Lose Your Mind at Crazy Katsu!

A couple of years ago, katsu was the "in" thing.  People would endure long queues just to be able to gobble up their favorite crunchy fillets.  Katsu places now are dime a dozen, from the perennial favorite Yabu, to the higher end Saboten, and everything in between.  The market is flooded by katsu restaurants, even fastfood joints are modifying their menu to include them.  But, unlike the ramen craze, the clamor for katsu has mellowed down.

Keeping itself under the radar, Crazy Katsu has stealthily occupied a comfortable niche in the low to mid-level market for katsu.  From its humble origins in the bustling food mecca in Maginhawa street, Crazy Katsu managed to expand its reach as far as the southern foodie haven in BF.  Just a few meters behind my home, I had been eyeing this place every time I went for an afternoon jog.

This particular branch is quite diminutive but cozy, tucked away in a small corner beside a sari-sari store and a burger bar.  Inside, around 30-40 people can comfortably seat on wooden chairs.  Despite this, it didn't feel like a cheap katsu place.  On a lazy Sunday lunchtime, the place was rather empty.  The family quickly ordered as we were all famished.

The menu was a one-pager.  Clearly, all they offered was katsu and a few other Japanese dishes.  No sushi or sashimi here, for those needing their raw fix.  But it was all good for me, as I was here to sample their best-selling katsu.  Service was understandably fast since there were only two other diners inside.

Tonkatsu, P150

I am not a big fan of chicken katsu, so I instantly selected Tonkatsu from the menu.  I kept my expectations reasonable, knowing that this is a budget joint.  It was a pleasant surprise, therefore, when my order arrived.  The size was bigger than I expected, larger than an average man's palm.

Remarkably, the fillet was also a centimeter thick.  The exterior was stunning, deep-fried to a perfect golden-brown.  At first bite, there was very little trace of oil, a welcome finding.  The coating was consistently crunchy in all parts.  The panko crumbs are light and gentle to the palate.  I always disdain katsu that have crumbs that pierce my mouth.  

The meat was flavorful but tough in some parts.  There were hints of luscious fat, but it left me wanting.  Clearly, it lacked the marbling so evident in higher-end katsu.  No ceremonious grinding of sesame seeds here, as the sauce is provided on the side.  It was a combination of sour-sweet flavor, a good accompaniment to the tonkatsu.  The shredded cabbage was generic and wasn't saved by the usual mayonnaise dressing.  Nevertheless, this was a good bargain.  Well done!

Chicken Katsu, P155

Mom picked their renowned best-seller, the Chicken Katsu variant.  Chopped cubes of chicken deep fried to a crisp came served on a bed of shredded cabbage.  Again, the serving size was a delightful surprise, seemingly more than the price tag.

The outer breading was light and crunchy, with very little panko.  Yet, it was highly addicting!  The chicken meat was tender and juicy.  Some cubes had the skin-on, retaining a cloying fatty flavor.  Still, the secret, apparently, was the soy-vinegar sauce on the side.  Spiked with red chilies, it raised the heat level a notch and added a zesty dimension.  One can request this potion drenching the chicken, but I prefer that the meat retain its crunchy texture.  Although I wasn't a big fan of ANY chicken katsu, I really enjoyed this dish.  It defended its moniker as the best-seller, indeed.

Fish and Vegetable Tempura, P150 

A non-meat eater, Dad was thankful that they had the Fish and Vegetable Tempura on the menu.  Although I was wary that they would not deliver well on this, the order looked tempting when it arrived.  Three thin fillets were lightly battered and fried to a perfect crisp.

Veggies thrown into the mix included slices of eggplants, sweet potatoes, and string beans. I didn't get to taste all but I assume it was okay, as my dad consumed them in a jiffy.

Gyoza, P130

We had a side order of gyoza, just so I could sample them.  I was missing Kenji Tei's spicy cheese gyoza, so I craved for this.  However, this was just the regular variety.

The dumplings were slightly burnt on the underside - a good sign for gyoza.  This surface was crisp, while the opposite side was smooth and soft.  The filling was warm as I had my first bite.  However, it was a tad too bitter and wanting with pork meat.  I preferred a more savory taste, and there was nothing that the soy dip could do.

Bargain bounty!

With nothing over 200 bucks, Crazy Katsu is a steal.  For that price tag, the food quality is above par, especially both chicken and pork katsu variants.  No wonder it still is a hit among students.  The other dishes though are a bit off, but these guys certainly know what they are doing with their katsu.  With the departure of Tonkatsuya in BF, Crazy Katsu should dominate the scene.  Ditch your plans for a quick katsu fix in fast-food posers.  It's better to lose your self here.  In my opinion, the best budget katsu in the country.

