The Bento of TokyoTokyo

I think most of you knows about TokyoTokyo... Who did not know about them? Tell me! LOL... Well, the first time I tried their foods was when I'm in Festival Mall in Alabang with my friends. We came from Sta. Rosa that time heading to Makati for our work way back 2007 something. And I ordered for myself with a Pork Tonkatsu. Ever since I love this food.

Then now, I just wondered how did this business started. And I started to dig the net especially when they offer a new bunch of yummy food which they called "Bento".

Tokyo Tokyo is a Japanese fast food restaurant chain in the Philippines. Tokyo Tokyo is known for serving Japanese dishes with free rice refill, a promotion called eat-all-you-kanin (Eat all the rice you can) which has been on-going since it started in 1985. Tokyo Tokyo currently operates 56 stores in the Philippines, with much of the chain's expansion being attributed to franchising. Generally Tokyo Tokyo restaurants are located within major shopping centers and malls in the country notably malls which are owned and operated by SM Prime Holdings, Robinson's and theAyala Corporation.

The first Tokyo Tokyo restaurant opened on April 22, 1985 at the Quad car park in Makati city. They first served Japanese dishes such as tempura, tonkatsu, yakisoba, sushi and sashimi. At the time they opened their first Japanese restaurants in 1985, other Japanese restaurants were more traditional; the 'mainstreaming' of the market has contributed to the restaurant chain's growth.

Tokyo Tokyo’s menu currently offers 3 types of sushi, spicy kani roll, spicy tuna roll, and california maki. The best seller variants of beef teriyaki, beef misono, pork tonkatsu, squid ika fry and prawn tempura are dishes with vegetables. The best! chicken teriyaki and tuna misono are the house specials of Tokyo Tokyo, they come with the same package of their best seller variants. Tokyo Tokyo also offers yakisoba, japanese style potato balls, miso soup and kani crab corn soup as side dishes.

So, what's with this Bento I'm talking about at the TOP!

Bento  is a single-portion takeout or home-packed meal common in Japanese cuisine. A traditional bento consists of rice, fish or meat, and one or more pickled or cooked vegetables, usually in a box-shaped container. Containers range from disposable mass produced to hand crafted lacquerware. Although bento are readily available in many places throughout Japan, including convenience stores, bento shops , train stations, and department stores, it is still common for Japanese homemakers to spend time and energy for their spouse, child, or themselves producing a carefully prepared lunch box.

Bento can be very elaborately arranged in a style called kyaraben or "character bento". Kyaraben is typically decorated to look like popular Japanese cartoon (anime) characters, characters from comic books (manga), or video game characters. Another popular bento style is "oekakiben" or "picture bento", which is decorated to look like people, animals, buildings and monuments, or items such as flowers and plants. Contests are often held where bento arrangers compete for the most aesthetically pleasing arrangements.

There are similar forms of boxed lunches in the Philippines (Baon), Korea (Dosirak), Taiwan (Biandang), and India (Tiffin). Also, Hawaiian culture has adopted localized versions of bento featuring local tastes after over a century of Japanese influence in the islands.

What I love with Bento is you will satisfy the quality and quantity of food at affordable price. You will enjoy at 3 variety of Bento which are Pork Tonkatsu Bento, Beef and Pork and Vegetable Tampura. As I said earlier I love Pork Tonkatsu. The pork is tender and savory  in taste. Yum! Yum! Yum! 

Tonkatsu, deep-fried breaded pork cutlet, is in its own way just as famous as tempura; and like tempura it was imported from the West. This dish is derived from the European breaded cutlet, but whereas the Western version is fried in a scant amount of oil, this one is deep-fried.

Tonkatsu is one of the most popular meat dishes in Japan. A "set" meal consisting of a deep-fried breaded pork cutlet on a bed of cabbage, a bowl of rice, one of soup, and a side dish of pickles costs about 20-30 pesos I guess.

In comparison with tempura, this dish might impress you as being heavy, almost Germanic. But the fact remains that this kawari-age dish is very much a daily food and is inexpensive as well as filling. Done well, with pork loin or tenderloin, it can be very good indeed.

Tonkatsu is accompanied by a thick sauce, based on Worcestershire sauce, which is available in bottles, or you can use the dipping sauces recommended below. It is commonly laid against shredded raw cabbage, which acts as a salad

But have you ever think to cook it on your own? Hmmm... Me too! So I will share this recipe from a Japanese friend whose specialty is the Pork Tonkatsu.

Ingredients:

• 4 slices pork loin or tenderloin, about 1/2 inch (1.5 cm) thick and 4-6 ounces (115-180g)
• freshly ground black pepper
• salt
• flour
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 cups fresh or dried bread crumbs
• oil for deep-frying
• shredded cabbage
• lemon wedges (optional)
• commercially prepared tonkatsu sauce, or a combination of the follwing mixed to taste:
• • ketchup
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • dark soy sauce
  • prepared mustard
  • sake

4 servings

Directions

To prepare: In a few places slash the fat rimming one side of the loin cutlet to keep meat from curling when deep-fried. Salt lightly then grind fresh pepper over both sides. Dredge lightly in flour. Dip into beaten egg and then press into breadcrumbs.

To deep-fry: Bring about 3 inches (8 cm) of oil to about 350° F/175° C in a heavy-bottomed pot or deep-fryer. Lay 1 or 2 cutlets in the hot oil. Deep-fry till golden brown, about 5 to 7 minutes, turning them in the oil once or twice. Skim the oil periodically.

Briefly drain cutlets on absorbent paper. Cut pork crosswise at 3/4-inch (2cm) intervals into bite-sized slices that are easy to manage with chopsticks. If you plan on eating tonkatsu with knife and fork, do not bother to cut it at this point.

To serve: Against a generous half-plateful of shredded cabbage, arrange cutlet slices as if cutlet was whole. Garnish with a wedge of lemon, if desired. The sauce may be poured from a small ewer into a small bowl to be used as a dip, or it may be poured over the cutlet and cabbage.

Now grab your basket and run to your nearest supermarket to buy the ingredients and start cooking it on your own. If your lazy to do so then go to the nearest TOKYOTOKYO shop nearest you :)