a true winner to help you stay as cool as a cucumber (I know, I couldn't resist).

I didn't want to end this post without saying that Cho Sun Ok is not afraid of heating things up either.  Cho Sun Ok is home to one of my favourite incarnations of Gemja Tang, commonly known as pork bone soup.  The pork neck meat is just so tender that it is easily coaxed off their bones - fall off the bone if you will.  You roughly get four hunks of meat in a well developed broth with potatoes and onions.  But it's the generous garnishing of perilla seeds and green onions that really take the cake for me.  It makes for such an aromatic soup!  I highly recommended!