Rengatei | kokosil Ginza

　If you’ve spent enough time eating Japanese foods, you’ve probably come across Tonkatsu and pork cutlet. You may have wondered if there is any difference between them. Some people will tell you that thicker cut of pork is used for Tonkatsu; others may tell you that Tonkatsu is served with Worcestershire sauce, while pork cutlet is served with demi-glace sauce; however, actually, it is not clearly defined.

　All Tonkatsu and pork cutlet offered in Japan can trace their origins back to Rengatei, a well-established Yōshoku (Japanese style western food) restaurant originally founded as a French restaurant in 1895. This was a brave move in Japan since Western food was not popular at the time; it was thought to be a cause of heartburn and unpalatable to Japanese.

　Then, in 1899, Motojiro Kida, second-generation proprietor of Rengatei, created the first pork cutlet based on the idea of Italian cotoletta, breadcrumb-coated and deep-fried veal. To create his pork cutlet, Kida cut the pork into thin slices and deep fried them in vegetable oil.

　When the Russo-Japanese War broke out, Rengatei’s chefs also went to the war. Being extremely short-staffed, Kida garnished the pork cutlets with finely shredded cabbage which was very easy to prepare, and it went very well with the deep-fried pork. Since then, finely shredded cabbage has been a standard garnish for pork cutlet and Tonkatsu.

　Also, the first pork cutlets were accompanied by breads since it was a French restaurant. Later on, responding to customer demands, Kida began offering cooked rice on a plate for the convenience of diners using a knife and fork; thus, today’s typical combination of pork cutlet and rice on a plate was also born at Rengatei.

　Furthermore, Rengatei has created many other standards of Yōshoku cuisine such as Ebi-furai (fried prawns) and Omu-rice (rice-stuffed omelet) that have been loved nationwide.

3,000 yen