The warm February evening felt much like summer already. And similarly, it felt much like a warm August evening during the Obon holiday season in Japan; with Valentine's having just ended and a holiday-like atmosphere pervaded the air. The fennel bulbs decided to do an Obon (お盆）theme, and firstly landed in a tonkatsu restaurant (which is aptly called Tonkatsu-Ya, which means the same thing in Japanese, トンカツ屋).
Located in the basement of Palm Towers in San Antonio Village, Makati City, Tonkatsu-ya is more or less a little nook serving Japan's favourite pork cutlet, in various kinds. And the offerings are nonetheless veritable.
The fennel bulbs ordered the regular tonkatsu set (Php200) and the miso hirekatsu set (Php245). "Hire (ひれ)" means fillet, and often pertains to more tender cuts of pork than what may be used for a regular "Rosu (ロス)" tonkatsu, although the difference in price is more or less negligible.
The quality of the pork was good and tender, and the breading was done very well in such a way that it did not peel off when one bites into it. The thickness of the pork was also optimal, and the size of the chunks were convenient enough to be held by a pair of chopsticks. A dollop of yellow wasabi was placed on the side.
A pile of shredded cabbage accompanied the dish, which one could dress liberally with the tonkatsu sauce. A bowl of miso soup and some cold vegetables were had, and the indispensable rice.
A lot of Japanese people frequent the place, even though it is located in a quiet residential area. The price is definitely more than worth it, and the fennel bulbs would gladly recommend this place to someone who would want a delicious pork cutlet meal, without the commotion of going to those popular Japanese joints found in the shopping malls.
Still not fully satiated, the fennel bulbs headed off to Hana (華）in nearby Little Tokyo. The lanterns were all lit and the place was filled with people, the humid air and the noise of people made it really feel quite similar to an Obon evening.
We tried the tako karaage (fried octopus, Php140), which was served with flavoured salt. It was a good accompaniment to a cold mug of draught beer. Afterwards, tuna rolled in seaweed with mayonnaise (Php200) was ordered. The tuna was of permissible quality, and the dollops of mayonnaise were a bit too excessive.
Lastly, ujikintoki (宇治金時、Php160) was ordered. This is a favourite of the fennelbulbs - green tea ice cream with red bean paste, and shaved ice. This encapsulates that feeling of a very humid Obon evening - a bowl of flavoured shaved ice (かき氷, called kakigoori) as a sweet refreshment.
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