I know we've been talking a lot about pork chops on the show lately, but here's another chop to try, this time of the Viennese-Japanese persuasion. Tonkatsu is a fillet or cutlet of pork dipped in a panko batter and then fried until it crisps to a beautiful golden crackly texture. There are altogether four locations owned by the Teishokuya of Tokyo restaurant group, but Jonathan Gold recommends going to Kagura in Torrance, where you can choose from four different kinds of tonkatsu on the menu. Start with the loin or their signature mille-feuille tonkatsu. Or, if you're off the pork diet this week, you can try other items like the hockey puck-sized potato croquettes stuffed with melted cheese, the sea urchin spaghetti and the fried banana "tonkatsu" for dessert. Read Jonathan's LA Times review of Kagura and see how these chops look on the plate on the Good Food blog.
Kagura
1652 Cabrillo Avenue
Torrance, CA 90501
310-787-0227
Music: "Dias y Flores" by Silvio Rodriguez