Tonteki @ Tontekiya Yamada Rosu, Hakata, Fukuoka

 

Tucked literally in the middle of suburbia hides this amazing gem. Seriously, if not for my usual evening walks around my area, I would not have known this place exists. Tontekiya Yamada Rosu is an establishment that sells well, tonteki! For the uninitiated, tonteki is grilled pork chop, which is a distant cousin of the tonkatsu, which is a deep fried pork cutlet. It is not as famous as its deep fried relative, but that does not mean it would be any less amazing. And this place really is on a mission to show you that the grilled version can be as good, if not better. 

What a simple menu. 

They only serve their wares during lunch time and they only have 2 things on the menu, tonteki or shougayaki, which is pork fried in garlic. As Tonteki is what is highlighted in their name, it just makes so much sense to order what they proudly display right? One serving is 1400 yen where the price will fluctuate depending on the portion of the rice that you order. This is a slightly spicy price when it comes to lunch time treats, but it is really worth the money. 

Beautiful!

I have no idea how they make their pork chops the way they do, but it is really good. When it appears on your plate, it already boasts a good amount of fat and the slick sauce just shimmers like no tomorrow. Those words do sound like they are a bit excessive. But really, photos do not do it justice.It was nice of them to slice the pork into pieces as well, making easier for me to chow down. But when the chow down does happen, it was otherworldly. 

Juicy

It was incredibly tender, as though a sous vide took place prior to the finishing touches. The sauce was sweet and salty but not to the point that it was like teriyaki. There was hints of savouriness to it which I love. There was also hints of cooked garlic at the back of the throat as well. And when paired with wasabi, it becomes simply explosive. How can pork this simple taste so good? Really, this is something where the looks are so deceiving. Do not judge a book by its cover, as the saying goes. The meal is accompanied with shredded cabbage and some miso soup, like any decent teishoku restaurant. honestly, the cabbage is very normal. However, they work as a very good mop to sweep up all that decadent sauce. Hey better not waste that liquid gold. 

Such an unassuming entrance but perfection awaits.

It should be noted that this place can serve up to 10 people max at a given time. As such, you may want to refrain from bringing in a big crowd. And they only serve lunch. Having said that, I have visited this place many times despite those small limitations. So if you are a porky lover, or just want something tasty, Tontekiya Yamada Rosu is worth the visit. Yes, it is not located within Hakata city center, but if you like to add some adventure to your food hunting, then why not try explore the suburbia for something surprising? The address is as follows:

〒812-0016 Fukuoka, Hakata Ward, Hakataekiminami, 4 Chome−11−28 Oshima building No 107