Tonkatsu @ Tonkatsu Katsushin, Solaria Stage, Tenjin

 

It is that time again, its crunch time! Specifically something that is deep fried, golden, and crunchy, and nothing to do with dealing with deadlines or angry emails. I mean it is still a food blog, so I got to keep with the theme here. With that in mind, let me introduce to you to another tonkatsu place worth giving a shout out. 

Oh hello there. 

Tonkatsu Katsushin, or just Katsushin is a tonkatsu joint that has been around for years and seem to have created a decent following in this side of town. I actually pass by this place at least once a week as it is located dead center in the city center, but it is after 5 years, I have decided to give this place a try. And being my first time, it would only make sense to get their standard meal set, which stands at a modest 1264 yen. That is not too bad, considering the location. 

What a beauty

The whole package was pretty good too. It has all the trimmings of what you would expect. The fried pork takes the centerstage while it is accompanied with some rice, a mountain of cabbage, and miso soup. However, for a bit of culinary flair you are given an extra option for your to level up your porky experience. Before you are served your meal, the staff brought out some sesame seeds in a grinding bowl. It is actually for you to grind up the roasted sesame and mix it with the other sauces on the table for you to pair with your fried pork. 

So juicy

But before adding all the extra condiments, it would just make sense to have a piece of the golden porky delight on its own. And indeed, it was delightful and porky. The outer shell was a crusty perfection, where the crunch reverberates your jaw without being too hard of a bite. The meat itself was quite fresh, so you do not have that bacon funk that you might get in a lower end place. And the overall pork was pretty good. I like the fact that despite being a deep fried item, it was rather clean and did not cause a cloying feel in my mouth. 

Saucy

After that, I did combine some of the tonkatsu sauce on the table with the grounded sesame seeds and used it as a dipping sauce. The sauce was pretty good and had a fruity and spicy profile to it. Definitely tasted homemade. The sesame provided a dimension of depth and texture. Crumbly bits of sesame did make everything more interesting. The outer parts of the pork provided that craggily surface area for the sauce to just latch onto, making it a great adhesive to the sauce, if that makes sense. 

Weapons of choice. So many to choose from.

And like all tonkatsu meals, the cabbage and soup help wash everything down. Honestly, I have to say that this was the perfect tonkatsu meal. It is not flashy but yet pretty enjoyable as it was able to hit every note right. Tonkatsu is not something fancy to be honest, and you can only stretch your creativity with fried pork. But when you have the basics down good, that is all you need in bring in returning customers. 

Another shot of the outside.
And trust me, the term "illustration only, results may vary" does not apply here. 

So if you are looking for something porky and sinful but still pretty lean on the oil and to your wallet, Katsushin should be put on your radar. If you fancy a go, the address is as follows:

B2 Solaria Stage, 2 Chome-11 Tenjin, Chuo Ward, Fukuoka, 810-0001