Fried to Perfection at Delica Yamakoshi
Published: November 16, 2017
Are you a tonkatsu fan? Do you enjoy the crispy, crunchy panko coating and the juicy flavour of pork? If you do, you’ll know that the only way to really enjoy a deep-fried Japanese pork cutlet is piping hot, straight from the fryer. When you’re pressed for time, you can’t afford to wait in line outside a busy restaurant; and supermarket pork cutlets lose their freshness the longer they are sitting out. Never fear, though! If you’re in the Kiyosumi-shirakawa area, you can enjoy a pork cutlet cooked to go, and a whole lot more besides, at Delica Yamakoshi.
On a recent afternoon, fourth generation proprietor Hiroshi Yanagi answered a few questions about his business. “My great-grandfather opened the shop as a butcher’s back in 1928,” says the affable Mr. Yanagi. “Over time the number of supermarkets in the area gradually increased and that has had an impact on our trade. The cooked food and lunchbox side of the business increased to the point where it’s now the major part of what we do. We still sell meat of course, but recently we’ve added salads as well.”
“We wanted to differentiate ourselves from the supermarkets so we offer a ‘cook on demand’ style service. Customers can call ahead and order a lunch box or drop in the shop. We then fry the main item, whether it’s a pork fillet or roast loin cutlet, chicken cutlet, fried chicken, pork with ginger, hamburg steak or whatever. The customers can wait or, as many prefer, see to other errands before picking up their freshly cooked lunch.”
The menu is extensive, the portions are very generous and the prices incredible value for money. All of the main lunch boxes are set at a very reasonable 560 yen. The cutlets can be ordered for dinner as well, since the shop is open from 11:30 to 13:00 for lunch and again from 16:00 to 19:00. The rice bowl (donburi) menu has increased recently to reflect the number of female customers. “Ladies seem to prefer the rice bowl style so we added several more varieties to respond to customers’ requests,” added Mr. Yanagi.
Yamakoshi is also well known for its roast pork. “It’s 100% Japanese pork with no additives or artificial colouring,” says Mr Yanagi.
Mr. Yanagi, his wife, and his parents run the store together. Yamakoshi is a long-standing member of the Shiryokan Street Shop Association and is involved in many events. “We just finished the scarecrow competition. This year there were 190 entrants, with an awards ceremony for the winners, prizes and so on. That’s our scarecrow out there still.”
“Now we’re having a stamp rally, the Fukagawa Stamp Rally, from November 1st to 30th. This year is the third year; the first year we had 18 shops taking part, then 28, and now 38. It’s doubled in size in three years. Simply make a purchase at one of the shops, get a stamp sheet, fill it up and you can win prizes.”
The kindly Mr. Yanagi offers me a corn croquette and a minced cutlet (menchi katsu) with a dash of sauce, which I eat while enjoying the autumn colours in nearby Kiyosumi Park.
They are large, delicious and filling. The panko breadcrumbs are superbly crisp and the oil used to cook them is clearly top quality. Ten out of ten!
The Yanagis have a vast amount of experience and clearly know how to make top class deep-fried food. The super thick cut pork cutlets also look amazing and are ridiculously good value. If you’re in the Kiyosumi-shirakawa area and hungry, you should head straight to Yamakoshi. It’s old-school, and all the better for it. You certainly won’t regret it.
While you’re waiting you can even have a game of bagatelle or table baseball. Bon appetit!
Story by Stephen Spencer
Photos by Stephen Spencer and more
