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 :) 

My Favorite Finger Foods Ever

The holiday season is a time for parties and social gatherings, which also means it's a time for eating with your hands. Finger foods are handy for sharing, as well as cutting down on dishes to wash. You will save time also to prepare and the expenses as well. As what they say you will celebrate the season with a lot of foods with less expenses but still grandeur or we call it in Tagalog "Vongga!"... Am I right?

Will I'm gonna share to you my favorite finger foods which we usually prepare during any occasions in our house especially if we have a low budget. 

French Fries

Since my younger days, I love to eat this one even on ordinary days. They're almost everywhere and go with virtually anything. The best french fries are thin, crispy, and yes, salty (kind of like the ones from McDonald's). Add some chili and some cheese and you've got yourself a meal. And its super-duper yummy! Burpppp!

But behind its yummy and crispy looks do you what we get from them? Hmmm... Have you ever think of that? Nah! Maybe YES. Maybe NO!

Potatos are rich in carbohydrates. We need carbohydrates to be burn as energy. Will it's good. But too much of it is BAD! So we need to watch our intake enable for us to be fit.

I'm gonna come right out and say something that I'm sure you won't all openly agree with: McDonald's french fries are great. At their best, they are everything a french fry should be: salty, crisp, light, and not greasy. Granted, you get the occasional odd franchise that lets'em sit under the heat lamp for a couple hours too long, but on the whole, I find it remarkable that the bigwigs have discovered a way to create a frozen fry that even a one armed eyeless chimp has trouble screwing up. 

To be absolutely honest, I've never been able to make fries as good as theirs (shhhhh!)

Sure, my thick-cut pub-style fries are super-potatoey and fantastic, and when I'm in the mood for them, my seasoned steak fries can't be beat, but for thin, super-crisp fries (I'm talking the kind that only appear in fast food restaurants and French bistros under the name frites)? I'm always better off running down to the take-out window than bothering to fry them myself at home.

I've been literally giddy with the quality of the fries that have been coming out of our kitchen for the last two days. My landlady won't hear the end of it. I've cooked over 10 batches of fries in the last three days, and I'm happy to report that I've finally found a way to consistently reach crisp, golden Nirvana.

How to make this yummy and crispy french fries? Here's how.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon onion salt
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 cup water, or as needed
• 1 cup vegetable oil for frying

Directions

1. Slice potatoes into French fries, and place into cold water so they won't turn brown while you prepare the oil.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. While the oil is heating, sift the flour, garlic salt, onion salt, (regular) salt, and paprika into a large bowl. Gradually stir in enough water so that the mixture can be drizzled from a spoon.
3. Dip potato slices into the batter one at a time, and place in the hot oil so they are not touching at first. The fries must be placed into the skillet one at a time, or they will clump together. Fry until golden brown and crispy. Remove and drain on paper towels.

There you got a yummy and crispy french fries.... But wait! I had another one which we usually eat at the office. TACOS........ yum! yum!


Taco


Actually you can do this at home using a ready made potato chips or Tortilla snacks which you can buy it at the grocery. My friend also uses Nova whole grain snack and the taste is good... Taste like the taco at Taco Bell. Mmmm.......


Here's how to make the yummiest taco in town.

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Small corn or flour tortillas
• Vegetable oil
• Frying pot or pan
• Two forks (wooden handle preferred)
• Paper towels

1. • 1
     Add vegetable oil to a pot or frying pan until there is 3/4 to 1 inch of oil. Heat the oil up to about 250 degrees F.
   • 2
     Place one tortilla into the oil, making sure it is completely submerged momentarily. The tortilla will float to the top of the oil once it begins frying.
   • 3
     Use a fork to hold the bottom half of the shell down in the oil and use another fork to fold the tortilla in half. Hold the top half away from the bottom half and allow the shape to set as it cooks.
   • 4
     Turn the shell over in the oil after about 30 to 60 seconds. The half of the shell that was out of the oil is now submerged and the part that was in the oil is now out of it. Continue to use the forks to hold the shape of the shell as well as to hold the bottom half under the oil.
   • 5
     Test if the shell is done after another 30 to 60 seconds has passed. If it has not hardened yet, continue to hold each half of the shell under the oil for as long as it takes to become crispy. Make sure to turn the shell so that each half gets equal time in the oil. (Or else one half will be crispy and the other soggy!)
   • 6
     Remove the shell from the oil and place it onto a plate or pan covered in paper towels. This will drain the shell of excess oil and allow it to set to its final crispiness.
   • 7
     Repeat these steps for as many shells as you wish to make.

     Now to make the seasoning?

     Ingredients

     • 1 tablespoon chili powder
     • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
     • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
     • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
     • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
     • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
     • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
     • 1 teaspoon sea salt
     • 1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

1. In a small bowl, mix together chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. Store in an airtight container.

Nutritional Information 

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 5 | Total Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 0mg

Enjoy Eating mi amigos. But remember too much is BAD....