Jones

Crazy Katsu

231 Aguirre Street

BF Homes, Paranaque City

https://www.facebook.com/crazykatsu

   

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Tonkatsuya: The Way of The Katsu Warrior

Many foodies would agree, myself included, that the Philippine food scene is in a state of massive upheaval.  Take the example of the Japanese restaurant in the metro: gone are the days of dark nooks tucked ostensibly in the shady streets of Manila, replete with barely visible windows and ominous red lanterns looming intimidatingly outside, as if gangs of Yakuza were holding clandestine meetings within.  Nowadays, Japanese joints are brightly lit, hip and urban, inviting massive throngs of hungry people and catering to particular dishes: be it yakiniku, ramen, or the popular katsu.

I once remembered that I didn't fancy katsu dishes not so long ago.  I was more fond of the heavenly gyudon, often paired with a serving of crisp tempura.  To me, katsu dishes were painful - literally.  Those bread crumbs smothering the meat were often too spiky and would leave my palate a harsh reminder.  But then again, it is the prevailing craze nowadays, so I tried to ride on the bandwagon.

Tonkatsuya was pretty famous, some say notorious, even before I found out about it through food blogs.  Makati people new about this shangri-la and often would swear it in secrecy.  Its notoriety was born out of the difficulty in looking for it, hence, a true shangri-la.  Compounding that was the equally scary stories of parking woes.  However, the clamor for another branch soon led to its  birth down south, just a stone's throw away from my home.  I didn't pass up the chance to try its much talked-about specialties. 

This branch in BF Homes was in stark contrast to its mother branch (which I have never visited, but only read about it in blogs).  It was a converted house, with the front yard providing ample parking space.  A big store sign was right out front, as if screaming to people to try this out.  And so, I hoped these were the only differences, and the taste should be pretty much similar to its original branch.

I was with my family, so each of us ordered a set meal, which actually makes up most of their menu.  Mind you, there are no sushi / sashimi dishes offered here, as they exclusively specialize in their beloved katsu. 

Thus said, I proceeded to order - a tempura set! Much as I wanted to try out the herikatsu set, I figured mom and dad would order it, so I beat them to the punch.  Anyway, I could always grab a piece of theirs.  As my order arrived, I almost instantly regretted my choice. 

Ebi Tempura Set, P340

At first glance, each piece of shrimp seemed bloated with too much batter.  Although five shrimps was a good number, I feared the batter concealed baby shrimps inside.  Thankfully, as I took my first bite, these were regular-sized shrimps.  However, the batter was really too thick it felt like eating a waffle-dog.  Adding insult to injury, the tempura sauce was too diluted and practically lacked flavor. I thought to myself, why did I even order a tempura dish in a katsu place??

But redemption beckoned.  Good thing I sampled the other dishes which saved my impression for this restaurant.  The Mixed Fry set consisted of 3 medium-sized slabs of herikatsu pork and a regular-sized ebi fry.  And my, it was a great combination, akin to a Japanese surf n' turf.

 Mixed Fry Set, P290

Each herikatsu piece was crisp and plump, yet tender on the inside.  However, it still paled in comparison to the other katsu (enter: Yabu), as it lacked the distinct juicy aspect of the latter.  The katsu sauce was quite good, but without the intricacy of Yabu.  A generous siding of cabbage with Japanese mayo complimented this hearty dish.  The prawn was regular-sized, fresh and succulent.  Drown these morsels with sips of your miso soup, and you're all set. For people who want to try out both pork and seafood at the same time (and eat with selfish picky buddies), this is an easy choice.

Mom was always fond of katsu, but this time she opted for the Chicken Katsu set.  I got to try out a few pieces, and the meat was a tad dry.  The crisp covering and the overflowing katsu sauce made up for it, but I expected more oomph from this dish.  

Chicken Katsu Set, P210

Overall, the katsu experience was quite fulfilling, save for the slight tempura disappointment.  (I should have known better).  And browsing through the menu, each item was reasonably priced for a specialty restaurant.  Comparisons with Yabu abound, with Yabu winning in virtually all aspects.  There are no ceremonious grinding of sesame here, no pageantry in presentation, and no pomp in flavor.  Tonkatsuya, however, may just be the next-best-thing.  The service is prompt, the dishes warm and well-cooked, the flavor satisfactory.  No fuss, no frills, just delivering what you expect for your money.  And for those simple reasons, I would definitely come back and try out their other katsu dishes (no more messing with tempura this time).  Not surprisingly, Tonkatsuya has its loyal disciples, both north and south of the border.  It owes its reputation to its strict, almost bushido-like code of cooking: it does its duty and delivers.

Tonkatsu-ya Restaurant

252 Aguirre Avenue

BF Homes Paranaque City

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