Menchi Katsu @ Niku no Suzuki, Yanaka Ginza, Tokyo.

If you have been following the TOG for some time, you would probably see a plethora of fried Japanese dishes to really savour. And to keep on trucking with that trend, let me introduce to you a spectacular morsel that is not very well known outside Japan, but deserves the attention of food lovers everywhere: the menchi katsu. 

The front of the infamous shop. 

Imagine a deep fried burger patty, and you probably get the idea. It is minced meat packed into a patty and then deep fried after its been coated with crunch bread crumbs. The mince usually consists of beef or pork. Some do even make the mince out of the combination of the two. Certain veggies like chives, onions and cabbage are added to add more flavour and texture to this golden treasure. And no one does it better that Niku no Suzuki (肉のすずき). 

Golden delights

Directly translated as "the Suzuki of Meat", Niku no Suzuki specialises in this deep fried meat patty. No guessing who is the shop owner of this joint now.  Its reputation is also legendary. So legendary in fact that it has been featured in various TV shows in Japan and internationally. There were photos of various celebrities that visited adorning the outer rims of the shop. Does its reputation lived up to the hype though? It really did for me.

Simple beauty

The meat patties came out from the fryer just as I was in line. And the smell of the fried bread crumbs was an aroma which was simply intoxicating. A great precursor to the experience.The outer shell had a great crunch and was well seasoned. The meat patty inside was juicy and exploded with flavour. There was a flood of meaty aroma and there was a distinct garlic flavour, probably coming from the negitama (welsh onion) that is usually used in Japanese cooking. The meat was packed really well and you can feel the bits of the mince as you dig through. No fillers like those frozen beef patties, oh no sir! This was pure unadulterated goodness. 

Scrumptious meaty center. 

Each menchi katsu stands at a paltry sum of ¥230, which to me is a great bargain considering how good this tasted. There were also patrons that bought boxes of it to be brought home. Whoever is going to receive that box is a person I envy. The shop also sells other tasty treats such as grilled pork (toro toro yakibuta) which is similar to chinese charshu than Japanese charshu. But alas it was not meant to be, as I do not have a kitchen to slice the porky delight. 

The iconic Yuyake-danden steps. 

Located in the shopping street of Yanaka Ginza, Niku no Suzuki is a place that deserves that slight detour in the event you are in the Nippori area. If you are keen in giving this place a try, which I believe you should, the address is as follows:

3 Chome-15-5 Nishinippori, 
Arakawa-ku, Tōkyō-to 
116-0013, Japan