Taipei is home to a fair number of Japanese chain restaurants serving tonkatsu, or Japanese fried pork cutlet, with Saboten (勝博殿), Anzu (杏子) and Koshiya (晃士家) among the most popular.
In its hometown of Hakone, Japan, Ginkatsutei has been making tonkatsu for more than 35 years. The restaurant opened a branch in Taipei’s East District (東區) last year.
Unlike many tonkatsu eateries, whose interior designs favor wood and shades of brown, Ginkatsutei’s strong palette of black and reds exudes a chic mien.
The clever use of glass to partition the dining space makes the restaurant look deceptively spacious.
However, when it comes to the food, the chef sticks with old-school simplicity rather than a fancy menu of tonkatsu stuffed with various fillings.
Ginkatsutei’s pork fillet and pork loin cutlets are coated in a homemade breadcrumb mix, which alone deserves special mention, and deep-fried until golden and crispy.
The cutlet may look dry on the outside, but is gratifyingly succulent on the inside, and is served with a tart tonkatsu sauce and punchy Japanese mustard sauce.
Health-conscious diners may find it consolatory to know that the restaurant uses brown rice oil, which it touts as rich in vitamins, to deep-fry the tonkatsu.
Besides the pork fillet set
(里脊豬排御膳, NT$320) and pork loin set (腰內豬排御膳, NT$350), the ginkatsu set meal (銀勝御膳, NT$350), a popular choice, consists of two tempura prawns and one tonkatsu chopped up into four portions.
Ginkatsutei’s must-try signature dish has little to do with meat: deep-fried breaded tofu, served on a bed of tangy onion in a clay pot, and accompanied with a small portion of ground pork
(豆腐勝煮御膳, NT$350).
Address: 12, Alley 32, Ln 216, Zhongxiao E Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市忠孝東路四段216巷32弄12號)
Telephone: (02) 2721-4440
Open: 11:30am to 2:30pm and 5:30pm to 9:30pm. Closed on Mondays
Average meal: NT$350, plus 10 percent service charge
Details: Chinese and Japanese menu with pictures, credit cards accepted
The bean curd is made specially for the restaurant through a process that employs sea salt to coagulate the soy milk instead of the often-used quicklime.
All set meals come with white rice, miso soup — exceedingly salty — Japanese pickles, shredded cabbage dressed in a piquant vinegar and mustard sauce, an additional side dish, dessert and a soft drink.
Shochu (燒酒) and beer are also available.
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