Tonkatsu is lightly fried in rice oil and cut to the guest’s preferred thickness. Sauce is heated for added pungency. Curry like a pureed vegetable soup wraps up meals. As the aroma of the dashi stock and sweetness of the vegetables waft through the air, we see why the chef switched his calling from a kappo to a tonkatsu restaurant. The essential element of Japanese cuisine, principles assumed without even noticing, is encapsulated in tonkatsu.