Tokyo Tonteki

Jewish Ondiviela

3.0

High on Japanese Cuisine hype, another food chain mogul opens in Manila, this time, pioneering the art of Tonteki, or literally “pork loin steak”. A brainchild of Shusaku Namikawa, the owner and founder of Tokyo Tonteki Japan, the pork loin steak specialty restaurant with branches also in Shibuya, Japan, opened just recently last October 21, 2013 at Manila’s newest website destination, the UP Town Center. We’ve seen it all, from the art of sushi, to ramen to katsuretsu sets, but is Manila ready for the pork loin steak fad? I went to Tokyo Tonteki to find out.Being in Tokyo Tonteki reminded me of a cross breed between Pepper Steak and Yabu: The House of Katsu. But I believe this hybrid is more than just that ~ Shusaku Namikawa actually perfected this cuisine that he discovered during a trip in Yokkaichi City in Mie Prefecture in Japan. I believe this signature Tonteki sauce along with cooking the pork loin as tender as it can be, will be very much explained when I dig deeper with their dishes. *thumbs up*For starters, the Spring Roll of Proscuitto, Avocado and Onsen Egg is their bestseller. At first glance it seems very hard in structure. Quite frankly it was very hard to slice in the middle. The proscuitto, while thin , looks like an inventive way of creating Vietnamese spring rolls. To be honest, I didn’t like it at first since I had a hard time slicing it, but I liked it afterwards.The avocado inside meshed with their very own Onsen Egg is quite a miracle in taste. The Onsen Egg, with Onsen meaning “hot spring”, is traditionally boiled at the lowest temperature of 160 degrees fahrenheit like those of Japanese hot springs.For those of you who are into Katsu Sets, you’ll find Tokyo Tonteki’s Regular Tonteki or Pork Loin Steak Set a familiar sight, with miso soup, unlimited rice, pickled cucumber, and cabbage, complete with the Japanese mayonnaise you are all addicted to.The difference here is that, the meat is so tender, and well cooked ~ at a low temperature ~ makes it absorbant to the Tonteki Sauce that’s surprisingly made of aged fruits, vegetables and spices that’s incredibly thought of to bring out its unique flavor. There’s a hint of citrus fruit, if I’m not mistaken. It’s refreshing.You can also add more condiments such as Wafu Dressing or Balsamic Vinegar to your pork loin steak and shredded cabbage salad to your liking.On the other hand, their Chicken Steak is not so rough either. The breast meat is incredibly tender, and I liked that it’s not too oily as well. The Tonteki sauce blended perfectly too.I’d say that Tokyo Tonteki hasn’t just perfected their pork loin steak, but extended it to the Chicken Steak as well, though I wouldn’t call it “steak”.I would definitely return to Tokyo Tonteki once in a while. I’m quite excited to try out their Tonburg Set, which is a hamburger steak set, and they’ve got it with cheese and pineapple. That’s interesting!On their menu, they also have the Sundubu Style Tonteki Stew, a fusion of Japanese and Korean cuisine on the scene, but this is only available for dinner.

Wita Aulya

4.0

I've eaten here several times and the place gets my vote for quality and value for money. I've tried most of the items on the menu and they are all good. If anything, tell the waitress NOT to put the cabbage inside the skillet because all you'll get is one wilted mess. And like other reviews have said, this is a welcome place from all the katsu restaurants that have spung up around the metro.

Keni Fitrianti

4.0

The relatively new UP Town Center has become an excellent destination for foodies near the area. The only reason my sister and I happened to try out Tokyo Tonteki was because Casa Verde had a crazy long line considering it was already 3pm! The restaurant serves Japanese food ideal for casual dining. “Tonteki” means pork loin steak, and as their name suggests, it is one of their specialties and best sellers. The prices of their wares are reasonable, and their menu is a nice deviation from the usual Japanese restaurant laden with katsu dishes. Chicken Steak Set 200-250g (Php350.00)Each steak set is served with a steaming hot pork miso soup (refillable), pickled cucumber, rice (refillable), and shredded cabbage (refillable). The pork miso soup tasted excellent, each serving filled generously with onions and pork bits. The chicken itself, drenched in the house’s special tonteki sauce, was cooked perfectly, and was tender & flavorful.Cheese Tonburg Steak Set 300g (Php410.00)The star of this dish is the Japanese Salisbury steak covered in tonteki sauce topped with a layer of cheese. The burger steak had a rich taste, and the coating of cheese added a nice touch to its flavor. Overall, Tokyo Tonteki was a good 2nd choice for us that day. The staff was friendly and accommodating, and the service was top notch. And just as a point for comparison, I would choose Tokyo Tonteki over Yabu any day.