Pork Tonkatsu on a Bed of Bean Sprouts

There has been an influx of Japanese or Japanese-style fastfood in Manila for the past several years which introduced the average Juan dela Cruz who earns within or just above the minimum wage to chopsticks (as another means of getting food into the mouth), Bento boxes (that eliminate cluttering in the plate) and soy-wasabi that can potentially displace toyo-mansi in the Pinoy vocabulary.

I never, ever imagined that I'll be eating raw fish in my entire life until sashimi and maki took me by the mouth! And what followed was a frenzy to try other unpronounceable but delectable dishes that is now part of the daily office lunch fare. I particularly like chilled soba with nori and shreds of crab meat.


Most Japanese-style fast food stores in Manila offer familiar dishes that don't intimidate the uninitiated like teriyaki, miso soup and yes, noodles! They are priced reasonably, too. One value meal at Karate Kid will cost you just P120.00 with bottomless red iced tea.

As a newbie to Japanese dining, Japanese-style fast food is a great entry point to familiarize one's self to the taste and flavor spectrum that Japanese cuisine offers.

Of course, being the Quack Chef that I am, I prepared a Quack Japanese dish that is also as Pinoy as Ginisang Togue.


Pork Tonkatsu

300g Pork Chop (About 3 pcs)
1/4 cup flour
1 small pack Japanese Bread crumbs
1 pc Egg, lightly beaten with
1 pea-sized squirt of Wasabi
Oil for frying
500g long Bean sprouts (Salad Time brand preferred--it's from Silang, Cavite)
Teriyaki sauce

Procedure:
Bread chops in 3 step-breading with the egg beaten with wasabi. Fry until golden brown. Allow to drain in paper towel.

In a serving dish, black bowl preferred, arrange about a cup of raw, chilled bean sprouts so as to create some height. Slice pork chop into thin strips and put on top of the sprouts.

Drizzle with store-bought teriyaki sauce.

Now that's Japanese Fast Food!