Tonkatsu (“ton” means “pork”; “katsu,” “cutlet”) is one of many dishes, along with hambagu (hamburger steak) and kare raisu (curry rice), that are broadly categorized within Japanese cuisine as Yoshoku: European or American dishes that have been embraced and adapted to suit local tastes. When I spoke to Tadashi Ono, author of Japanese Soul Cooking (2013), about the crisp, panko-crusted chops, he rhapsodized about the food that has been his favorite since childhood, calling it both “easy to make” and “easy to eat.”
The dish’s East-West provenance traces to 1899 Tokyo at Renga-tei restaurant (which still operates today in the elite Ginza district), where it was created as a twist on France’s côtelette de veau. Looking to reshape the buttery breaded and sautéed meat for Japanese preferences, the chef married tempura frying techniques with a classic bound breading. Instead of veal, he dipped less-expensive
